A framework which considers speech and language as separate entities in a symbiotic relationship is presented, and basic questions are raised concerning how speech and language function together and what their reciprocal effects are. Based on the notion that speech and language are independent, various examples of speech without language and of language without speech are discussed. Speech and language are basically seen as two different rule systems functioning at different levels. One approach to understanding the role of speech in language consists of comparing the rules of speech, i.e., phonology, with the semantactic rules of language, i.e., syntax and semantics together. A second approach involves comparing the development of speech in man to that in children, while a third approach compares sign language with speech. Although these research strategies allow for the logical separation of speech and language, it is cautioned that they should ultimately be considered part of one system. (CLK)