speech verbal meaning

What Is Verbal Communication?

“Man is by nature a social animal,” the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote more than 2,000 years ago. And communication…

“Man is by nature a social animal,” the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote more than 2,000 years ago.

And communication lies at the heart of all social relationships.

From the time you enter this world, you start communicating. Your first cry is your first attempt at verbal communication. And as you start growing, you find newer ways of communication. You learn to form words and sentences to communicate.

This is the beginning of verbal communication.

What Is Verbal Communication? 

Characteristics of verbal communication, types of verbal communication, advantages of verbal communication.

Verbal communication means effectively presenting your thoughts in verbal format i.e., by talking. Verbal communication skills are essential in the world of business. Be it a weekly meeting or presentation to stakeholders, the importance of verbal communication is unparalleled. People always remember a person who speaks clearly, effectively, confidently, and charismatically.

For instance, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’s speech launching the iPhone is a classic example of brilliant verbal communication that people remember even today. Similarly, many speeches made by former US President Barack Obama are also unforgettable.

A powerful speaker is also able to connect with their audience easily. Like Oprah Winfrey says, “Great communication begins with a connection.”

You too can be a great speaker with practice. Most of us possess the means of verbal communication, what’s important is to recognize how to maximize them. Read on to learn more about its distinct characteristics.

Before we explore the various defining features of verbal communication, let’s look at its primary form. Verbal communication is oral in nature. Oral communication encompasses various activities such as talking, laughing or listening. We often navigate different emotional situations through oral forms of communication.

We also have written communication that includes script, alphabets, acronyms, logos and graphics. To interpret written messages, everyone involved must understand the code (e.g., the language). This is different from verbal or spoken communication.

There are several characteristics that are specific to verbal communication, namely:

The message being communicated is directly or indirectly related to an object

We use concepts to communicate messages

The content should be understood by both the sender and receiver

Cultural factors influence the content of messages

While communicating emotions and feelings, a sender’s state of mind influences the content of messages

Even though we talk to our friends, family and coworkers on a regular basis, we may not always be aware of how we’re communicating. Mastering the art of verbal communication will help you in more ways than one. Let’s explore different types of verbal communication and how your audience factors into it.

Verbal communication goes beyond words, sounds and languages. You need to know your audience to talk to them better. Remember that you can follow the Pyramid Principle and start with your main argument and then follow up with supporting statements. You can classify verbal communication into four types based on your audience.

Intrapersonal Communication

This is your private verbal communication channel. You talk to yourself and articulate your thoughts. Communicating with yourself will give you more confidence and clarity in your thoughts. It’ll help you make up your mind, form your sentences, find suitable words and effective ways to connect with other people. This will help you gain your colleagues’ trust in the workplace.

Interpersonal Communication

You can also call this one-to-one verbal communication. This type of communication happens between two individuals. It helps you understand if you’re getting your thoughts across clearly. Reactions, responses and verbal and nonverbal cues from the other person will help you understand whether you’re being understood or not. Make sure that you listen to the other person intently. Communication doesn’t just mean to talk to someone. It’s also about listening. So, listen, think and then respond. Take time to think and make sure you don’t offend people with your response.

Small Group Communication 

The number of people increases in small group communication. You move from communicating with a single participant to a few more. These small groups could be team meetings, board meetings or sales meetings. The number of participants is small enough for everyone to communicate with each other. When you attend small group meetings, be prepared with a topic to make sure you stay on track. Stay on topic and allow enough time for everyone to present their thoughts.

Public Communication 

You may also know this type as ‘ public speaking ’. Here, an individual addresses a large number of people at once. Speeches, election campaigns and presentations are a few examples of public communication. Since the number of people in the audience is larger in this type of communication, be sure to use words and phrases they’ll understand easily and structure your thoughts before addressing the audience. The more prepared you are, the more confident you’ll feel like a public speaker.

Verbal communication is a broad topic. There are various elements that help us organize our thoughts around it. They are:

When you express yourself your tone determines the message to be interpreted. For example, you can be saying something nice but if your tone is a sarcastic tone, the message will be conveyed differently. Your tone makes a huge difference to your speech.

The pace at which you speak is important as it determines the reaction of your audience. You may have attended lectures or webinars where people speaking slowly and softly can get boring. Similarly, it may be difficult to understand someone speaking at a rapid pace.

Volume ranges from a whisper to a scream. The volume at which you talk can convey various meanings. For example, if you whisper into someone’s ears in the presence of multiple people, it can be misconstrued as something negative. On the other hand, screaming while someone is talking is rude. Always monitor your volume depending on the social context you’re in.

Additionally, language, grammar and vocabulary are critical aspects of verbal communication. An erroneous message to a hiring manager, for example, can make or break your career opportunity. This is why verbal communication is a critical skill for success in professional settings as well. Effective communication helps with decision-making and increases collaboration in teams. Let’s look at the benefits of different types of verbal communication.

Verbal communication is one of the most important mediums of communication. The stronger your communication skills are, the easier it is for you to establish trust and build lasting relationships with others. Here are some benefits of strong verbal communication skills:

It provides complete understanding and there’s room to clarify any messages that may have been misunderstood

It’s one of the fastest modes of communication and is time-efficient

There is space for providing feedback, which allows two or more people to engage in a conversation at the same time

It allows speakers to exercise influence and persuade listeners to agree with ideas, thoughts and opinions

It’s flexible, that is, you can change your language and tone depending on the situation you’re in or the relationship you share with an individual

In short, verbal communication is one of the most reliable methods of communication. Its benefits apply to the world of work as well. Let’s look at the various ways in which strong verbal communication skills can be beneficial for professionals:

Building Relationships

Verbal communication allows you to build strong interpersonal relationships. It’s easier when you find like-minded people who share similar interests, ideas and outlooks. This further encourages you to cooperate, collaborate and engage in teamwork.

Persuading Someone

In professional settings, you need to exert a certain amount of influence to get things going. For example, if you want your coworkers to join your project, you need to be able to convince them first. Even in brainstorming sessions, you need to be able to convince others of your ideas and perspectives.

Bringing Clarity

As verbal communication enables feedback, you can provide clarity to your message by repeating yourself. For example, in conflicts or arguments, you can repeat your message so that there’s no room for ambiguity.

Improving Productivity

With proper communication in place, you can communicate effectively with team members and people across the organization. Well-established relationships enhance the process, allowing you to cooperate and collaborate quickly. Group discussions and teamwork maximize output, therefore increasing productivity.

Increasing Motivation

Verbal communication plays a crucial role in providing feedback and recognizing individual effort. Whether it’s a congratulatory speech or email, words of support and appreciation boosts confidence levels. If you’re a manager, don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate your team’s success and efforts. Not only will they get encouraged to do better, but it also cements your relationship with them.

Therefore, effective verbal communication opens up a two-way street that allows individuals to interact, engage and collaborate with each other, improving organizational efficiency and productivity. On an individual level, it helps you become more confident and a well-rounded professional.

Harappa offers two courses to build your communication skills— Writing Proficiently and Speaking Effectively . They’ll help you break the barriers and connect with your colleagues and the people around you. With key frameworks like the Pyramid Principle and PAM (Purpose-Audience-Message), you’ll learn how to communicate with impact.

Explore blogs on topics such as effective communication , the 7 barriers of communication ,  types of nonverbal communication , the different types of communication , and verbal and nonverbal communication on Harappa Diaries to make your world of work better.

Verbal Communication

Defining verbal communication.

When people ponder the word communication, they often think about the act of talking. We rely on verbal communication to exchange messages with one another and develop as individuals. The term verbal communication often evokes the idea of spoken communication, but written communication is also part of verbal communication. Reading this book you are decoding the authors’ written verbal communication in order to learn more about communication. Let’s explore the various components of our definition of verbal communication and examine how it functions in our lives.

