1126: Backchannels: Wordless Expression Jan 8, 2018

In terms of spelling anyhow, 'go!' may be the shortest possible sentence in English, and while people don't always speak in full sentences, this is still only counting words. Incomplete sentences that could still convey meaning are called utterances, and these are usually shorter than sentences given that they can be grammatically incomplete, relying on understood information and context, but again these also rely on words. 'Backchannels', as they're known in psychology, or otherwise 'minimal responses' are the sorts of things that people say to indicate listening, generally, but can be more socially complicatedly and even show empathy. These can range from short phrases like 'oh no' to murmurs and grunts as in 'mmm' or 'mhm'. These rely heavily on non-verbal cues like body-language, as well as the context to whatever the other person is saying, as well as tone, volume etc. making these difficult or impossible to use in text, even if it is just as, or more evocative emotionally than a full sentence could be. Support Word Facts on Patreon, and make sure to vote for the next series! https://www.patreon.com/wordfacts.