Differences of language features on males and females
1. Language features on males and females in several
There is a serious question whether men and women who speak a
particular language use it in different way or not. In fact, women and men
do not speak exactly the same way as each other in any community. The
differences in their speech not only in choice of words or grammar but also
in the way they convey their speech (Kuntjara, Esther, 2003:1). According
to Jonet Holmes, there are differences style and features of the language
between men and women. Females and males are socialized in a very 
 
different condition and expectation so they produce very different
language style.
Linguistics study mentioned that women realize of their low status in
society. So they tend to use more standard speech forms in order to make
equality or acceptance high social status. In the other side, Lakoff tells that
women have experienced discrimination twice. First is the discrimination
on language and second discrimination on how language can be
appropriate for women. It is described by Lakoff that women are asked to
speak like a lady. She has to be calm and polite. If they do not speak like a
lady, people will judge them like impolite women. But, if they speak calm
and polite like a lady, people will judge them as powerless women
(Kuntjara, Esther, 2003:4). Again, linguistics study tells if women are
more linguistically polite than men.
Moreover, based on Lakoff, a linguist claims that there are ten
language features used by women. There are lexical hedges, tag question,
rising intonation, empty adjective, precise color, intensifier, hypercorrect
grammar, super polite forms, avoidance of strong swear words and
emphatic stress. It shows that females have their own style language
(Holmes, Janet, 1990: 286). Additionally Jepersen says that women think
and read more quickly than men do and therefore fly from subject to
subject (Wofson, Nessa, 1989:162). Here, research emphasizes that there
is different language features on males and females. Truly, this difference
may bring a consequence for the language itself or not. People will more
 
realize to distinguish whether the vocabulary choice used to describe men
or women.   
Base on all discovery from many researchers, there are four
categorizes of the cause of appearing differences (Kuntjara, Esther,
2003:7). Here there are:
1. Women are more sensitive on what they speak.
Women tend to be sensitive from in using language. In contrast, men
tend to more pay attention with the information than the function of
language itself. 
2. The discovery finds women often use intimacy words, but men less
pay attention about the intimacy words. Men language point out their
power to others speaker.
3. Men often do interruption. The purpose is to show their power. In
other side, women more often dominate in home than men. 
4. Women tend to use standard form than men. It is because standard
form express high social status for user. It is assumed if women have
low social status than men so they will use standard form in their
speech to make equality.
Finally, men and women use different language style in their speech.
It is influenced with their position and status in society. 
2. Language features on males
 
It was explained above that gender has brought differences in
language features on males and females. Here in this part, the writer wants
to give specific explanation about what language features on males is. It is
assumed that males have high social status in society. Language seems like
power for man. Men had power over language to define meaning and they
showed their power in the language they used during interaction (Coates,
Jennifer, 1998:5). It can reflect men‟s power. So they tend to dominate
communication. Several years ago man controlled over language to claim
his power. It was proven by researcher named Spender. Spender (1980)
identified that in the past men have had control over language (as
philosophers, orators, politicians, grammarians, linguists, lexicographers
and so on), so they encoded sexism into language to consolidate their
claim of male supremacy (Weatherall, Ann, 2002:3).
 Furthermore, based on explanation above, men use language as
power. Power in language using is very important part of gender
differences in speech. For example, men often do interruption than
women. Commonly interruption will appear in interaction not only in same
gender but also in cross-gender interaction. In fact, almost all the
interruption comes from males (Holmes, Janet, 2000:294). So they use
interruption as the way to show their power over women in conversation.  
Another way power may be expressed in language by the way people
address each other. It will be more respectful to using real name rather than
nick name. In fact, men on the whole, are more likely to challenge norms of
 
language and communication because they are generally in more powerful
positions than women (Weatherall, Ann, 2002:4). Therefore men ignore the
norms of language to express their power. 
Again, men use more of the vernacular forms than women do
(Holmes, Janet, 2000:153). Men often use fewer-in pronunciations than
women. For example, when a man wants to say “leaving”, he tends to
mention “leavin”. There is no –ing in the end of word. Another example, in
the words “killing” and “standing”, men prefer to pronounciate “killin” and
“standin”. Those words are called vernacular form. They are often used by
men. It was researched by a sociolinguist, Peter Trudgill.
 Besides, in study of American children‟s speech in a semi-rural New
England village, it was found that the boys used more [in] and the girls more
[in] forms. Later studies in Boston and Detroit identified the same pattern.
Boys used more vernacular forms such as consonant cluster implication: e.g.
las’ [las] and tol’ [toul], rather than standard last [last] and told [tould]
(Holmes, Janet, 2000:156). Actually people from higher social status will
use proportionately more standard form and fewer vernacular forms than
people from lower class. However, men still take vernacular form in their
speech. It is because they expect to get toughness and macho connotation.
Gossip is also included to be one of linguistics styles. However, it
carries different language styles. Men have their own gossip to be talked
than women. Thing and activities are more discussed by men. They will
ignore their sympathy feeling or reaction.
 
