A speech act is an act that a speaker performs when making an utterance, including the following:

• A general act (illocutionary act) that a speaker performs, analyzable as including:
  • the uttering of words (utterance acts)
  • making reference and predicating (propositional acts), and
  • a particular intention in making the utterance (illocutionary force)
• An act involved in the illocutionary act, including utterance acts and propositional acts
• The production of a particular effect in the addressee (perlocutionary act)