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module menu icon Verbal communication

Words make up less than 10 per cent of the way a message is received when we communicate. The way we say those words – i.e. the non-verbal aspects – account for about 40 per cent of the message, and body language makes up the remaining 50 per cent.

So, the way in which we say something has an important effect on what the other person hears. Non-verbal aspects of communication include:

  • Tone
  • Pitch (emphasis of words)
  • Volume
  • Speed of speech.