speech bubble word meaning

Meaning of Speech Bubbles in Comics

Last Updated on July 1, 2024 by Ilka Perea Hernández

The visual tool used to represent the characters’ speech, dialogue, or conversation in the comics is known as a “bubble”. The meaning of speech bubbles in comics will be addressed, emphasizing their proper use and comic grammar.

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Speech Bubbles

What are speech bubbles, different kinds of speech bubble, normal speech, electronic devices, extended speech, some insights, what do you think, cite this post.

One of the most important parts of comics is the character dialogue. It is one of the  features of comics  and it is as valuable as the images themselves. They are a great support for the narrative within the comics.

As part of the visual language of comics, bubbles are small expressions in themselves, with their own meaning. They can communicate in a situation or context. Therefore, it is important to know the meaning of speech bubbles in comics to know how to express emotions in a dialogue, nature, the source of the speech, and sounds, for instance.

Certainly, speech bubbles are usually added after the editing and photography of the images. However, at this point in  the process of making a comic , you must have the text included inside the bubbles. The extension of the text must be set during the scriptwriting process, as well as the type of bubble to be used. Therefore, knowing the meaning of speech bubbles in comics ensures a better choice of each one to correctly communicate the message you want to convey.

Creative Process of Making Comics

There are different kinds of speech bubbles because there are different ways that a character could dialogue or communicate a message in a comic. There are some examples:

The “basic” bubble — which often has an oval shape — is used for normal character speech. The “tail” of the bubble should generally point towards the speaker, particularly towards his mouth or the area that produces the sound.

Vertical bubbles can be used when there is not enough horizontal space.  Therefore, this provides flexibility in distributing the bubbles within the panel.

Most of the time, this kind of bubble has an oval shape. However, it can have different shapes.

To express a thought, an idea, or that one is daydreaming, the bubble with a cloud shape is the right one. Besides, the shape can also be oval, like the basic one. But its tail is formed by a group of circles, or ellipses. For example, there are 2 or 3 circles.

Besides, this bubble serves to communicate what animals, plants, or things cannot say, as they “do not talk”. For example, the meow of a cat or the bark of a dog could be represented by onomatopoeias. However, to express their internal dialogue, you can use the cloud bubble.

Rectangular bubbles without a tail are known as captions. They express what the narrator says in such a way that they support the course of the story. In other words, this space describes, in words, a given situation that would not be attributed to a character. Sometimes they are appreciated as voice-overs. Likewise, they are used for subtitles.

Multi-edged bubbles usually represent screaming or a message out loud, but the screams may have a positive or negative connotation. For example, the character is urging his team to try harder. However, the same bubble can be used to insult or express abuse.

Depending on the connotation of the message, either negative or positive, the text in its content may have variations in style: bold, larger, or different colors, for instance.

On the other hand, this bubble can also vary in shape, depending on the intensity of the emotion to be expressed and the style of the comics.

This is used to represent words or sounds coming from an electronic device such as a television, telephone, radio, or microphone. The tail of the bubble points towards the device, and it looks like lightning. In addition, it can be used for robot and hologram dialogs.

Whispers are presented with a dashed-lined bubble. However, it also represents saying a secret or speaking in a very low voice. Certainly, the shapes can also vary for greater flexibility.

The wavy bubble indicates that the speaker is suffering from physical weakness. Likewise, it indicates that a character is exhausted, semi-unconscious, or about to faint. So, its wavy shape reflects the weakness of the character’s voice.

• If the speech or dialogue is too long or a pause is required, the text is distributed into extended speech bubbles.

Moreover, the extended speech bubble has variations. Dialogues can be interleaving but use a bridge that links the speech bubbles of the same character.

• Speech bubbles represent the characters’ dialogue or thoughts.
• Normal speech is often represented by an oval-shaped bubble.
• To express a thought or an idea, the bubble with a cloud shape is the right one.
• Rectangular bubbles without a tail are known as captions.
• Multi-edged bubbles usually represent screaming or sending a message out loud.
• The bubble, whose tail looks like a flash of lightning, is used to represent words or sounds coming from an electronic device.
• Whispers are presented with a dashed-lined bubble.
• The wavy bubble indicates that the speaker is suffering from physical weakness.

Comics are not just a piece of entertainment for children and teenagers. This massive medium is appreciated and understood by adults as well. Marketing agencies and advertising companies have understood this and have started to use it to attract potential customers.

In conclusion, the narrative power of comics can be exploited in graphic design to communicate ideas interestingly and differently. Learning the meaning of speech bubbles in comics is one of the first steps. If graphic designers want to take advantage of the full potential of comics, it is necessary to understand the concepts and features of comics and their different genres. It is also necessary to follow the process of creating a comic in order to develop a story through this format.

