Eli5 What is the difference between being “mute” and being “nonverbal”?

Question

Eli5 What is the difference between being “mute” and being “nonverbal”?

In: 11

Answer 1

in certain highly stressful situations, i go nonverbal.

i absolutely have the mental and physical ability to speak. however, usually as a stress response, my throat clamps shut and i cannot utter speech.

in contrast, there are some people who are mute. they lack the physical and/or mental ability to speak. this can include deaf folks, because the brain does not know what speech is supposed to sound like and this cannot attempt easily to make those sounds that are not heard.