What is the difference between written language and spoken language?

Written language and spoken language serve as distinct modes of communication, each with its own characteristics:

Formality: Written language tends to be more formal and structured, often adhering to grammar rules and conventions, while spoken language can be more casual, including slang, colloquialisms, and non-standard grammar.

Permanent vs. Transient: Written language provides a permanent record of communication, allowing for reflection, revision, and dissemination over time, while spoken language is transient, existing in the moment and subject to memory and interpretation.

Visual vs. Auditory: Written language relies on visual symbols (letters, characters) to convey meaning, while spoken language is auditory, conveyed through sound waves and vocalizations.

Complexity: Written language can be more complex, with longer sentences, elaborate structures, and specialized vocabulary, whereas spoken language often involves simplifications, contractions, and adjustments for immediate comprehension.

Non-verbal Cues: Spoken language includes non-verbal cues such as tone of voice, intonation, and body language, which can convey additional meaning beyond the words themselves. Written language lacks these cues, relying solely on the text.

Interaction: Spoken language often involves interaction between speakers, with opportunities for clarification, repetition, and negotiation of meaning, while written language tends to be one-way communication, though it can also facilitate dialogue through mediums like email or chat.

Despite these differences, written and spoken language are interconnected, each influencing and informing the other, and individuals often navigate between the two seamlessly depending on context and purpose.