speech bubble meaning example

• Video Marketing
• Case Studies
• Create a video

Wait! Did you know these 3 things?

Make Super Cool Animated videos in no time

Speech bubbles and their meaning in animated videos

Sangeetha - March 3, 2015 - Leave your thoughts.

Animated Video Making , Animated video making tutorial , speeh bubble , video tips

Dialogue delivery:

Shout/scream.

Whisper/Secret

Thought bubbles:

Transmit/broadcast:

Related Posts

A Beginner’s Guide to Animated Video Making for business

A Beginner’s Guide to Script Writing for Animated videos

20 Tips for Creating Video That Gets Watched, Shared and Talked

Read Article

Read Next Article

Subscribe to get awesome DIY tips that could break the boundaries of other DIY tools.

Find out why teachers and school leaders love PlanBee

• 📚 Cross-Curricular Topics
• ✂️ Design & Technology
• ♻️ Education for Social Responsibility
• 🌍 Geography
• ⛪️ Religious Education
• 🎉 Special Days
• 🦸‍♀️ Special People
• 🏫 Whole School CURRICULUM PACKS
• Vision and Principles
• Our Curriculum Offer
• Whole School Curriculum Packs
• Become a Whole School Member
• FREE Schemes of Work
• Sample Packs
• Learn at Home
• Objective Checker
• How does it work?
• Special Offers
• BECOME A MEMBER 🧡

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

Added to your cart:

What's Your Email?

Let customers speak for us

Terrible! It would not allow me to download the letter

Really great lessons with some lovely ideas. Saved me so much time. Just what I was looking for.

Thank you for your comments! We've so happy to hear that our resources have saved you time :-)

Perfect, just what I needed

We're so pleased to hear that, Liz!

Thanks for the freebies. The kids will love them

You're welcome, Paul!

The handout is clear with the words easily visible as a quick reference but also my son is able to learn the words by heart.

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, Ann! We're glad that your son has found this resource helpful :-)

Exploring Speech Bubbles Templates

Explore a variety of speech bubble templates to add flair to your designs.

Speech bubbles are an integral part of visual communication, often used in graphic novels, comics, and web design to represent dialogue or thoughts. They add a dynamic element to the narrative, making it more engaging and interactive. The use of speech bubbles isn’t limited to these areas; they are also used in presentations, educational materials, and marketing collateral. This guide will delve into the world of speech bubbles templates, their uses, and how to create them.

Understanding Speech Bubbles

Speech bubbles, also known as speech balloons, are graphical elements that visually represent communication in comics and graphic novels. They have been used since the early 20th century and have become a staple in the comic book industry. The shape, size, and style of a speech bubble can convey different emotions and tones, making them a versatile tool in visual storytelling.

Speech bubbles are not just for comics. They are also used in other forms of media such as web design, advertising, and educational materials. They can make content more engaging and easier to understand , especially when explaining complex concepts or instructions.

Different Types of Speech Bubbles

There are several types of speech bubbles, each with its unique purpose and design. The most common types include the dialogue bubble, thought bubble, scream bubble, whisper bubble, and caption. The dialogue bubble, which is the most common type, is used to represent spoken words. On the other hand, the thought bubble, often cloud-shaped , is used to represent thoughts or internal monologue .

The scream bubble, with jagged edges, represents shouting or loud speech, while the whisper bubble, usually depicted with a dotted line, represents soft or whispered speech. Lastly, the caption is used to provide narration, setting details, or other non-dialogue information.

Creating Speech Bubbles Templates

Creating speech bubbles templates can be a fun and creative process. It allows you to add a personal touch to your comics, presentations, or marketing materials. There are several ways to create speech bubbles templates, from using graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator to online tools and even coding them in HTML and CSS.

When creating speech bubbles templates, it’s important to consider the content that will go inside the bubble. The shape, size, and style of the bubble should complement the tone and message of the text. For instance, if the text is a loud exclamation, a large bubble with jagged edges would be appropriate.

Using Graphic Design Software

Graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign offer tools and features that make it easy to create speech bubbles. These software programs allow you to draw custom shapes, add text, and apply styles to create unique speech bubbles. They also offer templates that you can use as a starting point.

Creating speech bubbles in graphic design software involves drawing the bubble shape, adding the tail, and inserting the text. You can customize the shape and style of the bubble to match the tone of the text. Once you’re happy with the design, you can save it as a template for future use.

Using Online Tools

There are several online tools that allow you to create speech bubbles quickly and easily. These tools offer pre-designed templates that you can customize with your text and style. Some of these tools include Canva, Piktochart, and Bubblr.