Verbal communication is about language, both written and spoken. In general, verbal communication refers to our use of words while nonverbal communication refers to communication that occurs through means other than words, such as body language, gestures, and silence. Both verbal and nonverbal communication can be spoken and written. Many people mistakenly assume that verbal communication refers only to spoken communication. However, you will learn that this is not the case. Let’s say you tell a friend a joke and he or she laughs in response. Is the laughter verbal or nonverbal communication? Why? As laughter is not a word we would consider this vocal act as a form of nonverbal communication. For simplification, the box below highlights the kinds of communication that fall into the various categories. You can find many definitions of verbal communication in our literature, but for this text, we define Verbal Communication as an agreed-upon and rule-governed system of symbols used to share meaning. Let’s examine each component of this definition in detail.

A System of Symbols

Symbols are arbitrary representations of thoughts, ideas, emotions, objects, or actions used to encode and decode meaning (Nelson & Kessler Shaw). Symbols stand for, or represent, something else. For example, there is nothing inherent about calling a cat a cat.

Rather, English speakers have agreed that these symbols (words), whose components (letters) are used in a particular order each time, stand for both the actual object, as well as our interpretation of that object. This idea is illustrated by C. K. Ogden and I. A. Richard’s triangle of meaning. The word “cat” is not the actual cat. Nor does it have any direct connection to an actual cat. Instead, it is a symbolic representation of our idea of a cat, as indicated by the line going from the word “cat” to the speaker’s idea of “cat” to the actual object.

Not only are symbols arbitrary, they are  ambiguous — that is, they have several possible meanings . Imagine your friend tells you she has an apple on her desk. Is she referring to a piece of fruit or her computer? If a friend says that a person he met is cool, does he mean that person is cold or awesome? The meanings of symbols change over time due to changes in social norms, values, and advances in technology. You might be asking, “If symbols can have multiple meanings then how do we communicate and understand one another?” We are able to communicate because there are a finite number of possible meanings for our symbols, a range of meanings which the members of a given language system agree upon. Without an agreed-upon system of symbols, we could share relatively little meaning with one another.

A simple example of ambiguity can be represented by one of your classmates asking a simple question to the teacher during a lecture where she is showing PowerPoint slides: “can you go to the last slide please?” The teacher is half way through the presentation. Is the student asking if the teacher can go back to the previous slide? Or does the student really want the lecture to be over with and is insisting that the teacher jump to the final slide of the presentation? Chances are the student missed a point on the previous slide and would like to see it again to quickly take notes. However, suspense may have overtaken the student and they may have a desire to see the final slide. Even a simple word like “last” can be ambiguous and open to more than one interpretation.

The verbal symbols we use are also abstract , meaning that, words are not material or physical. A certain level of abstraction is inherent in the fact that symbols can only represent objects and ideas . This abstraction allows us to use a phrase like “the public” in a broad way to mean all the people in the United States rather than having to distinguish among all the diverse groups that make up the U.S. population. Similarly, in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter  book series, wizards and witches call the non-magical population on earth “muggles” rather than having to define all the separate cultures of muggles. Abstraction is helpful when you want to communicate complex concepts in a simple way. However, the more abstract the language, the greater potential there is for confusion.

Rule-Governed

Verbal communication is rule-governed . We must follow agreed-upon rules to make sense of the symbols we share . Let’s take another look at our example of the word cat. What would happen if there were no rules for using the symbols (letters) that make up this word? If placing these symbols in a proper order was not important, then cta, tac, tca, act, or atc could all mean cat. Even worse, what if you could use any three letters to refer to cat? Or still worse, what if there were no rules and anything could represent cat? Clearly, it’s important that we have rules to govern our verbal communication. There are four general rules for verbal communication, involving the sounds, meaning, arrangement, and use of symbols.

Case In Point

Sounds and letters: a poem for english students.

When in English class we speak, Why is break not rhymed with freak? Will you tell me why it’s true That we say sew, but also few?

When a poet writes a verse Why is horse not rhymed with worse? Beard sounds not the same as heard Lord sounds not the same as word

Cow is cow, but low is low Shoe is never rhymed with toe. Think of nose and dose and lose Think of goose, but then of choose.

Confuse not comb with tomb or bomb, Doll with roll, or home with some. We have blood and food and good. Mould is not pronounced like could.

There’s pay and say, but paid and said. “I will read”, but “I have read”. Why say done, but gone and lone – Is there any reason known?

To summarise, it seems to me Sounds and letters disagree.

Taken from: http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Ideas/Fun/Wordplay.htm

• Phonology is the study of speech sounds . The pronunciation of the word cat comes from the rules governing how letters sound, especially in relation to one another. The context in which words are spoken may provide answers for how they should be pronounced. When we don’t follow phonological rules, confusion results. One way to understand and apply phonological rules is to use syntactic and pragmatic rules to clarify phonological rules.
• Semantic rules help us understand the difference in meaning between the word cat and the word dog . Instead of each of these words meaning any four-legged domestic pet, we use each word to specify what four-legged domestic pet we are talking about. You’ve probably used these words to say things like, “I’m a cat person” or “I’m a dog person.” Each of these statements provides insight into what the sender is trying to communicate. The Case in Point, “A Poem for English Students,” not only illustrates the idea of phonology, but also semantics. Even though many of the words are spelled the same, their meanings vary depending on how they are pronounced and in what context they are used. We attach meanings to words; meanings are not inherent in words themselves. As you’ve been reading, words (symbols) are arbitrary and attain meaning only when people give them meaning. While we can always look to a dictionary to find a standardized definition of a word , or its  denotative meaning , meanings do not always follow standard, agreed-upon definitions when used in various contexts. For example, think of the word “sick.” The denotative definition of the word is ill or unwell. However, connotative meanings ,  the meanings we assign based on our experiences and beliefs , are quite varied. Sick can have a connotative meaning that describes something as good or awesome as opposed to its literal meaning of illness, which usually has a negative association. The denotative and connotative definitions of “sick” are in total contrast of one another which can cause confusion. Think about an instance where a student is asked by their parent about a friend at school. The student replies that the friend is “sick.” The parent then asks about the new teacher at school and the student describes the teacher as “sick” as well. The parent must now ask for clarification as they do not know if the teacher is in bad health, or is an excellent teacher, and if the friend of their child is ill or awesome.
• Syntactics is the study of language structure and symbolic arrangement . Syntactics focuses on the rules we use to combine words into meaningful sentences and statements. We speak and write according to agreed-upon syntactic rules to keep meaning coherent and understandable. Think about this sentence: “The pink and purple elephant flapped its wings and flew out the window.” While the content of this sentence is fictitious and unreal, you can understand and visualize it because it follows syntactic rules for language structure.
• Pragmatics is the study of how people actually use verbal communication . For example, as a student you probably speak more formally to your professors than to your peers. It’s likely that you make different word choices when you speak to your parents than you do when you speak to your friends. Think of the words “bowel movements,” “poop,” “crap,” and “shit.” While all of these words have essentially the same denotative meaning, people make choices based on context and audience regarding which word they feel comfortable using. These differences illustrate the pragmatics of our verbal communication. Even though you use agreed-upon symbolic systems and follow phonological, syntactic, and semantic rules, you apply these rules differently in different contexts. Each communication context has different rules for “appropriate” communication. We are trained from a young age to communicate “appropriately” in different social contexts.

It is only through an agreed-upon and rule-governed system of symbols that we can exchange verbal communication in an effective manner. Without agreement, rules, and symbols, verbal communication would not work. The reality is, after we learn language in school, we don’t spend much time consciously thinking about all of these rules, we simply use them. However, rules keep our verbal communication structured in ways that make it useful for us to communicate more effectively.

Communication Now

We all know we can look up words in the dictionary, such as  Webster’s Dictionary . When we do this, we are looking up the Denotative Meaning of words. However, given that there are so many Connotative Meanings of words, we now have a resource to look up those meanings as well.  Urban Dictionary is a resource for people to find out how words that have certain denotative meanings are used connotatively. Go ahead, give it a try!

• Survey of Communication Study. Authored by : Scott T Paynton and Linda K Hahn. Provided by : Humboldt State University. Located at : https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Survey_of_Communication_Study . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Image of blue triangle. Authored by : Spaynton. Located at : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ogdenvc.png . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Image of Symbols are.... Authored by : Spaynton. Located at : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vcsymbols.png . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike

Verbal Communication: Understanding the Power of Words

Categories Social Psychology

As human beings, we rely on communication to express our thoughts, feelings, and intentions. Verbal communication, in particular, involves using words to convey a message to another person. It is a fundamental aspect of human interaction and is crucial in our daily lives and relationships.

