Language and Gender: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Gendered Speech Patterns in Urban Bangladesh

Abstract

In this study, we investigate how gendered speech is produced and perceived in urban Bangladesh. To do this, we recorded 30 informal mixed-group conversations in Dhaka, which we analyzed for specific linguistic features like hedges and direct commands. We paired this discourse analysis with a perception survey of 150 Bangladeshi listeners. Our results show a tendency for women’s speech to employ more politeness strategies, while men’s communication was often more direct. Crucially, our survey data reveals a stark double standard: listeners judged identical direct speech as confident from a man but aggressive from a woman. However, we found these patterns are not fixed. In specific groups, particularly among university peers, these traditional norms were disrupted. This indicates that gendered language is actively negotiated within social contexts, reflecting a dynamic interplay between tradition and modernization. We conclude that everyday conversation is a primary site for understanding social change and offer practical recommendations for educators and policymakers.

Mother Language, 2025; 9 (2): 21-43