People may show affection and/or love when speaking about their loved ones, or even just when thinking about their loved ones, so don’t assume that a display of affection is necessarily caused by or intended for you, even if you’re the only other person in the room. On the other hand, displays of affection do imply some degree of happiness, so at least you know they are not unhappy to be interacting with you.

Vocal Characteristics

• soft voice
• slow rate of speech
• slurred (not careful or precise) enunciation of sounds.

Shifts to “babytalk” (falsetto, simplified and repetitive speech with greatly exaggerated intonation) are, by definition, an attempt to express affection, though some speakers never indulge in this particular behavior, and it almost never occurs outside of adult-to-infant interactions, human-to-pet interactions, and in private interactions between romantic partners.

Listen!

Facial Expression

Interestingly, there is no recognized facial expression that corresponds to love and/or affection, perhaps because we often wish to express these (otherwise very positive feelings) while simultaneously expressing sympathy for a loved one, mirroring their expressions of sadness, although it is also obviously quite common to smile while expressing affection. The gaze is “warm”: prolonged, but without tension (the eyes are not held rigidly open, the brows are usually not raised).

Here are some expressions made by people showing strong affection/love:

Other Nonverbal Characteristics

The speaker’s body will be oriented toward (facing) the recipient of the affection, and the speaker may move closer to (even into the personal space of) and even touch the recipient.

Obviously, hugs, kisses, and touches, when appropriate, signal affection. Among friends, these touches would typically be hard and brief (a pat on the back, a mock “punch” on the arm, a quick hug or peck on the cheek, etc.). Softer caresses, and hugs of longer duration are generally reserved for romantic relationships, or for moments when comforting is called for.

In cases of romantic love, there are often associated signs of physical arousal: increased breathing rate, blushing, and/or dilated pupils.

The words reveal only that there is no school today, but her manner reveals that she loves you!