---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Words are the part of silence that can be…"
description: "\"Words are the part of silence that can be spoken.\" — Jeanette Winterson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/jeanette-winterson-166_language_words-are-the-part-of-silence-that-can-b_1626232.png"
---

#  Words are the part of silence that can be spoken.

![“Words are the part of silence that can be spoken.” quote by Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/jeanette-winterson-166_language_words-are-the-part-of-silence-that-can-b_1626232.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/jeanette-winterson-166_language_words-are-the-part-of-silence-that-can-b_1626232.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/jeanette-winterson-166_language_words-are-the-part-of-silence-that-can-b_1626232.png)

> “Words are the part of silence that can be spoken.”

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Silence contains unspoken words that can be expressed when given voice.

**In simple terms:** Silence holds speakable words.

Key Takeaway

Give voice to what’s left unsaid.

Themes

silence expression communication

Mood

introspective poetic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- creative writing
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

literary theory psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- What unspoken words linger for you?
- When is silence more powerful than speech?

A Different Perspective

Not all silence is ready to be spoken; timing matters.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Silence Spoken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence-spoken-339304/) [Spoken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoken/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Words Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-silence-339303/)

## Related quotes

> [“Turn down the daily noise and at first there is the relief of silence. And then, very quietly, as quiet as light, meaning returns.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/turn-down-the-daily-noise-and-at-first-there-is-the-relief-of-silence/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“Truth for anyone is a very complex thing. For a writer, what you leave out says as much as those things you include. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/truth-for-anyone-is-a-very-complex-thing-for-a-writer-what-you-leave/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [ Our view of man will remain superficial so long as we fail to go back to that origin \[of silence\], so long as we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/our-view-of-man-will-remain-superficial-so-long-as-we-fail-to-go-back/)

[Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/)

> [“In Texas there’s so much space words have a way Of getting lost in the silence before they’re spoken So people hang on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sarton/in-texas-there-s-so-much-space-words-have-a-way-of-getting-lost-in/)

[May Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sarton/)

> [If your actions cannot prove the truth of your words, then silence is my reply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/if-your-actions-cannot-prove-the-truth-of-your-words-then-silence-is/)

[Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/)

> [“no words. silence says the things we struggle to say”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-h-sin/no-words-silence-says-the-things-we-struggle-to-say/)

[R.H. Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-h-sin/)

> [“Silence allows people to put thoughts into words. Some people might need several minutes to put thoughts into words. Silence may indicate the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-dodge/silence-allows-people-to-put-thoughts-into-words-some-people-might/)

[Richard E. Dodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-e-dodge/)

> [There is always a little TRUTH behind ''mazaak kr raha tha'', A little EMOTION behind ''mujhe koi fark nhi padata'', And a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashish-prakash/there-is-always-a-little-truth-behind-mazaak-kr-raha-tha-a-little/)

[Ashish Prakash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashish-prakash/)

> [“Always pay attention to how people respond to your growth and blessings. Their words and their silence reveal important truths. People will not always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-verd/always-pay-attention-to-how-people-respond-to-your-growth-and/)

[Nicky Verd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicky-verd/)

> [Love needs not words, but silence, so it could be heard using the heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-needs-not-words-but-silence-so-it-could-be-heard-using-the-heart/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Shift your attention from words to silence and you will hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/shift-your-attention-from-words-to-silence-and-you-will-hear/)

[Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/)

> [You don't always have to defend yourself with your words. Sometimes your silence gives people a clue that you have better thoughts in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-don-t-always-have-to-defend-yourself-with-your-words-sometimes/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [All my years to this moment All my roads to this wall. All my words to this silence All my pride to this fall.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-fisher/all-my-years-to-this-moment-all-my-roads-to-this-wall-all-my-words-to/)

[Catherine Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-fisher/)

> [“Silence can be breathing space and spawn release and wellness in a time of appalling inflation of words. But silence may be intolerably screaming,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/silence-can-be-breathing-space-and-spawn-release-and-wellness-in-a/)

[Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/)