In this article, we will explore the importance of verbal communication, the different types of verbal communication, and some tips on improving your verbal communication skills.

Table of Contents

Importance of Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is essential because it is the primary means of interacting with others. It lets us express our thoughts and feelings, convey information, and build relationships. It is a powerful tool for connecting with others and forming social bonds.

By communicating meaning verbally, others are able to understand your needs, interests, and beliefs.

Effective verbal communication is essential in many contexts, including personal relationships, social interactions, and professional settings. In personal relationships, it can help build trust, foster intimacy, and resolve conflicts. Lack of communication can lead to serious problems, including conflicts and the breakdown of relationships.

Social interactions can help establish common ground, build rapport, and create a sense of community. For example, discussions can help people with different needs understand one another and find ways to ensure each person achieves their goals.

In the workplace, it can help to convey ideas, influence others, and achieve goals.

Types of Verbal Communication

There are two main forms of verbal communication: spoken and written communication.

• Spoken Communication : Spoken communication is the most common form of verbal communication. It involves using words, tone of voice, and body language to convey a message. Spoken communication can take many different forms, including conversations, speeches, and presentations.
• Written Communication : Written communication is using written words to convey a message. It includes emails, letters, memos, and reports. Written communication is often used in professional settings to document information and convey messages to others.

There are four main types of verbal communication, each with its own unique characteristics and purposes:

• Intrapersonal communication : Intrapersonal communication is the process of talking to oneself, either out loud or internally. This type of communication is often used for self-reflection, problem-solving, and decision-making. Intrapersonal communication can help us better understand our own thoughts and feelings, and can be a valuable tool for personal growth and development.
• Interpersonal communication : Interpersonal communication is the process of communication between two or more people. This type of communication is often used for social interaction, relationship-building, and collaboration. Interpersonal communication can involve a range of verbal communication modes, such as face-to-face communication, telephone communication, and video conferencing.
• Small group communication : Small group communication involves communication between three to ten people, typically in a group setting such as a meeting or a discussion. This type of communication is often used for decision-making, problem-solving, and brainstorming. Small group communication requires effective listening and speaking skills, as well as the ability to work collaboratively with others.
• Public communication : Public communication is communicating to a large audience, typically through a speech or a presentation. This type of communication is often used for persuasive purposes, such as advocating for a cause or presenting information to an audience. Public communication requires effective public speaking skills, including the ability to engage and connect with the audience, use effective visual aids, and communicate ideas clearly and persuasively.

Other Types of Communication

In addition to verbal communication, other important forms of communication can convey meaning, including:

Nonverbal communication : Nonverbal communication is the use of body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice to convey a message. It can be used to emphasize a point, show emotion, or convey meaning. Nonverbal communication can be just as powerful as spoken communication and can often convey a message more effectively than words alone.

Visual communication : Visual communication is the use of images, charts, and graphs to convey a message. It is often used in professional settings to present data and information in a way that is easy to understand.

Components of Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is a complex process that involves not only the words we use, but also how we say them. Tone of voice, inflection, and other vocal cues can greatly impact the meaning of our message. Here are some important aspects of verbal communication and how they convey meaning:

• Tone of voice : Tone of voice refers to the way we use our voice to convey meaning. It can be described as the emotional quality of our voice. For example, a sarcastic tone of voice can convey that the speaker is not being sincere, while a warm and friendly tone can convey that the speaker is approachable and trustworthy.
• Inflection : Inflection refers to the rise and fall of our voice as we speak. It can convey emphasis and emotion. For example, a rising inflection at the end of a sentence can indicate a question, while a falling inflection can indicate a statement.
• Volume : Volume refers to how loudly or softly we speak. It can convey confidence, authority, and assertiveness. For example, speaking loudly can convey confidence and authority, while speaking softly can convey intimacy and vulnerability.
• Pace : Pace refers to the speed at which we speak. It can convey excitement, urgency, and impatience. For example, speaking quickly can convey excitement and urgency, while speaking slowly can convey thoughtfulness and deliberation.
• Intensity : Intensity refers to the level of emotional energy that we put into our words. It can convey passion, enthusiasm, and conviction. For example, speaking with intensity can convey a strong belief in something, while speaking with low intensity can convey ambivalence or lack of interest.
• Pitch : Pitch refers to the highness or lowness of our voice. It can convey age, gender, and emotion. For example, a high-pitched voice can convey youthfulness or excitement, while a low-pitched voice can convey authority or seriousness.

It’s important to note that these aspects of verbal communication can vary greatly depending on context, culture, and personal preference. What may be considered a confident tone of voice in one culture may be perceived as aggressive in another. 

Understanding these nuances is essential for effective verbal communication. By paying attention to these aspects of verbal communication, we can convey our message more effectively and avoid misunderstandings.

Modes of Verbal Communication

Verbal communication can occur through different modes, each with their own unique features and advantages. Here are some of the different ways verbal communication may occur:

Face-to-Face Verbal Communication

Face-to-face communication occurs when two or more people are in the same physical space and communicate verbally. This mode of communication allows for the use of nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language, which can help convey meaning and emotion. It also allows for immediate feedback and clarification of misunderstandings.

Telephone Communication

Telephone communication occurs when two or more people communicate verbally over a telephone line. This mode of communication allows for immediate verbal communication over long distances but does not allow for the use of nonverbal cues, which can sometimes make it difficult to convey meaning and emotion.

Video Conferencing

Video conferencing occurs when two or more people communicate verbally over a video conferencing platform, such as Zoom or Skype. This mode of communication combines the benefits of face-to-face and telephone communication, allowing for the use of nonverbal cues and immediate verbal communication over long distances.

Public Speaking

Public speaking occurs when one person communicates verbally to a large audience. This mode of communication requires careful planning and preparation, as well as the ability to engage and connect with the audience through the use of tone of voice, inflection, and other vocal cues.

Group Discussion

Group discussion occurs when a group of people communicate verbally to exchange ideas, solve problems, or make decisions. This mode of communication requires active listening skills and the ability to work collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal.

Written Communication

Written communication occurs when ideas, thoughts, and information are conveyed through written words, such as emails, letters, or memos. This mode of communication allows for careful consideration and editing of the message, but can sometimes lack the immediacy and personal connection of verbal communication.

It’s important to note that each mode of verbal communication has its own strengths and weaknesses. Some modes may be more appropriate for certain contexts than others. 

For example, face-to-face communication may be more effective for resolving conflicts, while written communication may be more appropriate for conveying complex information or instructions.

Tips for Improving Verbal Communication Skills

Effective verbal communication requires more than just speaking clearly and articulately. It involves listening actively, empathizing with others, and adapting your communication style to different situations. Here are some tips for improving your verbal communication skills:

• Listen actively : Effective communication requires active listening. This means paying attention to what the other person is saying, asking questions, and clarifying misunderstandings.
• Use appropriate body language : Your body language can convey as much meaning as your words. Use appropriate gestures and facial expressions to emphasize your message and convey your emotions.
• Speak clearly and confidently : Speak clearly and confidently to ensure that your message is understood.
• Empathize with others : Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It is an important communication skill because it helps build trust and understanding.
• Be adaptable : Adapt your communication style to different situations and audiences. Use appropriate language for the context and audience, and be mindful of cultural differences.

Aesthetics and Delivery

Learning Objectives

• Define verbal delivery
• Understand the benefits of effective vocal delivery
• Explore techniques for evoking senses through language
• Utilize specific techniques to enhance vocal delivery

Humans are communicators. We rely on processes of communication to make sense of our world and we rely on others’ communicating with us to create shared meaning. Through symbols, we use and adapt language with one another and our communities.

The same is true for speeches, but what symbols you select and how you portray them—what we’ll call verbal delivery — are central to your audience and how they experience or comprehend what you say.

For example, consider your favorite podcaster or podcast series. We love crime podcasts! Despite being reliant on vocal delivery only, the presenters’ voices paint an aesthetic picture as they walk us through stories around crime, murder, and betrayal. So, how do they do it? What keeps millions of people listening to podcasts and returning to their favorite verbal-only speakers? Is it how they say it? Is it the language they choose? All of these are important parts of effective vocal delivery.

