non-verbal cues
Unspoken communication signals
Non-verbal cues are signals communicated without words—facial expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact, tone of voice, physical distance.
They often reveal more than speech: His words said yes, but his non-verbal cues screamed no.
Reading non-verbal cues is essential to social interaction, as meaning frequently lies in how something is said rather than what.
- eye contactDirect visual connection
- knowing lookExpression conveying shared understanding
- nodBrief head tilt
- facial expressionEmotive muscle positioning
- gestureCommunicative body movement
hand gestures · open palms · tone of voice · microexpressions · smile · haptics · proximity · frown · blank stare · mirroring · shrug · crossed arms · grunts · posture · personal space · sighs · touch · pupil dilation
- sign languageAmerican Sign Language, British Sign Language, fingerspelling, ASL, handshape
communication modality
non-verbal cuesverbal communication
Exchange through spoken language
spoken language · verbal cues · spoken words · speech · words