These online tools are user-friendly and don’t require any design skills. You simply choose a template, add your text, and customize the design to suit your needs. Once you’re done, you can download the speech bubble as an image file for use in your projects.

Coding Speech Bubbles in HTML and CSS

If you have some knowledge of HTML and CSS, you can code your own speech bubbles. This gives you complete control over the design and functionality of the bubbles. You can create any shape, size, and style of bubble, and even add interactive elements like hover effects.

Coding speech bubbles involves creating a container for the bubble, adding the text, and styling the bubble and text with CSS. The bubble’s tail is created using the CSS pseudo-elements ::before and ::after. You can then save the code as a template for future use.

Speech bubbles templates are a versatile tool in visual communication. They can be used in a variety of media, from comics and graphic novels to web design and advertising. Creating your own speech bubbles templates can be a fun and creative process, whether you’re using graphic design software, online tools, or coding them in HTML and CSS.

Remember, the key to effective speech bubbles is to match the design with the tone and content of the text. With a bit of creativity and practice, you can create engaging and dynamic speech bubbles that enhance your visual storytelling.

Start Creating Your Own Speech Bubbles Today!

Ready to bring your visual stories to life? With Phraseit, you can easily create professional-looking speech bubbles for your comic strips or other visuals. Whether you’re uploading your own images or choosing from our curated stock photos, our free online speech bubble maker at phraseit.net offers a variety of custom bubbles to personalize and add flair to your projects. Don’t wait any longer—check out our bubble maker and start crafting your unique dialogue-filled scenes now!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Design Concepts
• Graphic Design
• Digital Design

Meaning of Speech Bubbles in Comics

Last Updated on: 29th February 2024, 09:28 pm

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.

Table of Contents

Speech Bubbles

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

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 has to 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?

Spread the love… and this post!

If you liked it, share this post on your social networks. Smart designers share good things with others.

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.

Graphic and Digital Designer with over 20 years of experience in the field of design, illustration, photography, and animation. She also teaches design at the University of Panama.

Share your thoughts Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Creativos Online

Comic speech bubbles.

Encarni Arcoya Updated on 27/11/2020 14:47

No comments

Today the comic is one of the "books" with which many young people start reading. Being a combination of drawings and text, for them it is easier to read, and less heavy than a book that does not contain them (or not at that level). Also, since they are short dialogues, included in comic bubbles, they don't have as much text and they like that even more.

But What are comic bubbles? There are different? Discover everything you should know about this important aspect of comics and cartoons, and you will see how each balloon can represent various actions or feelings.

What is a comic bubble?

The comic book speech bubble, also called a balloon, It is the element that is used in a comic, cartoon or caricature to represent the action of speaking. In this way, through this figure, the characters on the paper are allowed to have a "voice," since the objective is that they can enter into dialogues with other characters in the story.

The origin of these sandwiches takes place in the seventeenth century, in England, where illustrators and cartoonists used it from time to time. But the first cartoon to constantly contain them was Hogan's Alley, in 1895, an Outcault comic, although the truth is that there is a discussion on that subject since some experts think that this is not the case.

In the case of Europe, the comic strip took a little longer to arrive. He did it in 1925 with Alain Saint-Ogan and his Zig et Puce. And in case you want to know, in Japan they still had to wait until the 30s to have them. The first? Sako Shishido with Speed ​​Taro and Ichiro Suzaki and Takeo Nagamatsu with Ogon Bat.

The elements of a comic speech bubble

The comic bubble is composed of two essential elements among themselves: the content and the continent.

What is the content of a comic bubble?

The content of a comic book speech bubble makes reference to the message inside, that is, what you want to express. In it, it is important to take into account not only what is going to be said, but also the type or font used, the onomatopoeia and even the visual metaphors.

That is, you can put a comic bubble with a lit light bulb, with a heart, with the dollar symbol ... Or also representing sounds (like an explosion (boom)).

What is the continent in a comic book bubble?

The continent in the comic strip is the shape it is. And it is not always the same. In fact, there are several types of snack in that sense. Now, within that form, you also have two different parts:

• Contour, which is the outer shape of the sandwich, which can be with saw teeth, imitating a cloud, dotted ... Even, to represent some feelings, it can be shaped like a light bulb, a heart ...
• The tail, also known as tail, which is always directed towards the character that emits that balloon, that is, who speaks. When it is not pointing at anyone, it is said to be a "voice over." This is usually always in the shape of a beak, always towards the person speaking, but sometimes, and depending on the outline of the comic bubbles, this can change (to be just stripes, circles, etc.).

