Paralanguage is non-verbal language that emphasizes body language and voice nuances as means of expressing thoughts and feelings.

Palalanguage is used by almost all people sometimes unknowingly. The ability to interpret this kind of human communication correctly is considered an important competency in both personal and professional settings. Body language often conveys just as much meaning as spoken words. Good communicators also have the ability to gauge how their own paralanguage affects others and to alter it so as to gain others' trust and to project confidence.

Various aspects of paralanguage include posture, eye contact, hand gestures, and tone of voice. Vocal qualities such as volume and tempo are also part of non-verbal communication. If a speaker changes even one of these aspects, the resulting meaning can be quite different to listeners. People who are able to adjust their non-verbal language to the needs of various situations are generally better at diffusing troublesome interactions such as arguments. This type of communication skill is known as metacommunicative competence.