paraphrasing interpersonal communication

Jul 23, 2023
10 min read

50 Top Paraphrasing In Communication Skills (2023)

paraphrasing interpersonal communication

Paraphrasing is a must-have communication skill—it's like the secret sauce to understanding and connecting with others. Picture this: you're having a conversation with someone, and they're pouring their heart out, sharing their thoughts and feelings. Now, paraphrasing comes into play—you listen intently, make eye contact, and avoid any distractions.

Understanding the main ideas is key, so you reflect on the information, pinpoint the core concepts, and really soak it all in. This active and reflective listening sets the stage for perfect paraphrasing.

Active Listening and Understanding

Paraphrasing techniques, building rapport and empathy, avoiding misinterpretation and assumptions, enhancing communication and clarity, cultural sensitivity, practice and improvement, supporting problem-solving and dialogue, acknowledging sources, 1. be attentive while listening.

Let's face it—we've all been guilty of zoning out during a conversation, thinking about what we're going to have for dinner or that upcoming vacation. But paraphrasing requires full attention. So, put away your phone, focus on the speaker, and be present in the moment. This not only shows respect but also sets the stage for a successful paraphrasing session.

2. Understand the main ideas

You know how when you watch a movie or read a book, you latch onto the main plot points? Well, it's the same in conversations. Grab those key ideas, reflect on them, and understand the essence of what the speaker is saying. It's like solving a puzzle—piece by piece, you'll get the whole picture.

3. Listen actively and reflectively

Active listening is like an art form—it involves not just hearing the words but also understanding the emotions and intentions behind them. Reflective listening takes it a step further. Before jumping into paraphrasing, take a moment to digest what you've heard. This reflection will guide you towards a more empathetic and accurate paraphrase.

4. Pay attention to nonverbal cues

You know how they say actions speak louder than words? Well, it's true. Nonverbal cues—facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice—reveal a lot about what's going on beneath the surface. So, keep your eyes peeled for those cues. They'll give you the extra insight you need to paraphrase with empathy and precision.

5. Verify understanding with the speaker

Imagine you're baking a cake, and you're not sure if you've got all the right ingredients. So, you double-check with the recipe. Similarly, after paraphrasing, double-check with the speaker. Ask questions like, "Did I get that right?" or "Is this what you meant?" This verification step ensures you're on the same page and keeps the conversation flowing smoothly.

6. Avoid interrupting while paraphrasing

Interrupting someone mid-sentence is like hitting pause on their thoughts and feelings. It disrupts the flow of communication and can leave them feeling unheard. So, don't do it. Let the speaker finish their thoughts before you dive into paraphrasing. This patience and attentiveness create a more positive and respectful conversation.

7. Use "I" statements when paraphrasing

Picture this: you're at a party, and someone starts gossiping about someone else. Suddenly, you jump in and say, "Well, I heard that..." It's not cool, right? Same goes for paraphrasing. When you start with "I" statements, like "If I understand correctly" or "From my perspective," you take ownership of your understanding. It shows you're not just regurgitating info but actively engaging in the conversation.

8. Restate information using synonyms

Paraphrasing is like giving a story a fresh coat of paint. Instead of using the exact words, swap some of them out for synonyms. It adds variety and flair to your paraphrase, demonstrating your mastery of the subject. So, grab a thesaurus and get creative!

9. Break down ideas into digestible chunks

Ever tried eating a whole pizza in one bite? Doesn't sound like fun, right? Paraphrasing complex ideas is like cutting that pizza into slices. Break it down into manageable chunks and focus on each part separately. You'll understand it better, and your paraphrase will be spot on.

10. Highlight main takeaways

You know how some sentences are like treasure chests with golden nuggets buried inside? When paraphrasing, uncover those precious main takeaways and give them the spotlight. Your paraphrase will become a concise and powerful summary, capturing the speaker's core message.

11. Change sentence structures

Repeating the same sentence structure over and over is like listening to a broken record. Mix it up! Play around with different sentence structures while retaining the original meaning. It keeps your paraphrase fresh and exciting.

12. Use a thesaurus to find substitutes

We all have our favorite words that we use like confetti. But paraphrasing is not a confetti party. To spice things up, use a thesaurus to find exciting word alternatives. Your paraphrases will be a colorful array of ideas.

13. Paraphrase complex ideas clearly

You know the feeling when you're reading a textbook and the jargon makes your head spin? Yeah, don't be that person. Paraphrase complex ideas in a straightforward manner, using everyday language. It helps the speaker—and yourself—understand the message better.

14. Use appropriate sentence stems

Just like building a house, a good paraphrase needs a strong foundation. And that foundation is an appropriate sentence stem. Starting with phrases like "It seems like..." or "I hear you saying..." anchors your paraphrase and sets the tone for a meaningful conversation.

15. Be concise and to the point

If you've ever listened to a never-ending story, you know how frustrating it can be. So, avoid going off on tangents when paraphrasing. Be concise and get to the heart of the matter. Your paraphrases will be like mini-explosions of insight.

16. Restate information with precision

When you're baking a cake, you measure the ingredients carefully to ensure it turns out just right. The same goes for paraphrasing. Pay attention to details and restate the speaker's information with precision. It shows that you value their words and ideas.

17. Paraphrase complex language into simpler terms

Remember that time you tried explaining quantum physics to your grandma? Yeah, not easy. When faced with complex language, break it down into simpler terms. It's like turning quantum physics into plain old everyday conversation. Your grandma will thank you.

18. Utilize owned language

Ever heard of the saying, "Put yourself in someone else's shoes"? Well, paraphrasing is like stepping into their shoes and walking a mile in them. So, use "owned" language when you paraphrase. Say, "It sounds like I heard you say..." instead of "You said..." It shows you're walking that mile together.

19. Ask perception checking questions

Imagine you're traveling to a new country, and you're not sure if you're pronouncing "hello" correctly. So, you ask a local to check. It's the same with paraphrasing. Ask perception checking questions after paraphrasing to ensure you got it right. It builds rapport and mutual understanding.

20. Be empathetic in your paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is more than just a linguistic exercise—it's an emotional connection. When someone shares their feelings, mirror their emotions in your paraphrase. Use phrases like "I can see you're feeling..." or "It sounds like you're experiencing..." This empathy strengthens your bond.

21. Paraphrase to build rapport

Imagine you're meeting your favorite celebrity, and they say, "I love your style!" It instantly creates a connection, right? Well, paraphrasing does the same. When you paraphrase, you show you're on the same page and truly listening. It's like building a bridge of trust and understanding.

22. Use paraphrasing to confirm understanding

Remember the time you went to a party and were unsure if you were at the right place? So, you asked the host to confirm. In the same way, paraphrasing is your confirmation tool. After you paraphrase, ask the speaker, "Did I get that right?" or "Is this what you meant?" It ensures you're in sync.

23. Be respectful in your paraphrases

Would you laugh at someone's dreams or call their ideas dumb? Of course not! So, when paraphrasing, be respectful. Use polite and courteous language. It shows that you value the speaker's perspective and creates a warm and inviting conversation.

24. Paraphrase to encourage dialogue

You know how people in movies say, "We need to talk"? Well, paraphrasing is the opposite—it's an invitation to talk. When you paraphrase, you're saying, "I'm here, and I'm ready to listen." It encourages the speaker to share more and keeps the conversation alive.

25. Use paraphrasing to demonstrate empathy

Empathy is like a warm hug—it makes people feel understood and cared for. So, when you paraphrase, you're giving that virtual hug. You're saying, "I'm here with you, and I get it." This demonstration of empathy fosters a safe and supportive space for communication.

26. Paraphrase to show active engagement

Imagine you're watching a magic show, and the magician asks for a volunteer. You raise your hand, eager to participate. That's the spirit of paraphrasing! It shows you're an active participant, not just a passive listener. Your engagement sets the stage for fruitful communication.

27. Use paraphrasing to build trust

Trust is like the secret ingredient in any successful relationship. When you paraphrase, you're adding that special something. It shows the speaker you're fully invested and genuinely trying to understand. This trust-building paraphrase fosters a deeper connection.

28. Avoid word-for-word repetition

Parrot talk is fun for, well, parrots. But in communication, it's a no-go. Paraphrasing is your opportunity to shine with creativity. So, skip the word-for-word repetition. Use your language skills to restate ideas in your unique way.

29. Avoid inserting personal opinions

Picture this: you're at a concert, and the band starts playing your favorite song. But then someone in the crowd starts loudly singing a different tune. Annoying, right? The same goes for paraphrasing—keep your personal opinions out of it. It's not about you; it's about the speaker.

30. Stay objective in your paraphrases

You know how at a fair, you try to win that stuffed animal by shooting hoops? The more objective you are, the better your chances. It's the same with paraphrasing. Stay objective, and you'll win at accurate communication.

31. Avoid misinterpretation

Misinterpretation is like a dance party gone wrong—you end up stepping on each other's toes. To avoid the mishaps of miscommunication, be cautious while paraphrasing. Pay attention to the speaker's words and nonverbal cues. When in doubt, ask clarifying questions.

32. Avoid making assumptions

You know what they say about assumptions, right? They can lead you down the wrong path. So, leave the assumptions behind when paraphrasing. Focus on the facts and the speaker's actual words. If you're unsure, ask away—better safe than sorry.

33. Avoid altering the speaker's meaning

Imagine you're ordering a sandwich, and the server brings you a burger instead. Not cool! The same goes for paraphrasing. Stick to the main ideas and tone expressed by the speaker. Don't add or subtract—you want the speaker's message intact.

34. Avoid paraphrasing in a condescending manner

Ever had someone talk down to you like you were a child? Not a good feeling, right? So, when you paraphrase, be mindful of your tone. Avoid sounding condescending or dismissive. Treat the speaker as an equal, and your paraphrase will shine.

35. Avoid rushing through paraphrasing

Imagine you're doing a puzzle, and you rush through it, forcing pieces to fit where they don't belong. It's frustrating, and the result isn't pretty. Same with paraphrasing. Take your time, let the pieces of information settle, and craft your paraphrase thoughtfully. The result will be a masterpiece of communication.

36. Paraphrase to enhance clarity

Clarity is like a spotlight—it shines a bright light on your communication. Paraphrasing is your spotlight operator. Use it to highlight the speaker's message and ensure a crystal-clear understanding.

37. Use paraphrasing to clarify ambiguity

You know how sometimes you're lost in a maze, and you need someone to point you in the right direction? That's where paraphrasing comes in. It's your GPS to guide you through ambiguous statements. Clarify any confusion and seek clarification if needed. The path will become clear.

38. Adapt your paraphrasing to the audience

Paraphrasing is like dressing up for different occasions. You wouldn't wear a ball gown to a beach party, would you? Similarly, consider your audience's knowledge and familiarity when paraphrasing. Adjust your language and level of detail accordingly. It ensures your paraphrase is tailored to suit your audience.

39. Paraphrase to confirm accuracy

Ever played telephone as a kid, and the message gets all twisted? That's what happens when you don't verify. Paraphrasing is your verification tool. By restating the speaker's message, you give them the opportunity to correct any misconceptions. It's the key to accurate communication.

40. Paraphrase to foster open communication

Open communication is like a blooming flower—it thrives in a nurturing environment. Paraphrasing creates that nurturing space. When you paraphrase, you're saying, "I'm here to support you and your thoughts." It invites the speaker to open up and share more.

41. Pay attention to context and tone

Context and tone are like spices in a recipe—they add flavor to your communication. So, when you paraphrase, pay attention to the context and emotions expressed by the speaker. It helps you craft a paraphrase that's on point and respectful of the speaker's feelings.

42. Paraphrase to create a supportive environment

Paraphrasing is like building a cozy nest for communication. It's your way of saying, "I'm here to support you and your thoughts." By paraphrasing, you create a safe and supportive space for open dialogue.

43. Use paraphrasing to clarify misunderstandings

Remember that time your friend misunderstood your text, and it turned into a big mess? Misunderstandings happen, but paraphrasing is your troubleshooter. It helps identify and resolve these issues, creating a smoother exchange of ideas.

44. Be mindful of cultural differences

Cultural sensitivity is like speaking a foreign language—it takes practice and patience. When paraphrasing, be mindful of cultural nuances and avoid misinterpreting or disrespecting cultural norms. It's the key to smooth and respectful communication.

45. Practice paraphrasing regularly

Practice makes perfect—like playing an instrument or doing yoga. So, engage in daily conversations and make an effort to paraphrase frequently. The more you practice, the more proficient you'll become.

46. Practice paraphrasing with different topics

Imagine you're a chef who only cooks one dish. Boring, right? Same goes for paraphrasing. Try your hand at paraphrasing different topics. It broadens your knowledge and adaptability, making you a paraphrasing virtuoso.

47. Use paraphrasing to facilitate problem-solving

Paraphrasing is like a bridge—it connects different ideas and helps solve problems collaboratively. When you paraphrase, you're not just rephrasing; you're building bridges of understanding. This fosters problem-solving and teamwork.

48. Use paraphrasing to encourage further discussion

Ever been in a brainstorming session where ideas bounce around like ping-pong balls? Paraphrasing is your ping-pong paddle. Use it to bounce ideas back to the speaker. It keeps the conversation lively and encourages further discussion.

49. Paraphrase to help coach your employees

When coaching employees, it's easy to give the answers. Instead, use paraphrasing to hold back your automatic answers. Listen, paraphrase back to them, and help them come up with the solution. Then, they'll learn more from the experience and will know what to do next time.

50. Always acknowledge the original source

Imagine you create a beautiful piece of art, and someone else claims it as their own. Not cool, right? Same goes for paraphrasing. Always give credit where it's due. Acknowledge the original source—it shows respect for their work and maintains academic integrity.

Paraphrasing is like the secret weapon in your communication arsenal—it enhances understanding, fosters empathy, and builds lasting connections. Through active listening, thoughtful paraphrasing techniques, and a dash of empathy, you can become a communication superstar, whether at the university, workplace, or in your personal life.

Remember to be respectful of cultural differences and to always acknowledge the original sources when paraphrasing academic or professional material. With practice, you'll master the art of paraphrasing, bringing harmony and success to your interactions. So, paraphrase on and see the magic unfold in your communication!

21 Expert Tips For Effective Communication With Difficult People

We communicate with people every day, but sometimes it can be challenging to deal with certain individuals, especially the difficult ones. You may feel stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed by their behavior.

However, effective communication can help alleviate tension and find common ground. In this blog post, we've gathered 21 tips that will help you communicate with difficult people more effectively. By following these tips, you can manage difficult situations with greater ease and achieve better outcomes.

Preparing Yourself

1. stay calm.

Staying calm is crucial when dealing with difficult people. If you let their emotions affect you, you may find yourself becoming angry or frustrated. This can make the situation worse and harder to resolve. Instead, take deep breaths, remain objective, and don't take their behavior personally. By staying calm, you can de-escalate the situation and find a solution that works for everyone.

2. Prepare Mentally

Keep reading >>>

Personal Development

Join our newsletter

Never miss out on well-researched articles in your field of interest with our weekly newsletter.

Project Management
Starting a business

Get the latest Business News

Mastering communication: paraphrasing and summarizing skills.

A-bussiness-woman-discussing-with-a-man-in-an-office.

Two very useful skills in communicating with others, including when coaching and facilitating, are paraphrasing and summarizing the thoughts of others.

How to Paraphrase When Communicating and Coaching With Others

Paraphrasing is repeating in your words what you interpreted someone else to be saying. Paraphrasing is powerful means to further the understanding of the other person and yourself, and can greatly increase the impact of another’s comments. It can translate comments so that even more people can understand them. When paraphrasing:

Put the focus of the paraphrase on what the other person implied, not on what you wanted him/her to imply, e.g., don’t say, “I believe what you meant to say was …”. Instead, say “If I’m hearing you right, you conveyed that …?”
Phrase the paraphrase as a question, “So you’re saying that …?”, so that the other person has the responsibility and opportunity to refine his/her original comments in response to your question.
Put the focus of the paraphrase on the other person, e.g., if the person said, “I don’t get enough resources to do what I want,” then don’t paraphrase, “We probably all don’t get what we want, right?”
Put the ownership of the paraphrase on yourself, e.g., “If I’m hearing you right …?” or “If I understand you correctly …?”
Put the ownership of the other person’s words on him/her, e.g., say “If I understand you right, you’re saying that …?” or “… you believe that …?” or “… you feel that …?”
In the paraphrase, use some of the words that the other person used. For example, if the other person said, “I think we should do more planning around here.” You might paraphrase, “If I’m hearing you right in this strategic planning workshop, you believe that more strategic planning should be done in our community?”
Don’t judge or evaluate the other person’s comments, e.g., don’t say, “I wonder if you really believe that?” or “Don’t you feel out-on-a-limb making that comment?”
You can use a paraphrase to validate your impression of the other’s comments, e.g., you could say, “So you were frustrated when …?”
The paraphrase should be shorter than the original comments made by the other person.
If the other person responds to your paraphrase that you still don’t understand him/her, then give the other person 1-2 chances to restate his position. Then you might cease the paraphrasing; otherwise, you might embarrass or provoke the other person.

How to Effectively Summarize

A summary is a concise overview of the most important points from a communication, whether it’s from a conversation, presentation or document. Summarizing is a very important skill for an effective communicator.

A good summary can verify that people are understanding each other, can make communications more efficient, and can ensure that the highlights of communications are captured and utilized.

