← Glossary
AI simulation glossary
Paraverbal communication
Definition
Paraverbal communication is the way things are said: tone, pace, volume, intonation and silences. Two identical sentences do not have the same effect depending on the voice that carries them.
Also called
paralanguage, prosody, voice
What matters
Speaking too fast sounds stressed, a flat tone wears people out, a well-placed silence leaves room to think. Verbal tics (“um”, “basically”) blur the message.
Why train it
On the phone, paraverbal cues are almost everything the other person perceives. It is a major lever in customer service and contact centres.
With Face Up
The Face Up debrief takes the voice into account (pace, silences, verbal tics, listening ratio) as well as content and non-verbal signals.
