Most societies place secveral roles and expectations on people depending on their gender. These differ from culture to culture, but they’ve existed for a very long time and you can see their effect in multiple languages, including English. Gender roles and expectations sometimes lead to biases that affect the way people talk about others. These biases often show themselves as gendered language.

Gendered language is when the language you are using makes a gendered assumption, such as the word “policeman” or the phrase “last man standing”. This is not to be confused with grammatical gender, which is simply the use of grammatically correct language when refering to someone’s gender (for example, referring to your mother with “she/her” pronouns).

This guide will provide several examples of gendered language and teach you the nuances of using it.

Where Is Gendered Language Commonly Used?

Gendered Language in Everyday Speech

Gendered language is common in everyday conversations. For example, a friend of yours might call your teacher “Mr.” by mistake when the teacher is a woman. While this is a harmless mistake, the friend could’ve avoided it by calling her “Teacher” or by asking their name, as names can indicate someone’s gender. In meetings, you might also refer to someone as “Mr.” or “Mrs.” to show respect, even if the feminine versions such as “Mrs.” and “Ms.” might have different connotations. These are called honorifics.

Gendered Language in the Workplace

Job titles commonly include lnguage that reflects gender biases and cultural expectations. For example, a lot of English speaking countries have a problem with treating female workers worse than their male counterparts, and will often be more assumed to be in more server roles like bartenders or flight attendants. Continuing to use gendered versions of job titles such as “policeman” or “barmaid” perpetuates stereotypes, so it is better to use the gender neutral title for someone’s job when you can.

Gendered Language in Media and Literature

If a business is advertising towards a specific gender, it might use terms and language that could appeal more directly to its target audience. Furthermore, it might lean into gender stereotypes to help establish a connection with the audience or try to communicate that the product helps them fulfil gender roles. For example, a lot of products for household items back in the 1950s assumed women would be taking care of the house, and advertisements would often portray these women as struggling with their chores until they switch to using the advertised product.

Tv shows and movies might also contain gendered phrases, although their meaning can depend on the context in which they’re used. Some might use it as a way to establish higher stakes for a protagonist(if the language is derogatory in some way), and as a way to subvert gendered stereotypes for any gender later on in the story. If a movie is older, it might use such phrases to present an outdated gender biases. When watching a movie or TV show, try to identify the message behind these phrases.

The Pros and Cons of Gendered Language

Pros of Gendered Language

Sometimes you need gendered phrases so the grammar is consistent. For example, saying “She is Ms. Penelope” makes more grammatical sense than saying “She is Mx. Penelope” as you’ve already established that this person uses feminine honorifics. Some people might also use that language to refer to themselves and how they see themselves in the context of their culture. It is also a good way to add some nuance to your stories, for example by having a female protagonist subvert her peers’ previously established expectations.

Cons of Gendered Language

Historically, gender stereotypes have been harmful to people both socially and mentally. Gendered phrases often include these stereotypes and even enforce them by making them seem natural or harmless. This language has also been used to exclude non-binary people or other genders besides male or female. Being inclusive is important if your goal is to create a space where people can work together to improve productivity and general quality of life, so it’s best to avoid using this language if it implies exclusion.

Examples of Gendered Language

Gendered Job Titles And Their Gender Neutral Counterparts

• “Policeman” vs. “Police officer”
• “Stewardess” vs. “Flight attendant”
• “Fireman” vs. “Firefighter”
• “Cameraman” vs. “Camera operator”
• “Headmistress” vs. “Principle”
• “Bussiness man” vs. “Entrepreneur” 
• “Delivery man” vs. “Courier”
• “Salesman” vs. “Salesperson”
• “Fisherman” vs. “Fisher”
• “Groundsman” vs. “Gardener”
  

Gendered Honorifics and Titles

• “Mr.” 
• “Mrs./Miss/Ms.”
• “Dr.”
• “Sir”
• “Lady”
• “Proffesor”
• “Your Honor”
• “Lord”
• “Madam”
• “Mx.”
  

Gendered Pronouns and Phrases

• “He/him” 
• “They/them”
• “She/her”
• “Boys will be boys”
• “Man up” 
• “Like a girl”
• “Girly”
• “Manpower”
• “Ladies and gentlemen”
• “You guys”

How to Tell When You’re Using Gendered Language

Since gendered language is rooted in bias, you may not always be aware when you end up using it. Your gender biases can creep into speech and writing without you realizing. These biases don’t make you a bad person, but you should try to sunderstand how said beliefs inform the language you use. You can do this by listening stories from the perspective of a different gender, making friends with more people of different genders, or actively rewriting your sentences using neutral language. Take the time to review your word choices and make sure you aren’t relying on prejudiced or stereotypical phrases.

When you’re writing a story, this is a little easier since you can always re-read and edit your work.

When Gendered Language Is Appropriate vs. Inappropriate

Appropriate Uses of Gendered Language

• Cultural, historical, or religious contexts: Different time periods come with different ideas and standards about gender, so you might see this language when looking over historical and cultural records. You might also use this language when analysing or quoting sources to keep everything accurate. Different cultures may also have different ideas about gender, and it is important to respect them if they aren’t hurting anyone.
  
• Creative writing where characters reflect real-life speech: If you want to portray a character as biased towards or against another gender, you might have them use this sort of language frequently.
  

Inappropriate Uses of Gendered Language

• Workplaces and hiring processes: During the hiring process, you need to open yourself up to potentioal cadidates from as many demoare discriminating against certain applicants.
  
• Legal, academic, and professional communication: Gendered language often includes bias. Using it during legal, academic or professional communication can make you seem like you have ulterior motives, and hurt the objective nature of such writing.
  
• Global or public-facing brand messages: The wider your audience, the more you need to ensure that you are not using language which could alienate members of said audience.
  

Conclusion

To recap, gendered language is shaped by a society’s history, culture, and typical gender responsibilities. While appropriate in some contexts, it is better to use gender neutral terms unless you are sure it will not be offensive, and if it is not enforcing harmful stereotypes. You can still respect different cultures and be inclusive while using gendered speech, but this takes practice.

If you want a simple and supportive place for that practice, join one of our English Whatsapp courses!