A speech act is an act that a speaker performs when making an utterance, including the following:
A speech act is an utterance that serves a function in communication. We perform speech acts when we offer an apology, greeting, request, complaint, invitation, compliment, or refusal. A speech act might contain just one word, as in "Sorry!" to perform an apology, or several words or sentences
•The production of a particular effect in the addressee (perlocutionary act)
Kinds