How to Speak like a Woman

There’s more to speaking like a woman than the sound of your voice. The words you use (and how you use them) are just as important! It doesn’t matter how good you look or how “passable” your feminine voice might be…

If you speak like a guy, you’re going to send mixed messages to people. Here are the main differences between guy-speak and girl-speak:

• Men tend to be more direct and task-oriented in their communication. They use their words for the purpose of achieving results.
• Women tend to be more “circular” and detail-oriented in their communication. They use their words for the purpose of forming relationships.

So what’s the secret to achieving a distinctly feminine style of communication? Here are 3 tips for speaking like a woman:

1. Feminize your vocabulary

Men and women have very different vocabularies, so it’s critical to incorporate feminine words into your speech. Here are some key distinctions:

• Women tend to use more descriptive adjectives. A woman wouldn’t tell you about the “pink dress” she just bought. She’d tell you about the “adorable fuchsia Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress” she just maxed out her credit card on.
• Men and women use different words for the same thing. For example, a guy might call the lower abdomen the “gut” or “belly”, whereas a woman would be more likely to call it the “tummy” or “abdomen”.

To expand your feminine vocabulary, listen to women in real life, on TV, and in movies. Read women’s magazines. Look and listen for words you don’t use and incorporate a few new words or descriptive phrases into your vocabulary each week.

2. Talk more

Studies show that women speak three times as much a men. While this isn’t a universal truth (my fiancé DEFINITELY outtalks me), it’s something to consider.

Are you one of those people who answers questions with one word? If so, practice expanding on your answers. Include more details and/or how you feel about the situation. (Yes, talk about your feelings, girlfriend!)

Of course, this does NOT mean you should drone on and on about yourself. Women are also typically good listeners, so make sure you listen as much as you speak.

3. Ask more questions

Finally, since women use their words to form relationships, they tend to ask more questions. Men tend to tell rather than ask. If a man asks a question, it’s to get down to the point.

Practice asking more questions the next time you have a conversation with somebody. Not only is this more feminine, it makes the other person feel validated because you’re showing interest in them.