Month March 2025

Linguistic Stereotypes – Assumptions about gendered speech patterns.

Gender Performativity – The idea that gender is enacted through speech and social interaction.

Difference Theory – The idea that men and women use language differently due to socialization, not power differences.

Dominance Theory – The idea that language differences reflect male dominance in society.

Direct vs. Indirect Speech – Men’s speech is often described as more direct, while women’s speech is described as more indirect.

Uptalk – Rising intonation at the end of statements, perceived as more common in women’s speech.

Hedges in Language – Words like “maybe” or “sort of” that soften statements, often associated with women’s speech.

Tag Questions – Questions added to statements (e.g., “It’s cold, isn’t it?”), often associated with female speech.

Gendered Speech Styles – Differences in speech patterns between men and women.

Linguistic Gender Marking – The use of grammatical gender in language (e.g., masculine and feminine forms).