Dougal Sutherland: New research finds people are speaking fewer words each year

Are we losing our words?

Some new psychology research suggests that we are gradually speaking fewer words each year. Psychologists looked at data from over 2000 people between 2005-2019 that sampled sounds and speech from people’s everyday lives.

Researchers found that, over time, people are talking less and less.

By 2019 on average, people spoke about 12,800 words per day – this was down from an estimated 16,000 words per day in 2007.

On average this is a drop of about 300 words per year.

Between 2005 and 2019, this represents a 28% drop in daily spoken words

At first glance, losing 300 words a day doesn’t sound like much. But across years and decades, it reflects many conversations that simply aren’t happening anymore.

Why this happening?

The timing overlaps with the rise of texting, social media, emails, etc – we can’t establish a direct cause but looking at younger and older participants:

• People under 25 lost about 450 words per year
• People over 25 lost about 310 words per year
• Younger people lost around 44% more words per year than older adults

This suggests technology may play some role, but it does not explain everything. The decline affected everyone, pointing to broader social changes such as:

• Fewer casual public interactions
• Different work patterns
• Less shared physical space
• More solitary or screen‑based time

Why does this matter?

Spoken conversation is not just information exchange. It plays a key role in things like social connection and wellbeing. Speaking less means connecting less, which may link to the wider issues of loneliness, social isolation, etc.

The good news: 300 words a day is not hard to regain.

Practical Implication:

Small conversations matter more than we think. An extra 300 words could be:

• A short hallway chat
• A few minutes checking in with a colleague
• Asking a neighbour how they’re going
• A longer, more thoughtful answer to “How was your day?”

These everyday moments add up.

If loneliness and disconnection are growing problems, the solution may start with something surprisingly modest: speak a little more—on purpose. One extra conversation a day could help slow the slide into silence, for individuals and for society as a whole.

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