Below, we begin discussing vocal delivery—language choices, projection, vocal enunciation, and more.

Language and Aesthetics

It was 5 p.m. As she looked out the smudged window over the Kansas pasture, the wind quickly died down and the rolling clouds turned a slight gray-green. Without warning, a siren blared through the quiet plains as she pulled her hands up to cover her ears. Gasping for breath, she turned toward the basement and flew down the stairs as the swirling clouds charged quickly toward the farm house.

What’s happening in this story? What are you picturing? A treacherous tornado? A devastating storm rumbling onto a small Kansas farm? If so, the language in the story was successful.

Like this example demonstrates, the language that you use can assist audiences in creating a mental picture or image – creating a visualization is a powerful tool as a speaker.

Aesthetics is, certainly, based on how you deliver or embody your speech. But aesthetics also incorporates language choices and storytelling – techniques that craft a meaningful picture and encompass how you deliver the information or idea to your audience. In this section, we will extend our conversation from Chapter 5 about language to explore vivid language, implementing rhetorical techniques, and storytelling as an aesthetic tool to create resonance with your audience.

Vivid Language

Vivid language evokes the senses and is language that arouses the sensations of smelling, tasting, seeing, hearing, and feeling. Think of the word “ripe.” What is “ripe?” Do ripe fruits feel a certain way? Smell a certain way? Taste a certain way? Ripe is a sensory word. Most words just appeal to one sense, like vision. Think of color. How can you make the word “blue” more sensory? How can you make the word “loud” more sensory? How would you describe the current state of your bedroom or dorm room to leave a sensory impression? How would you describe your favorite meal to leave a sensory impression?

In the opening Kansas storm example above, the author may want the audience to sense danger or a certain intensity around the approaching tornado. To create that audience experience, you must craft language that emphasizes these elements.

When using vivid language, you’re trying to bring those sensations to life in a way that can create a vivid experience for your audience. “How can I best represent this idea?” you might ask or “how can I best create a scenario where the audience feels like they’re a part of the scene?”

Viivd language can take time to craft. As you work through your speech, determine where you’d like the audience to experience a particular sensation, and focus on integrating vivid language.

Remember that pathos is a persuasive appeal that is at your disposal, and using vivid language can assist in creating an emotional experience and sensation for the audience.

Rhetorical Techniques

There are several traditional techniques that have been used to engage audiences and make ideas more attention-getting and memorable. These are called rhetorical techniques. Although “rhetorical” is associated with persuasive speech, these techniques are also effective with other types of speeches. We suggest using alliteration, parallelism, and rhetorical tropes.

Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in a sentence or passage. In his “I Have a Dream Speech,” Dr. Martin Luther King said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Do you notice how the consonant of “C” resounds throughout?

Parallelism is the repetition of sentence structures. It can be useful for stating your main ideas. Which one of these sounds better?

“Give me liberty or I’d rather die.”

“Give me liberty or give me death.”

The second one uses parallelism. Quoting again from JFK’s inaugural address: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” The repetition of the three-word phrases in this sentence (including the word “any” in each) is an example of parallelism.

Tropes are a turning of the text where the literal meaning is changed or altered to provide new insight (Brummett, 2019). This is often referred to as figurative language, or using comparisons with objects, animals, activities, roles, or historical or literary figures. A literal statement would say, “The truck is fast.” Figurative says, “The truck is as fast as…“ or “The truck runs like…”

You are likely most familiar with the metaphor – one type of trope. Metaphors are direct comparisons, such as “When he gets behind the wheel of that truck, he is Kyle Busch at Daytona.” Here are some more examples of metaphors:

Love is a battlefield.

Upon hearing the charges, the accused clammed up and refused to speak without a lawyer.

Every year a new crop of activists is born.

Similes are closely related to metaphors, and use “like” or “as” when crafting a comparison. “The truck runs like,” is the beginning of a simile.

Tropes are useful because they assist the audience in seeing an idea in a new way or a new light. This can be particularly helpful if you’re struggling to create a vivid experience but have been unsuccessful at evoking the senses. A metaphor can assist by comparing your argument with an idea that the audience is familiar with. If you’re trying to evoke a particular felt sense, make sure the compared idea can conjure up that particular feeling.

Whatever trope you use, the goal is to craft an interesting comparison or turn the text in a unique way that leads to great comprehension for the audience.

Storytelling

Stories and storytelling, in the form of anecdotes and narrative illustrations, are a powerful tool as a public speaker. For better or worse, audiences are likely to remember anecdotes and narratives long after a speech’s statistics are forgotten. Human beings love stories and will often will walk away from a speech moved by or remembering a powerful story or example.

So, what makes a good story?

As an art form, storytelling may include:

• Attention to sequence, or the order of the story;
• Embedding a dramatic quality (or using pathos);
• The use of imagery (or figurative language).

While there is no “one-model-fits-all” view of storytelling, we often know a good story when we hear one, and they are a helpful way to expand your argument and place it in a context.

If you have personal experience with an argument or advocacy that you select, it may be helpful to provide a short story for the audience that provides insight into what you know. Remember that anecdotes are a form of evidence, and we can feel more connected with an idea if the story is related to something a speaker has been through. For example, if you selected police brutality as a speech advocacy, embedding a story about police violence may support your thesis statement and allow your audience to visualize what that might be like. It may draw them in to see a perspective that they hadn’t considered.

Similarly, consider the placement of your story. While your speech may rely on a longer narrative form as an organizational pattern, it’s more likely that you’ll integrate a short story within your speech. We most commonly recommend stories as:

• The attention getter
• Evidence within a main point
• A way to wrap up the speech and leave the audience with something meaningful to consider.

Stories, rhetorical techniques, and vivid language are important mechanisms to evoke language with aesthetics. In addition to what you say, verbal delivery also includes how you say it, including: vocal projection, verbal enunciation and punctuation, and vocal rate.

You may have experienced a situation where an audience notified a speaker that they couldn’t be heard. “Louder!” Here, the audience is letting the speaker know to increase their volume , or the relative softness or loudness of one’s voice. In this example, the speaker needed to more fully project their vocals to fit the speaking-event space by increasing their volume. In a more formal setting, however, an audience may be skeptical to give such candid feedback, so it is your job to prepare.

Projection is a strategy to vocally fill the space ; thus, the space dictates which vocal elements need to be adapted because every person in the room should comfortably experience your vocal range. If you speak too softly (too little volume or not projecting), your audience will struggle to hear and understand and may give up trying to listen. If you speak with too much volume, your audience may feel that you are yelling at them, or at least feel uncomfortable with you shouting. The volume you use should fit the size of the audience and the room.

Vocal Enunciation and Punctuation

Vocal enunciation is often reduced to pronouncing words correctly, but enunciation also describes the expression of words and language.

Have you ever spoken to a friend who replied, “Stop that! You’re mumbling.” If so, they’re signaling to you that they aren’t able to understand your message. You may have pronounced the words correctly but had indistinct enunciation of the words, leading to reduced comprehension.

One technique to increase enunciation occurs during speech rehearsal, and it’s known as the “dash” strategy: e-nun-ci-ate e- ve – ry syll – a – bal in your pre- sen -ta- tion .

The dashes signify distinct vocal enunciation to create emphasis and expression. However, don’t go overboard! The dash strategy is an exaggerated exercise, but it can lead to a choppy vocal delivery.

Instead, use the dash strategy to find areas where difficult and longer words need more punctuated emphasis and, through rehearsal, organically integrate those areas of emphasis into your presentational persona.

Verbal punctuation is the process of imagining the words as they’re written to insert purposeful, punctuated pauses to conclude key thoughts. Your speech is not a run-on sentence. Verbal punctuation allows decisiveness and avoids audiences wondering, “is this still the same sentence?”

Verbal punctuation is a strategy to minimize vocalized fillers , including common fillers of “like, and, so, uh.” Rather than use a filler to fill a vocal void in the speech, punctuate the end of the sentence through a decisive pause (like a period in writing!).