When summarizing, consider the following guidelines:

When listening or reading, look for the main ideas being conveyed.
Look for any one major point that comes from the communication. What is the person trying to accomplish in the communication?
Organize the main ideas, either just in your mind or written down.
Write a summary that lists and organizes the main ideas, along with the major point of the communicator.
The summary should always be shorter than the original communication.
Does not introduce any new main points into the summary – if you do, make it clear that you’re adding them.
If possible, have other readers or listeners also read your summary and tell you if it is understandable, accurate and complete.

For many related, free online resources, see the following Free Management Library’s topics:

All About Personal and Professional Coaching
Communications Skills
Skills in Questioning
Team Building
LinkedIn Discussion Group about “Coaching for Everyone”

————————————————————————-

Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD – Authenticity Consulting, LLC – 763-971-8890 Read my blogs: Boards , Consulting and OD , and Strategic Planning .

Carter McNamara

How to Start Your Private Peer Coaching Group

Introduction Purpose of This Information The following information and resources are focused on the most important guidelines and materials for you to develop a basic, practical, and successful PCG. The information is intended for anyone, although it helps if you have at least some basic experience in working with groups. All aspects of this offering …

What Makes for An Effective Leader?

© Copyright Sandra Larson, Minneapolis, MN. Sandra Larson, previous executive director of MAP for Nonprofits, was once asked to write her thoughts on what makes an effective leader. Her thoughts are shared here to gel other leaders to articulate their own thoughts on what makes them a good leader. Also consider Related Library Topics Passion …

How to Design Leadership Training Development Programs

Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, Ph.D., Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright; Authenticity Consulting, LLC (Note that there are separate topics about How to Design Your Management Development Program and How to Design Your Supervisor Development Program. Those two topics are very similar to this topic about leadership training programs, but with a different focus.) Sections of …

What is the One Best Model of Group Coaching?

Group and team coaching are fast becoming a major approach in helping more organizations and individuals to benefit from the power of coaching. There are numerous benefits, including that it can spread core coaching more quickly, be less expensive than one-on-one coaching, provide more diverse perspectives in coaching, and share support and accountabilities to get …

Avoiding Confusion in Learning and Development Conversations

It’s fascinating how two people can be talking about groups and individuals in almost any form of learning and development, but be talking about very different things. You can sense their confusion and frustration. Here’s a handy tip that we all used in a three-day, peer coaching group workshop in the Kansas Leadership Center, and …

Reflections on the Question: “Is it Group or Team Coaching?”

I started my first coaching groups in 1983 and since then, have worked with 100s of groups and taught hundreds of others how do design and coach/facilitate the groups. I’ve also read much of the literature about group and team coaching. Here are some of my lessons learned — sometimes painfully. 1. The most important …

Single-Project and Multi-Project Formats of Action Learning

In the early 1980s, I started facilitating Action Learning where all set members were working on the same problem or project (single-project Action Learning, or SPAL). My bias in Action Learning has always been to cultivate self-facilitated groups, somewhat in the spirit of Reginald Revans’ preferences for those kinds of sets, too. However, at least …

The Applications of Group Coaching - Part 2

In Part 1, we described group coaching, starting with a description of coaching and then group coaching. We also listed many powerful applications of group coaching. Basic Considerations in Designing Group Coaching It is very important to customize the design of group coaching to the specific way that you want to use it. There are …

6 Steps to Resolving a Level 1 Disagreement

A disagreement arises in a meeting you are facilitating. This is an inevitable scenario in many types of meetings where a group needs to come to critical decisions - such as strategic planning or issue resolution sessions. How do you - the person in the room responsible for building consensus - resolve it without breaking group dynamics or creating a tense environment of division? It's a tough job, but you can (and need to) do it. Here's one way to resolve the disagreement.

Empowering Action Learners and Coaches: Free Online Resources

(The aim of this blog has always been to provide highly practical guidelines, tools and techniques for all types of Action Learners and coaches. Here are links to some of the world’s largest collections of free, well-organized resources for practitioners in both fields.) The Action Learning framework and the field of personal and professional coaching …

Action Learning Certification: Exploring Independent Standards

The field of personal and professional coaching has a widely respected and accepted, independent certifying body called the International Coach Federation. It is independent in that it does not concurrently promote its own model of coaching — it does not engage in that kind of conflict of interest. There seems to be a mistaken impression …

Effective Recording Techniques: Capturing Information

As a meeting facilitator, you must employ several techniques for recording information in a session to make it a manageable process. When you are gathering input, ideas, and issues from your group at warp speed, it will inevitably be challenging and tedious. Here are a few methods to make the process easier.

What March Madness teaches us about facilitation

Here we go. It's now down to the Final Four in this year's NCAA March Madness. As I analyze the four remaining teams and highlights of their seasons (and take a look at my butchered bracket!), I think about how March Madness and - more importantly - the game of basketball really does embody what we know about facilitation. Let's consider that thought for these reasons.

What kind of a Tough Leader are you?

Alan Frohman Articles, books and experience identify at least two types of tough leaders. Each is demanding, but in very different ways. The first type is described in these terms: Critical Judgmental Lacks compassion Micromanaging Disrespectful They rarely view themselves that way. But that is how their people describe them. They see themselves as being …

6 Things You’ll Hear in an Unprepared Meeting

Many times, we, as facilitators, are not prepared (or ill prepared) for meetings, and that leads to some horrific results – including those feelings you experienced while watching a fellow facilitator suffer through a meeting. What are some things you'll hear in an unprepared meeting? Look out for these words. And, don't let this happen to you.

Privacy Overview

Paraphrasing Examples for Better Communication

Speak Like a Pro

Speak, We'll Check

Effective communication is vital in today's fast-paced world. Paraphrasing is a valuable tool that helps people convey complex ideas and information in a simplified and understandable manner. Here we will discuss the importance of paraphrasing for better communication and provide examples that demonstrate its application in different contexts.

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing involves expressing the ideas, thoughts, or information found in another source using your own words. It is a vital skill in many professional, academic, and everyday situations where accurate and clear communication is necessary. The goal of paraphrasing is to simplify or clarify the original message while maintaining its essence and meaning.

Why is Paraphrasing Important for Better Communication?

Improved Understanding: Paraphrasing helps in breaking down complex ideas and jargon into simpler language, making it easier for your audience to grasp the message you are trying to convey.
Avoiding Plagiarism: In academic and professional settings, paraphrasing is essential to avoid plagiarism, which can have severe consequences for one's reputation and career.
Active Listening: Paraphrasing demonstrates active listening and engagement in a conversation, showing that you have understood and considered the speaker's perspective.
Enhancing Relationships: Paraphrasing can foster empathy and rapport between the communicator and the recipient, promoting collaboration and understanding in personal and professional relationships.
Cultural Sensitivity: Paraphrasing can help in adapting the message to suit the cultural context and language of the audience, ensuring effective communication across different backgrounds.

Tips for Effective Paraphrasing

Read and understand the original content thoroughly.
Use your own words and sentence structure.
Maintain the overall meaning and context of the original source.
Use synonyms and alternative phrasing where appropriate.
Cite the source if you are using specific ideas or information from it.

Original Statement (1): The current rate of global warming is alarming, and if we don't take significant steps to reduce our carbon footprint, the consequences could be catastrophic for future generations.

Paraphrase Example: The speed at which our planet is heating up is deeply concerning, and if we don't make substantial efforts to lower our carbon emissions, the impact on our descendants could be disastrous.

Original Statement (2): Many companies now offer flexible work arrangements, including remote work and flextime, which provide employees with better work-life balance and increased job satisfaction.

Paraphrase Example: Numerous businesses are now introducing adaptable work options, such as working from home and flexible hours, leading to an improved balance between personal and professional life and higher employee contentment.

Original Statement (3): A well-balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep are crucial for maintaining good health and preventing chronic diseases.

Paraphrase Example: Eating a varied and nutritious diet, staying physically active, and getting enough rest are essential for preserving our overall well-being and avoiding long-term health issues.

Original Statement (4): In today's fast-paced business environment, effective communication is a key factor in fostering collaboration, productivity, and innovation.

Paraphrase Example: In the rapidly-evolving corporate world, efficient communication plays a pivotal role in promoting teamwork, enhancing output, and stimulating creativity.

Original Statement (5): Research has shown that students who engage in extracurricular activities tend to have better academic performance and develop important life skills, such as time management, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Paraphrase Example: Studies indicate that students who participate in after-school activities generally demonstrate higher academic achievement and acquire crucial life competencies, including organizing their time, finding solutions to challenges, and working collaboratively.

As you can see, paraphrasing is a vital communication skill that helps simplify complex ideas, foster understanding, and enhance interpersonal relationships. By mastering the art of paraphrasing, you can improve your communication in various professional, academic, and personal settings. As demonstrated, paraphrasing allows for the clearer and more accessible expression of ideas, ensuring that the intended message is effectively conveyed to the listener. In a world where effective communication is paramount, developing strong paraphrasing skills can greatly contribute to success in both personal and professional spheres.

Olga Ayvazyan

Recent blogs.

Popular Blogs

A simple and easy way to speaking correctly

Speaking with colleagues, interviewers, and examiners can be a stressful experience, especially if you speak a foreign language or expect tricky questions. Focusing on what you say and, at the same time, being aware of how you talk is extremely challenging.

Easy recording

From your browser, you can record meetings and calls

Only your voice

Use headphones to make sure only your voice is recorded

Feedback & Practice

Get cues on pronunciation, practice words, and sentences

Clear communication

Make progress and get to your goals faster

About Stanford GSB

The Leadership
Dean’s Updates
School News & History
Commencement
Business, Government & Society
Centers & Institutes
Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
Center for Social Innovation
Stanford Seed

About the Experience

Learning at Stanford GSB
Experiential Learning
Guest Speakers
Entrepreneurship
Social Innovation
Communication
Life at Stanford GSB
Collaborative Environment
Activities & Organizations
Student Services
Housing Options
International Students

Full-Time Degree Programs

Why Stanford MBA
Academic Experience
Financial Aid
Why Stanford MSx
Research Fellows Program
See All Programs

Non-Degree & Certificate Programs

Executive Education
Stanford Executive Program
Programs for Organizations
The Difference
Online Programs
Stanford LEAD
Seed Transformation Program
Aspire Program
Seed Spark Program
Faculty Profiles
Academic Areas
Awards & Honors
Conferences

Faculty Research

Publications
Working Papers
Case Studies

Research Hub

Research Labs & Initiatives
Business Library
Data, Analytics & Research Computing
Behavioral Lab

Research Labs

Cities, Housing & Society Lab
Golub Capital Social Impact Lab

Research Initiatives

Corporate Governance Research Initiative
Corporations and Society Initiative
Policy and Innovation Initiative
Rapid Decarbonization Initiative
Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative
Value Chain Innovation Initiative
Venture Capital Initiative
Career & Success
Climate & Sustainability
Corporate Governance
Culture & Society
Finance & Investing
Government & Politics
Leadership & Management
Markets and Trade
Operations & Logistics
Opportunity & Access
Technology & AI
Opinion & Analysis
Email Newsletter

Welcome, Alumni

Communities
Digital Communities & Tools
Regional Chapters
Women’s Programs
Identity Chapters
Find Your Reunion
Career Resources
Job Search Resources
Career & Life Transitions
Programs & Webinars
Career Video Library
Alumni Education
Research Resources
Volunteering
Alumni News
Class Notes
Alumni Voices
Contact Alumni Relations
Upcoming Events

Admission Events & Information Sessions

MBA Program
MSx Program
PhD Program
Alumni Events
All Other Events

Matt Abrahams: The Power of the Paraphrase

An expert on public speaking shows how paraphrasing can help you navigate tricky communication situations.

November 19, 2014

A job seeker raises his hand to ask a question | Reuters/Rick Wilking

When you are giving a public presentation, don’t you hate it when you face … the dreaded question. You know the one: the emotionally loaded challenge that serves to undermine everything you presented prior. You had hoped you wouldn’t get it, but here it is. Or, you may face … the obnoxious meeting participant. You know this guy: He thinks he’s Mr. Smarty-Pants and wants everyone to know it. He ruins your meeting by going on long rants that contribute little and waste much.

These two situations can make even the most confident and calm speaker nervous. One powerful way to navigate your way through these two tricky communication situations is to rely on paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is a listening and reflecting tool where you restate what others say in your own words. The most effective paraphrases concisely capture the essence of what another speaker says. For example, at the end of your presentation a questioner asks: “In the past you have been slow to release new products. How soon will your new product be available?” You might paraphrase her question in one of the following ways:

“You’re asking about our availability.”
“You’d like to know about our release schedule.”
“Our release timeline will be … ”

Effective paraphrasing affords you several benefits. In Q&A sessions, for instance, it allows you to:

Make sure you understood the question correctly. After your paraphrase, the question asker has the opportunity to correct you or refine his or her question. There is no sense in answering a question you were not asked.

Think before you respond. Paraphrasing is not very mentally taxing, so while you are speaking your paraphrase you can begin to think of your response.

Acknowledge emotions prior to addressing the issue(s). Occasionally, you may find yourself confronted with an emotionally laden question. In order to be seen as empathetic, and to get the asker to “hear” your answer, you should recognize the emotion as part of your paraphrase. To a questioner who asks, “I get really exasperated when I try to use some of your features. How are you going to make it easier to use your product?” you might say: “I hear that you have emotion around the complexity of our offering.” By acknowledging the emotion, you can more easily move beyond it to address the issue at hand. Please note that you should avoid labeling the emotion, even if the asker does. If someone seems angry, it is better to use terms such as “strong emotion,” “clear concern,” and “passion.” I have seen a number of speakers get into a labeling battle with an audience member when the speaker names a specific emotion that the asker took offense to (e.g., saying an audience member seems frustrated when he is actually angry).

Reframe the question to focus on something you feel more comfortable addressing. I am not recommending pulling a politician’s trick and pivoting to answer the question you wanted rather than the one you got. Instead, by paraphrasing, you can make the question more comfortable for you to answer. The most striking example I have come across was in a sales situation where a prospect asked the presenter: “How come your prices are ridiculously expensive?” Clearly, the paraphrase “So you’re asking about our ridiculous pricing” is not the way to go. Rather, you can reframe the issue in your paraphrase to be about a topic you are better prepared to address. For example, “So you’d like to know about our product’s value.” Price is clearly part of value, but you start by describing the value and return on investment, which will likely soften the blow of the price.

Using paraphrases can also help you in facilitation situations, such as a meeting. In meetings, paraphrasing allows you to:

Acknowledge the participant’s effort. For many people, contributing in meetings can be daunting. There are real consequences for misspeaking or sounding unprepared. By paraphrasing the contributions you get from others, you validate the person’s effort by signaling that you really listened and valued their input.

Link various questions/ideas. You can pull together disparate contributions and questions and engage different participants by relating a current statement to previous ones. For example, you might say: “Your comment about our profitability links to the question a few minutes ago about our financial outlook.”

Manage over-contributors. Someone who over-shares or dominates a meeting with his or her opinions can be very disruptive and disrespectful. If it is your meeting, then the other participants will expect you to manage the situation. If you don’t, you will lose control and potentially credibility. Paraphrasing can help you move beyond the over-contributor while looking tactful. Fortunately, even the most loquacious person needs to inhale once in a while. During a pause, simply paraphrase a meaningful portion of the person’s diatribe and place focus elsewhere — to another person or topic. For example, you might say, “Forrest’s point about manufacturing delays is a good one. Laurie, what do you think?” Or, “Forrest’s point about manufacturing delays is a good one. What other issues are affecting our release schedule?” In both cases, you have politely informed Forrest that he is done, and you’ve turned the focus away from him and back to your agenda.

Beginning a paraphrase can sometimes be tricky, and people often ask me for suggestions for ways to initiate their paraphrases. Try one of the following lines to help you start your paraphrase:

“So what you are saying/asking is … ”
“What is important to you is … ”
“You’d like to know more about … ”
“The central idea of your question/comment is … ”

Paraphrasing has the power to help you connect with your audience, manage emotions, and steer the conversation. And once you begin to use the technique, you will realize it has the power to help you not only in presentations and meetings, but in virtually any interpersonal conversation.

For media inquiries, visit the Newsroom .

Explore More

A little “humorbragging” could help you land your next job, creative communication: how our design choices illustrate our values, can we be candid how to communicate clearly and directly, editor’s picks.

July 25, 2014 Matt Abrahams: A Good Question Can Be the Key to a Successful Presentation A Stanford GSB lecturer and expert on public speaking explains how you can become a more compelling and confident presenter by asking – not telling – in the right situations.

March 13, 2014 Matt Abrahams: How to Make Unforgettable Presentations A Stanford lecturer and expert on public speaking explains how to ensure your audience remembers what they hear and see.

March 04, 2014 Matt Abrahams: Presentations and the Art of the Graceful Recovery A Stanford lecturer and expert on public speaking explains what to do when memory fails.

February 26, 2014 Matt Abrahams: How Do You Make a Memorable Presentation? A Stanford lecturer and expert on public speaking explains how to manage anxiety and deliver a smooth presentation.

