20 Examples of Difference Between Oral and Written Language

The main difference between oral language and written language It lies in the fact that the first is manifested through phonemes, that is, linguistic sounds, and the second is manifested through graphemes, that is, letters. For instance: Oral language is used in a call and written language is used in a text message.

Language is a set of signs that are used in a communicative exchange between people. These signs can be transmitted orally or in writing, that is, the same signs are used in both types of language.

However, the way in which these signs are manifested (oral or written) determines how the acquisition occurs, what the use is like and what the rules are.

Characteristics of the spoken language

Characteristics of the written language

Examples of difference between oral language and written language

1. Invitation by phone (spoken language): Hello! Do you want to come to dinner on Saturday?
2. Invitation by letter (written language):
   Estimated:
   Through this letter we would like to invite you to a dinner that will be held on Saturday 10/25 at 9:00 p.m. at Av. López 123.
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3. Greeting between two friends who meet in the street (spoken language): Hello! So long! How are you?
4. Greeting in a letter someone writes to a friend (written language):
   Dear Jose:
   How are you?
5. Oral Test Response: Well, as you will see, photosynthesis is quite a complex process, through which plants, some of them, acquire the nutrients they need to live.
6. Written Test Response: Photosynthesis is a process by which plants acquire the nutrients they need to live.
7. Question in conversation (oral language): How? Who has won the award? (in this case the intonation is what determines that a question is being asked)
8. Question in a letter (written language): Who has won the award? (in this case it is the question marks that determine that a question is being asked)
9. Explanation of a fact (oral language): As I said before, yes, the governor has won. (information is omitted, for example, that he has been re-elected because he has won the elections, because it is obvious information in the context)
10. Explanation of a fact (written language): The governor was reelected last Sunday.
11. One person gives directions to another on how to get to a place (oral language): Not this street, not the other either, on the third you must turn left and you will find the pharmacy. (Deictic pronouns are used to refer to a street, which the speaker is probably pointing at).
12. Directions on a map (written language): You should drive 150 km south on Route 40 and then turn left at the roundabout.
13. Consultation for the price of a shirt (spoken language): How much does it cost? (A deictic pronoun [this] is used because in the context it is evident which shirt is being referred to)
14. Consultation for the price of a shirt through the chat of a website of a clothing brand (written language): How much does the black shirt with red flowers cost? (Pronouns are not used, but the object that is being asked is named and described, since in that context it is not obvious)
15. Announcement of a winner in a contest (spoken language): And the winner is (pause to generate suspense and expectation) the contestant number 517.
16. Announcement of a contest winner by letter (written language):
    Estimated:
    By this letter we want to inform you that you have won the architecture competition.
    Congratulations!
    We will contact you shortly.
    Kind regards.
17. Narration of a story in person (oral language): It is said that many centuries ago, no one really knows how long ago, there was a castle, not far from here, in which a prince lived.
18. Narration of a story in a storybook (written language): Once upon a time there was a prince who lived in a castle. (Generally, there is a structure that determines how the stories are told, although it can be modified)
19. A teacher explains to the students how to do an essay (oral language): You will have to deliver a monograph, which must have a hypothesis and must have an introduction, development and conclusion. In addition, the letter they must use is Arial 12 with intermediate line spacing and the extension must not exceed ten pages.
20. A text that explains how to write a monograph (written language):
    Guidelines for the monograph:
    It must include a hypothesis.
    Structure: introduction, development and conclusion.
    Font: Arial 12 with 1.5 spacing.
    Length: between eight and ten pages.

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