We know what you’re thinking: “there’s no way that reducing fillers is this easy.” You’re partially right. We all use vocalized fillers, particularly in informal conversation, but the more you rehearse purposeful punctuation and decisive endings to your well-crafted thoughts and arguments, the fewer filler words you will use.

It is also helpful to ask for input and feedback from friends, colleagues, or teachers. “What are my filler words?” We have listed common fillers, but you may unconsciously rely on different words. One author, for example, was never aware that they used “kind of” until a colleague pointed the filler out. Once you’re aware of your filler words, work to carefully, consciously, and meticulously try to catch yourself when you say it. “Consciously” is key here, because you need to bring an awareness about your fillers to the forefront of your brain.

Pace and Rate

How quickly or slowly you say the words of your speech is the rate . A slower rate may communicate to the audience that you do not fully know the speech. “Where is this going?” they may wonder. It might also be slightly boring if the audience is processing information faster than it’s being presented.

By contrast, speaking too fast can be overly taxing on an audience’s ability to keep up with and digest what you are saying. It sometimes helps to imagine that your speech is a jog that you and your friends (the audience) are taking together. You (as the speaker) are setting the pace based on how quickly you speak. If you start sprinting, it may be too difficult for your audience to keep up and they may give up halfway through. Most people who speak very quickly know they speak quickly, and if that applies to you, just be sure to practice slowing down and writing yourself delivery cues in your notes to maintain a more comfortable rate.

You will want to maintain a good, deliberate rate at the beginning of your speech because your audience will be getting used to your voice. We have all called a business where the person answering the phone mumbles the name of the business in a rushed way. We aren’t sure if we called the right number. Since the introduction is designed to get the audience’s attention and interest in your speech, you will want to focus on clear vocal rate here.

You might also consider varying the rate depending on the type of information being communicated. While you’ll want to be careful going too slow consistently, slowing your rate for a difficult piece of supporting material may be helpful. Similarly, quickening your rate in certainly segments can communicate an urgency.

And although awkward, watching yourself give a speech via recording (or web cam) is a great way to gauge your natural rate and pace.

Vocal Pauses

The common misconception for public speaking students is that pausing during your speech is bad, but pausing (similar to and closely aligned with punctuation) can increase both the tone and comprehension of your argument. This is especially true if you are making a particularly important point or wanting a statement to have powerful impact: you will want to give the audience a moment to digest what you have said. You may also be providing new or technical information to an audience that needs additional time to absorb what you’re saying.

For example, consider the following statement: “Because of issues like pollution and overpopulation, in 50 years the earth’s natural resources will be so depleted that it will become difficult for most people to obtain enough food to survive.” Following a statement like this, you want to give your audience a brief moment to fully consider what you are saying. Remember that your speech is often ephemeral : meaning the audience only experiences the speech once and in real time (unlike reading where an audience can go back).

Use audience nonverbal cues and feedback (and provide them as an audience member) to determine if additional pauses may be necessary for audience comprehension. Audiences are generally reactive and will use facial expressions and body language to communicate if they are listening, if they are confused, angry, or supportive.

Of course, there is such a thing as pausing too much, both in terms of frequency and length. Someone who pauses too often may appear unprepared. Someone who pauses too long (more than a few seconds) runs the risk of the audience feeling uncomfortable or, even worse, becoming distracted or letting their attention wander.

Pauses should be controlled to maintain attention of the audience and to create additional areas of emphasis.

In this chapter, we introduced verbal delivery as a core component of your speech aesthetics. Verbal delivery includes language – including vivid language, tropes, and storytelling. In addition, projection, rate, punctuation, enunciation, and pausing all work to deliver an effective presentation. The “rehearsal” chapter will assist as you consider the verbal dynamics of your speech and begin to strategize best practices for deliver as you prepare to present.

In Chapter 9, we’ll continue discussing aesthetics by integrating nonverbal delivery.

Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy Copyright © 2019 by Meggie Mapes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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[ vur -b uh l ]

verbal ability.

verbal imagery.

verbal communication; verbal agreement.

Synonyms: spoken

a verbal protest.

a purely verbal distinction between two concepts.

a verbal translation.

verbal facility.

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verbal nouns and adjectives.

• used in a sentence as or like a verb.

the verbal ending “-ed.”

• a word derived from a verb, especially one used as a noun or an adjective, as, in English, a gerund, participle, or infinitive.
• a word or words used in a sentence as or like a verb.

/ ˈvɜːbəl /

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• slang. plural a criminal's admission of guilt on arrest
• slang. (of the police) to implicate (someone) in a crime by quoting alleged admission of guilt in court

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Derived forms.

• ˈverbally , adverb

Other Words From

• ver·bal·ly adverb
• non·ver·bal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of verbal 1

Example Sentences

Most members of the San Diego City Council boycotted Tuesday’s closed session hearing in protest of City Attorney Mara Elliott’s decision to provide verbal rather than written legal reports after someone leaked information last week to NBC 7.

The review board report ultimately concluded that Browder’s actions were reasonable only if he’d shouted verbal commands to Nehad prior to shooting him.

Hernandez told investigators she reported being fearful of “verbal attack.”

When staff finally released him –after everyone else in his building – he got into a verbal dispute with an officer who was working on the floor that night.

Do you know how when we grew up, students would call themselves, proudly, verbal kids or math kids, so you could get an 800 on the verbal section even though you didn’t like numbers and you never had to encounter them.

These were cops who had worked the protests and suffered the accompanying verbal taunts and abuse.

And then there was the unrelenting verbal abuse of cops simply because they are cops.

In movies, that language, visual and verbal, has yet to be mastered.

He reiterated the statements “I am not a politician” and “I am not a political advisor” so often that it seemed like a verbal tic.

Because of the verbal abuse and death threats coming my way, these women seemed to identify with me.

These are few and verbal, but momentous, and were not made without consultation of many critical authorities and versions.

A verbal narrative has of course in itself nothing similar to the scenes and events of which it tells.

These brilliant results were arrived at after much clamour and argument and imposing procès verbal.

I resolved to investigate the matter, as it was only verbal, so that it might not become public.

When thus acting his authority may be either verbal, or written, or may be shown by ratification.

Related Words

What Is a Verbal?

Unlike ordinary verbs, verbals are not inflected for person and tense

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In traditional grammar , a verbal is a word derived from a  verb  that functions in a sentence as a noun or modifier rather than as a verb.

Verbals include infinitives, gerunds (also known as -ing forms ), and participles (also known as -ing forms and -en forms). A word group based on a verbal is called a verbal phrase . 

Unlike ordinary verbs, verbals are not inflected for person and tense . As an adjective , the term  verbal can mean (1) relating to words (as in verbal irony ), (2) spoken rather than written (as in "a verbal agreement"), or (3) relating to or formed from a verb (as in verbal noun ).

Types and Examples of Verbals

Infinitives Infinitives are verbals (often preceded by the particle to ) that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

• "We can only learn to love by loving." (Iris Murdoch, The Bell . Viking, 1958)
• "The big thing is to try to be in position when the quarterback throws the ball, and to do that you try to work the angle with the receiver so's you can keep half an eye on the quarterback to see where he let the ball go." (George Plimpton, Paper Lion , 1966)

Gerunds Gerunds are verbals that end in -ing and function as nouns.

• "We can only learn to love by loving ." (Iris Murdoch, The Bell . Viking, 1958)
• "From the cookstove came the soft singing of burning wood and now and then a throaty bubble rose from a pot of simmering greens." (Richard Wright, Bright and Morning Star , 1939)

Participles Participles are verbals that function as adjectives.

