Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
paralanguage

paralanguage

8.8
The way someone says words using tone, pitch, and speed to show feeling
  • noun
  • /ˌpærəˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : paralenguaje
  • Effective use of paralanguage in conversation can enhance the audience's understanding of the speaker's intent.

Examples

  • O'Hare and Hovey (1991) refer to this 38 percent as "paralanguage"—the aspects of verbal communication that have nothing to do with the actual words being used but with how a person shapes the sound produced to "color" the chosen words so that the message being sent is the one intended.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The effects of paralanguage, including pitch and tone, can greatly influence how a message is received.

  • Understanding paralanguage helps you read between the lines of communication, revealing emotions not spoken aloud.

Synonyms

prosody
vsparalanguage
  • Specialized
1 8.1

Rhythm, stress, and tone in speech that show meaning or feeling

includes those patterns but also other voice features like pitch and speed
paralinguistic communication
vsparalanguage
  • Specialized
8.0

Meaning shown by the way someone speaks, like tone, pitch, and speed

is the broader term covering all nonword speech features that express meaning

How Expressive

paralanguage
  • Specialized
8.8
monotone
2 5.8

Surface Forms

paralanguage singular
paralanguages plural

Morphology

paralanguage = language (semi-transparent) = para + language

The structure is clear as 'para-' + 'language', but the specialized meaning 'speech features accompanying language' is not fully recoverable for a learner who does not already know this technical prefix.

Etymology

The word paralanguage comes from the parts para- meaning 'beside' and language meaning 'words', like parallel which means 'next to'. So paralanguage is the 'language beside' the words — the tone, pitch, and speed that add meaning to what we say.