On average, what percent of a message's impact comes from the words spoken?

The choice indicating that 7% of a message's impact comes from the words spoken is based on research conducted by communication experts, notably Albert Mehrabian. His studies suggest that, when it comes to conveying feelings and attitudes, only a small portion of the message is derived from the verbal content—the words themselves. Instead, the bulk of communication effectiveness is attributed to nonverbal elements such as tone of voice and body language.

Therefore, in contexts where emotional content is pivotal, language's impact is significantly overshadowed by nonverbal cues. This highlights the importance of not only the words chosen but how they are delivered, emphasizing that effective communication involves being attuned to both spoken and unspoken elements.