See the Current DEI Report
Supporting Data
Research & Insights
Share Your Thoughts
Search Fund Primer
Teaching & Curriculum
Affiliated Faculty
Faculty Advisors
Louis W. Foster Resource Center
Defining Social Innovation
Impact Compass
Global Health Innovation Insights
Faculty Affiliates
Student Awards & Certificates
Changemakers
Dean Jonathan Levin
Dean Garth Saloner
Dean Robert Joss
Dean Michael Spence
Dean Robert Jaedicke
Dean Rene McPherson
Dean Arjay Miller
Dean Ernest Arbuckle
Dean Jacob Hugh Jackson
Dean Willard Hotchkiss
Faculty in Memoriam
Stanford GSB Firsts
Annual Alumni Dinner
Class of 2024 Candidates
Certificate & Award Recipients
Dean’s Remarks
Keynote Address
Teaching Approach
Analysis and Measurement of Impact
The Corporate Entrepreneur: Startup in a Grown-Up Enterprise
Data-Driven Impact
Designing Experiments for Impact
Digital Marketing
The Founder’s Right Hand
Marketing for Measurable Change
Product Management
Public Policy Lab: Financial Challenges Facing US Cities
Public Policy Lab: Homelessness in California
Lab Features
Curricular Integration
View From The Top
Formation of New Ventures
Managing Growing Enterprises
Startup Garage
Explore Beyond the Classroom
Stanford Venture Studio
Summer Program
Workshops & Events
The Five Lenses of Entrepreneurship
Leadership Labs
Executive Challenge
Arbuckle Leadership Fellows Program
Selection Process
Training Schedule
Time Commitment
Learning Expectations
Post-Training Opportunities
Who Should Apply
Introductory T-Groups
Leadership for Society Program
Certificate
2024 Awardees
2023 Awardees
2022 Awardees
2021 Awardees
2020 Awardees
2019 Awardees
2018 Awardees
Social Management Immersion Fund
Stanford Impact Founder Fellowships
Stanford Impact Leader Prizes
Social Entrepreneurship
Stanford GSB Impact Fund
Economic Development
Energy & Environment
Stanford GSB Residences
Environmental Leadership
Stanford GSB Artwork
A Closer Look
California & the Bay Area
Voices of Stanford GSB
Business & Beneficial Technology
Business & Sustainability
Business & Free Markets
Business, Government, and Society Forum
Get Involved
Second Year
Global Experiences
JD/MBA Joint Degree
MA Education/MBA Joint Degree
MD/MBA Dual Degree
MPP/MBA Joint Degree
MS Computer Science/MBA Joint Degree
MS Electrical Engineering/MBA Joint Degree
MS Environment and Resources (E-IPER)/MBA Joint Degree
Academic Calendar
Clubs & Activities
LGBTQ+ Students
Military Veterans
Minorities & People of Color
Partners & Families
Students with Disabilities
Student Support
Residential Life
Student Voices
MBA Alumni Voices
A Week in the Life
Career Support
Employment Outcomes
Cost of Attendance
Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
Yellow Ribbon Program
BOLD Fellows Fund
Application Process
Loan Forgiveness
Contact the Financial Aid Office
Evaluation Criteria
GMAT & GRE
English Language Proficiency
Personal Information, Activities & Awards
Professional Experience
Letters of Recommendation
Optional Short Answer Questions
Application Fee
Reapplication
Deferred Enrollment
Joint & Dual Degrees
Entering Class Profile
Event Schedule
Ambassadors
New & Noteworthy
Ask a Question
See Why Stanford MSx
Is MSx Right for You?
MSx Stories
Leadership Development
How You Will Learn
Admission Events
Personal Information
GMAT, GRE & EA
English Proficiency Tests
Career Change
Career Advancement
Career Support and Resources
Daycare, Schools & Camps
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
Requirements
Requirements: Behavioral
Requirements: Quantitative
Requirements: Macro
Requirements: Micro
Annual Evaluations
Field Examination
Research Activities
Research Papers
Dissertation
Oral Examination
Current Students
Education & CV
International Applicants
Statement of Purpose
Reapplicants
Application Fee Waiver
Deadline & Decisions
Job Market Candidates
Academic Placements
Stay in Touch
Faculty Mentors
Current Fellows
Standard Track
Fellowship & Benefits
Group Enrollment
Program Formats
Developing a Program
Diversity & Inclusion
Strategic Transformation
Program Experience
Contact Client Services
Campus Experience
Live Online Experience
Silicon Valley & Bay Area
Digital Credentials
Faculty Spotlights
Participant Spotlights
Eligibility
International Participants
Stanford Ignite
Frequently Asked Questions
Operations, Information & Technology
Organizational Behavior
Political Economy
Classical Liberalism
The Eddie Lunch
Accounting Summer Camp
California Econometrics Conference
California Quantitative Marketing PhD Conference
California School Conference
China India Insights Conference
Homo economicus, Evolving
Political Economics (2023–24)
Scaling Geologic Storage of CO2 (2023–24)
A Resilient Pacific: Building Connections, Envisioning Solutions
Adaptation and Innovation
Changing Climate
Civil Society
Climate Impact Summit
Climate Science
Corporate Carbon Disclosures
Earth’s Seafloor
Environmental Justice
Operations and Information Technology
Organizations
Sustainability Reporting and Control
Taking the Pulse of the Planet
Urban Infrastructure
Watershed Restoration
Junior Faculty Workshop on Financial Regulation and Banking
Ken Singleton Celebration
Marketing Camp
Quantitative Marketing PhD Alumni Conference
Presentations
Theory and Inference in Accounting Research
Stanford Closer Look Series
Quick Guides
Core Concepts
Journal Articles
Glossary of Terms
Faculty & Staff
Subscribe to Corporate Governance Emails
Researchers & Students
Research Approach
Charitable Giving
Financial Health
Government Services
Workers & Careers
Short Course
Adaptive & Iterative Experimentation
Incentive Design
Social Sciences & Behavioral Nudges
Bandit Experiment Application
Conferences & Events
Reading Materials
Energy Entrepreneurship
Faculty & Affiliates
SOLE Report
Responsible Supply Chains
Current Study Usage
Pre-Registration Information
Participate in a Study
Founding Donors
Program Contacts
Location Information
Participant Profile
Network Membership
Program Impact
Collaborators
Entrepreneur Profiles
Company Spotlights
Seed Transformation Network
Responsibilities
Current Coaches
How to Apply
Meet the Consultants
Meet the Interns
Intern Profiles
Collaborate
Research Library
News & Insights
Databases & Datasets
Research Guides
Consultations
Research Workshops
Career Research
Research Data Services
Course Reserves
Course Research Guides
Material Loan Periods
Fines & Other Charges
Document Delivery
Interlibrary Loan
Equipment Checkout
Print & Scan
MBA & MSx Students
PhD Students
Other Stanford Students
Faculty Assistants
Research Assistants
Stanford GSB Alumni
Telling Our Story
Staff Directory
Site Registration
Alumni Directory
Alumni Email
Privacy Settings & My Profile
Success Stories
The Story of Circles
Support Women’s Circles
Stanford Women on Boards Initiative
Alumnae Spotlights
Insights & Research
Industry & Professional
Entrepreneurial Commitment Group
Recent Alumni
Half-Century Club
Fall Reunions
Spring Reunions
MBA 25th Reunion
Half-Century Club Reunion
Faculty Lectures
Ernest C. Arbuckle Award
Alison Elliott Exceptional Achievement Award
ENCORE Award
Excellence in Leadership Award
John W. Gardner Volunteer Leadership Award
Robert K. Jaedicke Faculty Award
Jack McDonald Military Service Appreciation Award
Jerry I. Porras Latino Leadership Award
Tapestry Award
Student & Alumni Events
Executive Recruiters
Interviewing
Land the Perfect Job with LinkedIn
Negotiating
Elevator Pitch
Email Best Practices
Resumes & Cover Letters
Self-Assessment
Whitney Birdwell Ball
Margaret Brooks
Bryn Panee Burkhart
Margaret Chan
Ricki Frankel
Peter Gandolfo
Cindy W. Greig
Natalie Guillen
Carly Janson
Sloan Klein
Sherri Appel Lassila
Stuart Meyer
Tanisha Parrish
Virginia Roberson
Philippe Taieb
Michael Takagawa
Terra Winston
Johanna Wise
Debbie Wolter
Rebecca Zucker
Complimentary Coaching
Changing Careers
Work-Life Integration
Career Breaks
Flexible Work
Encore Careers
Join a Board
D&B Hoovers
Data Axle (ReferenceUSA)
EBSCO Business Source
Global Newsstream
Market Share Reporter
ProQuest One Business
RKMA Market Research Handbook Series
Student Clubs
Entrepreneurial Students
Stanford GSB Trust
Alumni Community
How to Volunteer
Springboard Sessions
Consulting Projects
2020 – 2029
2010 – 2019
2000 – 2009
1990 – 1999
1980 – 1989
1970 – 1979
1960 – 1969
1950 – 1959
1940 – 1949
Service Areas
ACT History
ACT Awards Celebration
ACT Governance Structure
Building Leadership for ACT
Individual Leadership Positions
Leadership Role Overview
Purpose of the ACT Management Board
Contact ACT
Business & Nonprofit Communities
Reunion Volunteers
Ways to Give
Fiscal Year Report
Business School Fund Leadership Council
Planned Giving Options
Planned Giving Benefits
Planned Gifts and Reunions
Legacy Partners
Giving News & Stories
Giving Deadlines
Development Staff
Submit Class Notes
Class Secretaries
Board of Directors
Health Care
Sustainability
Class Takeaways
All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions
If/Then: Business, Leadership, Society
Grit & Growth
Think Fast, Talk Smart
Spring 2022
Spring 2021
Autumn 2020
Summer 2020
Winter 2020
In the Media
For Journalists
DCI Fellows
Other Auditors
Academic Calendar & Deadlines
Course Materials
Entrepreneurial Resources
Campus Drive Grove
Campus Drive Lawn
CEMEX Auditorium
King Community Court
Seawell Family Boardroom
Stanford GSB Bowl
Stanford Investors Common
Town Square
Vidalakis Courtyard
Vidalakis Dining Hall
Catering Services
Policies & Guidelines
Reservations
Contact Faculty Recruiting
Lecturer Positions
Postdoctoral Positions
Accommodations
CMC-Managed Interviews
Recruiter-Managed Interviews
Virtual Interviews
Campus & Virtual
Search for Candidates
Think Globally
Recruiting Calendar
Recruiting Policies
Full-Time Employment
Summer Employment
Entrepreneurial Summer Program
Global Management Immersion Experience
Social-Purpose Summer Internships
Process Overview
Project Types
Client Eligibility Criteria
Client Screening
ACT Leadership
Social Innovation & Nonprofit Management Resources
Develop Your Organization’s Talent
Centers & Initiatives
Student Fellowships

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is a listening skill that helps you demonstrate understanding of a message. Utilizing paraphrasing in everyday conversation can greatly help prevent miscommunications with others. We already do this on a day to day basis.

For this lesson, we are going to go a bit deeper, and discuss 3 types of paraphrases – Content, Intent, and Tone. Each one is equally important. But first, let’s discuss what is meant by “owned language” and “perception checking questions” in terms of paraphrasing.

Owned Language and Perception Checking Questions

When we used “I” instead of “you” we used “owned” language, meaning we take responsibility or “own” for our interpretation In other words, we place the burden of understanding on ourselves. When we use owned language in a paraphrase, we are demonstrating that is OUR OWN understanding of a message, instead of telling the person “this is what you said.” An example related to listening may be saying “I’m having trouble hearing you” in place of “you are talking too quiet.” Note the use of “you” in the second message sound accusatory and may cause the person to become defensive. When we paraphrase, we are attempting to check our understanding of what another person is saying. If we use “you” instead of “I” the climate of the interaction may become defensive instead of positive or supportive.

Examples of Owned Language:

“If I understand you correctly…”
“I’m hearing that…”
“It’s my understanding that…”
“If I’m hearing you correctly…”
“It sounds to me like…”

Perception Checking Questions

Perception checking questions check the understanding of a message. They generally come at the end of a paraphrase.

Examples of Perception Checking Questions:

“Am I right?”
“Is that correct?”
“Did I understand that correctly?”

Paraphrasing for Content

When we paraphrase for content, we restate WHAT the person said…we take their words and put them into our own words. Try to just focus on the what – when thinking about content we aren’t trying to read into the message or emotions (those come later). Here is an example:

Person A : I’m working late tonight. I need the lawn mowed, the dishes done, and the living room vacuumed before our guests arrive. Person B : Ok, so if I heard you correctly, I need to mow, finish the dishes, and vacuum. Is that right?

Note the use of owned language (“So if I heard you correctly”) and a perception checking question (“Is that right?”)

But, is paraphrasing for content enough? Consider the following State Farm commercial:

The same words are used, but have a very different meaning depending on the situation. Paraphrasing for content would miss the deeper meanings here. This is why, arguably, paraphrasing for intent and tone are just as, if not more important than paraphrasing for tone.

Paraphrasing for Intent

When you paraphrase for intent, you look beyond what it said, and focus on WHY the person said it. This is by far the most difficult paraphrase to master. Recall that every message is goal driven – generally to inform, persuade, or entertain. When we paraphrase for intent, we look for that goal. In other words, what does the speaker want us to do with this information? So, for example, if I said “I just hate taking out the garbage!” you may find an intent “I’m hearing you say that you would like me to take out the garbage. Is that correct?” Note the use of owned language and perception checking questions. I didn’t say I wanted you to take out the garbage, but when I complained about it, based on what I said and the nonverbal tone, and perhaps my body movements, you were able to deduce that perhaps I was trying to persuade you to do it. Take a look at the previous example:

Person A: I’m working late tonight. I need the lawn mowed, the dishes done, and the living room vacuumed before our guests arrive. Person B: If I’m understanding you correctly, you are wanting me to help you with these tasks? Is that right?

Note the use of owned language (“If I’m understanding you correctly”) and perception checking question (“Is that right?”)

Paraphrasing for Tone

When you paraphrase for tone, you look at the emotion behind what someone is saying. This can be found through their words as well as their nonverbals such as tone of voice. But try not to associate Tone with just “tone” of voice. Take into consideration the whole message, verbal and nonverbal. To use the example above, if I said “I just hate taking out the garbage!” your tone paraphrase could be “It sounds to me like you are angry about having to take out the garbage. Is that correct?” Let’s look a the previous example:

Person A: I’m working late tonight. I need the lawn mowed, the dishes done, and the living room vacuumed before our guests arrive. Person B: It sounds to me like you are stressed about this. Is that how you are feeling?

Note the owned language (“It sounds to me”) and the Perception-checking question (“Is that how you are feeling?”)

Putting it all Together

A complete paraphrase will contain a paraphrase for content, intent, and tone. You can do this all together or as 3 separate paraphrases. Let’s look at a complete paraphrase for the previous example:

Person A: I’m working late tonight. I need the lawn mowed, the dishes done, and the living room vacuumed before our guests arrive. Person B: It sounds to me like you are stressed about this and would like me to help mow the lawn, finish the dishes, and vaccuum before our guests arrive. Is that right?

Here we have owned language (“It sounds to me”), tone (“you are stressed), intent (“would like me to help”), and content (mow the lawn, finish the dishes, and vacuum before our guests arrive.”), and a perception checking question (“is that right?”).

The activity below will allow you to practice identifying content, intent, and tone paraphrases:

Share This Book

Interpersonal Skills Training by Alan Wolfelt

Get full access to Interpersonal Skills Training and 60K+ other titles, with a free 10-day trial of O'Reilly.

There are also live events, courses curated by job role, and more.

SKILL TWO: PARAPHRASING

1. DEFINE THE SKILL

a. Paraphrasing is a method of restating the person’s basic message in similar, but usually fewer, words.

b. State in your words what the person has said.

c. Extract the essence of what the person has said.

2. IDENTIFY PURPOSES FOR USING THE SKILL

a. To allow you to test your own understanding of what the person has said.

b. To communicate to the person that you are trying to understand his or her basic message. You are listening to him or her, which makes the person aware of your concern.

3. ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SKILL

Paraphrasing allows you to discriminate and respond to people without changing the meaning of what they have said. Again, the major purpose of paraphrasing ...

Get Interpersonal Skills Training now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Don’t leave empty-handed

Get Mark Richards’s Software Architecture Patterns ebook to better understand how to design components—and how they should interact.

It’s yours, free.

Check it out now on O’Reilly

Dive in for free with a 10-day trial of the O’Reilly learning platform—then explore all the other resources our members count on to build skills and solve problems every day.

All Subjects

study guides for every class

That actually explain what's on your next test, paraphrasing, from class:, leadership communication.

Paraphrasing is the act of restating or rewording a piece of text or speech in one's own words while maintaining the original meaning. This technique is crucial for effective communication as it demonstrates active listening, enhances understanding, and fosters clarity in conversations. By paraphrasing, individuals can confirm comprehension and ensure that both parties are on the same page, especially during discussions or when resolving conflicts.

congrats on reading the definition of Paraphrasing . now let's actually learn it.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

Paraphrasing involves using different words and sentence structures while retaining the essence of the original message, which helps in avoiding misunderstandings.
Effective paraphrasing not only showcases comprehension but also allows for feedback and deeper engagement in discussions.
In one-on-one conversations, paraphrasing can help build rapport and trust by demonstrating that you value the speaker's input and are actively engaged.
During group discussions, paraphrasing serves as a way to summarize points made by others, ensuring that everyone understands and agrees before moving forward.
In conflict resolution scenarios, paraphrasing can de-escalate tension by showing empathy and confirming that both parties feel heard and understood.

