Usage Note
Sprechpause (f) is the gap or silence that occurs mid-speech or mid-conversation. In rhetoric, strategic pauses create emphasis; in conversation, pauses can signal discomfort or thoughtfulness. 'Eine Sprechpause einlegen' (to take a pause) can be a deliberate rhetorical device.
Examples
"Nach der unangenehmen Frage folgte eine lange Sprechpause."
Natural Translation
After the uncomfortable question a long pause followed.
Literal Translation
After the uncomfortable question followed a long speech-pause.
Related Words
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