Verbal vs. Nonverbal Communication
Colorado Technical University

If you’ve ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you said; it’s the way that you said it”, you likely understand that a message that is conveyed or interpreted relies on much more than verbal communication, or spoken words within a conversation, a newscast, or an audiobook. Nonverbal communication is the unspoken portion of a conversation that conveys understanding and emotion, such as the tone, facial expressions, body language, and gestures that are used
(Editorial Board, 2012). Nonverbal communication does not have to be accompanied by verbal communication
(Editorial Board, 2012). For example, one may be sitting on a bus as another person with strong cologne or perfume enters. A nonverbal message of disgust may be conveyed by crinkling of the nose, or by making an unpleasant face. In another example, a message of delight can be conveyed by raising eyebrows and smiling after taking a bite out of a pastry.
A classic example of the different messages that verbal and nonverbal communication can convey is a woman’s way of conveying that she is unhappy. Her husband may notice that she is being short with him or is withdrawing from a social situation. He asks her, “Honey, are you okay?” to which she responds, “I’m fine”. When relying solely on verbal communication, one would come to the conclusion that the woman is fine, as her verbally spoken words stated. When nonverbal communication is taken into consideration, this same message is likely to be conveyed in a very different manner. For example, the woman may have spoken very quickly or with a tone of annoyance in her voice. Her facial expressions may have included a furrowed brow, tenseness in her face, or a lack of eye contact. Her body language may have included crossing of arms. Each of these ways of communicating nonverbally