say vs speak

say

verb
  • To speak; to express an opinion; to make answer; to reply. 

  • Suppose, assume; used to mark an example, supposition or hypothesis. 

  • To tell, either verbally or in writing. 

  • To indicate in a written form. 

  • To have a common expression; used in singular passive voice or plural active voice to indicate a rumor or well-known fact. 

  • To recite. 

  • To pronounce. 

  • To try; to assay. 

  • To bet as a wager on an outcome; by extension, used to express belief in an outcome by the speaker. 

noun
  • Tried quality; temper; proof. 

  • A chance to speak; the right or power to influence or make a decision. 

  • Essay; trial; attempt. 

  • Trial by sample; assay; specimen. 

  • A strainer for milk. 

adv
  • Pick a color you think they'd like, say, peach. 

  • For example; let us assume. 

intj
  • Used to gain someone's attention before making an inquiry or suggestion 

speak

verb
  • To deliver a message to a group; to deliver a speech. 

  • To communicate with one's voice, to say words out loud. 

  • To understand (as though it were a language). 

  • To have a conversation. 

  • To utter. 

  • To produce a sound; to sound. 

  • To be able to communicate in a language. 

  • Of a bird, to be able to vocally reproduce words or phrases from a human language. 

  • To be able to communicate in the manner of specialists in a field. 

  • To communicate or converse by some means other than orally, such as writing or facial expressions. 

  • To communicate (some fact or feeling); to bespeak, to indicate. 

noun
  • Speech, conversation. 

  • language, jargon, or terminology used uniquely in a particular environment or group. 

How often have the words say and speak occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )