The Number of Words You Say in a Day Is Shrinking
A U.S.-based study found that the average person's daily word count dropped by 28% between 2005 and 2019, from about 16,600 to under 12,000 words, a decline of roughly 330 words per day each year. Researchers analyzed audio recordings from over 2,000 people and found the steepest decline among those under 25, likely due to increased use of digital communication. Factors such as social isolation, remote work, and contactless technologies may be reducing opportunities for spoken interaction. Experts warn that losing everyday conversation could harm social connection and emotional well-being.
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People are talking less than they used to. A lot less.Between 2005 and 2019, the number of words the average person uttered in a day fell by 28%. That’s according to a recent study from a team of U.S.-based researchers.“We estimated the difference at about 330 fewer words spoken per day for each year during that time period,” says Matthias Mehl, a professor of social psychology at the University of Arizona. That adds up to roughly 120,000 fewer words spoken during the course of a year, and millions of fewer words spoken during the 15-year study period. “It’s a substantial loss,” he says. The finding came about when Mehl, working alongside Valeria Pfeifer of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, analyzed audio recordings collected from more than 2,000 people—mostly Americans.
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