# Verbal or written communication? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 19, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058 "2011-06-19T19:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058/1 "2011-06-19T19:31:00Z")
Verbal communication: the ability to speak or understand any spoken language. Written communication: the ability to read or write in any language. You only get to keep one. Which one do you choose to keep? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058/2 "2011-06-19T19:34:49Z")
Verbal - it’s portable, it’s immediate, it requires no special tools, and it works on animals as well as people. Just try writing “no, no, bad dog” and see what that gets you! ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058/3 "2011-06-19T21:06:59Z")
They are for different purposes, in my usage. I love talking on the phone, and talking with people, and that is a priority, But I couldn’t live without the grand technology that is the written language – and neither could anyone else. At least some numbers would be good. Thanks, Osama or whoever. A nice stele is a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058/4 "2011-06-20T01:50:40Z")
You can’t hear signage. I chose to keep written. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058/5 "2011-06-20T02:33:10Z")
Even though a huge portion of my work involves meeting with people, talking on the phone and other things after briefly thinking about it I would definitely rather keep written communication. I can think of reasonable ways I could get around the “no verbal communication” problem and still live my life and keep my business running. (It would unfortunately probably change my role in the company but in some ways I could be very productive in other areas since I would not be as involved in meetings and such.) With no written communication I would essentially be forced to rely on an interpreter for looking at spreadsheets, contracts, etc. The same is true with no verbal, I would have to have someone keeping transcripts of conversations or such in order to find out what has been said verbally. However if someone interprets a verbal communication incorrectly that’s bad, but if someone doesn’t accurately tell me what is on a written contract or an expense report or a purchase order, I could essentially be ruined. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058/6 "2011-06-20T03:01:32Z")
Verbal can refer to oral or written communication. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058/7 "2011-06-20T04:45:50Z")
So it’s basically a choice between having Wernicke’s aphasia (perhaps with mutism) or alexia with agraphia? I would lose reading/writing, absolutely. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058/8 "2011-06-20T05:10:28Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Verbal can refer to oral or written communication. Verbal originally meant “expressible in words”. But the meaning “expressed in spoken form rather than written” has existed since the 16th century. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058/9 "2011-06-20T05:36:55Z")
Written - so I don’t have to memorize everything. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058/10 "2011-06-20T05:47:34Z")
Lose verbal in a walk. I know a little ASL and enjoy it, and I love to read. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verbal-or-written-communication/586058/11 "2011-06-20T07:38:25Z")
I’d keep written. I do most of my “talking” online, and have often gone for days without saying anything out loud. I also like reading. Talking to people verbally though is a chore for me.