• "I want a good sensible loving child, one to whom I can tell all my most precious candy-making secrets — while I am still alive.” (Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Alfred A. Knopf, 1964)
• "From the cookstove came the soft singing of burning wood and now and then a throaty bubble rose from a pot of simmering greens." (Richard Wright, Bright and Morning Star , 1939)
• "Our loved ones do not go on forever, in spite of what we may allow ourselves to believe." (Karen Henderson)

Usage Notes

"To write complete sentences, rather than sentence fragments , use verbs or verb phrases , not just verbals . Although a verbal is formed from a verb, it is a part of speech that functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb, not as a verb." (Phyllis Goldenberg, Elaine Epstein, Carol Domblewski, and Martin Lee, Grammar for Writing . Sadlier-Oxford, 2000)

" Verbals , such as known or swimming or to go , are verb forms that act as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns. A verbal can never serve as a sentence's main verb unless it is used with one or more auxiliary verbs ( has known, should be swimming )." (Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell, The Concise Wadsworth Handbook , 2nd ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2008)

"Because they are derived from verbs, verbals retain some of the abilities of verbs. They can carry objects or take modifiers and complements . At the same time, verbals possess abilities unknown to the typical verb, the abilities of other parts of speech . In this way, verbals may perform the duties of two parts of speech simultaneously. "In spite of these new powers, the verbal must give up one of the abilities of its original verb form. No verbal can assume the role of a true verb to express action or condition in a sentence." (Michael Strumpf and Auriel Douglas, The Grammar Bible . Owl Books, 2004)

• The 9 Parts of Speech: Definitions and Examples
• 100 Key Terms Used in the Study of Grammar
• The Difference Between Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives
• Gerunds: Special Verbs That Are Also Nouns
• An Introduction to Present Participles and Gerunds
• Verbal Noun
• Definition and Examples of -ing Forms in Grammar
• Definition and Examples of Infinitive Verbs
• Understanding Present and Past Participles
• What Is a Participial Adjective?
• Complement in Grammar
• Inflection Definition and Examples in English Grammar
• Deverbal Nouns and Adjectives in English Grammar
• What Are Derivational Morphemes?
• How Derivation is Used in Grammar
• Definition and Examples of Adjectives

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Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place, person or group to another.

Every communication involves (at least) one sender, a message and a recipient. This may sound simple, but communication is actually a very complex subject.

The transmission of the message from sender to recipient can be affected by a huge range of things. These include our emotions, the cultural situation, the medium used to communicate, and even our location. The complexity is why good communication skills are considered so desirable by employers around the world: accurate, effective and unambiguous communication is actually extremely hard.

This page explains more about what we mean by ‘ communication ’.

Defining Communication

communication , n . The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. …The successful conveying or sharing of ideas and feelings.

Oxford English Dictionary

As this definition makes clear, communication is more than simply the transmission of information. The term requires an element of success in transmitting or imparting a message, whether information, ideas, or emotions.

A communication therefore has three parts: the sender, the message, and the recipient.

The sender ‘encodes’ the message, usually in a mixture of words and non-verbal communication. It is transmitted in some way (for example, in speech or writing), and the recipient ‘decodes’ it.

Of course, there may be more than one recipient, and the complexity of communication means that each one may receive a slightly different message. Two people may read very different things into the choice of words and/or body language. It is also possible that neither of them will have quite the same understanding as the sender.

In face-to-face communication, the roles of the sender and recipient are not distinct. The two roles will pass back and forwards between two people talking. Both parties communicate with each other, even if in very subtle ways such as through eye-contact (or lack of) and general body language. In written communication, however, the sender and recipient are more distinct.

Categories of Communication

There are a wide range of ways in which we communicate and more than one may be occurring at any given time.

The different categories of communication include:

Spoken or Verbal Communication , which includes face-to-face, telephone, radio or television and other media.

Non-Verbal Communication , covering body language, gestures, how we dress or act, where we stand, and even our scent. There are many subtle ways that we communicate (perhaps even unintentionally) with others. For example, the tone of voice can give clues to mood or emotional state, whilst hand signals or gestures can add to a spoken message.

Written Communication : which includes letters, e-mails, social media, books, magazines, the Internet and other media. Until recent times, a relatively small number of writers and publishers were very powerful when it came to communicating the written word. Today, we can all write and publish our ideas online, which has led to an explosion of information and communication possibilities.

Visualizations : graphs and charts , maps, logos and other visualizations can all communicate messages.

The desired outcome or goal of any communication process is mutual understanding.

The Communication Process

A message or communication is sent by the sender through a communication channel to a receiver, or to multiple receivers.

The sender must encode the message (the information being conveyed) into a form that is appropriate to the communication channel, and the receiver(s) then decodes the message to understand its meaning and significance.

Misunderstanding can occur at any stage of the communication process.

Effective communication involves minimising potential misunderstanding and overcoming any barriers to communication at each stage in the communication process.

See our page: Barriers to Effective Communication for more information.

An effective communicator understands their audience , chooses an appropriate communication channel, hones their message to this channel and encodes the message to reduce misunderstanding by the receiver(s). 

They will also seek out feedback from the receiver(s) as to how the message is understood and attempt to correct any misunderstanding or confusion as soon as possible.

Receivers can use techniques such as Clarification and Reflection as effective ways to ensure that the message sent has been understood correctly.

Communication Channels

Communication channels is the term given to the way in which we communicate. It is therefore the method used to transmit our message to a recipient, or to receive a message from someone else.

There are multiple communication channels available to us today. These include face-to-face conversations, telephone calls, text messages, email, the Internet (including social media such as Facebook and Twitter), radio and TV, written letters, brochures and reports.

Choosing an appropriate communication channel is vital for effective communication. Each communication channel has different strengths and weaknesses.

For example, broadcasting news of an upcoming event via a written letter might convey the message clearly to one or two individuals. It will not, however, be a time- or cost-effective way to broadcast the message to a large number of people.  On the other hand, conveying complex, technical information is easier via a printed document than a spoken message. The recipients are able to assimilate the information at their own pace and revisit anything that they do not fully understand.

Written communication is also useful as a way of recording what has been said, for example by taking minutes in a meeting.

See our pages: Note Taking and How to Conduct a Meeting for more.

Encoding Messages

All messages must be encoded into a form that can be conveyed by the communication channel chosen for the message.

We all do this every day when transferring abstract thoughts into spoken words or a written form. However, other communication channels require different forms of encoding, e.g. text written for a report will not work well if broadcast via a radio programme, and the short, abbreviated text used in text messages would be inappropriate in a letter or in speech.

Complex data may be best communicated using a graph, chart or other visualisation.

Effective communicators encode their messages so that they fit both the channel and the intended audience. They  use appropriate language, conveying the information simply and clearly. They also anticipate and eliminate likely causes of confusion and misunderstanding. They are generally aware of the recipients’ experience in decoding similar communications.

Successful encoding of messages for the audience and channel is a vital skill in effective communication.

You may find our page The Importance of Plain English helpful.

Decoding Messages

Once received, the recipient needs to decode the message. Successful decoding is also a vital communication skill.

People will decode and understand messages in different ways.

This will depend on their experience and understanding of the context of the message, how well they know the sender, their psychological state and how they feel, and the time and place of receipt. They may also be affected by any Barriers to Communication which might be present.

There are therefore a wide range of factors that will affect decoding and understanding.

Successful communicators understand how the message will be decoded, and anticipate and remove as many as possible of the potential sources of misunderstanding.

The final part of a communication is feedback: the recipient lets the sender know that they have received and understood the message.

Recipients of messages are likely to provide feedback on how they have understood the messages through both verbal and non-verbal reactions. Effective communicators pay close attention to this feedback as it is the only way to assess whether the message has been understood as intended, and it allows any confusion to be corrected.

Bear in mind that the extent and form of feedback will vary with the communication channel. Feedback during a face-to-face or telephone conversation will be immediate and direct, whilst feedback to messages conveyed via TV or radio will be indirect and may be delayed, or even conveyed through other media such as the Internet.

Effective communicators pay close attention to this feedback as it is the only way to assess whether the message has been understood as intended, and it allows any confusion to be corrected.

You can always ask!

You may be unsure if a message has been successfully received and decoded, especially if you do not get much feedback from the recipient. If so, you can always ask!

A quick question is a good start, for example:

“ Is that OK? ” or “ Are you clear about that? ”

If you want more detailed feedback or to check that the recipient has really understood, you might say something like:

“ So, let’s just run over that one more time. I think I am going to do x, and you are going to do y. Is that your understanding too? ”

More on feedback: see our pages on Reflection , Clarification and Giving and Receiving Feedback .

Further Reading from Skills You Need

Our Communication Skills eBooks

Learn more about the key communication skills you need to be an effective communicator.

Our eBooks are ideal for anyone who wants to learn about or develop their communication skills, and are full of easy-to-follow practical information and exercises.