In the comments section, tell me if you already knew these bubbles and their meanings. Do you know other bubbles?

• APA Style: Perea Hernandez, I. (2019, August 15). Meaning of speech bubbles in comics. Retrieved from https://ilkaperea.com/2019/08/15/meaning-of-speech-bubbles-in-comics/
• Chicago Style: Perea Hernandez, Ilka. “Meaning of Speech Bubbles in Comics.” Ilka Perea, August 15, 2019. https://ilkaperea.com/2019/08/15/meaning-of-speech-bubbles-in-comics/ .
• MLA Style: Perea Hernandez, Ilka. “Meaning of Speech Bubbles in Comics.” Ilka Perea, 15 Aug. 2019. Web. https://ilkaperea.com/2019/08/15/meaning-of-speech-bubbles-in-comics/ . Accessed [insert current date].
• Harvard Style: Perea Hernandez, I. 2019. Meaning of Speech Bubbles in Comics. [ONLINE] Available at: https://ilkaperea.com/2019/08/15/meaning-of-speech-bubbles-in-comics/ (Accessed [insert current date]).

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Bibliography

• Acevedo Fernández, J. (2019). Para hacer historietas.  Instituto de Estudios Peruanos.
• Labarre, N. (2020). Understanding Genres in Comics (Palgrave Studies in Comics and Graphic Novels). Editorial Palgrave Pivot.
• McCloud, S. (2006). Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels. William Morrow Paperbacks.
• Stevenson, J. (2020).  How to Draw Manga (Includes Anime, Manga and Chibi) Part 2 Drawing Manga Figures. Editorial Golden Valley Press.

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Speech Bubble

What is a speech bubble.

A speech bubble is a shape, like a cloud, balloon or bubble, which contains text representing a character's speech. It can also be called a speech balloon, a word balloon or a dialogue balloon.

What do you write inside a speech bubble?

Inside the bubble, the words that the character says are written.

'He said', 'she said', or 'they said' are not needed, as the tail points to who is speaking.

The text should include punctuation, but inverted commas are not necessary, as the bubble itself shows that the words are speech.

Speech bubble activity ideas

1. Character conversations

Choose two characters from a book you are reading, and encourage children to create a conversation between them, using speech bubbles to record what they say to each other. This could be used to further explore an event that has already happened in the story, or, you could suggest a situation that the characters might face in the future. This activity could be done in pairs, where each child takes on the role of a different character. For older children, it might be more challenging to take on the role of both characters (and perspectives) themselves.

2. Talk to a character!

Give children the opportunity to 'interact' with a character at a specific point in the text. Enourage them to ask questions or offer advice - what would they do in the character's situation, and why? You could give children speech bubbles on post-it notes, which can then be stuck in the appropriate place on the page.

3. Give words to a non-speaking character/animal

Sometimes, there are characters in a story who do not speak. Ask children to infer what they might say if they did speak. Again, children could use speech bubbles on post-it notes, and stick them on the page next to the non-speaking character.

For all of the above suggested activities, you might find this FREE Speech Bubble Template pack useful.

4. Use within cartoon strips

This can be a fun way to get your children to summarise or retell part, or all, of a story. This FREE Cartoon Strips Template is a perfect resource for this activity.

Speech bubbles can also be an effective way of developing children's social communication skills . They could be used to explore how children would, and should, respond in a variety of different social situations, e.g. if a person said this to you, what would you say back?

Our FREE Text Message Template could be used for this type of activity with KS2 children.

Other types of bubble...

Whisper bubble

Used to indicate that a character is talking quietly

Thought bubble

Used to convey what a character is thinking instead of saying

Scream bubble

Used to indicate that a character is shouting or screaming

FREE Speech Bubble Template

FREE Cartoon Strips Template

FREE Text Message Template

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speech balloon vs speech bubble usage and meaning

I am from the UK, and am not familiar with the term "speech balloon". I have always used and heard "speech bubble" instead.

Are the 2 meanings the same? Is there some kind of difference in British/American English usage? (I don't really use speech bubbles so could be due to lack of knowledge.)

