According to the material, what percentage of a message is conveyed by spoken words?

According to the material, what percentage of a message is conveyed by spoken words?

• A. 70%
• B. 23%
• C. 7%
• D. 50%

Answer: (C)

Spoken words carry only a small portion of what a message communicates. The material shows that most meaning comes from how something is said and from nonverbal cues. A common breakdown is about 7% of meaning from the words themselves, roughly 38% from tone, pitch, and vocal delivery, and about 55% from body language and facial expressions. So, the percentage attributed to spoken words is 7%. This explains why tone and body language can completely change how a sentence is understood, even when the words are the same. Note that these numbers come from a specific context—face-to-face, often emotional or ambiguous communication—and aren’t universal for all situations.

Spoken words carry only a small portion of what a message communicates. The material shows that most meaning comes from how something is said and from nonverbal cues. A common breakdown is about 7% of meaning from the words themselves, roughly 38% from tone, pitch, and vocal delivery, and about 55% from body language and facial expressions. So, the percentage attributed to spoken words is 7%. This explains why tone and body language can completely change how a sentence is understood, even when the words are the same. Note that these numbers come from a specific context—face-to-face, often emotional or ambiguous communication—and aren’t universal for all situations.