Review Questions

Paraphrasing enhances active listening by allowing the listener to restate what they have heard in their own words, which shows that they are engaged and understand the message. This technique confirms comprehension and gives the speaker an opportunity to clarify any misinterpretations. As a result, it fosters a more meaningful dialogue where both parties feel valued and acknowledged.
Paraphrasing improves one-on-one communication strategies by creating a foundation of trust and rapport between individuals. By reflecting back what the other person has said, it not only confirms understanding but also encourages openness. This back-and-forth exchange creates a safe environment for expressing thoughts and feelings, which is essential for effective interpersonal communication.
Paraphrasing plays a critical role in facilitating group discussions by ensuring that all members have a clear understanding of each other's viewpoints. By summarizing and rephrasing contributions, facilitators help clarify points, reduce confusion, and keep the conversation focused. This practice can significantly enhance decision-making processes as it ensures that all voices are heard, leading to more informed and collaborative outcomes.

Related terms

Active Listening : A communication technique that involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what the other person is saying.

Summarizing : The process of distilling the main ideas from a longer text or speech into a concise form while omitting extraneous details.

Clarification : A technique used to ensure understanding by asking questions or rephrasing what someone has said to make their meaning clearer.

" Paraphrasing " also found in:

Subjects ( 55 ).

AP English Language
Acting for the Stage
Advanced Negotiation
Advanced Public Speaking
Art of the Interview
Business Communication
Business Diplomacy
Business Networking
Communication for Leaders
Communication in Healthcare
Critical Thinking
Emotional Intelligence in Business
English Prose Style
English and Language Arts Education
Feature Writing
Foundations of Social Work Practice
Improvisational Leadership
International Business Negotiations
Intro to Business
Introduction to Communication Behavior
Introduction to Communication Studies
Introduction to Directing
Introduction to Journalism
Introduction to Old English
Introduction to Public Speaking
Investigative Reporting
Law and Ethics of Journalism
Leadership and Personal Development
Legal Method and Writing
Magazine Writing and Editing
Narrative Documentary Production
Narrative Journalism
Natural Language Processing
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Negotiations
Newswriting
Principles of Management
Professional Presentation
Professional Selling
Radio Newsroom
Reporting with Audio and Video
Speech and Debate
Television Newsroom
The COMunicator
The Dynamics of Leading Organizations
The Human Storyteller
Trauma Journalism
Writing for Communication

© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

Ap® and sat® are trademarks registered by the college board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website..

Strategies for Building Interpersonal Communication Skills in 2023

Have you ever wondered why some individuals excel in their personal and professional lives while others struggle? One key factor often lies in their building interpersonal communication skills. In today’s diverse and interconnected world, communicating effectively with others is more crucial than ever.

This comprehensive guide will provide 10 essential tips for becoming an expert in interpersonal communication skills, enabling you to build stronger relationships and achieve greater success in all areas of your life.

Key Takeaways

Active listening is essential for effective communication and building strong relationships.
Nonverbal cues, assertive communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence are important aspects of successful interpersonal skills.
Strategies such as networking, feedback seeking, and continuous learning can help to develop these skills further.

The Power of Active Listening

Imagine having a conversation where you feel truly heard and understood. That’s the transformative power of active listening, a crucial component of effective communication. Practicing active listening doesn’t mean merely hearing the words spoken; it involves immersing yourself in understanding the underlying message and emotions.

Mastering active listening techniques will enable you to develop strong interpersonal skills, fostering trust and deeper connections with others. Are you ready to unlock the door to more meaningful conversations and relationships?

The Importance of Active Listening

Active listening is more than just a skill; it’s a mindset that can transform your interactions with others. By truly focusing on the speaker and responding with empathy and understanding, you create an atmosphere of trust and respect.

This fosters stronger relationships, whether professionally or personally, leading to more effective conflict resolution and enhanced communication abilities. Developing your listening skills can further improve your active listening practice.

However, the advantages of active listening extend beyond this. It also helps prevent misunderstandings by providing a platform for grasping different perspectives and emotions, ultimately promoting transparency, integrity, and successful communication. In a world where miscommunication is common, active listening is a powerful tool for bridging gaps and fostering harmonious relationships.

Techniques for Effective Active Listening

Mastering certain techniques is vital to becoming an expert in active listening. One of these is paraphrasing, where you restate what the speaker has communicated in your own words, showcasing your comprehension of their message. Another important technique is asking open-ended questions, which invite the speaker to expand on their thoughts and feelings, furthering your understanding of their perspective.

Non-verbal cues also play a significant role in active listening. Nodding, smiling, and maintaining eye contact signal to the speaker that you’re engaged and interested in what they’re saying. By combining these techniques, you’ll improve your interpersonal communication skills and create an environment where others feel valued and heard.

Mastering Non-Verbal Communication

As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Nowhere is this truer than in the realm of non-verbal communication. Our body language , facial expressions, and tone of voice often convey messages and emotions more powerfully than the words we speak.

Developing an awareness of these non-verbal cues and accurately interpreting them will take your understanding in interactions with others to a whole new level. Are you ready to become a master of non-verbal communication?

Understanding Body Language

Body language is a fascinating aspect of non-verbal communication, providing valuable insights into a person’s thoughts and feelings. Some examples of body language include:

Facial expressions
Eye contact

Our body language often reveals more about our inner world than we may realize.

For example, biting nails can suggest that a person is experiencing stress, apprehension, or uncertainty. Recognizing and interpreting these subtle cues can greatly enhance your interpersonal communication skills , allowing you better to understand the emotions and intentions of those around you.

Tips for Improving Non-Verbal Communication Skills

To effectively decode non-verbal messages in interpersonal communication , it’s important to focus on key elements such as eye contact, personal space, and gestures.

Maintaining eye contact during a conversation creates a sense of trust and rapport with the other individual. It also helps you stay focused on the speaker and avoid distractions from your surroundings.

Being mindful of personal space is equally important, as it establishes a comfortable atmosphere for both parties and prevents miscommunication or discomfort. And when it comes to gestures, using suitable ones can communicate your message more efficiently and accurately, contributing to a more positive dialogue.

By incorporating these tips into your daily interactions, you’ll be well on mastering non-verbal communication.

Enhancing Verbal Communication Skills

While non-verbal communication is essential, verbal communication remains the cornerstone of expressing ideas and information. Honing your verbal communication skills lets you clearly and effectively convey your thoughts and feelings, fostering a better understanding and stronger connections with others.

Ready to elevate your verbal communication skills to new heights?

Choosing the Right Words

The words we choose can profoundly impact the success of our communication. That’s why it’s crucial to consider factors like the target audience, the situation, and the desired outcome of the message when selecting the appropriate language.

Doing so ensures that your words resonate with the listener and convey your message effectively.

One powerful technique for choosing the right words is to practice empathy. By putting yourself in the listener’s shoes, you can better understand their emotions and perspectives, making it easier to select language that will resonate with them and foster a stronger connection. This approach can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your verbal communication.

Practicing Assertive Communication

Assertive communication is a valuable tool for expressing your thoughts and feelings honestly and respectfully while also considering the needs and opinions of others. This approach not only fosters healthy relationships but also allows you to:

Stand up for yourself and your beliefs
Set boundaries
Express your needs and wants
Resolve conflicts effectively
Build self-confidence

By practicing assertive communication, you can improve your relationships and enhance your overall communication skills.

To practice assertive communication, try using “I” statements to express your feelings, setting clear boundaries, and actively listening to the other person.

By employing these techniques and maintaining a respectful, open-minded attitude, you’ll be well on your way to achieving effective, assertive communication in your personal and professional life.

Cultivating Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

Empathy and emotional intelligence are two vital components of successful interpersonal communication. Developing your ability to understand and relate to others’ emotions can help you forge stronger connections and easily navigate social situations.

So, how can you cultivate good interpersonal communication skills and take your interpersonal communication abilities to the next level?

Developing Empathy

Empathy is the capacity to understand and share the feelings of another person. To develop empathy, it’s essential to practice active listening, which involves attentively listening to the other person and responding in a way that demonstrates understanding.

Another technique for developing empathy is to try and put yourself in the other person’s shoes. By imagining how they might feel and considering their perspective, you can better understand their emotions, fostering a stronger connection and more effective communication.

Boosting Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, understand, and manage your emotions and those of others. Developing emotional intelligence involves cultivating self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

To boost your emotional intelligence, practice mindfulness and observe your emotions without judgment. This will help you become more aware of your feelings and how they influence your behavior.

Additionally, seek to understand the emotions of others, responding to them with compassion and understanding. By honing your emotional intelligence, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the complexities of interpersonal communication and forge stronger relationships.

Conflict Resolution and Problem-Solving

Inevitably, conflicts and disagreements will arise in our personal and professional lives. The ability to effectively resolve these conflicts and solve problems is essential for maintaining harmony and achieving goals.

Mastering conflict resolution and problem-solving techniques prepares you to tackle challenges head-on and fosters positive relationships. Are you ready to become a conflict-resolution and problem-solving expert?

Approaches to Conflict Resolution

There are various approaches to conflict resolution, each with its own set of strategies and techniques. One such approach is the Interest-Based Relational (IBR) Approach, which emphasizes objectively separating the problem from the people involved and examining the issue.

This method focuses on finding a mutually acceptable resolution through communication, negotiation, and problem-solving.

Another approach involves using perceptual positions, a technique that facilitates understanding different perspectives by assigning chairs in a room to represent the perspectives of each party involved, plus one for an objective observer.

Sitting in each chair in turn allows you to visualize the situation from multiple angles and better understand the conflict.

Understanding the root causes of conflict is also crucial for effective resolution. Bell and Hart’s Eight Causes of Conflict can help you recognize the origin of a problem and, subsequently, a resolution. By employing these various approaches, you’ll be well-equipped to navigate conflicts and find solutions that benefit all parties involved.

Collaborative Problem-Solving

Collaborative problem-solving is a powerful approach to addressing challenges and finding mutually beneficial solutions. All parties can contribute their unique perspectives and ideas by working together, fostering trust and cooperation.

Some techniques for effective collaborative problem-solving include brainstorming, mind mapping, and role-playing. These methods encourage open communication, creativity, and teamwork, leading to innovative solutions and stronger relationships.

By embracing collaborative problem-solving, you’ll resolve conflicts and create an environment of support and cooperation that benefits everyone involved.

Building Strong Professional Relationships

Building strong professional relationships is more important than ever in today’s competitive job market. These connections can provide valuable:

opportunities for career advancement
opportunities for personal growth

Cultivating and maintaining strong, positive working relationships positions you for success in all areas of your life.

Are you ready to take your professional relationships to the next level?

Networking and Relationship-Building

Networking and relationship-building are essential components of professional success. By connecting with others, sharing knowledge, and offering support, you can forge lasting relationships that open doors and create new opportunities.

To be effective at networking, it’s important to approach each interaction with a genuine interest in the other person and a willingness to help where possible. This builds trust and rapport, the foundations of strong professional relationships.

Investing time and effort in networking and relationship-building will expand your professional circle and unlock new possibilities for career growth and personal fulfillment.

Nurturing Existing Relationships

While building new relationships is important, nurturing and maintaining your existing connections is equally vital. This involves regular contact, expressing appreciation, and assisting when needed.

Regular communication can take many forms, such as:

Phone calls
Emails (a form of written communication)
Text messages
Video calls

By staying in touch and offering support, you demonstrate your ongoing commitment to the relationship and foster a sense of trust and loyalty.

By nurturing your existing professional relationships, you’ll create a strong network of support that will benefit you throughout your career.

Adapting Communication Styles

In our diverse world, adapting your communication style is essential for effective communication with individuals from different backgrounds and situations.

Learning to recognize and adjust your communication style equips you to understand better and connect with others, fostering stronger relationships and success in all aspects of your life.

Are you ready to become a communication chameleon?

Recognizing Different Communication Styles

Recognizing different communication styles is key to adapting your approach for maximum effectiveness. The most common styles are:

Passive-aggressive

Each style has its characteristics, preferences, strengths, and weaknesses.

By observing the verbal and non-verbal cues of the person you’re communicating with, you can gain insight into their communication style. Understanding these differences allows you to tailor your communication approach to better resonate with the listener and foster a stronger connection.

In addition to recognizing the styles of others, it’s important to be aware of your communication style and its impact on your interactions.

By engaging in self-reflection and soliciting feedback from others, you can identify areas for improvement and work to become a more adaptable communicator.

Adjusting Your Communication Style

Once you recognize different communication styles, developing the ability to adjust your approach as needed is crucial. This involves being flexible, empathetic, and responsive to the needs and preferences of others.

To adapt your communication style, focus on being open to different perspectives, practicing active listening, and being willing to compromise.

These strategies will enable you to connect more effectively with others, regardless of their background or communication preferences.

By continually refining your communication style, you’ll enhance your interpersonal skills and excel personally and professionally.

Overcoming Communication Barriers

At times, we all face communication barriers that can hinder our ability to connect with others. Identifying and overcoming these obstacles ensures clear and effective communication, fostering stronger relationships and success in all areas of your life.

Are you ready to break through the barriers and become a master of interpersonal communication?

Identifying Communication Barriers

Communication barriers can take many forms, including cultural differences, language barriers, and personal biases. Recognizing these obstacles is the first step in overcoming them and ensuring clear and effective communication.

By being aware of and respecting cultural differences, you can create an environment of understanding and acceptance, making it easier to connect with others. Similarly, acknowledging language barriers and understanding the emotions and intentions behind the words can bridge communication gaps and foster stronger connections.

Strategies for Overcoming Barriers

Once you’ve identified the barriers to communication, the next step is to develop strategies for overcoming them. This can involve practicing active listening, seeking clarification, and using inclusive language.

By actively listening and asking questions to ensure understanding, you can prevent misunderstandings and miscommunication that might otherwise arise due to language or cultural barriers. Inclusive language can create an environment of respect and acceptance, fostering stronger connections and more effective communication.

By employing these strategies, you’ll be well on your way to overcoming communication barriers and enhancing your interpersonal skills.

Practicing and Refining Interpersonal Skills

Just like any skill, interpersonal communication requires consistent practice and refinement to achieve mastery. Seeking growth opportunities, engaging in self-reflection, and soliciting feedback from others enables you to continually improve your interpersonal skills, paving the way for tremendous success in your personal and professional life.

Are you ready to embark on a lifelong journey of interpersonal communication excellence?

Seeking Feedback and Self-Reflection

One of the most effective ways to improve your interpersonal skills is to seek feedback from others and engage in self-reflection. By asking for input on your communication style and behavior, you can gain valuable insights into areas for improvement and set goals for personal growth.

Self-reflection is equally important, allowing you to analyze your communication patterns and behaviors and identify strengths and weaknesses. Combining feedback from others with self-reflection can create a powerful roadmap for personal growth and continuous improvement in your interpersonal communication skills.

Continuous Learning and Improvement

In addition to seeking feedback and self-reflection, continuous learning and improvement are essential for honing your interpersonal skills. This can involve seeking new knowledge, attending workshops, and engaging in regular practice.

By staying committed to learning and growth, you’ll ensure that your interpersonal communication skills remain sharp and effective, allowing you to navigate the complexities of human interaction with confidence and ease.

In conclusion, interpersonal communication is vital for our personal and professional success.

By mastering active listening, understanding non-verbal communication, refining verbal communication, cultivating empathy and emotional intelligence, resolving conflicts, building strong relationships, adapting communication styles, and overcoming barriers, you’ll be well on your way to becoming an expert in interpersonal communication.

Remember, mastering is a lifelong process, so stay committed to continuous learning and improvement and watch your relationships and career success flourish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 3 keys to good interpersonal communication.

The three keys to good interpersonal communication are nonverbal communication, para-verbal communication, and verbal communication. Mastering all these will help take your team to the next level in workplace communication.

What are the four 4 types of interpersonal communication styles?

Interpersonal communication consists of four types: verbal, listening, written, and nonverbal. Verbal communication includes audible sounds, such as talking, while listening encompasses actively hearing what is being said.

Written communication involves any written form, such as an email or text. Nonverbal communication includes body language, facial expressions, and other nonverbal cues.

What are 5 ways to develop good interpersonal relationships?

Develop listening skills, be honest and OK with disagreements, apologize, communicate effectively, and express gratitude – these are key to developing good interpersonal relationships.

What is the role of active listening in communication?

Active listening is a key factor in effective communication, allowing for full attention, providing verbal and non-verbal feedback, and helping the speaker feel heard.

The Power of Communication: The Principle of Paraphrasing

This lesson is a part of an audio course the power of communication: learning to communicate effectively by hans fleurimont.

Let's talk about paraphrasing and why in my view it is a very important principle to know and to understand. A paraphrase is an accurate response to the person who’s speaking, which states the essence of the speaker’s words in the listener’s own words. To put it another way to paraphrase is to express the meaning of something written or spoken using different words in order to achieve greater clarity. (And that what I just did was an example of paraphrasing).

So if I’m talking to someone and they’re explaining something to me, what I would do is paraphrase what they just said but in my own words. For example, let’s say that my wife is talking about her day and what she did at work and she is explaining the process of doing someone's taxes to me. So she says:

“One of my clients got all upset because they didn’t receive the whole amount they expected from their tax return and they threw a fit in the office.”

And then I would say “So they got mad because it was less than what they thought.” It’s as simple as that. You can paraphrase what someone says to you and you can also paraphrase something you said (Like how I did earlier). So now let’s talk about what goes into paraphrasing.

The Essential Elements of Paraphrasing Are:

Condensed. A good paraphrase is accurate. When people begin using this technique, they tend to be too wordy. A paraphrase should be shorter than the speaker’s statement.
Only the essentials. An effective paraphrase reflects only the essentials of the speaker’s message. It cuts through the clutter of details and focuses on what is central in the original message.
Focus on the Information. Another Characteristic of a paraphrase is that it focuses on the content of the message. It deals with the facts or ideas rather than the emotions the sender is expressing. Even though a firm distinction between facts and feelings is artificial, paraphrasing focuses on the content of the message.
Stated in the listener’s own words. The listener summarizes their understanding of what they heard in their own words. Repeating the speaker’s exact words (which is parroting) usually stifles or dry’s up a conversation, while paraphrasing, when used appropriately, can contribute greatly to the communication between people.

