A speck is a very small spot, mark, or piece of something — small enough that you might not see it unless you look. A speck of dust, a speck of dirt on a white shirt, a speck of food on someone's face.

A speck isspeck是 a very small spot, mark, or piece of something一個非常小的斑點、痕跡或碎屑，small enough that小到 you might not see it你可能會看不到，unless you look除非你仔細看。a speck of dust一點灰塵、a speck of dirt on a white shirt白襯衫上的一點髒污、a speck of food on someone's face某人臉上的一點食物殘渣。

It works two ways that feel a bit different. Sometimes it is a MARK on a surface: 'There's a speck on your glasses.' Sometimes it is a tiny PIECE of a substance: 'a speck of dust', 'a speck of paint'. Both are normal English.

It works two ways它的用法有兩種 that feel a bit different感覺有點不一樣。Sometimes有時候 it is是 a MARK on a surface表面上的痕跡，例如 'There's a speck on your glasses.''你的眼鏡上有個speck'這句話；Sometimes有時候 it is是 a tiny PIECE of a substance某種物質的一小塊，例如 'a speck of dust', 'a speck of paint''a speck of dust'和'a speck of paint'這樣的說法。Both are normal English兩種都是正常的英文用法。

The word carries a feeling of 'so small it is almost nothing' — that is really the point of choosing it. So people also use it for things that are far away and therefore look tiny: 'The plane was just a speck in the sky.' And they stretch it to things that are not physical at all, usually in a negative sentence: 'There isn't a speck of truth in what he said.' That last use means 'not even the smallest amount', and it is common in speech.

The word這個字 carries帶有 a feeling of 'so small it is almost nothing'『小到幾乎等於沒有』的感覺，that is really the point of choosing it這才是選用它真正的重點。So people also use it for things that are far away and therefore look tiny所以人們也會用它來形容因為太遠而看起來很小的東西: 'The plane was just a speck in the sky.'就像『那架飛機在天空中只是個小點』這句話。And they stretch it to things that are not physical at all他們也會把這個字延伸用到完全不是實體的東西上，usually in a negative sentence通常是用在否定句裡: 'There isn't a speck of truth in what he said.'就像『他說的話裡沒有一點真實』這句話。That last use means 'not even the smallest amount'最後這個用法的意思是『連一點點都沒有』，and it is common in speech而且在口語中很常見。

One thing worth noticing: a speck is small but it is still one separate thing you could point at. That is why we say 'a speck of dust' but not 'a speck of water' — water does not come in little pointable bits. For liquids people say 'a drop'.

One thing worth noticing有一點值得注意: a speck is smallspeck雖然小，but it is still one separate thing you could point at但它仍然是一個可以被指出來的獨立東西。That is why那就是為什麼 we say we會說 'a speck of dust''a speck of dust'，but not不會說 'a speck of water''a speck of water'，water does not come in little pointable bits因為水不是能一顆一顆指出來的小東西。For liquids對於液體，people say人們會說 'a drop''a drop'這個字。

The word is everyday, not formal; a child and a professor would both use it.

The word is everyday, not formal這個字很日常，不正式；a child and a professor would both use it小孩和教授都會用它。