sözlü

Sözlü is an adjective in Turkish that means oral or verbal, as opposed to written. It is derived from the noun söz (word, speech, promise) plus the suffix -lü, which indicates a characteristic. In everyday language, sözlü describes things conveyed by speech rather than by writing. Examples include sözlü iletişim (spoken communication), sözlü sınav (oral examination), and sözlü tarih (oral history).

In formal contexts, sözlü is used to distinguish modes of evidence or testimony from yazılı (written). For instance, a court may accept sözlü beyanlar (oral statements) or a researcher might collect sözlü tarihler and testimonies for an oral history project. In education, many assessment schemes include sözlü evaluations alongside yazılı tests.

In cultural usage, the phrase sözlü gelenek refers to oral tradition—stories, songs, and knowledge transmitted through speech across generations, often without written records. The term also appears in phrases such as sözlü ifade (oral statement) or sözlü savunma (oral defense) in legal and administrative settings. The word is common across Turkish-speaking regions and is defined in dictionaries as describing speech-based modes of communication and evidence.