Being able to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills.

Understanding is the first step to improvement

Understanding more about communication and how it works is the first step to improving your communication skills. A good understanding of the process, and how it operates, will help you to become better at encoding and decoding messages.

Continue to: Principles of Communication Interpersonal Communication Skills

See also: Intercultural Communication Skills Effective Speaking Improving Communication

Definition of 'verbal'

verbal in British English

Verbal in american english, examples of 'verbal' in a sentence verbal, trends of verbal.

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In other languages verbal

• American English : verbal / ˈvɜrbəl /
• Brazilian Portuguese : verbal
• Chinese : 口头的
• European Spanish : verbal
• French : verbal
• German : verbal
• Italian : verbale
• Japanese : 口頭の
• Korean : 말의
• European Portuguese : verbal
• Latin American Spanish : verbal
• Thai : ที่ใช้คำพูด

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Apraxia of Speech

On this page:

What is apraxia of speech?

What are the types and causes of apraxia of speech, what are the symptoms of apraxia of speech, how is apraxia of speech diagnosed, how is apraxia of speech treated, what research is being done to better understand apraxia of speech, where can i find additional information about apraxia of speech.

Apraxia of speech (AOS)—also known as acquired apraxia of speech, verbal apraxia, or childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) when diagnosed in children—is a speech sound disorder. Someone with AOS has trouble saying what he or she wants to say correctly and consistently. AOS is a neurological disorder that affects the brain pathways involved in planning the sequence of movements involved in producing speech. The brain knows what it wants to say, but cannot properly plan and sequence the required speech sound movements.

AOS is not caused by weakness or paralysis of the speech muscles (the muscles of the jaw, tongue, or lips). Weakness or paralysis of the speech muscles results in a separate speech disorder, known as dysarthria . Some people have both dysarthria and AOS, which can make diagnosis of the two conditions more difficult.

The severity of AOS varies from person to person. It can be so mild that it causes trouble with only a few speech sounds or with pronunciation of words that have many syllables. In the most severe cases, someone with AOS might not be able to communicate effectively by speaking, and may need the help of alternative communication methods.

There are two main types of AOS: acquired apraxia of speech and childhood apraxia of speech.

• Acquired AOS can affect someone at any age, although it most typically occurs in adults. Acquired AOS is caused by damage to the parts of the brain that are involved in speaking and involves the loss or impairment of existing speech abilities. It may result from a stroke, head injury, tumor, or other illness affecting the brain. Acquired AOS may occur together with other conditions that are caused by damage to the nervous system. One of these is dysarthria, as mentioned earlier. Another is aphasia , which is a language disorder. (For more information, see the NIDCD fact sheet Aphasia .)
• Childhood AOS is present from birth. This condition is also known as developmental apraxia of speech, developmental verbal apraxia, or articulatory apraxia. Childhood AOS is not the same as developmental delays in speech, in which a child follows the typical path of speech development but does so more slowly than is typical. The causes of childhood AOS are not well understood. Imaging and other studies have not been able to find evidence of brain damage or differences in the brain structure of children with AOS. Children with AOS often have family members who have a history of a communication disorder or a learning disability. This observation and recent research findings suggest that genetic factors may play a role in the disorder. Childhood AOS appears to affect more boys than girls.

People with either form of AOS may have a number of different speech characteristics, or symptoms:

• Distorting sounds. People with AOS may have difficulty pronouncing words correctly. Sounds, especially vowels, are often distorted. Because the speaker may not place the speech structures (e.g., tongue, jaw) quite in the right place, the sound comes out wrong. Longer or more complex words are usually harder to say than shorter or simpler words. Sound substitutions might also occur when AOS is accompanied by aphasia.
• Making inconsistent errors in speech. For example, someone with AOS may say a difficult word correctly but then have trouble repeating it, or may be able to say a particular sound one day and have trouble with the same sound the next day.
• Groping for sounds. People with AOS often appear to be groping for the right sound or word, and may try saying a word several times before they say it correctly.
• Making errors in tone, stress, or rhythm. Another common characteristic of AOS is the incorrect use of prosody. Prosody is the rhythm and inflection of speech that we use to help express meaning. Someone who has trouble with prosody might use equal stress, segment syllables in a word, omit syllables in words and phrases, or pause inappropriately while speaking.

Children with AOS generally understand language much better than they are able to use it. Some children with the disorder may also have other speech problems, expressive language problems, or motor-skill problems.

Professionals known as speech-language pathologists play a key role in diagnosing and treating AOS. Because there is no single symptom or test that can be used to diagnose AOS, the person making the diagnosis generally looks for the presence of several of a group of symptoms, including those described earlier. Ruling out other conditions, such as muscle weakness or language production problems (e.g., aphasia), can help with the diagnostic process.

In some cases, people with acquired AOS recover some or all of their speech abilities on their own. This is called spontaneous recovery.

Children with AOS will not outgrow the problem on their own. They also do not acquire the basics of speech just by being around other children, such as in a classroom. Therefore, speech-language therapy is necessary for children with AOS as well as for people with acquired AOS who do not spontaneously recover all of their speech abilities.

Speech-language pathologists use different approaches to treat AOS, and no single approach has been proven to be the most effective. Therapy is tailored to the individual and is designed to treat other speech or language problems that may occur together with AOS. Frequent, intensive, one-on-one speech-language therapy sessions are needed for both children and adults with AOS. (The repetitive exercises and personal attention needed to improve AOS are difficult to deliver in group therapy.) Children with severe AOS may need intensive speech-language therapy for years, in parallel with normal schooling, to obtain adequate speech abilities.

In severe cases, adults and children with AOS may need to find other ways to express themselves. These might include formal or informal sign language; a notebook with pictures or written words that can be pointed to and shown to other people; or an electronic communication device—such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop computer—that can be used to write or produce speech. Such assistive communication methods can also help children with AOS learn to read and better understand spoken language by stimulating areas of the brain involved in language and literacy.

Researchers are searching for the causes of childhood AOS, including the possible role of abnormalities in the brain or other parts of the nervous system. They are also looking for genetic factors that may play a role in childhood AOS. Other research on childhood AOS aims to identify more specific criteria and new techniques to diagnose the disorder and to distinguish it from other communication disorders.

Research on acquired AOS includes studies to pinpoint the specific areas of the brain that are involved in the disorder. In addition, researchers are studying the effectiveness of various treatment approaches for both acquired and childhood AOS.

The NIDCD maintains a directory of organizations that provide information on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.

For more information, contact us at:

NIDCD Information Clearinghouse 1 Communication Avenue Bethesda, MD 20892-3456 Toll-free voice: (800) 241-1044 Toll-free TTY: (800) 241-1055 Email: [email protected]

NIH Pub. No. 13-7466 September 2016

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What Are Verbals?

(1) Gerunds

• Cooking is an essential skill.

(2) Participles

• Where is the broken chair?
• Where is the boiling water?

(3) Infinitives

• Jack is going home to vote .

Table of Contents

The Three Types of Verbal

(1) verbals (participles), (2) verbals (gerunds), (3) verbals (infinitives), participles for verb tense, why verbals are important.

• A stirring dwarf we do allowance give before a sleeping giant. (Playwright William Shakespeare)
• Food is an important part of a balanced diet. (Author Fran Lebowitz)
• Drooling saliva over the day's mail , the barking boxer quickly singled out the parcel from the bills and junk mail.
• Baked in the oven for over six hours , the roast looked ruined .
• You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing . (Comedian Michael Pritchard)
• Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought. (Biochemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi)
• I have never taken any exercise except sleeping and resting . (Author Mark Twain)
• Singing the words out loud helped him with his stammer.
• I started by photographing birds in my garden .
• To win was everything.
• Winning was everything.
• It is an appropriate saving to propose .
• It is an appropriate saving that he proposed .
• The man paid to watch .
• The man paid so he could watch .
• She needed to find a lot of money quickly .
• I showed her the best way to make a Yorkshire pudding .
• He set the camera to film whatever was eating his chickens .
• He is eating his dinner.
• He has eaten his dinner.

(Reason 1) Participle phrases let you say two things efficiently.

