To accurately reflect spoken discourse, writers and linguists look for specific markers that distinguish it from formal writing:
: Words like "yeah," "ok," and "um" signal active listening and engagement in an interaction. Reflect Spoken
: Speakers often become less fluent when emotional; reflecting these verbal fumbles in writing can signal a character's internal state to the reader without explicit narration. Key Markers of Spoken Language In contrast, standard written prose tends to be
The need to "reflect spoken" dialogue appears in several specialized fields: To accurately reflect spoken discourse
Natural speech is notoriously "messy." It is characterized by such as hesitations, false starts, and filler words like "um" or "uh". In contrast, standard written prose tends to be structured, grammatically formal, and efficient.
: While real-life speech can be inefficient, adding a "flavor" of its natural stumbles to written dialogue makes it feel authentic rather than "written" or glib.