16,000 words

16,000 words … per day.
Average number of words spoken per day English speaking adult.
Well, okay, depending which report/study, the numbers will vary … and may or may not vary significantly by gender.

But, wow, 16,000 words per day … or anything even close?
Today, were it not for one brief phone call, I’d have not spoken one single word.
And it’s not like I talk much at work or most other situations.
Heck, often many of the days I’m not working, my spoken words may typically be little to nothing more than essential in placing an order at some restaurant or cafe or the like … if I even do so much as that.

Yeah, … most typical days, not much in the way of words spoken … not much dialog, engagement, or “connection” – despite desire to the contrary.
Not atypical I go a whole day with only zero to a handful of words spoken. Bit more now with work ‘n all (does vary among work environments), but still not all that much.
Now, if I do like half an hour to an hour or so or more, of some technical presentation, I might well use up around some significant percentage of speaking 16,000 words total, but that’s a relatively rare exception … and my voice can’t even take talking that long very well at all that clearly audible of a level (no microphone / P.A. system? – more than about half a dozen folks? Survey ’em, and lots of comments like, “Needs to speak up”, “Needs a microphone”, etc. … but if I do speak up (and have done so sometimes), my voice will end up giving out – e.g. can’t do that for anything all that close to an hour.) Well, whatever.

Anyway, yeah, 16,000 words (or so) per day – sure as hell not an “average” day for me, nor anywhere close.