• american-english
• british-english

• 1 Both terms are in use and mean the same thing - the white area that speech is written into in comics with an arrow pointing to the speaker. –  Oldcat Commented Nov 7, 2014 at 0:34
• I seem to have seen them described as 'call outs'. Or am I thinking of something else? –  WS2 Commented Nov 7, 2014 at 1:02
• @WS2- it depends on what they're used for. IF they are on a diagram and are calling out or making specific note of a feature then they're a call out if they are in a comic containing spoken dialog then they are not a call out but rather a "speech balloon" or "speech bubble". I might make a distinction between bubble and balloon based on the type of connector between the person and the speech. if the connector is a series of small (or progressively larger bubbles) then I'd call it a bubble. If it's a thin line like the string of a balloon, then I'd call it a balloon. –  Jim Commented Nov 7, 2014 at 1:35
• I'm partial to speech dirigible , but only if the speaker is running. –  Drew Commented Nov 7, 2014 at 5:07
• @Jim the series of bubbles of increasing size is usually used for thoughts, not speech. I think they usually lead to a cloud rather than an oval or rectangle. –  Barmar Commented Nov 9, 2014 at 23:19

The meanings are the same. You can also use dialogue balloons or word balloons . Just make sure you're not mixing up speech bubbles with thought bubbles.

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Definition of speech bubble noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

speech bubble

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speech bubble noun

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What does the noun speech bubble mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun speech bubble . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the noun speech bubble ?

Where does the noun speech bubble come from?

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun speech bubble is in the 1960s.

OED's earliest evidence for speech bubble is from 1966, in Art International .

speech bubble is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: speech n. 1 , bubble n. A.5

Nearby entries

• speculous, adj. c1604
• speculum, n. 1598–
• sped, adj. 1891–
• speech, n.¹ Old English–
• speech, n.² 1875–
• speech, v. 1654–
• speech act, n. 1896–
• speech act theory, n. 1969–
• speech act verb, n. 1962–
• speech area, n. 1885–
• speech bubble, n. 1966–
• speech-centre | speech-center, n. 1881–
• speech chain, n. 1950–
• speech clinic, n. 1963–
• speech code, n. 1973–
• speech coil, n. 1928–
• speech-community, n. 1894–
• speech-craft, n. 1573–
• speech-crier, n. 1856–
• speech-day, n. 1847–
• speeched, adj. 1567–

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Meaning & use

Entry history for speech bubble, n..

Originally published as part of the entry for speech, n.¹

speech bubble, n. was first published in June 2018.

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Citation details

Factsheet for speech bubble, n., browse entry.

speech bubble

• 1.1.1 Translations
• 1.2 See also

speech bubble ( plural speech bubbles )

• ( comics ) A rounded outline , containing words , representing speech in a comic . Synonyms: balloon , speech balloon , word balloon , word bubble , fumetto Coordinate terms: phylactery , thought bubble

Translations

• phylactery ( historical analog )

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Speech Bubbling

Part of a series on online forum games . [view related entries], [view related sub-entries].

PROTIP: Press 'i' to view the image gallery , 'v' to view the video gallery , or 'r' to view a random entry.

Speech Bubbling or Word Bubbling is the term given to a wide range of exploitable reaction images that have half of a speech bubble added to them, with the second half being left up above them. While the images below the bubbles range from positive to negative depictions for various uses, word bubbling is used to create the perception that the above post in a chain is actually being said by the character in the picture below, with the entire post above being just part of a speech bubble. It is a type of online forum game and is typically used on websites such as 4chan, Tumblr , and Discord by matching the bubble's color with the background of the chat.

Though the practice of reaction images being used in this way to ridicule people has been commonly used on 4chan and other imageboards since at least the early to mid-2010s, Tumblr is where one of the first recorded instances of this trend occurs. In late 2015, Tumblr user tripsygnoxtalgic used a Rick and Morty screenshot with a speech bubble put on top of it as a reply to the Tumblr user seriousjones, [1] with the resulting meme being posted on iFunny by user DisturbedMars_2014 (shown below).

On iFunny and other platforms (such as Discord and Twitter ) during the late 2010s, speech bubble reaction images began to proliferate over the next few years as the trend was adopted by more users online. For example, on January 23rd, 2019, iFunny user TomBarry_2015 [2] uploaded a meme using Deus Ex protagonist Denton with the speech bubble above his avatar (shown below).

On September 19th, 2021, iFunny user IWantToFuckRias [3] uploaded a speech bubble meme of SpongeBob with his face red in frustration, implying that the person who commented above in the thread is incredibly salty and is struggling to say their point (shown below).

Speech bubble images gained mass popularity on Discord beginning in late 2021. Many of the images used on Discord are GIFs due to issues associated with uploading transparent PNGs to the platform.

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[1] iFunny – SeriousJones

[2] iFunny – Denton

[3] iFunny – Spongebob

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What are Speech Bubbles?

Speech bubbles are a visual means of conveying words spoken by characters in comic books and comic strips. They have been used in conjunction with drawn characters since comics first began appearing as early satirical drawings in the 19th century. These bubbles are clearly identifiable as intentionally drawn shapes containing text located next to an illustrated character.

