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speculate vs guess

Both 'speculate' and 'guess' are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Speculate' is more formal and implies making an educated guess based on evidence or reasoning, while 'guess' is more casual and implies a less informed or reasoned assumption.

Last updated: March 20, 2024

speculate

The word 'speculate' is correct and commonly used in English, especially in formal contexts.

Use 'speculate' when you want to suggest a possible explanation or theory based on limited evidence or reasoning. It is often used in more formal settings.

Examples:

Experts speculate that the economy will improve next year.
She speculated on the reasons behind his sudden departure.

Show examples from the web [+]

You don't need to walk to speculate currencies.
It is useless to speculate On what might have been, abigail.
We can only speculate that they may be trying to sell secrets to our enemies.
Feel free to speculate amongst yourselves.
It's impossible for me to speculate on Rebecca's life.
Some speculate that it was a printers error.
I'm not asking you to speculate at all.
Some speculate that life may have taken a tenuous hold but then disaster.
Some speculate that early oceans and even life may have evolved.
As Captain Connolly killed himself yesterday, sadly we can only speculate.
Don't speculate on who the client is.
You cannot speculate about this incident.
You have to speculate, theorize, hypothesize.
Whatever it is, we can't just stand here and speculate.
We can speculate on why, Duck.
I will not speculate on that.
Enough to know that I can't speculate on the images with a patient.
We've been hired to find a would-be killer, not speculate on accidents.
You know how the public love to speculate on my love life.

Alternatives:

theorize
conjecture
postulate
hypothesize
presume

guess

The word 'guess' is correct and commonly used in English, especially in informal contexts.

Use 'guess' when you want to make an estimate or assumption without much evidence or reasoning. It is more casual and less formal than 'speculate'.

Examples:

I can only guess what he meant by that.
She guessed the answer to the riddle.

Show examples from the web [+]

Three chances to guess where he went.
Or carnival people who guess their weight.
Very little entertains you, so I can easily guess.
You can guess, some of them are already back.
Jerry, guess who just called.
And guess who became a real-estate agent.
Surprise - guess who decorated your locker.
Let me guess... got 12 steps attached to it.
It was just a wild guess.
Let me guess, the rarer they are...
And guess whose van was spotted outside his shop right about when he died.
Let me guess, bounty hunter?
Let me guess... you two are still stuck together.
Let me guess, one was found burned...
And guess other things about love.
And guess who worksfor the nsa?
Let me guess - you told everyone eric's just visiting grandpain rhode island.
You needn't divulge anything I can't guess.
And guess who wasn't anywhere near lindsay's table.
But after the earthquake, let me guess...

Alternatives:

estimate
predict
surmise
infer
suppose

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