This document outlines common barriers to effective communication and provides tips to overcome them. The 14 barriers discussed are poor language skills, interruptions, overuse of idioms, emotional interference, lack of feedback, poor listening, unclear speech, variations in accents, wrong perceptions, information overload, miscommunications, punctuation issues, muddled messages, and wrong assumptions. Some strategies suggested to address these barriers include improving vocabulary, avoiding unnecessary information, speaking clearly, getting feedback, and asking for clarification instead of making assumptions.

1. OVERCOMING COMMUNICATION
BARRIERS

2. BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
1) Poor language skills
2) Interruptions and noise
3) Overuse of idioms
4) Emotional interference
5) Absence of feedback
6) Poor listening skills or
Inattentiveness
7) Not speaking with clarity
8) Variations in accents in
different countries
9) Wrong perceptions and
wrong inferences
10) Information overload
11) Miscommunications
12) Punctuation
13) Muddled messages
14) Wrong assumptions

3. HOW TO OVERCOME THE BARRIERS
1) POOR LANGUAGE SKILLS:
• Improve vocabulary.
• Think in the language.
• Crosswords are a good way to improve
vocabulary.
2) INTERRUPTIONS AND NOISE:
• Identify the sources of noise and see if the
source of noise can be lowered or stopped.
• Speak more loudly.

4. 3) OVERUSE OF IDIOMS:
• Idioms may make your communication more
difficult to be understood. So its always good to
avoid overuse of idioms.
4) EMOTIONAL INTERFERENCE:
• An emotional individual may not be able to
communicate well as he may be too preoccupied
with emotions to receive the intended message.
• So emotions must not be mixed up with
communication.

5. 5) ABSCENCE OF FEEDBACK:
• Without feedback, communication is one
way.
• Prompt feedback is very effective and
necessary in communication
6) POOR LISTENING SKILLS OR
INATTENTIVENESS:
• People can improve their listening skills by
deciding to be a better listener,
concentrating, keeping an open mind, and
giving feedback.

6. 7) NOT SPEAKING WITH CLARITY:
• Even if you’re pressured for time, don’t rush
through your communication.
• Speak with clarity. Pronounce each word properly.
8) VARIATIONS IN ACCENTS IN DIFFERENT
COUNTRIES:
• Everyone has an accent in their native form of
speech. The mother tongue affects how speakers
would pronounce words in foreign language.
• Listening to people with native accent and
learning a few key phrases of the language used
can help.

7. 9) WRONG PERCEPTIONS AND WRONG
INFERENCES:
• When the receiver has a different perception
from that of a sender then communication is
affected.
• This can be overcome by thinking in the
speaker’s point of view
10) INFORMATION OVERLOAD:
• Overload reduces the audiences ability to
concentrate on the most important messages.
• So one must try to eliminate unnecessary
information and stick to important information.

8. 11)MISCOMMUNICATIONS:
• Miscommunications occurs due to unclear
information
• Make a point of saying exactly what you
mean.
• Avoid assuming things and ask clarifications if
necessary.
12)PUNCTUATION:
• punctuation marks (or missing punctuation
marks) can completely change the meaning
of your writing.

9. 13)MUDDLED MESSAGES:
• Effective communication starts with a clear
message.
• Feedback from the receiver is the best way
for a sender to be sure that the message is
clear rather than muddled.
14)WRONG ASSUMPTIONS:
• When information is not clear ask for
clarifications instead of assuming.
• Reflect clearly on what the speaker said.