actions speak louder than words

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: ăk′shənz spēk loud′ər thăn′ wûrdz, -thən-
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): (contemporary) /ˈak.ʃənz spiːk ˈlaʊ̯d.ə ˌðan wɜːdz/, (conservative) /ˈæk.ʃənz spiːk ˈlaʊ̯d.ə ˌðæn wɜːdz/; /-ðən-/
• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈæk.ʃənz spik ˈlaʊ̯d.əɹ ˌðæn wɜɹdz/; /-ðən-/

  Audio (General American):

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  Audio (US):

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• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈæk.ʃənz spiːk ˈlæɔ̯d.ə ˌðæn wɜːdz/; /-ðən-/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈɛk.ʃənz spiːk ˈlæʊ̯d.ə ˌðɛn wøːdz/, /ˈɛk.ʃənz spiːk ˈlæʊ̯d.ɐ ˌðɛn wøːdz/, /ˈɛk.ʃənz spiːk ˈlæʊ̯d.a ˌðɛn wøːdz/; /-ðən-/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈak.ʃənz spik ˈlʌʊ̯d.əɹ ˌðan wʌɹdz/; /-ðən-/
• (India) IPA^(key): /ˈak.ʃi̯onz spiːk ˈlawɖ.əʳ ˌd̪an wəːʳɖz/; /-d̪an-/
• Hyphenation: ac‧tion speak loud‧er than words

Proverb

actions speak louder than words

2. It is more effective to act directly than to speak of action.

   Antonym: the pen is mightier than the sword

   • 2026 February 4, David Stubbings, “Frustrations over Access for All decisions”, in RAIL, number 1054, page 17:

     "The Government says accessibility is a priority, but actions speak louder than words," he said.

4. An individual's actions indicate their true sentiments more reliably than their claims do.

Translations

it is more effective to act than speak

• Arabic: الْأَعْمَال أَعْلَى صَوْتًا مِن الْكَلِمَات (al-ʔaʕmāl ʔaʕlā ṣawtan min al-kalimāt)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 行勝於言 / 行胜于言 (xíng shèng yú yán), 行比說聲 / 行比说声 (xíng bǐ shuō shēng), 事實勝於雄辯 / 事实胜于雄辩 (zh) (shìshí shèng yú xióngbiàn), 行動勝於空談 / 行动胜于空谈 (xíngdòng shèngyú kōngtán)

• Dutch: geen woorden maar daden; daden zeggen meer dan woorden, niet lullen maar poetsen
• Finnish: teot puhuvat enemmän kuin sanat
• French: bien faire vaut mieux que bien dire (literally “doing well is better than talking well”)
• German: Taten statt Worte; Nägel mit Köpfen machen (de); Taten sagen mehr als Worte
• Hindi: काम बोलता है (kām boltā hai)
• Hungarian: a tett harsányabb a szónál, a tettek minden szónál ékesebben beszélnek
• Indonesian: please add this translation if you can
• Italian: a parole siamo tutti bravi (literally “with words, everybody is skilled”), a parole so' bravo anch'io (literally “with words only, even I could do that”)
• Japanese: 不言実行 (ja) (ふげんじっこう, fugenjikkō)
• Korean: 불언실행(不言實行) (ko) (bureonsilhaeng)
• Latin: rēs, nōn verba, ācta, nōn verba
• Polish: czyny mówią głośniej niż słowa
• Portuguese: ações falam mais alto que palavras
• Russian: не по слова́м су́дят, а по дела́м (ne po slovám súdjat, a po delám, literally “they judge not by words but by deeds”)
• Scottish Gaelic: please add this translation if you can
• Slovene: dejanja so močnejša od besed
• Spanish: obras son amores, que no buenas razones
• Tamil: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: lafla peynir gemisi yürümez (tr), ayinesi iştir kişinin, lafa bakılmaz
• Vietnamese: hành động có giá trị hơn lời nói

actions indicate true sentiments

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 行動勝於言語 / 行动胜于言语 (xíngdòng shèngyú yányǔ), 事實勝於雄辯 / 事实胜于雄辩 (shìshí shèngyú xióngbiàn)

• Dutch: daden zeggen meer dan woorden
• Finnish: teot puhuvat enemmän kuin sanat
• French: please add this translation if you can
• German: Taten sagen mehr als Worte; an ihren Taten sollt ihr sie erkennen (literally “from their deeds you shall know them”)
• Hindi: please add this translation if you can
• Hungarian: please add this translation if you can
• Indonesian: pangsa menunjukkan bangsa
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Latin: please add this translation if you can
• Polish: czyny mówią głośniej niż słowa
• Portuguese: ações falam mais alto que palavras
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Scottish Gaelic: beul a labhras ach gnìomh a dhearbhas (literally “a mouth talks but a deed proves”), beul a labhras ach cridhe a dhearbhas
• Slovene: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: por sus frutos los conoceréis, el movimiento se demuestra andando
• Tamil: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

See also

• by their fruits you will know them
• facts speak louder than words
• money talks, bullshit walks
• suit the action to the word
• talk is cheap
• talk the talk

Further reading

• “actions speak louder than words”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• Titelman, Gregory Y. (1996), Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, →ISBN, page 2