Female and Male Language

Women's language-

Crawford (1997) stated that the three main objectives of female speech as:

1. To create and maintain relationships of closeness and equality.
2. To criticize others in acceptable (indirect) way.
3. To interpret accurately and sensitively the speech of other females.  

Mulac et al (2001) said that women use language that is more cautious and concerned not to offend or put the woman in an embarrassing situation.


Women will have a greater usage of intensive adverbs, qualifying clauses, emotional references, longer sentences,initial adverbials, uncertainty, hedging, negation, simultaneous opposites and questioning.

Poynton (1989) noted that women

• Are generally more polite in their speech (though are no different in sincerity) 
• Use politeness markers such as please and thank you 
• Use super-polite 'multiple modalities' eg/ "i was wondering if you could possibly just do me a small favour, if you wouldn't mind" 
• Tend to use more tag questions 
• Use more intensifiers 
• Use more adjectives 
• Use euphemisms rather than swearing 

Males language-

Crawford (1997) notes the three main objectives of a male's speech as:

1. To assert one's position of dominance 
2. To attract and maintain an audience 
3. To assert one's self when someone else has the floor

Mulac et al (2001) say that men tend to use language that reflects a more dominant and certain position.

men will have a greater usage of quantitative references, judgmental adjectives, commands, location words, brief sentences and self- references

Poynton (1989) note that men, in comparison with women:

• use more slang 
• swear more often 
• use fewer intensifiers 
• use few adjectives