To Speak or to Write?

The spoken word is much more effective than the written word when the speaker’s intention is to arouse emotion in his or her audience. While the written word is certainly capable of sparking an emotional response, hearing the author say the words adds the extra boost needed to more effectively reinforce the intended message. There is less room for misinterpretation in a spoken speech, particularly if the listener is present with the speaker and sees as well as hears the emotions of the speaker. A speaker can present emotions such as pride, sadness, or happiness. Written words do not contain any tears, laughter, anger or disappointment in their delivery. These emotions are only added if the reader incites them. One disadvantage that literature has compared to oral presentation is that words can mean different things to different people. For example, when the goal of a speech is to persuade the audience to agree with the speaker’s opinion on a topic that is controversial in nature, the speaker might obtain a more successful outcome if they understand the emotional attachment that he or she feels.


Additionally, the spoken word has the opportunity to impact a larger audience. An illiterate person is able to receive a spoken message but not a written one. If an illiterate person has someone read to them, the message is subject to the reader’s interpretation and not the interpretation of the writer. A speech that was meant to be read in a certain way can have its meaning twisted according to the feelings and intentions of the person who is reading it. Something delivered with a tone of sympathy and understanding can lose its effect if it is delivered with sarcasm and bitterness. Although both forms of communication can be very useful when trying to get a message to the masses, the spoken word is more useful when trying to elicit an emotional response.