• Always willing to entertain others' ideas , Simon has a proven ability to build trust through regular and honest communication.
• Showing utmost diligence in everything she does , Jill is adept managing disagreements.

(Reason 2) Gerunds can reduce your word count and improve reading flow.

• The development of the U-bend assisted with the removal of smells.
• Developing the U-bend assisted with removing smells.

(Reason 3) An infinitive can usually replace "in order to."

• Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work. (Actress Bette Davis)
• Using a participle phrase upfront lets you cram more information into your sentence.
• Replacing a normal noun with a gerund can help with creating a shorter, better-flowing sentence.
• If "in order to" adds no clarity and you're not looking for emphasis on the reason, delete "in order."

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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Miss Manners: Is “Please” losing its meaning in everyday speech?

• Published: May. 24, 2024, 11:00 a.m.

Question mark written on paper. Canva stock image

• Miss Manners

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We often hear the word “please” spoken in a way that is misapplied. For example, on television game shows, contestants add the word “please” when informing the host which category or letter they want: “E, please,” or “‘Popular quotations’ for $200, please.”

The use of “please” in these instances seems misplaced. If it needs to be used, we think it should be the program host who says something like, “Make a selection, please.”

Those are some public examples, and we are increasingly hearing “please” used in similar ways in other public and private situations. Your thoughts?

GENTLE READER: Having devoted her life to trying to get people to be decent toward one another, let alone polite, Miss Manners is hardly going to condemn a rare public example. Both the host and the contestants should be saying “please.”

Furthermore, she is hard pressed to think of another situation, public or private, where a “please” would not be welcomed. Unless, of course, it is said sarcastically.

(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com ; to her email, [email protected] ; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

COPYRIGHT 2023 JUDITH MARTIN

DISTRIBUTED BY ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106; 816-581-7500

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• Miss Manners: How to politely ask guests not to put luggage on bed
• Miss Manners: The rise of gift registries for children sparks controversy
• Miss Manners: Who should pay for high school dance expenses?
• Miss Manners: Feeling unimportant as husband neglects special occasions

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Kenyan President’s State Visit: An Antidote to U.S. Troubles in Africa?

The White House is hosting President William Ruto of Kenya for a state dinner this week, an embrace that both countries urgently need.

By Declan Walsh

Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya

As other African nations move away from the United States, disillusioned with democracy or lured by rival powers, President William Ruto of Kenya arrives in Washington on Wednesday for a three-day state visit intended to showcase a stalwart American ally on the continent.

A spate of military coups , shaky elections and raging wars have upended Africa’s political landscape in the past year, giving an edge to American rivals like Russia and China, but also shredding Washington’s key selling point: that democracy delivers.

In Niger, a recently installed military junta has asked American troops to leave . Relations with once-firm American allies like South Africa and Ethiopia are decidedly cool. A recent election in Senegal , long considered a beacon of stability, nearly went off the rails .

Mr. Ruto, the Biden administration hopes, is the antidote to those troubles.

Since he came to power two years ago, Mr. Ruto, 57, has pulled Kenya, the economic powerhouse of East Africa, ever closer to the United States. His visit is just the sixth state visit hosted by the Biden administration, and the first for an African president since 2008.

In some respects, President Biden is atoning for a broken promise. At a high profile Africa summit in Washington in December 2022, Mr. Biden declared he was “all in” on Africa, and pledged to make a visit to the continent in the following year. The trip never materialized.

In choosing Mr. Ruto, the Biden administration is confirming that it views the Kenyan leader as one of its closest security, diplomatic and economic partners in Africa.

The two countries cooperate closely to fight militants with Al Shabab in Somalia. American corporate giants like Google have sizable operations in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, which is also a hub of diplomatic efforts to end the chaos in neighboring countries like Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Very soon, Kenya is expected to start deploying 1,000 paramilitary police officers to help quell unrest Haiti — a dangerous mission largely funded by the United States and one which runs significant political risks for Mr. Ruto if Kenyan personnel are injured or killed.

And Mr. Ruto has adroitly garnered American support for his outspoken advocacy on global issues like debt relief, reform of international financial institutions and climate change, on which he is attempting to carve out a reputation as Africa’s leading statesman.

“We live the nightmare of climate change every day,” he said in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, hours before he flew to the United States. Nearly 300 Kenyans died in the past month as heavy rains lashed the country , causing floods that forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.

“A year ago we were deep in drought,” he said during the interview, speaking in an open pavilion next to State House, his official residence in Nairobi, as thunder rolled and more rain fell. “This is the case of many countries on the continent.”

It’s not many years since Mr. Ruto was considered part of the problem in Kenya. A decade ago he was on trial at the International Criminal Court , facing accusations of orchestrating post-election violence that left over 1,100 Kenyans dead. At the trial, his lawyer was Karim Khan, currently the court’s prosecutor. The United States backed the prosecution, seeing it as a chance to end impunity in Kenya’s political class.

But the trial collapsed in 2016, after witnesses disappeared or changed their testimony, and Mr. Ruto’s electoral triumphs eclipsed the trial at home: He was elected vice-president in 2013 and 2018, and then president in 2022.

“So much was said about who we were in that episode,” he said, referring also to former President Uhuru Kenyatta who faced similar charges. “But doesn’t it strike you that finally we were elected by the same people we were being accused of harming? That tells you the whole narrative was false.”

An American official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said that Mr. Ruto had been privately urged to confront indirectly what was described as his “I.C.C. hangover” early into his visit. At his first speech on Monday, at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum and Library in Atlanta, he vowed to keep Kenya “on the path of an open society, strongly committed to greater accountability and transparency, with robust engagement of civil society.”

Mr. Ruto also needs the trip to succeed. As he has made about 50 foreign trips since 2022, gathering support for his ideas, his popularity at home has plunged. Faced with a crippling debt crisis — Kenya owes about $77 billion — Mr. Ruto introduced tax hikes that brought cries of protest from his citizens.

Some Kenyans call him “Zakayo,” in reference to the biblical tax collector Zacchaeus. The reference makes him smile. “I have been very candid with the people of Kenya that I cannot continue to borrow money,” he said, predicting he would eventually win over his critics.

Still, time is running short, and Mr. Ruto’s big idea for turning around the economy is to ride the wave of green energy. Over 90 percent of Kenya’s energy comes from renewable sources — mostly wind and geothermal springs — a natural advantage Mr. Ruto hopes to leverage to convert Kenya into an industrial powerhouse.

He wants foreign companies to move to Kenya, where their products would be carbon neutral. He is also selling Kenya as an enormous carbon sink, tapping into the nascent industry of sucking carbon from the atmosphere, then burying it deep in the rock formations of the Rift Valley.

“ How do we move Africa from a continent of potential to a continent of opportunity and finally to a continent of investment?” he said. Last month, Microsoft and two other firms announced they were building a 1 gigawatt data center, powered by renewable energy in Naivasha, 40 miles northwest of Nairobi.

Still, Mr. Ruto’s embrace of Washington and democracy are not universally popular in Africa. Disillusionment with sham elections and corrupt elites has fed young people’s support for recent military coups in countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

“There is a perception that democracy hasn’t delivered, that elites which had come to power through elections were not delivering,” said Murithi Mutiga, Africa director at International Crisis Group. Yet, he added, Kenya’s example of stability and steady growth proved that while democracy can be “messy, difficult, noisy and tough,” it still works.

Mr. Ruto is scheduled to spend much of Wednesday with members of Congress. On Thursday he lays a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery before meetings with Mr. Biden and a state dinner at the White House. The pomp and prestige is a major prize for a first-term president who, critics charge, has a strong authoritarian streak.

Last year Mr. Ruto launched public attacks on judges whose rulings obstructed his policies, reviving fears he could eventually take Kenya down an authoritarian route.

And like other African leaders, he is not afraid to play the field of foreign suitors.

Last year, to American dismay, Mr. Ruto hosted President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, and foreign minister Sergei V. Lavrov of Russia. In October, Mr. Ruto flew to Beijing for a three-day state visit to China.

Mr. Ruto dismissed the suggestion that he is a darling of the West, or anyone else.

“This is not about taking sides,” he said. “It’s about interests. There’s absolutely no contradiction to working with different countries. It’s just common sense.”

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