> [“Now more than ever, 33 Himmel Street was a place of silence, and it did not go unnoticed that the Duden Dictionary was completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/now-more-than-ever-33-himmel-street-was-a-place-of-silence-and-it-did/)

[Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/)

## More by Jeanette Winterson

> [“After nine nights must come ten and every desperate meeting only leaves you desperate for another. There is never enough to eat, never enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/after-nine-nights-must-come-ten-and-every-desperate-meeting-only/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [I have found that I am not a space where people want to live, at least not without decorating first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-have-found-that-i-am-not-a-space-where-people-want-to-live-at-least/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“Yes. Just pass me my leg will you? It's on top of the wardrobe where he threw it, and I think my right arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/yes-just-pass-me-my-leg-will-you-it-s-on-top-of-the-wardrobe-where-he/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [Every second the Universe divides into possibilities and most of those possibilities never happen. It is not a uni-verse -- there is more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/every-second-the-universe-divides-into-possibilities-and-most-of/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [You are a pool of clear water where the light plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-are-a-pool-of-clear-water-where-the-light-plays/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“It's the cliches that cause the trouble. A precise emotion seeks a precise expression. If what I feel is not precise than how should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/it-s-the-cliches-that-cause-the-trouble-a-precise-emotion-seeks-a/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [What would it have meant to be happy? What would it have meant if things had been bright, clear, good between us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-would-it-have-meant-to-be-happy-what-would-it-have-meant-if/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“Mrs Ratlow was a widow, and she was head of English, but she still did all the cooking and cleaning for her two sons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/mrs-ratlow-was-a-widow-and-she-was-head-of-english-but-she-still-did/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“I shall have nowt to talk to now the baby is boiled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-shall-have-nowt-to-talk-to-now-the-baby-is-boiled/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“What art does is to coax us away from the mechanical and towards the miraculous. The so-called uselessness of art is a clue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-art-does-is-to-coax-us-away-from-the-mechanical-and-towards-the/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [Happy Valentines Day to those who have found love, in whatever shape or form, and to those who are still hunting, don’t give up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/happy-valentines-day-to-those-who-have-found-love-in-whatever-shape/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“It took me a long time to realise that there are two kinds of writing: the one you write and the one that writes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realise-that-there-are-two-kinds-of-writing/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [A curse on this game. How can you stick at a game when the rules keep on changing? I shall call myself Alice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/a-curse-on-this-game-how-can-you-stick-at-a-game-when-the-rules-keep/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“He turned away and I turned to him in vivid heat to look on the sun-dried world. The groves and towers were gone. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/he-turned-away-and-i-turned-to-him-in-vivid-heat-to-look-on-the-sun/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

[Explore all 1,016 Jeanette Winterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

## More Language quotes

> [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/)

[Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/)

> [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/)

[Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/)

> [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/)

[John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/)

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/)

[TimBur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timbur/)

> [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/)

[Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/)

> [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/)

[Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/)

> [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/)

[Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/)

> [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/)

[Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/)

> [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/)

[Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/)

> [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Words can kill you trust towards someone, mind you language people, every reaction had its consequence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/words-can-kill-you-trust-towards-someone-mind-you-language-people/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Finxerunt animi, raro et perpauca loquentis. (To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/)

[Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/)

> [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/)

[Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/)

[Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Words are the part of silence that can be spoken.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jeanette Winterson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/words-are-the-part-of-silence-that-can-be-spoken/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Language"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/words-are-the-part-of-silence-that-can-be-spoken/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/jeanette-winterson-166_language_words-are-the-part-of-silence-that-can-b_1626232.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/jeanette-winterson-166_language_words-are-the-part-of-silence-that-can-b_1626232.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/jeanette-winterson-166_language_words-are-the-part-of-silence-that-can-b_1626232.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Words are the part of silence that can be spoken.” — Jeanette Winterson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jeanette Winterson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Words are the part of silence...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/words-are-the-part-of-silence-that-can-be-spoken/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/words-are-the-part-of-silence-that-can-be-spoken/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
