English Phrases: “It Speaks For Itself” & “Speak For Yourself”

“It Speaks For Itself” vs “Speak For Yourself”

Today our lesson is about two phrases in English – one is saying “something speaks for itself” and the other is telling someone “speak for yourself.” These are very different and are used in particular situations as provided in the examples below.

IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

If something speaks for itself, that means it’s obvious, without needing any additional explanation.


So, let’s say you tell your friend something and she gets an angry expression on her face. And later, when talking about that, you can say, “I know she was mad, even though she didn’t say anything, because the expression on her face spoke for itself.” In other words, the angry expression on your friend’s face made it clear and obvious that she was angry, even without words or without explanation.

Example Dialog

Situation: A hiring committee is looking for candidates to hire for a job, and there’s one candidate who doesn’t have a college degree, but he has a lot of experience.

A: “Well, I don’t think he’s qualified because he doesn’t have a degree…”

B: “But his experience speaks for itself.”

Example Sentences

  • I certainly don't have anything to prove. My record speaks for itself.
  • Her success speaks for itself.
  • The school's excellent record speaks for itself.
  • When it comes to quality, our record speaks for itself.
  • There is no need for me to praise it. It speaks for itself.
  • John believed that his work spoke for itself.
  • He's a good coach. His success speaks for itself.
  • A great photograph should speak for itself, but that doesn't mean there aren't great stories behind it.
  • The professor's charisma speaks for itself. All the students love him.


SPEAK FOR YOURSELF

  • If you tell someone, “Speak for yourself,” that means you disagree with their preference or their opinion. You’re saying, “that’s your opinion, but my opinion is different.”
  • This phrase is used informally. You can use this among friends but it's inappropriate to use this in a formal setting.



You might say, “I love pineapple on my pizza” – and if I respond, “Speak for yourself,” that means YOU like pineapple on your pizza, but I don’t. I’m disagreeing, I’m saying that that your opinion or preference is not true for me.

Example Dialogs

A: “I can’t stand that show”
B: "Speak for yourself. I like it."

A: "We had a really boring trip." 
B: "Speak for yourself! I had a wonderful time!"

A: “No one wants pizza again tonight.”
B: “Speak for yourself! I do!”

A: "None of us like the hotel." 
B: "Speak for yourself – I think it’s OK."

A: "We just love traveling." 
B: "Speak for yourself—I think it's exhausting."

A: "We had a really boring trip." 
B: "Speak for yourself! I had a wonderful time!"


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