Types of comic speech bubbles

As you know, not all comic bubbles are the same. Actually, there is a great diversity of them and, therefore, we want to bring them closer to you below.

The comic book speech bubble

This is the most common, and also the best known throughout the world. Is used for show what the character is saying in the cartoon, that is, the conversation you have with others. Although you can always think of the flattened and oval type, in reality the shape is quite changeable (and usually depends on the gap left in each panel to fit it).

The thought bubble

Now, what if you're not talking to someone else but thinking? Or speaking alone? Well instead of using the dialog, use the thinking one. This is characterized by being like a cloud. Yes, as if it were something scattered and therefore, that only concerns that character because it is something that others do not know.

In addition, it is usually preceded by some circles, which also indicate that it is something that the character is said internally.

Comic Sandwiches: The Scream

Have you read a comic where you scream? Well, surely you have noticed that, when that happens, the sandwich is no longer like a cloud, nor does it have curved lines, but rather in peaks. That way, I know emphasizes that there is a rise in voice. It is like an "explosion."

Crying in a comic speech bubble

Actually, this kind of snack It can be used for both crying and sweating scenes. And it is represented as a water stain of which, around it, there are water droplets.

Speech bubble

Before we have seen the dialogue but, What happens if the character, after a pause, keeps talking? Well, you have a conversation where only one character speaks and, therefore, two speech bubbles are used joined on one side to each other, so that it is seen that the same character speaks again, pausing between dialogue and dialogue.

Comic Bubbles: The Whisper

Lastly, you have the Whisper comic strip. Because yeah, they can whisper things too. And to represent it, the dashed lines are used. That is, lines that make up a complete sandwich.

The square sandwich

Have you ever met a square sandwich? Well, that indicates, in most cases, that the speaker is a narrator. In fact, it is sometimes used to put the reader in situation about something that has happened.

It is also often used to put years, cities or countries or even to talk about an aspect of history (put in situation).

Comic speech bubbles: talking at the same time

Imagine a scene where several characters say the same thing. Well, instead of writing a sandwich for each one, they integrate it into a single one from which there are tails (or tails) corresponding to each character.

Full path to article: Creativos online » General » Others » Comic speech bubbles

Be the first to comment

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

I accept the privacy terms *

• Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
• Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
• Legitimation: Your consent
• Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
• Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
• Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of speech bubble in English

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

• autostereogram
• graphic arts
• graphic novel

Examples of speech bubble

Translations of speech bubble.

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

your bread and butter

a job or activity that provides you with the money you need to live

Shoots, blooms and blossom: talking about plants

Learn more with +Plus

• Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
• English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
• English–Dutch Dutch–English
• English–French French–English
• English–German German–English
• English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
• English–Italian Italian–English
• English–Japanese Japanese–English
• English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
• English–Polish Polish–English
• English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
• English–Spanish Spanish–English
• English–Swedish Swedish–English
• Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
• English    Noun
• Translations
• All translations

Add speech bubble to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

• Digital Offerings
• Biochemistry
• College Success
• Communication
• Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Mathematics
• Nutrition and Health
• Philosophy and Religion
• Our Mission
• Our Leadership
• Accessibility
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
• Learning Science
• Sustainability
• Affordable Solutions
• Curriculum Solutions
• Inclusive Access
• Lab Solutions
• LMS Integration
• Instructor Resources
• iClicker and Your Content
• Badging and Credidation
• Press Release
• Learning Stories Blog
• Discussions
• The Discussion Board
• Webinars on Demand
• Digital Community
• Macmillan Learning Peer Consultants
• Macmillan Learning Digital Blog
• Learning Science Research
• Macmillan Learning Peer Consultant Forum
• English Community
• Achieve Adopters Forum
• Hub Adopters Group
• Psychology Community
• Psychology Blog
• Talk Psych Blog
• History Community
• History Blog
• Communication Community
• Communication Blog
• College Success Community
• College Success Blog
• Economics Community
• Economics Blog
• Institutional Solutions Community
• Institutional Solutions Blog
• Handbook for iClicker Administrators
• Nutrition Community
• Nutrition Blog
• Lab Solutions Community
• Lab Solutions Blog
• STEM Community
• STEM Achieve Adopters Forum
• Contact Us & FAQs
• Find Your Rep
• Training & Demos
• First Day of Class
• For Booksellers
• International Translation Rights
• Permissions
• Report Piracy

Digital Products

Instructor catalog, our solutions.