Not to be confused with captions, which are generally reserved for narration rather than dialogue and take the form of squares of text attached above or below the panel, speech bubbles are contained within the panel and used to convey the dialogue of cartoon characters. They indicate spoken words, while thought bubbles indicate a character’s thoughts and are differentiated by their shape. Thought bubbles are generally cloud-shaped or circular with an increasingly smaller chain of circles directed at the character in thought, while speech is typically distinguished by pointed tails directed to the speaking character.

There are different types and shapes of speech bubbles used to help convey the tone of the dialogue to the reader. For example, angry speech or shouting may be indicated by text inside jagged-edged bubbles. Normal conversation is usually indicated by text inside simple circular or square-shaped balloons. The difference in shapes may vary with the artist and the cultural influence of the comic. For example, Manga artists may utilize them differently than American artists.

The location of speech bubbles is important to keep the illustrated dialogue flowing. The tail generally helps identify who has spoken the words they contain. It usually points to speaking character, but if a character is off-panel and cannot be seen, the tail may be pointed off panel or may be pointed inward toward the bubble itself. Broadcast speech bubbles indicating radio or television dialogue generally have jagged, lightening-bolt tails.

Speech bubbles are essential for expressing spoken dialogue and anything meant to be audible in comics. Comic strip artists must carefully choose and place them in order to communicate the proper meaning and not to confuse the reader. From basic balloons to those expressing emotion, thought, or even action, such as the "Z" speech bubble indicating sleep, their proper use helps bring comic strips and graphic novels to life for their readers.

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Thirteen Labour MPs have made it into the pages of Vogue’s September issue, the fashion bible that is normally the preserve of supermodels and Hollywood stars. The magazine is heralding them as the “women MPs determined to change Britain for the better”.

The “Vogue 13” – six of them newly elected and seven returning – may seem on the face of it a pretty serious bunch. Except the magazine describes how the MPs “loosened up” for the photoshoot by chanting the names of Tories that had been vanquished in the July election: “Liz Truss”, “Grant Shapps” and then “Therese Coffey”, much as a football fan might denigrate a defeated rival.

The MPs chosen by Vogue include the first to wear a hijab in parliament (Apsana Begum, MP for Poplar and Limehouse) and the youngest member of Sir Keir’s Cabinet (Louise Haigh, the 37-year-old Transport Secretary). One, Elsie Blundell, was six months pregnant at the time the photo was taken just three days after the July 4 general election.

Timing being everything, two of the MPs – Ms Begum and Zarah Sultana, the MP for Coventry South – have since had the whip withdrawn after voting to scrap the two-child benefit cap in defiance of the Government.

Vogue said it had handpicked the MPs and that the photograph was taken on July 8.

The photoshoot comes more than a quarter of a century after Tony Blair famously posed with the 1997 intake of 101 women Labour MPs – nicknamed the “Blair Babes” – that was intended to signal a new era of modern government after 18 years of Tory rule.

Cameron’s Cuties – also known as “Dave’s Dolls” – were given the glossy magazine treatment in April 2010 ahead of that year’s general election. Twin sets and pearls were banished in an attempt by the Conservatives to distance the party from its fusty image. The 13 Tory women notably included two current leadership contenders: Kemi Badenoch, the frontrunner, and Dame Priti Patel.

The Labour MPs have resisted any attempts to dress up for Vogue. The magazine reports that one of them – Gen (short for Genevieve) Kitchen, 29, the newly elected MP for Wellingborough and Rushden – had brought her own “duffel bag of high-street clothes for people who didn’t bring enough options”. The magazine adds: “It’s like attending a raucous mixer at Britain’s most democratically appointed sorority.”

Ms Kitchen told Vogue that when the exit polls closed and her constituency appeared too close to call with the possibility it might go Reform, her reaction was typically Gen Z. “I went upstairs, had a bit of a cry in the shower, listened to some piano versions of Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’ and then I got myself together,” she said.

Ms Haigh was ebullient. “I’m off to fix the trains,” she told Vogue at the end of the photoshoot before disappearing for what the magazine said was her first Cabinet meeting.

Rosie Wrighting, who was elected at 26 as MP for Kettering and is the youngest female MP in the Commons, admitted to Vogue she had never previously even visited the Palace of Westminster. “Yesterday was the first time I’ve ever walked into the House of Commons. I’ve never been in the building before,” she said in July. She was a buyer for the online fashion brand Asos.

Fashionistas will note that Ms Sultana is perhaps the standout in the photo, glammed up in a “one shoulder” dress and clutching a Labour rose. Maybe it was a sign. Just a few weeks after the photo was taken, she defied the party whip and had it withdrawn for six months as a consequence. Her fellow rebel Ms Begum is seated next to her in the picture, too late for the pair to be edited out by Vogue.

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