The Speech Community concept

A speech community is a group of people who share a common way of using language, including similar words, expressions, and speech patterns. These shared language practices help members communicate effectively and often reflect their cultural, social, or professional connections. For example, neighbors in a neighborhood or colleagues in an office might form separate speech communities, each with their own norms and styles of speaking. Understanding speech communities helps us see how language varies across different groups and how it reinforces social identity and relationships.