Example of Paraphrasing

Here is another example of paraphrasing:

Person A says “I want to bring you up to speed on a particular project. I talked with Claire, and she has been meeting with people at the state level for weeks about the funding. Things sound really up in the air. We should proceed with caution until we know more.”

One way we can paraphrase this statement is by saying “So the whole project is dependent on whether or not state funding goes through.”

This is just a quick example but there are many ways you can use paraphrases.

Always remember paraphrasing is very useful because it shows the person or people we are talking to that we are actively listening to them and that we understand what they are communicating with us. It is also helpful when you are teaching or giving instructions to a group of people. To paraphrase, it's a great principle to use when communicating. Believe me, the ability to paraphrase helps a whole lot especially in meetings with important people in your career and life.

Hans Fleurimont

Listen to the full course.

The Power of Communication: Learning to Communicate Effectively

Related courses.

Negotiation Skills

Persuasion Science Masterclass

Handling Difficult People

Share this course, learn while doing something else.

Enjoy unlimited access to 2,000+ original audio lessons created by world-renowned experts.

Onsite training

3,000,000+ delegates

15,000+ clients

1,000+ locations

KnowledgePass
Log a ticket

01344203999 Available 24/7

Interpersonal Communication Skills: A Complete Overview

Read this blog on Interpersonal Communication Skills to learn about communication processes and master verbal, nonverbal, listening, and other essential skills. Learn how to improve these skills, their benefits, and practical tips to enhance your interpersonal communication abilities in this comprehensive overview. Read more to learn!

Exclusive 40% OFF

Training Outcomes Within Your Budget!

We ensure quality, budget-alignment, and timely delivery by our expert instructors.

Share this Resource

Effective Communication Skills
English Speaking Course
Assertiveness Skills Training
Executive Communication Training
Interpersonal Skills Training Course

According to The Future of Work 2021 report, 87 per cent of employers reported that it is difficult to fill positions due to the skills gap. So, mastering the skills like Interpersonal Communication Skills can improve your chances of getting hired. In this blog, you will learn what Interpersonal Communication Skills are, their benefits and how to develop them, and some useful tips to enhance them.

Table of Contents

1) Understanding Interpersonal Communication Skills

2) Different types of Interpersonal Communication Skills

3) How to develop strong Interpersonal Communication Skills?

4) Interpersonal Communication in the workplace

5) Jobs that require Interpersonal Communication Skills

6) Benefits of Interpersonal Communication Skills

7) Tips to enhance Interpersonal Communication Skills

8) Conclusion

Understanding Interpersonal Communication Skills

Interpersonal Communication Skills are the abilities that allow individuals to communicate, collaborate, and interact with others effectively. These skills encompass active listening, clear communication, empathy, and building and keeping relationships.

Different types of Interpersonal Communication Skills

Here is a brief overview of some of the most common Interpersonal Communication Skills:

Verbal Communication Skills

Verbal Communication Skills refer to the use of spoken words to convey messages and meanings. These include choosing the appropriate language, tone, and style for the audience and context, speaking clearly and confidently, using persuasive and assertive techniques, and providing constructive feedback and praise. Verbal Communication Skills are important for expressing opinions, sharing knowledge, influencing others, and building rapport.

Nonverbal Communication Skills

Nonverbal Communication Skills refer to the use of body language, facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, and other cues to complement or contradict verbal messages. Nonverbal Communication Skills include maintaining an open and relaxed posture, using appropriate gestures and facial expressions, making eye contact and nodding, and respecting personal space and boundaries.

Written Communication Skills

Written Communication Skills refer to the use of written words to convey messages and meanings. Written Communication Skills include using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, organising and structuring ideas logically and coherently, using clear and concise language, and adapting the tone and style to the audience and purpose.

Listening is the process of receiving, attending, and understanding verbal and nonverbal messages from others. Active Listening Skills include paying attention and avoiding distractions, showing interest and curiosity, asking questions and clarifying doubts, summarising and paraphrasing key points, and acknowledging and empathising with the speaker.

Dependability

Dependability is the quality of being reliable, trustworthy, and consistent in fulfilling one’s responsibilities and commitments. Dependability skills include setting realistic and achievable goals, prioritising and managing time effectively, following through and delivering on promises, and being accountable and honest.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of others. Empathy means recognising and acknowledging the emotions and perspectives of others, putting oneself in their shoes and imagining how they feel, and expressing support and compassion.

Leadership is the ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others towards a common goal or vision. Leadership Skills include setting clear and realistic objectives, communicating effectively and persuasively, delegating tasks and responsibilities, providing feedback and recognition, and resolving conflicts and challenges.

Teamwork is the ability to work effectively and cooperatively with others towards a shared purpose or goal. Teamwork skills include respecting and appreciating diversity, sharing ideas and information, listening and giving feedback, collaborating and compromising, and supporting and helping each other.

Are you ready to take your Communication Skills to the next level? Join our Effective Communication Skills Course now!

How to develop strong Interpersonal Communication Skills?

Self-awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to recognise and understand our own emotions, thoughts, and behaviours and how they affect ourselves and others. Self-awareness can help us communicate more clearly, authentically, and respectfully, as well as identify our strengths and areas for improvement. To enhance self-awareness, we can practice self-reflection, seek feedback, and be open to learning.

Empathy and emotional intelligence

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of others. Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage and regulate our own emotions, as well as recognise and respond appropriately to the emotions of others. Empathy and Emotional Intelligence can help us communicate more effectively, compassionately, and respectfully, as well as build trust and rapport.

Active listening skills

Active listening involves giving full attention, feedback, and encouragement to the speaker and reflecting on what is being said. Active listening can help us communicate more effectively, comprehensively, and accurately, as well as facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.

To enhance active listening skills, we can use verbal and nonverbal signals to show attentiveness and ask open-ended and probing questions to elicit more information. Moreover, we can paraphrase and summarise what the speaker said to check for understanding and accuracy.

Conflict resolution skills

Conflict resolution skills refer to handling esolving conflicts and disagreements in a constructive and respectful way. Conflict resolution skills can help us communicate more effectively, collaboratively, and peacefully, as well as maintain positive and productive relationships. To enhance conflict resolution skills, we can use clear and concise language, be aware of nonverbal communication, be open to feedback, and seek win-win solutions.

Use clear and concise language

Interpersonal Communication is at its peak when it is both concise and clear. Individuals in a conversation can utilise simple language and avoid any jargon or other technical terms which the other individual may not understand. Concise language also holds the listener’s attention and makes a long-lasting impact on their understanding of your message.

Be aware of nonverbal communication

Non-verbal communication involves body language and facial expressions. These facets of human communication are powerful as they convey important messages. Individuals in a conversation must take caution of their non-verbal cues and attempt to understand their counterpart’s body language to better comprehend the message conveyed.

Be open to feedback

Being receptive to feedback is a very important and attractive characteristic of an individual as that reflects their open-mindedness and humble personality. Open-mindedness constitutes receptivity to both criticism and feedback from others and entails leveraging their personal growth with the feedback.

Master the art of conflict resolution and negotiation for transformative change with our Conflict Resolution And Negotiation For Change Training – sign up today!

Interpersonal Communication in the workplace

Working with a team and interacting with others, such as colleagues, customers, or superiors, is essential for almost every job. Different jobs require different levels of Interpersonal Communication Skills, and some depend on them more than others. Here are some key benefits of having effective communicators in any workplace:

a) New opportunities: Having excellent Communication Skills translates to easy and smooth communication with colleagues, which results in more work opportunities and ultimately professional growth.

b) Becoming an effective leader: The mark of a successful leader is their ability to communicate with everyone, regardless of their leadership position in the corporate or educational space. An individual who communicates effectively with all their team members can better strengthen their relationships and foster a trusting environment. These practices make the team more resilient in the long run.

c) Express more gratitude: Expressing and receiving gratitude can have a significantly positive impact on an individual’s well-being and performance at work. Managers who convey their gratitude to their well-performing employees motivate them to work harder. Such employees feel heard, and their work is acknowledged, which automatically makes them put in significantly more work than usual.

Jobs that require Interpersonal Communication Skills

Any job that a candidate applies for requires Interpersonal Communication Skills in some form. Here is a list that describes the various jobs that are pivotal on robust Interpersonal Skills:

Teachers need Interpersonal Skills to work well with their colleagues, students, administrators, and parents. They need to be empathetic and patient as they encourage students to learn and grow.

Administrative Assistants

Administrative Assistants need Interpersonal Skills to be reliable and dependable. They need to communicate regularly with customers and clients and handle their requests and inquiries.

Registered Nurses

Registered Nurses need Interpersonal Communication Skills to provide comfort and care to their patients. They need to be compassionate, emotionally intelligent, self-aware, and emotionally stable as they deal with various health issues and situations.

Marketing Managers

Marketing Managers need Interpersonal Skills to collaborate with their marketing and sales teams and customers. They need to communicate effectively and persuasively as they create and execute marketing campaigns and strategies.

Customer Service Agents

Customer Service Agents need Interpersonal Skills to handle and manage customers. They need to be empathetic, patient, and active listeners as they address customers’ problems, complaints, and feedback.

Benefits of Interpersonal Communication Skills

These skills have wide-ranging applications in both professional and personal contexts. These skills are crucial in fostering effective teamwork, providing exceptional customer service, delivering impactful presentations, and building and maintaining relationships. Here are some key areas where Interpersonal Communication Skills are highly valuable:

Workplace communication

Strong Interpersonal Communication Skills are essential for fostering a positive and productive environment in the workplace. Here's how::

a) Effective teamwork and collaboration: Interpersonal Communication Skills enable individuals to collaborate effectively with colleagues, share ideas, and work together towards common goals.

b) Leadership and management: Strong Communication Skills are crucial for leaders and managers to convey expectations, provide feedback, and inspire their teams.

c) Customer service: Interacting with customers requires exceptional Interpersonal Communication Skills to listen attentively, understand their needs, and provide solutions effectively.

d) Presentations and public speaking : The ability to communicate clearly and engage the audience is vital for delivering impactful presentations or public speeches.

Personal relationships

Interpersonal Communication Skills are equally important in personal relationships for establishing strong connections and resolving conflicts. Here’s how:

a) Building and maintaining relationships: Effective communication helps build trust, understanding, and intimacy in personal relationships, such as friendships, romantic partnerships, and family dynamics.

b) Conflict resolution in personal life: They aid in resolving conflicts constructively, promoting healthy communication, and maintaining harmonious relationships.

c) Active listening in relationships: Being an active listener in personal relationships enhances empathy, fosters deeper connections, and strengthens emotional bonds.

d) Expressing feelings and needs: Effective communication allows individuals to express their feelings, needs, and desires, leading to greater understanding and satisfaction in relationships.

By applying Interpersonal Communication Skills in these areas, individuals can enhance their professional success, build fulfilling personal relationships, and navigate challenging situations with confidence and empathy.

Tips to enhance Interpersonal Communication Skills

Enhancing Interpersonal Communication Skills is an ongoing process that requires continuous improvement. By actively working on these skills, individuals can become more effective communicators and build stronger connections with others. Here are some strategies to enhance your Communication Skills:

a) Practice and feedback: Engage in role-playing and simulations to practice different communication scenarios and seek feedback from trusted individuals to refine Communication Skills.

b) Continuous learning: Attend communication workshops and courses, read books and articles, and watch educational videos on Interpersonal Communication to gain new techniques and insights.

c) Observing role models: Identify effective communicators, analyse their techniques, and apply their insights to personal communication styles.

By consistently practicing, seeking feedback, and learning from others, individuals can enhance their Communication Skills and become more effective and confident communicators. These skills will benefit professional success and build stronger relationships in both personal and professional settings.

Ready to excel in your personal and professional relationships? Join our Interpersonal Skills Course and unlock the keys building strong connections.

Conclusion

Interpersonal Communication Skills are crucial for personal and professional growth. Individuals can build stronger connections and resolve conflicts effectively by practising active listening, improving verbal and nonverbal communication, and fostering empathy. Continuous learning, seeking feedback, and observing role models also play key roles in honing these skills.

Enhance your Communication Skills for personal and professional success with our Communication Skills Course – sign up now!

Frequently Asked Questions

To enhance your active listening skills, you can practice these tips:

a) Pay attention to the speaker and avoid distractions.

b) Show interest and empathy by using verbal and non-verbal cues.

c) Ask open-ended questions and paraphrase what you heard.

d) Give feedback and avoid interrupting or judging.

Yes, improving Interpersonal Communication Skills can boost your confidence. By communicating effectively, you can:

a) Express yourself clearly and assertively.

b) Build trust and rapport with others.

c) Handle conflicts and feedback constructively.

d) Learn from different perspectives and experiences.

The Knowledge Academy takes global learning to new heights, offering over 30,000 online courses across 490+ locations in 220 countries. This expansive reach ensures accessibility and convenience for learners worldwide.

Alongside our diverse Online Course Catalogue, encompassing 17 major categories, we go the extra mile by providing a plethora of free educational Online Resources like News updates, Blogs, videos, webinars, and interview questions. Tailoring learning experiences further, professionals can maximise value with customisable Course Bundles of TKA .

The Knowledge Academy’s Knowledge Pass , a prepaid voucher, adds another layer of flexibility, allowing course bookings over a 12-month period. Join us on a journey where education knows no bounds.

The Knowledge Academy offers various Communication Skills courses , including Public Speaking, Effective Communication and English Grammar Course . These courses cater to different skill levels, providing comprehensive insights into Communication Skills Interview Questions .

Our Business Skills blogs covers a range of topics related to Communication Skills, offering valuable resources, best practices, and industry insights. Whether you are a beginner or looking to advance your Communication skills, The Knowledge Academy's diverse courses and informative blogs have you covered.

Upcoming Business Skills Resources Batches & Dates

Fri 25th Oct 2024

Fri 27th Dec 2024

Fri 28th Feb 2025

Fri 11th Apr 2025

Fri 27th Jun 2025

Fri 22nd Aug 2025

Fri 24th Oct 2025

Fri 28th Nov 2025

Get A Quote

WHO WILL BE FUNDING THE COURSE?

My employer

By submitting your details you agree to be contacted in order to respond to your enquiry

Business Analysis
Lean Six Sigma Certification

Share this course

Our biggest summer sale.

We cannot process your enquiry without contacting you, please tick to confirm your consent to us for contacting you about your enquiry.

By submitting your details you agree to be contacted in order to respond to your enquiry.

We may not have the course you’re looking for. If you enquire or give us a call on 01344203999 and speak to our training experts, we may still be able to help with your training requirements.

Or select from our popular topics

ITIL® Certification
Scrum Certification
ISO 9001 Certification
Change Management Certification
Microsoft Azure Certification
Microsoft Excel Courses
Explore more courses

Press esc to close

Fill out your contact details below and our training experts will be in touch.

Fill out your contact details below

Thank you for your enquiry!

One of our training experts will be in touch shortly to go over your training requirements.

Back to Course Information

Fill out your contact details below so we can get in touch with you regarding your training requirements.

* WHO WILL BE FUNDING THE COURSE?

Preferred Contact Method

No preference

Back to course information

Fill out your training details below

Fill out your training details below so we have a better idea of what your training requirements are.

HOW MANY DELEGATES NEED TRAINING?

HOW DO YOU WANT THE COURSE DELIVERED?

Online Instructor-led

Online Self-paced

WHEN WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THIS COURSE?

Next 2 - 4 months

WHAT IS YOUR REASON FOR ENQUIRING?

Looking for some information

Looking for a discount

I want to book but have questions

One of our training experts will be in touch shortly to go overy your training requirements.

Your privacy & cookies!

Like many websites we use cookies. We care about your data and experience, so to give you the best possible experience using our site, we store a very limited amount of your data. Continuing to use this site or clicking “Accept & close” means that you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more about our privacy policy and cookie policy cookie policy .

We use cookies that are essential for our site to work. Please visit our cookie policy for more information. To accept all cookies click 'Accept & close'.

What Is Interpersonal Communication? (And How To Improve It)

Want to improve interpersonal communication but not sure what to do? Learn from our true-to-life scenarios to become more confident in connecting with others.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

If you want to improve your interpersonal communication skills, you’ve come to the right place! We have real-life examples to enhance your skills and help you become a more engaging communicator.

Why Is Interpersonal Communication Important?

Interpersonal communication is important because it’s how you connect with others to exchange ideas, develop relationships, influence, and give meaning to an experience. Interpersonal communication gives you the skills to offer conflict resolution, solve problems, listen actively, and make yourself understood.

How to Improve Interpersonal Communication Skills (With Examples and Tips)

Here’s a great news: if interpersonal communication is not your strength, it is a skill you can learn!

There are 4 main types of interpersonal communication:

Verbal – Verbal communication is based on what you say and how you say it.
Nonverbal – Nonverbal communication is what you communicate with your body and your face.
Writing – Written communication is communicating through email, text, letter, or any other written form of communication.
Listening – Listening is also communication. When you listen, you communicate how you feel about the other person and what they say.

Let’s look at some examples of these 4 different types of interpersonal communication.

Tip #1 Develop Vocal Confidence

How you communicate matters as much as the words you say. If your voice comes out high, squeaky, or soft and reticent, your verbal skills may not express confidence and strength.