3. Language Features on females
It has been explained and discussed about language features on males.
Females also have language features. Robin lakoff an American linguist
mentioned that women‟s speech were characterized by linguistics features
such as lexical hedges or filler, tag question, rising intonation or
declaratives, empty adjectives, precise color, intensifiers, hypercorrect
grammar, super polite forms, avoidance of strong swear words and emphatic
stress (Holmes, Janet, 2000:286).
Women use lexical hedges such as you know, sort of, well, you see to
express their uncertain. In the same way their purpose of using hedges is
they think if they will not be heard by men. So, women use hedges to show
their lack of confidence. In the same way, in speaking of hedges, Lakoff
includes all modifiers which serve to make a statement less than assertion
(Wofson, Nessa, 1989:176). 
Fillers also become a feature of female language. The examples of
fillers are /...uh.../, /...um.../, /...mmh.../, /...ah.../, /...yeah.../, /...right.../, etc.
By fillers women gave more conversational support than men (Mestrie,
Rajend, 2000:231). They expressed their interest in their partner‟s
conversation topic by using fillers. It can be concluded that women expect
to keep conversation going. The function of fillers is to have same equality
with men where women can accomplish in every situated interaction or
communication.
 
Next, tag questions describe language features on females. Sometimes
men and women create tag question, but it is more done by women. Tag
question such as /...isn‟t it.../, /...won‟t you.../, /...don‟t you.../, etc are used
to give politeness, critics and forcefulness effect. Moreover Lakoff (1975)
argued that women frequently used tag questions where they were reluctant
to state a proposition baldy: “The way prices are raising is horrendous, isn‟t
it?” (Mestrie, Rajend, 2000:236). Another research came from Janet
Holmes. He identified four obvious function of tag question (Mestrie,
Rajend, 2000:237). Here they are:
1. Epistemic modal tag
It is used to express uncertainty about information that will be
conveyed. But it does not express politeness. Below the example:
 Young woman recounting school experiences to her friend.
I did my exam in sixty-three was it.
2. Challenging tag
This tags question pressure someone to replying utterances. It
expresses impoliteness. Here the example:
Superintendent to Detective Constable during interview critising the
constable’s performance.
A :”You‟ll probably find yourself um before the Chief Constable,
okay?”
B :”Yes, sir, yes, understood.”
3. Facilitative tag
 
Here, it invites people to give contribution in the conversation. This
tag question has function to express politeness for the listener. Below
the example:
Host, Fiona, to Tom, a guest at her dinner party.
You‟ve got a new job Tom haven‟t you?
4. Softening tag
It is used to reduce the force of potentially negative utterance. So by
using softening tags a woman shows negative politeness.
Example :
Wife to husband viewing flood on kitchen floor.
Well that wasn‟t the best bit of plumbing you‟ve ever done was it.
Then, rising intonation on declaratives belong to be one kind of
language features on female. Lakoff says that women may answer a
question with a statement that employs the rising intonation pattern usually
associated with a question rather than the falling intonation pattern
associated with making a firm statement (Wardhough, Ronald, 1986:317). 
Here rising intonation points out hesitancy. Rising intonation is used
by women who feel doubt to give opinion. Besides, lakoff claims that
women show nonassertive behavior by using question intonation in
conjunction with declarative sentences. Also, Lakoff mentions that in
answer question like “When will dinner be ready?” women will respond not
with a statement but with a question intonation response, such as “Oh, about
eight o‟clock?” (Wofson, Nessa, 1989:176).  
 
Women also employ empty adjectives for example adorable,
charming, divine, lovely, sweet, precious, darling and fantastic. Edelsky
(1976) found that by six years, children statements are classified such as,
“That‟s an adorable story” as more likely to be said by women (Weatherall,
Ann, 2007:187). It means since child, women are used to use empty
adjectives. In other way, women use precise colour like magenta, beige,
aquamarine, mauve, and lavender. They more often use those precise
colours than men. 
Besides, intensifiers such as just, very, definitely, very definitely,
surely, such a, and so on are used by women. They have function to
emphasize the force of assertion. It is also to persuade the listener so they
will be serious to listen. 
Another feature is hypercorrect grammar. Women use standard form
consistently than men. In all English speaking, for instance, women use
more-ing (in) pronunciations and fewer-in (in) pronunciations than men. It
is because women have more status- conscious than men. Women use
hypercorrect grammar to get same social status with men. 
Language feature on females is super polite forms. In tag question, it
can be one of example super polite forms. For women who used facilitative
tags or standard form, it meant they show their uncertainly by polite forms.
Brown (1990) mentioned women relative powerlessness, for instance, their
vulnerability in relation to men and their need to protect their reputation
(Mestrie, Rajend, 2000:235). It means women tend to speak carefully and
 
politely than men because the polite form that is used by them can help
them to be sophisticated women. 
In the other side, women also do avoidance of strong swear like oh my
Goodness. Last the language feature on females is emphatic stress. To
showing their attention or their feeling when they listening is by use
emphatic stress like brilliant.