What is communication accommodation theory in simple terms?

People match their accent or speed to those they want to get closer to and deliberately speak differently when they want distance.

Is accommodating always good?

Moderate convergence increases liking, but overdoing it, such as speaking too simply to older adults, can feel condescending.

Communication Accommodation Theory

🎨 Media, Arts & Culture By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated October 27, 2026

Communication accommodation theory is a communication theory holding that people adjust their communication, including accent, speech rate, intonation and vocabulary, to their conversation partners in order to get closer to them or, conversely, to create distance. Howard Giles began it in the 1970s as speech accommodation theory and later broadened it to communication generally. Convergence toward a partner signals liking and affiliation, while deliberate divergence displays one's group identity.

Contents

1. Convergence and divergence
2. Social identity and expansion of the theory
3. Evidence and critiques
4. FAQ
5. References

Convergence and divergence

Giles, Taylor and Bourhis (1973) found in experiments with English and French speakers in Canada that people evaluated partners more positively the more those partners accommodated to their language. Building on this, the theory centers on convergence, moving closer to a partner's accent, speed or vocabulary, and divergence, deliberately accentuating differences. Street (1982) confirmed that merely matching noncontent features such as speech rate leads partners to be rated as more competent and likable. People converge to gain approval and communicate efficiently, and diverge to protect pride in their own group.

Giles, Coupland and Coupland (1991) broadened the theory beyond speech style to topic selection, turn-taking and level of explanation, renaming it communication accommodation theory. Drawing on social identity theory, it treats conversation as both an encounter between two individuals and an encounter between two groups. Overaccommodation, such as speaking to older adults too slowly and simply, may look considerate but can feel patronizing. Gallois, Ogay and Giles (2005) reviewed intergenerational, intercultural and health communication research, emphasizing the role of context and intergroup relations.

Evidence and critiques

Danescu-Niculescu-Mizil and colleagues (2011) showed in Twitter conversations that people choose words that match their partners' style. Gasiorek and Giles (2012) showed experimentally that reactions to nonaccommodation depend on whether people attribute it to disregard or to unavoidable constraints. Soliz and Giles (2014) used meta-analysis to show that appropriate accommodation leads to relational satisfaction and positive evaluations. Critics argue that the theory's breadth lets it explain almost anything, making it hard to falsify. Along with face-negotiation theory, it is a leading theory of intercultural communication.

FAQ

What is communication accommodation theory in simple terms?: People match their accent or speed to those they want to get closer to and deliberately speak differently when they want distance.
Is accommodating always good?: Moderate convergence increases liking, but overdoing it, such as speaking too simply to older adults, can feel condescending.

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26

References

Giles, H., Taylor, D. M., & Bourhis, R. (1973). Towards a theory of interpersonal accommodation through language: Some Canadian data. Language in Society, 2(2), 177–192. An early statement of speech accommodation with Canadian data.
Street, R. L., Jr. (1982). Evaluation of noncontent speech accommodation. Language & Communication, 2(1), 13–31. Shows convergence in speech rate and style improves evaluations.
Giles, H., Coupland, N., & Coupland, J. (1991). Accommodation theory: Communication, context, and consequence. In H. Giles, J. Coupland, & N. Coupland (Eds.), Contexts of Accommodation (pp. 1–68). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Broadens speech accommodation into communication accommodation theory.
Gallois, C., Ogay, T., & Giles, H. (2005). Communication accommodation theory: A look back and a look ahead. In W. B. Gudykunst (Ed.), Theorizing About Intercultural Communication (pp. 121–148). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Reviews three decades of research and future directions.
Danescu-Niculescu-Mizil, C., Gamon, M., & Dumais, S. (2011). Mark my words! Linguistic style accommodation in social media. In Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on World Wide Web (pp. 745–754). New York: ACM. Large-scale evidence of style accommodation on Twitter.
Gasiorek, J., & Giles, H. (2012). Effects of inferred motive on evaluations of nonaccommodative communication. Human Communication Research, 38(3), 309–331. Shows inferred motives shape reactions to nonaccommodation.
Soliz, J., & Giles, H. (2014). Relational and identity processes in communication: A contextual and meta-analytical review of communication accommodation theory. Annals of the International Communication Association, 38(1), 107–144. A meta-analytic review of accommodation effects.

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This article was last updated on October 27, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.