Nonverbal cues can substitute for words. For example, a traffic officer’s outstretched palm substitutes for the word stop. Substituting is common in situations where words are unavailable (communicating with someone who speaks a different language) or when speaking aloud would be inappropriate (at the symphony or during a religious service). Substitution cues signal information you’d rather not say aloud (raising your eyebrows at your partner to signal you want to leave a party) or help you communicate when you don’t know the words to use (pointing to the location of pain to your doctor) (Rowbotham, Holler, Lloyd, & Wearden, 2012).

Sometimes you may nonverbally substitute silence for words. If your roommate is driving you nuts with her constant talking (while you’re trying to write a paper), you may become silent and look away from her when she asks for your input on last night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars (Giles, Coupland, & Wiemann, 1992). Silence may also be a sign of deference (as when you don’t express your opinion because the other has higher status); it may also signal defiance (as when you refuse to answer someone who angers you) (Ng & Ng, 2012).