Vanessa Van Edwards recommends speaking on the out-breath.

Vocal strength and resonance are vital when communicating with others. Imagine these scenarios:

Your boss asks you whether the current strategy is reaching predicted sales goals. Which is the better response?

Yes? I think that we are moving in the right direction. All the numbers and things are adding up to be… that way…
Yes. All of the data suggests we are moving in the right direction. I currently have no concerns.

Answer B communicates competence, and confidence, with a clear response. What went wrong in answer A? When your voice goes up at the end of a sentence, it can sound like a question. This is a fast way to appear incompetent and unsure of yourself. Another culprit that can sabotage your communication is letting sentences trail off.

If you’re in a situation where you aren’t sure, you could always try a response that looks like this:

At the moment, the data is inconclusive. Can I get back to you on that?

Instead of hedging around something you’re unsure of, confidently delay your answer.

Master Your People Skills

Create a Memorable Presence
Communicate with Confidence
Achieve Your Goals

Have a question about the presentation or People School? Email Science of People support .

Tip #2 Practice Your Negotiation Skills (Verbal Communication)

Negotiation isn’t just for high-profile businesses and politicians; negotiating is something people do daily. Negotiating involves using communication to come to a reasonable compromise with another person, all while avoiding conflict. Clearly, negotiation is a vital life skill and one that you use daily.

Examples of everyday life negotiations:

Choosing where to go to lunch with friends
Whether to go for a run or stay in bed another 30 minutes
Extending the deadline on a work project
The curfew for your teen

Pro-Tip: Practice your negotiation skills in low-stakes situations and request feedback from friends and family. Assessing your negotiation skills will help you know what to improve and where your strengths lie.

As you practice your negotiation skills, don’t be afraid to speak up but keep your tone calm and stable. Tone, volume, and speed are all critical to effective verbal communication.

Tip #3 Use Self-Awareness to Communicate Who You Are (Nonverbal Communication)

What are your nonverbal habits? Princess Diana used the chin tuck , a nonverbal cue that became a part of her brand and contributed to how we perceived her and even our emotional response to her.

Like Princess Diana, you may do things that people identify as synonymous with you. These nonverbals shape your interpersonal communication if you always slouch in meetings, regularly touch your nose when you’re nervous, cover your mouth when you laugh, or smirk when you disagree.

Nonverbals can damage how others see you; clearly, you don’t want to be perceived as apathetic and lazy (slouching in meetings) or arrogant and condescending (smirking when you disagree).

Pro Tip: Develop self-awareness (intrapersonal communication) by exploring what emotions you feel when you communicate a negative nonverbal. Look for the cause of those emotions, and then strengthen your interpersonal communication by shifting your responses to your environment.

For example, think about why you’re slouching in meetings. It could be because:

You feel anxious in a group setting.
You dislike the person leading the meeting.
There are so many meetings you feel like you can’t manage your workload.

There are solutions to each of these situations, but your nonverbal communication of slouching is not one of them. Instead, it’s counterproductive.

Action Steps: Ask yourself these questions.

What is one nonverbal that communicates a negative message to other people about me?
What do I feel when I use that nonverbal cue? Can I be assertive and address the underlying problem in some way?
What is one nonverbal that communicates a positive message to others? Can I use that to replace other unhelpful nonverbal cues?

Tip #4 Make Connections With Eye Contact (Nonverbal Communication)

Whether gazing into your child’s eyes to build healthy attachment or mutual gazing with someone you’re attracted to, eye contact can strengthen your charisma and connection with others. It’s also a great indicator of whether someone is interested in you.

Use this skill carefully—you wouldn’t want your coworker or potential client to think you’re sustaining eye contact because you’re interested!

Pro Tip: Make eye contact at least 30% of the time, but avoid going over 60-70% .

Examples of good eye contact:

Hold eye contact with your boss for 4-5 seconds to signify you are listening. When you look away, do so to take notes. Nodding is also a comfortable way to look away; you can either look down, up, or to the side as you nod.
When your partner is talking, lean forward, and nod. Hold eye contact as they speak and raise your eyebrows or smile to signify interest in what they say. If you’re in a new relationship, avoid the creeper stare. Glance to the side (avoid looking down as it makes you appear submissive or nervous) so that you’re maintaining eye contact 50% of the time while speaking and 70% of the time when listening.
As a parent, maintain a lot of eye contact with your littles (especially when they are a baby), look deeply into their eyes, and mirror their facial expressions. Eye contact isn’t just about interpersonal communication; studies have found that it’s crucial to human development .

Disclaimer: Remember to take into account cultural differences in eye contact. Studies on eye contact show that Westerners look at the face in a triangle format (eyes to mouth), and East Asians look at the center of the face. While Westerners value eye contact, other cultures may find it disrespectful or even suggestive.

Tip #5 Do an Email Audit (Writing Communication)

We’ve all gotten an email that feels terse, rude, or even passive-aggressive. Do you know what your emails sound like? Are they long and drawn out? Short and terse? Warm and competent?

Vanessa suggests doing an email audit to check what you are communicating digitally.

Action Steps:

Open 5 important emails you’ve sent in the last few days
Look at the first 10 words that you used in each email
Count how many warm words and how many competent words you used

Let’s look at the good, bad, and the ugly of written interpersonal communication.

Scenario 1:

Hey. I need info on cathy. Expected it from you yesterday. Check the atachmint.

Why this doesn’t work:

Typos and terse punctuation
Passive aggressive in tone
Not enough information included
No indication of what the attachment is or what response is needed

Try this instead:

Hey [name], have you received the information on Cathy from the hiring manager? I was hoping to move forward with the hiring process, but I just heard Larry requested we change the job description. I’m not sure Cathy still meets the qualifications with this adjustment. See attached for the updated job description. I’d appreciate it if you could communicate with the hiring manager and then update me on what is happening.

Why it works:

It provides context and clearly outlines what the request is
Offers information about what the attachment is
While not overly warm, this is a good step in the right direction

Pro Tip: Don’t attempt to suddenly ooze warmth in your communication if your typical communication style is abrupt. Instead, work on making minor adjustments to your interpersonal communication. Over time, slowly add warmth, and it will feel more natural.

Scenario 2:

Hey Don! How have you been?? I heard you had a great vacation. So jellies!! 💔💔 Did you get my last email? I know you’ve been busy, but I REALLY need your help! I’ll swing by your office later if I don’t hear from you.

Too many emojis and excessive punctuation
Slightly manipulative
Inconsiderate and unprofessional
Doesn’t communicate what the need or request is

Try this instead:

Hey Don! Glad to have you back from vacation. I know you have a lot on your plate, but I hope you can help me with information on our new client. Jessica mentioned you were their first point of contact. I want to ensure I have the complete picture before I start, and I value your perspective.

I look forward to hearing from you. I’ll be at my desk until 5 if it’s easier to talk in person. Thanks so much!

Why it works:

Polite and professional
Provides context and information upfront
Offers multiple options for a solution while keeping it concise

Tip #6 Use Verbal and Nonverbal Mirroring (Listening Communication)

One of the most powerful interpersonal skills is listening and listening well. We all crave feeling seen and heard, and you can help satisfy that need in the people you interact with. Use verbal mirroring to be even more engaging and charismatic.

Not sure how to do this? Here are some examples:

Nod with someone who is nodding.
Lean forward when the other person leans forward.
Cross your legs in the same way as the person who is speaking.
Repeat words that the other person has used.
Match their cadence and tone in speech.

Mirroring is all about observing the person in front of you. Listen to what they say and how they move and simply mirror that. Mirroring often happens naturally when we attune to others, so we focus more on the person than on mimicking behaviors.

Pro Tip: Avoid mirroring negative body language, such as physically withdrawing or looking away.

Action Steps:

If you’re a restaurant server , use mirroring by repeating the order back to your customer. According to this Dutch study, tips increased by 70% when servers used mirroring . Mirroring is a simple way to help customers feel heard and understood.
If you’re on a date, use the triple nod to keep the other person talking and add a little flirtation by subtly mirroring their body language.
If you have a conflict , use verbal mirroring for conflict resolution (be sure to take a few minutes to cool down first). Unlike other mirroring, both of you will know that this is what you’re doing. It’s active and intentional so that you both feel heard. For example, you tell your partner:

“I feel hurt that you didn’t buy the coffee I asked for. It feels like you don’t listen to me.”

Then, they can respond by saying, “You feel hurt because it feels like I don’t listen to you?”

When one person feels heard, you switch roles, and they share their feelings as well,

“When you ask me to pick up groceries last minute, I feel frustrated and angry. Then I don’t think about what I’m buying. I need time to plan for things, and I don’t feel you understand that about me.”

Then you mirror back what they have said. “So you feel frustrated and angry because I don’t give you time to plan for things, and you feel like I should know this is one of your needs?”

The goal isn’t getting your point across. Instead, it’s listening to the other person and hearing them.

Tip #7 Use Your Face (Listening Communication)

When listening to someone, be deeply engaged! The simple act of flexing your eyelids signals that you are actively engaged in the conversation.

But don’t stop with just one nonverbal cue; your face can communicate much when you’re listening.

Pro Tip: Have you noticed how flat facial expressions can be on video calls (especially in groups!)? Set yourself apart by showing facial expressions that demonstrate active listening.

Use these tips to increase your listening skills:

Raise your eyebrows when you’re surprised by a fact or have heard some unexpected information.
Open your mouth in shock when your friend tells you something that makes them indignant.
Nod three times to show you want to hear more from the speaker.
Avoid pressing your lips together (which could signify displeasure) when you need to listen without judgment.
Tilt your head to indicate you’re listening.

Suffer from resting bitch face (RBF)? Here’s the science behind it and how to fix RBF forever .

What Is the Difference between Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Communication?

Interpersonal communication is how you interact with others, while intrapersonal communication is how you interact with yourself.

Quick Facts on Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication includes oral, written, and nonverbal communication and listening.

Categories of Interpersonal Communication:

Between two people
In small groups
Public speaking

For example, you receive a phone call from your mom who wants to know if you’ve been taking care of yourself and why she hasn’t heard from you.

You use your interpersonal communication skills to reassure her with a soothing voice that you’re just fine and your work project has kept you too busy to think about anything else.

You cheerfully set a date to have lunch together after you’ve completed your work project.

How Intrapersonal Communication is Different from Interpersonal Communication

Intrapersonal communication includes three main components.

Self-awareness. This is how you see yourself, and it shapes your beliefs, values, and mindset.
Perception. Your perception of others filters down from your self-concept.
Expectations. This includes the expectations you have for yourself and those around you.

Categories of Intrapersonal Communication

Between yourself
Self-talk & self-analysis
With books, audio, diaries

Using the example above, intrapersonal communication would include how you respond internally to the phone call from your mom.

Do you feel confident in yourself and your abilities, or does her phone call annoy you because you doubt yourself and feel like others doubt your competence too?

These feelings have to do with your self-awareness, how you perceive others, and the expectations you have for yourself.

Books About Interpersonal Communication

Captivate: The Science of Succeeding of People by Vanessa van Edwards

Succeed with People

Master the laws of human behavior and get along with anyone. Increase your influence, impact, and success. Register below to get your FREE chapter of Captivate.

Unlock the Secrets of Charisma

Control and leverage the tiny signals you’re sending – from your stance and facial expressions to your word choice and vocal tone – to improve your personal and professional relationships.

That’s Not What I Meant! How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks a Relationship , by Deborah Tannen.

Book cover of That’s Not What I Meant! How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks a Relationship, by Deborah Tannen.

A classic book on interpersonal communication, Deborah Tannen explores how to overcome miscommunication and understand what people are trying to communicate.

Key Takeaways for Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication is a vital skill that builds connection and paves the way for career and relationship success.
It is possible to learn interpersonal communication skills.
Interpersonal communication includes nonverbals, verbals, writing, and listening.
Developing vocal confidence and negotiation skills will increase your verbal assertiveness.
Use nonverbal communication to communicate who you are and connect with others.
Check your writing to see how much warmth and competence you are communicating.
Listen well by mirroring others and using facial expressions.

Keep building your interpersonal communication skills with our 10 Interpersonal Intelligence Skills to Master guide.

Popular Guides

How to deal with difficult people at work.

Do you have a difficult boss? Colleague? Client? Learn how to transform your difficult relationship. I’ll show you my science-based approach to building a strong, productive relationship with even the most difficult people.

Science of People offers over 1000+ articles on people skills and nonverbal behavior.

Get our latest insights and advice delivered to your inbox.

It’s a privilege to be in your inbox. We promise only to send the good stuff.

🧠 Be More Memorable With These 5 Simple Cues. New LIVE Training Coming 9/23. 🚨

Home » Modules » Effective Communication » Effective Communication Intermediate » Active Listening and Paraphrasing

Listening: The Key to 2 Way Communication

Some important facts about listening:

the average person speaks anywhere from 125 to 175 words per minute.
we have the ability to listen to around 300 to 450 words per minute.
often our brain does not fully engage in listening as it can multitask and do so many other things while we can still appear like we are listening.

To demonstrate how quickly communication can break down play a quick game of “broken telephone”

Students sit in a circle; the teacher whispers a message (be sure to include lots of descriptive detail) to the first student and then the same message is whispered from one student to the next; the final student says the message out loud; it is often dramatically different from the original message. This game can also further demonstrate the pitfalls of “ Trouble Talk “, specifically rumours and gossip. Relay that this is what happens each day when people believe things others supposedly said without hearing it first hand.

Brainstorm with students all the possible factors that may lead to poor of faulty communication.

Active listening:, active listening is the skill of fully concentrating on what is being said rather than passively hearing the message. it involves not only concentrating on what is being said, but also understanding, responding, and remembering what has been said. it is a skill that can be learned and developed with practice., to demonstrate the importance of active listening try this simple activity with students..

Have students draw a simple design on a piece of paper. Pair students up and without showing their drawing, have them take turns giving instructions on how to replicate the design.

Do this once where the receiver can only listen and not ask questions and then a second time where the the receiver can ask questions after each instruction. Compare the designs. Switch roles.

Brainstorm with students all the possible factors that helped them best recreate the drawing.

Good communication is not only about expressing yourself but also actively listening and working to understand what the other person is saying. Learning and practicing these healthy communication skills will prepare you for the times when communication with someone is most important.

Active Listening is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced.

Introduction to Mindful Listening

This video gives great tips and an intro to breaking the ice and having a good conversation.

Brainstorm with students what active listening means., what does it look like, what does it sound like, what does it feel like.

Paraphrasing:

Paraphrasing is when a person reads or actively listens to a message and is able to clearly express it back in their own words (written or spoken). In a paraphrase, the original ideas or meaning are maintained, but the wording has to be your own. Like active listening, paraphrasing is a skill that needs to be taught explicitly, practiced, and developed.

Forbes India Blogs
Business & Strategy

Paraphrasing and summarising: Two weapons of solid communication

Mastering the two skills will result in fruitful conversations at workplaces.

Most Popular

Bhavna Dalal [[www.bhavnadalal.com](http://www.bhavnadalal.com/)] is the Founder and CEO of Talent Power Partners a Leadership Development company based in Bangalore, India. She is an Executive Master Coach [ICF MCC Certified] with an MBA from IIM Calcutta and has a B.E. in Electronics. She has authored the books Checkmate Office Politics and Team Decision Making endorsed by the likes of Marshal Goldsmith and Dr. Jadgish Seth among many other business leaders. Bhavna has been serving on several compliance commitees and is the Vice President on the Board of Directors of Bodhi Education Society (A not-for-profit that supports schools in rural Andhra Pradesh).

Coach, mentor, advise or instruct: How to develop high-performing teams
Influence without authority: How to be powerful irrespective of your role, position
How can we accept criticism better?
Do you feel taken for granted and undervalued at work?
Why regulating, and not suppressing your emotions is the key to healthy living—and leading
" class="general-icons icon-sq-whatsapp">
" class="general-icons icon-sq-googleplus popup">
" class="general-icons icon-sq-mail">
" class="general-icons icon-sq-print">

Paraphrasing and summarising are powerful yet simple means to enable effective purposeful conversations in the workplace.

The dictionary definition of paraphrase is: par•a•phrase verb Express the meaning of (the writer or speaker or something written or spoken) using different words, especially to achieve greater clarity. noun A rewording of something written or spoken by someone else.

Paraphrasing is a solid means of truly and completely attempting to understand what the person communicating with you is really trying to say.

This may be the single-most critical factor that will facilitate fruitful conversations especially in flatter organisation structures. If roles are going to be defined more and more by responsibility and not by position, it is important that all parties involved have a common understanding of what they are dealing with. If the responsibility and ownership lies with you to get a job done, learning and practising this skill will make your job and communications a lot easier.

Paraphrasing greatly enhances the impact of the conversation.

Organisations need to encourage more and more people to close important conversations in meetings and one on ones by paraphrasing and summarisation. Paraphrasing and summarising are tied together. In order to summarise, we need to paraphrase in our own words.

There are several benefits to paraphrasing at the close of a conversation. It forces you to reflect on what just happened. This leads to deeper introspection and retrospection, hence getting a better understanding of the issue or situation at hand.

This skill very often does not come naturally to us. However, like any other skill, it can be learnt and practised.

Tips on how to paraphrase when communicating ❖ The focus of the paraphrase should be on what the speaker implied, not on what you wanted them to imply. For example, a better way to say, “I think what you mean to say is ...” is replacing it with, “If I am hearing you right, you mean that…?” ❖ In the paraphrase, try to use some of the words that the other person has used. Very often, the meaning of commonly used words has different interpretation for different people. By choosing the words used by the person speaking and coming to a clear common understanding is one of the primary goals of paraphrasing. ❖ You will need to listen to the person speaking actively if you will be paraphrasing what they are saying. This means paying attention to their body language, their expressions and their emotions in addition to their words. ❖ Put the ownership of the paraphrase on yourself, for example, “If I am hearing you right…?” or “If I understand you correctly…?” This makes the other person not as defensive, and hence more open to the conversation. ❖ Phrasing the paraphrase as a question is also a helpful technique, “You are saying that…?”, so that the speaker has the responsibility and opportunity to clarify their original comments in response to your question. ❖ Put the focus of the paraphrase on the other person, for example, if the person said, “I don’t have enough time to do what I want,” then don’t paraphrase, “We all don't have enough time, right?” ❖ Try not to evaluate or judge the other person’s comments. For example, not a good idea to say, “Do you really think that is true?” or “I think it is unfair to make that comment.” ❖ You could use a paraphrase to validate your impression of the other person's comments. For example, it would be okay to name their feelings by saying, “You seemed frustrated on hearing…?” ❖ As much as possible, attempt to keep the paraphrase shorter than the original comments made. ❖ If the other person responds to your paraphrase that you still don’t understand them, give them a few more chances to restate their position.

Summarising is a very important skill for effective communication and is usually followed by paraphrasing. A summary is a concise overview of the most important points from a communication. It could be from a conversation, document or presentation. A well-spoken summary can verify that people understand each other. It can make communications more efficient and ensure that the gist of the communication is captured by all involved. This skill too can be acquired.

Tips on how to summarise effectively ❖ When listening to someone, look for what exactly they are trying to say underneath the words. ❖ Look for any one major point that comes from the communication. ❖ This about what the person is trying to accomplish in the communication? ❖ Try to organise the main and supporting ideas in your head. ❖ Do not introduce any new main points into the summary. If you do, make it clear that you’re adding them. ❖ The summary must always be shorter than the original communication.

Combining the skills of paraphrasing and summarising will allow you to save time and make great impressions in a workplace, where effective communication is greatly valued.

The thoughts and opinions shared here are of the author.

Check out our end of season subscription discounts with a Moneycontrol pro subscription absolutely free. Use code EOSO2021. Click here for details.

" class="general-icons icon-sq-youtube">

Advanced Paraphrasing Tool

Elevate your writing with our free and ai-powered paraphraser. instantly correct or rephrase your sentences in different tones., paraphrasing tool, please rewrite my sentence, what is paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing is the art of rewriting text into other words. This includes using synonyms, restructuring phrases, and connecting ideas in different ways. A state-of-the-art paraphraser provides automatic and simple-to-use rephrasing of complete sentences.

messages.future.landing_page_paraphrasing.features.feature_lt_paraphrasing_01_headline

Why Should I Paraphrase My Sentences?

By paraphrasing existing sentences, you can elevate your writing and achieve different goals as a writer. That’s why rephrasing is helpful in plenty of cases: rewriting citations, strengthening the message of your text, and rewording your ideas while improving style.

messages.future.landing_page_paraphrasing.features.feature_lt_paraphrasing_02_headline

How Does Rephrasing Help Me Become a Better Writer?

This feature is highly customizable, meaning you’re in control. Choose from five different categories—general, formal, concise, fluent, or simple—to transform your writing to better suit the context and tone. Paraphrasing helps you by refining and perfecting your masterpieces.

Where Can I Use the Paraphrasing Tool?

Rephrasing is available wherever and whenever! All you need is a LanguageTool account and a stable internet connection to rewrite your sentences in almost all of LanguageTool's extensions. The feature is easily accessible for everyone that aims to improve their writing.

Thunderbird

What exactly does an online paraphraser do.

LanguageTool’s paraphrasing feature does so much more than just rewrite sentences. Not only does it check for stronger, more suitable word choice, but it also corrects your sentence as a whole to ensure high-quality writing. With its intuitive and user-friendly interface, everyone can leverage Artificial Intelligence to achieve the best results possible.

messages.future.landing_page_paraphrasing.features.feature_lt_paraphrasing_03_headline

What Other Features Does LanguageTool’s Paraphraser Provide?

The best part of using A.I. to paraphrase your writing is that the suggested sentences come free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Want to also improve style? Simply go back to the general correction to view stylistic suggestions.

messages.future.landing_page_paraphrasing.features.feature_lt_paraphrasing_04_headline

As multilingual as you

Make your text sound professional and avoid embarrassing style, punctuation, and grammar mistakes

It’s an online tool that rewrites texts in a new (stylistically different) way by using alternative wording and a rephrased sentence structure.

This function is recommended for all types of texts, including professional, academic, and creative writing. It’s available for all LanguageTool users, but unlimited paraphrasing is only available in Premium.

A paraphrasing tool can easily enhance your writing by improving the tone and style of your text. Moreover, it helps you avoid having to write direct citations by rewriting copy-and-pasted text.

Premium accounts offer even more useful and powerful features:

Only with Premium

Sentence correction of longer texts

Style guide for customizing individual rules

Team features for companies

More in-depth suggestions, especially for word choice and style

How Can I Effectively Use the Rephrasing Tool?

For basic users, the paraphrasing feature is limited to three times daily. If you need more rephrased sentences, you can upgrade to LanguageTool Premium to get access to unlimited paraphrasing in six languages and several English dialects. Remember: No personal data is stored (ever) and privacy guidelines are strictly followed (always).

Strengthen Your Communication Skills

Try out the best paraphrasing tool for free and discover how LanguageTool can elevate your writing.

Body Language and Nonverbal Communication

Improving emotional intelligence (eq), conflict resolution skills, anger management: help for anger issues, managing conflict with humor.

The 5 Love Languages and Their Influence on Relationships
Gaslighting: Turning Off the Gas on Your Gaslighter
Online Therapy: Is it Right for You?
Mental Health
Health & Wellness
Children & Family
Relationships

Are you or someone you know in crisis?

Bipolar Disorder
Eating Disorders
Grief & Loss
Personality Disorders
PTSD & Trauma
Schizophrenia
Suicide & Self-Harm
Exercise & Fitness
Well-being & Happiness
Weight Management
Work & Career
Illness & Disability
Heart Health
Learning Disabilities
Family Caregiving
Teen Issues
Communication
Emotional Intelligence
Love & Friendship
Domestic Abuse
Healthy Aging
Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia
End of Life
Meet Our Team

What is effective communication?

Tips for improving your communication skills.

Tip 1: Understand the barriers to effective communication

Tip 2: Become an engaged listener

Tip 3: pay attention to nonverbal signals, tip 4: keep stress in check, tip 5: assert yourself, effective communication improving your interpersonal skills.

Want better communication skills? These tips will help you avoid misunderstandings, grasp the real meaning of what’s being communicated, and greatly improve your work and personal relationships.

Effective communication is about more than just exchanging information. It’s about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. As well as being able to clearly convey a message, you need to also listen in a way that gains the full meaning of what’s being said and makes the other person feel heard and understood.

Effective communication sounds like it should be instinctive. But all too often, when we try to communicate with others something goes astray. We say one thing, the other person hears something else, and misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts ensue. This can cause problems in your home, school, and work relationships.

But by learning effective communication skills, you can deepen your connections to others, build greater trust and respect, and improve teamwork, problem solving, and your overall social and emotional health

Whether you’re trying to improve communication with your romantic partner, kids, boss, or coworkers, learning the following communication skills can help strengthen your interpersonal relationships.

Tip 1: Understand what’s stopping you from communicating well

Common barriers to effective communication include:

Stress and out-of-control emotion. When you’re stressed or emotionally overwhelmed, you’re more likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. To avoid conflict and misunderstandings, you can learn how to quickly calm down before continuing a conversation.

Lack of focus. You can’t communicate effectively when you’re multitasking. If you’re checking your phone , planning what you’re going to say next, or daydreaming, you’re almost certain to miss nonverbal cues in the conversation. To communicate effectively, you need to avoid distractions and stay focused.

Inconsistent body language. Nonverbal communication should reinforce what is being said, not contradict it. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will likely feel that you’re being dishonest. For example, you can’t say “yes” while shaking your head no.

[Read: Nonverbal Communication and Body Language]

Negative body language. If you disagree with or dislike what’s being said, you might use negative body language to rebuff the other person’s message, such as crossing your arms, avoiding eye contact, or tapping your feet. You don’t have to agree with, or even like what’s being said, but to communicate effectively and not put the other person on the defensive, it’s important to avoid sending negative signals.

When communicating with others, we often focus on what we should say. However, effective communication is less about talking and more about listening. Listening well means not just understanding the words or the information being communicated, but also understanding the emotions the speaker is trying to convey.

There’s a big difference between engaged listening and simply hearing. When you really listen—when you’re engaged with what’s being said—you’ll hear the subtle intonations in someone’s voice that tell you how that person is feeling and the emotions they’re trying to communicate. When you’re an engaged listener, not only will you better understand the other person, you’ll also make that person feel heard and understood, which can help build a stronger, deeper connection between you.

By communicating in this way, you’ll also experience a process that lowers stress and supports physical and emotional well-being. If the person you’re talking to is calm, for example, listening in an engaged way will help to calm you, too. Similarly, if the person is agitated, you can help calm them by listening in an attentive way and making the person feel understood.

If your goal is to fully understand and connect with the other person, listening in an engaged way will often come naturally. If it doesn’t, try the following tips. The more you practice them, the more satisfying and rewarding your interactions with others will become.

Tips for becoming an engaged listener

Focus fully on the speaker. You can’t listen in an engaged way if you’re constantly checking your phone or thinking about something else. You need to stay focused on the moment-to-moment experience in order to pick up the subtle nuances and important nonverbal cues in a conversation. If you find it hard to concentrate on some speakers, try repeating their words over in your head—it’ll reinforce their message and help you stay focused.

Favor your right ear. As strange as it sounds, the left side of the brain contains the primary processing centers for both speech comprehension and emotions. Since the left side of the brain is connected to the right side of the body, favoring your right ear can help you better detect the emotional nuances of what someone is saying.

Avoid interrupting or trying to redirect the conversation to your concerns. By saying something like, “If you think that’s bad, let me tell you what happened to me.” Listening is not the same as waiting for your turn to talk. You can’t concentrate on what someone’s saying if you’re forming what you’re going to say next. Often, the speaker can read your facial expressions and know that your mind’s elsewhere.

Show your interest in what’s being said. Nod occasionally, smile at the person, and make sure your posture is open and inviting. Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like “yes” or “uh huh.”

Try to set aside judgment. In order to communicate effectively with someone, you don’t have to like them or agree with their ideas, values, or opinions. However, you do need to set aside your judgment and withhold blame and criticism in order to fully understand them. The most difficult communication, when successfully executed, can often lead to an unlikely connection with someone.

[Read: Improving Emotional Intelligence (EQ)]

Provide feedback. If there seems to be a disconnect, reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. “What I’m hearing is,” or “Sounds like you are saying,” are great ways to reflect back. Don’t simply repeat what the speaker has said verbatim, though—you’ll sound insincere or unintelligent. Instead, express what the speaker’s words mean to you. Ask questions to clarify certain points: “What do you mean when you say…” or “Is this what you mean?”

Hear the emotion behind the words . It’s the higher frequencies of human speech that impart emotion. You can become more attuned to these frequencies—and thus better able to understand what others are really saying—by exercising the tiny muscles of your middle ear (the smallest in the body). You can do this by singing, playing a wind instrument, or listening to certain types of high-frequency music (a Mozart symphony or violin concerto, for example, rather than low-frequency rock, pop, or hip-hop).

The way you look, listen, move, and react to another person tells them more about how you’re feeling than words alone ever can. Nonverbal communication, or body language, includes facial expressions, body movement and gestures, eye contact, posture, the tone of your voice, and even your muscle tension and breathing.

Developing the ability to understand and use nonverbal communication can help you connect with others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build better relationships at home and work.

You can enhance effective communication by using open body language—arms uncrossed, standing with an open stance or sitting on the edge of your seat, and maintaining eye contact with the person you’re talking to.
You can also use body language to emphasize or enhance your verbal message—patting a friend on the back while complimenting him on his success, for example, or pounding your fists to underline your message.

Improve how you read nonverbal communication

Be aware of individual differences. People from different countries and cultures tend to use different nonverbal communication gestures, so it’s important to take age, culture, religion, gender, and emotional state into account when reading body language signals. An American teen, a grieving widow, and an Asian businessman, for example, are likely to use nonverbal signals differently.

Look at nonverbal communication signals as a group. Don’t read too much into a single gesture or nonverbal cue. Consider all of the nonverbal signals you receive, from eye contact to tone of voice to body language. Anyone can slip up occasionally and let eye contact go, for example, or briefly cross their arms without meaning to. Consider the signals as a whole to get a better “read” on a person.

Improve how you deliver nonverbal communication

Use nonverbal signals that match up with your words rather than contradict them. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will feel confused or suspect that you’re being dishonest. For example, sitting with your arms crossed and shaking your head doesn’t match words telling the other person that you agree with what they’re saying.

Adjust your nonverbal signals according to the context. The tone of your voice, for example, should be different when you’re addressing a child than when you’re addressing a group of adults. Similarly, take into account the emotional state and cultural background of the person you’re interacting with.

Avoid negative body language. Instead, use body language to convey positive feelings, even when you’re not actually experiencing them. If you’re nervous about a situation—a job interview, important presentation, or first date, for example—you can use positive body language to signal confidence, even though you’re not feeling it. Instead of tentatively entering a room with your head down, eyes averted, and sliding into a chair, try standing tall with your shoulders back, smiling and maintaining eye contact, and delivering a firm handshake. It will make you feel more self-confident and help to put the other person at ease.

How many times have you felt stressed during a disagreement with your spouse, kids, boss, friends, or coworkers and then said or done something you later regretted? If you can quickly relieve stress and return to a calm state, you’ll not only avoid such regrets, but in many cases you’ll also help to calm the other person as well. It’s only when you’re in a calm, relaxed state that you’ll be able to know whether the situation requires a response, or whether the other person’s signals indicate it would be better to remain silent.

In situations such as a job interview, business presentation, high-pressure meeting, or introduction to a loved one’s family, for example, it’s important to manage your emotions, think on your feet, and effectively communicate under pressure.

Communicate effectively by staying calm under pressure

Use stalling tactics to give yourself time to think. Ask for a question to be repeated or for clarification of a statement before you respond.

Pause to collect your thoughts. Silence isn’t necessarily a bad thing—pausing can make you seem more in control than rushing your response.

Make one point and provide an example or supporting piece of information. If your response is too long or you waffle about a number of points, you risk losing the listener’s interest. Follow one point with an example and then gauge the listener’s reaction to tell if you should make a second point.

Deliver your words clearly. In many cases, how you say something can be as important as what you say. Speak clearly, maintain an even tone, and make eye contact. Keep your body language relaxed and open.

Wrap up with a summary and then stop. Summarize your response and then stop talking, even if it leaves a silence in the room. You don’t have to fill the silence by continuing to talk.

Quick stress relief for effective communication

When a conversation starts to get heated, you need something quick and immediate to bring down the emotional intensity. By learning to quickly reduce stress in the moment, you can safely take stock of any strong emotions you’re experiencing, regulate your feelings, and behave appropriately.

Recognize when you’re becoming stressed. Your body will let you know if you’re stressed as you communicate. Are your muscles or stomach tight? Are your hands clenched? Is your breath shallow? Are you “forgetting” to breathe?

Take a moment to calm down before deciding to continue a conversation or postpone it.

Bring your senses to the rescue. The best way to rapidly and reliably relieve stress is through the senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, smell—or movement. For example, you could pop a peppermint in your mouth, squeeze a stress ball in your pocket, take a few deep breaths, clench and relax your muscles, or simply recall a soothing, sensory-rich image. Each person responds differently to sensory input, so you need to find a coping mechanism that is soothing to you.

[Read: Quick Stress Relief]

Look for humor in the situation. When used appropriately, humor is a great way to relieve stress when communicating . When you or those around you start taking things too seriously, find a way to lighten the mood by sharing a joke or an amusing story.

Be willing to compromise. Sometimes, if you can both bend a little, you’ll be able to find a happy middle ground that reduces the stress levels for everyone concerned. If you realize that the other person cares much more about an issue than you do, compromise may be easier for you and a good investment for the future of the relationship.

Agree to disagree, if necessary, and take time away from the situation so everyone can calm down. Go for a stroll outside if possible, or spend a few minutes meditating. Physical movement or finding a quiet place to regain your balance can quickly reduce stress.

Find your space for healing and growth

Regain is an online couples counseling service. Whether you’re facing problems with communication, intimacy, or trust, Regain’s licensed, accredited therapists can help you improve your relationship.

Direct, assertive expression makes for clear communication and can help boost your self-esteem and decision-making skills. Being assertive means expressing your thoughts, feelings, and needs in an open and honest way, while standing up for yourself and respecting others. It does NOT mean being hostile, aggressive, or demanding. Effective communication is always about understanding the other person, not about winning an argument or forcing your opinions on others.

To improve your assertiveness

Value yourself and your options. They are as important as anyone else’s.

Know your needs and wants. Learn to express them without infringing on the rights of others.

Express negative thoughts in a positive way. It’s okay to be angry , but you must remain respectful as well.

Receive feedback positively. Accept compliments graciously, learn from your mistakes, ask for help when needed.

