The three main types of speech acts are:
- Locutionary Acts: These involve the actual act of producing sounds or words, forming sentences, and producing speech. It’s the basic act of saying something.
- Illocutionary Acts: These refer to the intended function of the speech act, such as making a promise, giving a command, asking a question, or offering a suggestion. It’s about what the speaker is trying to accomplish with their words.
- Perlocutionary Acts: These involve the effects or responses that the speech act has on the listener or recipient. This includes how the listener interprets or reacts to what was said, such as being persuaded, irritated, or moved.
These categories were proposed by philosopher J.L. Austin and further developed by John Searle.