• Macmillan Community

About Those Speech Bubbles

• Subscribe to RSS Feed
• Mark as New
• Mark as Read
• Printer Friendly Page
• Report Inappropriate Content

• composing processes
• composition
• digital composing
• multimodal composing
• visual literacy

You must be a registered user to add a comment. If you've already registered, sign in. Otherwise, register and sign in.

• Bedford New Scholars 49
• Composition 547
• Corequisite Composition 58
• Developmental English 38
• Events and Conferences 6
• Instructor Resources 9
• Literature 55
• Professional Resources 4
• Virtual Learning Resources 48

At MusicalExpert, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

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.

AS FEATURED ON:

Related Articles

• In Fiction, what is Dialogue?
• What is Naruto?
• What is the Difference Between Graphic Novels and Comic Books?
• Is Manga a Controversial Subject?
• Who is Robert Crumb?
• What is an Eisner Award?
• What is Sequential Art?

Discussion Comments

Post your comments.

• By: Karen Roach Comic strips typically include speech bubbles for their "speaking" characters.
• By: Peter Taylor Speech bubble are seen often in graphic novels.
• Speech bubbles may be seen in the Peanuts comic strip.

Speech Bubbles: 10 Astonishing Templates for Presentations

If you want to get your message across loud and clear, why not use speech bubbles in your presentations? This tool, so common in comic books, can be used in many ways and for many purposes. Moreover, it will bring a fun, lively, and modern touch to your presentations. So enjoy our selection of 10 free speech bubbles templates for PowerPoint and Google Slides! They will undoubtedly leave your audience speechless!

Speech bubbles , also called speech balloons, is a quite recent graphic invention. However, there is no doubt it is here to stay. Indeed, what better way is there to report the exact words or thoughts of a person? Dialogue balloons are also very effective to transcribe dialogues in a conversation.

In this selection of 10 astonishing speech bubble templates , you will realize their uses are manifold. You will indeed find word balloons for quotes, ideas, and thoughts but also circular and linear process diagrams, radial converging charts, and other specialized slides. Choose the speech balloon template that best fits the needs of your next presentation and download it for free. Remember the bubbles when you are going to give your next speech!

1. Brainstorm and Ideas

A light bulb inside your brain: the perfect metaphor for brilliant ideas! This is exactly what this free Brainstorm and Ideas template for Google Slides and PowerPoint illustrates. The head silhouette in the center allows you to highlight the cleverness of your thoughts. But how can you express and share them? Thanks to speech bubbles, of course! The head is indeed surrounded by four colorful speech balloons. Besides, there is another text placeholder to describe the main idea of your brainstorming .

2. Speech Bubble Collection

Do you need a speech bubble with a specific shape, size, or color? You will probably find it in our Speech Bubble Collection. Indeed, this free slide for Google Slides and PowerPoint contains a set of seven speech bubble illustrations. You will find round, square, rectangular, and oval word balloons. Of course, you can adjust the size and change the colors if you wish. These speech balloons are ideal to display verbatims, quotes, thoughts, and ideas.

3. Doodle Speech Bubbles

Do you need speech bubbles that look personalized and handcrafted? This Doodle Speech Bubbles template can actually fit a lot of purposes. This illustration with three horizontally-aligned speech balloons can be used to present quotes but also grouped lists of information. You will also find arrows that connect each bubble to the one on the right in order to emphasize their relationship. You can therefore employ this free diagram as a process or workflow chart. So, if you want to give a fun and informal touch to your presentation, download this free template now!

4. Speech Balloon Process

One idea always leads to another! This is the concept this speech balloon diagram will convey to your audience. You can indeed find 4-word balloons aligned horizontally and linked to each other thanks to the tails of each speech bubble. That is why this slide is perfect to showcase the connections and conversions from one step or idea to the next in your tasks, processes, or projects. Moreover, you can include absolutely anything inside each bubble: text, titles, icons, or numbers. So let your ideas speak for themselves with this free Speech Balloon Process slide template!

5. Cycle and Speech Bubbles

Even your cycle matrix diagram will benefit from a few speech bubbles, 4 to be exact! Indeed, you will be able to present the 4 options (stages, tasks, or steps) of your process or project thanks to the colorful circle in the center. Each stage is represented by an icon and a color that appears again in the 4 speech bubbles located around the circle. Not only can you write your main title at the center of the  cycle matrix but you can also use the  speech bubbles  on the side to describe your stages in detail.

