Should I use “speaker” or “loud speaker” to refer to the signal → vibration → sound thingy?

Question

I am a native german speaker, so I have absolutely no good intuitions when it comes to choosing the right alternative out of a candidate set. Today, one problem was: How should I call the sound-making thingy? Is it a "speaker" or is it a "loud speaker"? Is there any difference?

• Is one term more technical than the other?
• Is one term stylistically marked in certain contexts? If so, which?
• Are there any useful, free, online resources that could help me answer similar questions in the future?
• Are there any objective criteria?

What I have come up with so far is: If I choose "loud speaker", I no longer might get the "person that is speaking" interpretation, but in the intended usage of the term (a manual for a technical device), such an interpretation should not arise anyways. So, it seems like an arbitrary choice to me.

Answer 1

Neither term is more technical. There are certain contexts where there is a difference between the two words. COCA is a good resource for answering such questions in the future. Yes there are objective criteria.

Generally speaking loudspeaker and speaker (in the context of a stereo system) are synonyms. However... I've heard many aficionados use the term loudspeaker pejoratively to indicate the sound quality isn't good enough for them.

The pejorative quality comes from the comparison to speakers used for public announcements. (ie a PA system) Speakers used in PA systems are loud, but otherwise not very good. A corpus search shows that loudspeaker almost always refers to sound systems used by activists, police, firefighters, stadium sports announcers, etc. They are used in public places both outdoors and indoors where loudness is more important that their dynamic range.

Answer 2

"Loudspeaker" (one word) seems a bit archaic to me. While not wrong, I feel like I would find it in the context of instructions for a "Hi-Fi system". But it is the name of the device.

"Loud speaker" (two words) implies a person who speaks loudly.

"Speaker" in a technical context seems clear enough. That's what I'd go with.

Answer 3

Loudspeaker would be perfectly acceptable and potentially more clear in British English. Typically the term might be more appropriate for large devices positioned outdoors in order to broadcast sound over a wide area, but since most such devices are technologically similar regardless of size, it would be quite correct to use it for any such device, of any size and in any situation. I can't imagine a situation in which it could be misunderstood.

Answer 4

The 'Book Shelf' Speakers that I was looking at to buy, refer to the speakers as 'Loudspeakers' simply because it has an amplifier added to or built within the encasement of the speakers. That implies that this particular type of speaker has the advantage of amplifying whatever sounds it receives.

I therefore conclude that 'Loudspeaker' is too ambiguous & can't really be defined in the strictest sense. It neither refers to a device that aids or projects the human voice, nor can it be referred to as a device that produces sound via an electrical signal converter & it certainly doesn't have anything to do with high wattage resolution, for all of those things are usually already stated in the Specs, as a selling point.

If anything, 'loudspeaker' is just an additional descriptive term that highlights what the product does, rather than what the product is. It is described by what it does, for the purposes of marketing the product. It can't be specified as part of the product detail listing because 'perhaps' there is no academic order, no mathematical equations or no scientific rule of law, that quantifies 'loudspeaker/s'.

Answer 5

Essentially they both mean a device which produces sound by converting an electrical signal into sound. The only difference being that the term loudspeaker means a speaker which is capable of producing a loud sound i.e. a speaker having a high wattage rating.