It is finals week and you have just finished your exams. Unexpectedly, the professor of your hardest class comes over to you and says, “May I have a word with you?” A request like this can send shivers of fear down a student’s spine. In a different context, a kind word whispered in one’s ear can bring feelings of joy, happiness or comfort. Human speech can have many different effects on people just by using different words. The words, the identity of the speaker, and the context