Learn to say “no.” Know your limits and don’t let others take advantage of you. Look for alternatives so everyone feels good about the outcome.

Developing assertive communication techniques

Empathetic assertion conveys sensitivity to the other person. First, recognize the other person’s situation or feelings, then state your needs or opinion. “I know you’ve been very busy at work, but I want you to make time for us as well.”

Escalating assertion can be employed when your first attempts are not successful. You become increasingly firm as time progresses, which may include outlining consequences if your needs are not met. For example, “If you don’t abide by the contract, I’ll be forced to pursue legal action.”

Practice assertiveness in lower risk situations to help build up your confidence. Or ask friends or family if you can practice assertiveness techniques on them first.

More Information

Effective Communication: Improving Your Social Skills - Communicate more effectively, improve your conversation skills, and become more assertive. (AnxietyCanada)
Core Listening Skills - How to be a better listener. (SucceedSocially.com)
Effective Communication - How to communicate in groups using nonverbal communication and active listening techniques. (University of Maine)
Some Common Communication Mistakes - And how to avoid them. (SucceedSocially.com)
3aPPa3 – When cognitive demand increases, does the right ear have an advantage? – Danielle Sacchinell | Acoustics.org . (n.d.). Retrieved May 22, 2022, from Link
How to Behave More Assertively . (n.d.). 10. Weger, H., Castle Bell, G., Minei, E. M., & Robinson, M. C. (2014). The Relative Effectiveness of Active Listening in Initial Interactions. International Journal of Listening , 28(1), 13–31. Link

More in Communication

How to read body language to build better relationships at home and work

Boost your EQ to help find happiness and success

Tips for handling conflicts, arguments, and disagreements

How to feel and respond to the emotions of others

Tips and techniques for getting anger under control

Using laughter and play to resolve disagreements

The 5 Love Languages

What they are and how they influence relationships

Woman holding bunch of purple flowers talking to a man

Turning Off the Gas on Your Gaslighter

5 ways to deal with gaslighting

Professional therapy, done online

BetterHelp makes starting therapy easy. Take the assessment and get matched with a professional, licensed therapist.

Help us help others

Millions of readers rely on HelpGuide.org for free, evidence-based resources to understand and navigate mental health challenges. Please donate today to help us save, support, and change lives.

Writing Skills

Improve Your Paraphrasing Skills Using Paraphrasing Tools

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Writing Skills:

A - Z List of Writing Skills

The Essentials of Writing

Common Mistakes in Writing
Introduction to Grammar
Improving Your Grammar
Active and Passive Voice
Punctuation
Clarity in Writing
Writing Concisely
Coherence in Writing
Gender Neutral Language
Figurative Language
When to Use Capital Letters
Using Plain English
Writing in UK and US English
Understanding (and Avoiding) Clichés
The Importance of Structure
Know Your Audience
Know Your Medium
Formal and Informal Writing Styles
Note-Taking from Reading
Note-Taking for Verbal Exchanges
Creative Writing
Top Tips for Writing Fiction
Writer's Voice
Writing for Children
Writing for Pleasure
Writing for the Internet
Journalistic Writing
Technical Writing
Academic Writing
Editing and Proofreading

Writing Specific Documents

Writing a CV or Résumé
Writing a Covering Letter
Writing a Personal Statement
Writing Reviews
Using LinkedIn Effectively
Business Writing
Study Skills
Writing Your Dissertation or Thesis

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and start improving your life in just 5 minutes a day.

You'll get our 5 free 'One Minute Life Skills' and our weekly newsletter.

We'll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

In the age of the internet and technology, everyone is familiar with paraphrasing. Paraphrasing means rewriting or rewording text whilst keeping its original meaning intact. In online business, no website can rank highly without quality content. “Content is king”, as they say, and this determines the ranking of a website in Google search results.

Website owners might hire expert professional writers to produce high-quality content that is inspiring and appealing to their site visitors. The end goal of this uploaded content is to attract more and more visitors to a site since high traffic generates revenue and boosts a business.

In simple terms, without impressive and compelling content, an online business may not prosper. However, it takes a lot of time and effort to create unique and error-free content that will raise the profile and ranking of your business. As a result, the value of and demand for good writers has increased: content truly is king. As long as online business owners keep uploading unique, engaging, and original material, they will enjoy the benefits of their efforts and reap the fruits of progress.

But an issue arises when some business owners try to take a shortcut and steal relevant content to upload to their website. Perhaps, they don’t realize that artificial intelligence can identify this plagiarized content within seconds. Google will not accept plagiarized content, and content thieves may be blacklisted and excluded from Google search engines. Even occasional or unintentional plagiarism content is not allowed.

So, what’s the solution to such a serious problem?

The remedy is easy: paraphrasing.

People within any field, and especially writers, bloggers, researchers, students, and website owners, need to learn to paraphrase. Paraphrasing is simply rewriting the given content in your own words. You will need to change synonyms, forms of verbs, phrases, and sentence structure to rephrase a whole article or blog. However, by doing this you will gain entirely different, new and unique content free of plagiarism. Paraphrasing is a relatively easy task but it is time consuming. If we were to call this age the age of writing or writers, we would not be wrong.

Almost all the writers work with tough timelines, and they have to submit huge amounts of content by the end of each day. So, they seek effective solutions and modern technology has been of great help to them. Though manual rewriting is not difficult, it is time-consuming. Therefore, writers use the help of AI paraphrasing tools. But what are these tools? How do they paraphrase the given content? And how can they improve a writers’ paraphrasing skills?

Let’s consider an overview.

Why and Who Should Use Paraphrasing Tools?

Almost everyone today needs to learn this art. Writers and essayists in particular need to use paraphrasing tools to save time and remove plagiarism. Other potential users may include:

Affiliate Marketers
Freelancers
Copywriters

Paraphrasing tools work exactly like human beings and rephrase content by replacing sentences, phrases, or words to make the text look appealing and, most significantly, unique, all while keeping the meaning of the text unchanged. Such article rewriting software does not need any manual intervention to generate articles automatically. Paraphrasing software uses artificial intelligence to create rephrased content from the original article. You don’t have to be an expert operator to run the rephrasing tools on your computer and you can paraphrase dozens of articles daily by following just a few steps.

Some marketers have expressed suspicion regarding the use of paraphrasing tools in terms of SEO. However, this is not the case and article spinning software will prove beneficial when used correctly. You should make sure you choose the best paraphrasing tools available for a quality paraphrasing service.

Benefits of Using Paraphrasing Tool

Some people have expressed concern as to whether the use of rewriting tools is legal. However, there is no harm in using paraphrasing tools as they are legal and legitimate. The use of an article rewriter can save you precious time as otherwise it may take many hours or days to compose human-readable content manually. A tool takes only a few minutes to reword your chosen material.

These tools are considered effective and favorable for writers who must submit thousands of words of content each day within a specified time. They only need to search for the required articles from Google and put them into a paraphrasing tool to receive high-quality, error-free, and brand-new content. Timely delivery and efficient service will enhance their worth and credibility this way.

A paraphrasing tool is available 24/7 to rephrase your articles any time of day or night. They can also help you in your SEO campaigns by producing powerful content that may qualify your content in search engines. They can also help you to improve your writing skills if you don’t have full command of the English language.

Here, we present five of the best paraphrasing tools that may be helpful in all types of writing endeavors.

AI Paraphrasing Tool

This online paraphraser works efficiently to paraphrase your chosen content by altering words, synonyms, phrases, and sentences, preserving the original sense of the article.

This result-driven tool is perfect to produce human-readable, and uniquely rephrased content. This paraphrasing tool is an easy-to-use tool that can generate a huge amount of impressive content within the shortest possible time.

Millions of writers and bloggers rely on this tool to get their articles written faster for timely delivery. It is equally excellent for SEO specialists who need easily readable and quality content for a high-ranking in-search engines.

Use this tool with great trust to achieve accurate content and avoid duplication and penalties. It has not been developed for a limited group of people. Users can sign up anytime and anywhere around the globe to get the best rewriting services.

Salient Features

Easy-to-use tool
Just copy-paste your content in the box and click ‘paraphrase’
Get thousands of fresh, brand new, and comprehensively informative articles.
A unique quality of the AI Paraphrasing Tool that makes it stand out is its five modes:

All the modes follow natural language processing and create different results.

Free sign-up - no need to pay a single dollar. Just visit the website and find the tool ready to process your content.
Get your bulk content rephrased with fast and accurate results.
No grammatical mistakes
No plagiarism

Spin Rewriter

This is one of the great spinning tools that provides you with meaningful and easily understandable articles and content without losing the original sense. The content generated by this paraphrasing tool is purely human-like and free from grammatical mistakes.

Around 150,000 users are working on this significant tool including teachers, students, SEO experts, translators, bloggers, and research writers. It works on the principle of Emulated Natural Language, spinning your content in a way that does not spoil the original sense. It can paraphrase diverse content at the same time.

The user can compare the original and rephrased content to confirm the reliability and quality of the tool.

The user can enjoy 5 days free trial
The tool carries more than 5 Spintax styles
Naturally creates a paragraph
This paraphrasing tool can be run on any device.
Stock photo integration
The software has combined content marketing and SEO tools like copy-scape
It offers manual as well as automatic spinning
HTML formatting option also available

Kontent Machine

Kontent machine is another reliable article rewriter. It is famous for working with reliable, result-generating tools in the market, so the user can benefit from its backlinking strategies. It creates unique, 100% original, and plagiarism-free content. Another outstanding feature of the software is that it makes your content match with the search engine conditions by incorporating images, videos, and links.

Generates quality content with no sentence errors and plagiarism
Provides link building facility
More than 7 SEO tools have been integrated to enhance the quality of the tool
The user gains cloud campaigns
Anyone with a basic knowledge of running online apps can use it – a very easy-to-use tool
Best paraphrasing tool for all levels

SEO Content Machine

As the name indicates, this paraphrasing tool is equipped with SEO tools that can empower your SEO campaigns along with spinning thousands of articles within a short time. You can receive compelling content snippets as per your keyword choice.

These valuable and relevant content fragments can be injected into your article for SEO purposes, link building, and to fill in your website and blog with inspiring content.

Multiple content sources
This software can work with public and private proxies.
Can translate your article back and forth
Help you find long-tail keywords with a built-in tool.
It helps users post the paraphrased content directly onto WordPress sites.

Paraphrasing Tool

This efficient paraphrasing tool contains millions of synonyms in its database to create accurate rephrased content. It rephrases the content with the most appropriate words, synonyms, and phrases and presents the replaced words highlighted in different colors. Furthermore, it also lets you click on the rephrased word or synonyms to get the original sentence or use another synonym.

The user can also add their own words to get an entirely different version of the original article, thus removing the risk of plagiarism.

Rephrases poems
Generates creative snippets
Summarizes articles
With its spelling and grammar check function, the tool completely proofreads your content, making it error-free and ready to publish.
It can paraphrase both quotes as well as repetitions.
No need to make any payments to sign up - it is a totally free tool

About the Author

Roger Mulley is an SEO content writer at Topbestreview.co and writes for different blogs. He tries to provide newbies with easy access to SEO with the help of blogs.

Continue to: Using Plain English Top 5 Paraphrasing Tools to Improve Your Writing Skills

See also: Essential Copywriting Skills You Need Key Digital Marketing Skills How Paraphrasing and Summarizing Tools Can Improve Writing Skills?

IMAGES

PPT
ES2002 Business Communication Interpersonal Communication Skills.
PPT
Paraphrasing in Therapeutic Communication
Paraphrasing in Therapeutic Communication
Paraphrasing in Therapeutic Communication

VIDEO

Intro to interpersonal communication
Introduction -interpersonal communication
👩 paraphrase with me (crime topic)
Interpersonal Communication
Crafting Powerful Messages: Paraphrasing for Impactful Communication
Unlocking Effective Communication: Paraphrasing and Summarizing

COMMENTS

50 Top Paraphrasing In Communication Skills (2023)
31. Avoid misinterpretation. Misinterpretation is like a dance party gone wrong—you end up stepping on each other's toes. To avoid the mishaps of miscommunication, be cautious while paraphrasing. Pay attention to the speaker's words and nonverbal cues. When in doubt, ask clarifying questions. 32.
Mastering Communication: Paraphrasing and Summarizing Skills
Organize the main ideas, either just in your mind or written down. Write a summary that lists and organizes the main ideas, along with the major point of the communicator. The summary should always be shorter than the original communication. Does not introduce any new main points into the summary - if you do, make it clear that you're ...
Paraphrasing Examples for Better Communication
Original Statement (4): In today's fast-paced business environment, effective communication is a key factor in fostering collaboration, productivity, and innovation. Paraphrase Example: In the rapidly-evolving corporate world, efficient communication plays a pivotal role in promoting teamwork, enhancing output, and stimulating creativity.
Reflecting
Reflecting is the process of paraphrasing and restating both the feelings and words of the speaker. The purposes of reflecting are: To allow the speaker to 'hear' their own thoughts and to focus on what they say and feel. To show the speaker that you are trying to perceive the world as they see it and that you are doing your best to understand ...
Matt Abrahams: The Power of the Paraphrase
Paraphrasing has the power to help you connect with your audience, manage emotions, and steer the conversation. And once you begin to use the technique, you will realize it has the power to help you not only in presentations and meetings, but in virtually any interpersonal conversation. Career & Success. Share this.
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is a listening skill that helps you demonstrate understanding of a message. Utilizing paraphrasing in everyday conversation can greatly help prevent miscommunications with others. We already do this on a day to day basis. For this lesson, we are going to go a bit deeper, and discuss 3 types of paraphrases - Content, Intent, and Tone.
7. Skill Two: Paraphrasing
Interpersonal Skills Training by Alan Wolfelt. 1. DEFINE THE SKILL. a. Paraphrasing is a method of restating the person's basic message in similar, but usually fewer, words. b. State in your words what the person has said. c. Extract the essence of what the person has said. 2.
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is the act of restating or rewording a piece of text or speech in one's own words while maintaining the original meaning. This technique is crucial for effective communication as it demonstrates active listening, enhances understanding, and fosters clarity in conversations. By paraphrasing, individuals can confirm comprehension and ensure that both parties are on the same page ...
Strategies For Building Interpersonal Communication Skills
Active listening is essential for effective communication and building strong relationships. Nonverbal cues, assertive communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence are important aspects of successful interpersonal skills. Strategies such as networking, feedback seeking, and continuous learning can help to develop these skills further.
The Power of Communication: The Principle of Paraphrasing
Let's talk about paraphrasing and why in my view it is a very important principle to know and to understand. A paraphrase is an accurate response to the person who's speaking, which states the essence of the speaker's words in the listener's own words. To put it another way to paraphrase is to express the meaning of something written or spoken using different words in order to achieve ...
Interpersonal Communication Skills: A Complete Guide
Interpersonal Communication Skills are essential for effective connections and relationships. Mastering these skills allows individuals to convey their thoughts clearly, listen actively, and build rapport. These skills contribute to success and fulfilment in personal or professional settings. According to The Future of Work 2021 report, 87 per ...
What Is Interpersonal Communication? (And How To Improve It)
Tip #6 Use Verbal and Nonverbal Mirroring (Listening Communication) One of the most powerful interpersonal skills is listening and listening well. We all crave feeling seen and heard, and you can help satisfy that need in the people you interact with. Use verbal mirroring to be even more engaging and charismatic.
How To Paraphrase For Effective Communication
The most important secret of effective communication. If you do nothing bu this, you will instantly become a better communicator. 844-655-1545 | Cl ick here to book a 100% FREE Consultation
Active Listening and Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing: Paraphrasing is when a person reads or actively listens to a message and is able to clearly express it back in their own words (written or spoken). In a paraphrase, the original ideas or meaning are maintained, but the wording has to be your own. Like active listening, paraphrasing is a skill that needs to be taught explicitly ...
Active Listening Skills and Techniques (With Examples)
Practice these active listening skills and techniques to help improve your interpersonal communication skills: 1. Be fully present ... Paraphrase Engage in active listening by summarizing the main points of the speaker's message to show you fully understand its meaning. This also allows the speaker to clarify vague information or expand their ...
Paraphrasing and summarising: Two weapons of solid communication
The dictionary definition of paraphrase is: par•a•phrase. verb. Express the meaning of (the writer or speaker or something written or spoken) using different words, especially to achieve ...
Active Listening in Peer Interviews: The Influence of Message
The independent variable of interest in this analysis is the message paraphrase element of an active listening response. Three interviewers, two of whom had completed an interpersonal communication course and one who was currently enrolled in the course, were trained to paraphrase messages in response to an interviewee.
AI Paraphrasing Tool
Enhance your writing with LanguageTool's free AI paraphrasing tool. Discover a smarter way to rewrite and refine your text for improved clarity and uniqueness. ... Strengthen Your Communication Skills Try out the best paraphrasing tool for free and discover how LanguageTool can elevate your writing. Try for Free Read more LanguageTool Check ...
Effective Communication Improving Your Interpersonal Skills
Effective communication is about more than just exchanging information. It's about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. As well as being able to clearly convey a message, you need to also listen in a way that gains the full meaning of what's being said and makes the other person feel heard and understood.
Paraphrasing Skills and Tools
AI Paraphrasing Tool. This online paraphraser works efficiently to paraphrase your chosen content by altering words, synonyms, phrases, and sentences, preserving the original sense of the article. This result-driven tool is perfect to produce human-readable, and uniquely rephrased content. This paraphrasing tool is an easy-to-use tool that can ...