6. Speech Bubble Converging Radial

All your ideas communicate with each other. In this free Converging Radial diagram, 6 speech bubbles face the central circle that represents your main concept or idea. Around it, you can find these 6 colorful speech balloons for you to express your thoughts and their relationship with the central idea or objective. This original way to present your thoughts, data, or projects will mesmerize your audience. You just have to choose the right icons and a brief title and text for each idea, and the convincing job is done!

7. Man and Woman Quotes

This amazing and unique design is an ingenious tool for you to display two quotes that you want to relate, compare or contrast. One will be a woman’s quote and the other will be a man’s words. Indeed, the negative space design technique used here represents a man and a woman’s head silhouette inside a speech bubble shape. The characters face different directions, thus emphasizing the dichotomy between the man and the woman’s quotes or thoughts. That is why this diagram is also ideal to compare the male and the female population, their opinions and perspectives.

8. Speech Bubble Grid

It’s time for everyone to speak up! Well, maybe not everyone but at least 6 people. You can indeed find 6 options in this free speech bubble grid for PowerPoint and Google Slides template. The most important part will be the messages, quotes, ideas, or thoughts that you can include clearly in the colorful speech balloons. You can also add a number and most importantly, an icon beneath each speech bubble to symbolize the intellectual author of the idea. Let everyone enjoy their freedom of speech!

9. Brain Quote Diagram

Where do your ideas and words come from? Obviously from your brain! We have therefore created an original design that represents a human brain looking like a speech bubble. The resemblance between both shapes is indeed uncanny. In addition, the brain is divided into 4 colorful parts in order to show 4 ideas, or thoughts. It can also be used as a matrix or to illustrate the concepts of brainstorming, mind, and creativity.

10. Businessman with 4 ideas

This businessman is never short of ideas! He actually has 4 at the same time. Thanks to this free Businessman with 4 ideas template slide for PowerPoint and Google Slides, he can express all of them at the same time! Around the businessman silhouette, you will indeed find 4 speech bubbles, ideal to illustrate 4 ideas, concepts, or projects. So unleash the leader inside you and share your brilliant ideas with the world!

We hope you like our selection of the 10 Astonishing Templates with Speech Bubbles for Presentations .

Search Blog by topics

Search templates by categories, search templates by colors.

Love our templates? Show your support with a coffee!

Thank you for fueling our creativity.

Charts & Diagrams

Text & Tables

Graphics & Metaphors

Timelines & Planning

Best-Ofs & Tips

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Statement

Cookie Policy

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Policy

© Copyright 2024  Ofeex  | PRESENTATIONGO® is a registered trademark | All rights reserved.

To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.

Thank you for downloading this template!

Remember, you can use it for free but you have to attribute PresentationGO . For example, you can use the following text:

If you really like our free templates and want to thank/help us, you can:

Thank you for your support

Definition of 'speech bubble'

Speech bubble in british english.

Examples of 'speech bubble' in a sentence speech bubble

Trends of speech bubble.

View usage over: Since Exist Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

Browse alphabetically speech bubble

• speech bubble
• speech clinic
• speech community
• speech correction
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'S'

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

Wordle Helper

Scrabble Tools

• Dictionaries home
• American English
• Collocations
• German-English
• Grammar home
• Practical English Usage
• Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
• Word Lists home
• My Word Lists
• Recent additions
• Resources home
• Text Checker

Definition of bubble verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• The water in the pan was beginning to bubble.
• Cook until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
• bubble up Add the white wine and let it bubble up.

Join our community to access the latest language learning and assessment tips from Oxford University Press!

• I could hear the soup bubbling away.
• A stream came bubbling between the stones.
• The water in the saucepan was bubbling furiously.
• Mike’s laugh bubbled down the line.
• She was bubbling over with excitement.
• The business was still small but I was bubbling with ideas.
• to the surface
• Laughter bubbled up inside him.
• the anger that bubbled beneath the surface
• The meeting reignited passions that had been bubbling away underneath.
• Match-rigging is still bubbling away in the background.

Other results

• bubble pack
• bubble teas
• social bubble
• bubble baths
• bubble packs
• bubble under
• bubble under the radar
• bubble with somebody/something
• the bubble bursts
• burst somebody’s bubble

Nearby words

Words and phrases

Personal account.

• Access or purchase personal subscriptions
• Get our newsletter
• Save searches
• Set display preferences

Institutional access

Sign in with library card

Sign in with username / password

Recommend to your librarian

Institutional account management

Sign in as administrator on Oxford Academic

speech bubble noun

• Hide all quotations

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–

Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary

To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.

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.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Please submit your feedback for speech bubble, n.

Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose.

Citation details

Factsheet for speech bubble, n., browse entry.