Difference between written and spoken language?

The main difference is that most written language is intended to be read by someone who is separated from the writer in space and time. Therefore to communicate successfully, it has to be a lot more explicit than spoken language used in a face to face conversation, because the reader cannot ask the writer for clarification. Although some written genres such as texts and e-mails are very similar to spoken language, in general written language is more dense (more content words in a smaller space) uses more subordinate clauses and has less redundancy (words like ''sort of'', ''like'', ''you know'', ''yeah?'')

This is a big area, because there's no dividing line between spoken and written really - it's more helpful to think of prepared versus spontaneous language, because you can have unprepared written language (notes, e-mails) and prepared spoken (lectures, speeches)

Hope that helps a bit.

Written -

Space bound - there are only so many words you can fit in a given space
Permanent - once written it has to be deliberately erased
Static - there are no additional features

Spoken -

Time bound - there is only so much you can say in a given time
Transient - once it is said it is gone (unless its being taped!)
Dynamic - there are additional features - speed, pitch, intonation, stress, accent etc

Written = how its spelt

Spoken = how it sounds

Thats why we have a phonetic alphabet.

Obviously one is written and one is spoken. However, the way people speak affects the way they write. If everyone spoke grammatically correctly, then it would follow that their spelling would improve. I even hear presenters on the television saying 'could of' these days when it is clearly 'could have'. People are misinterpreting could've as meaning could of when it means could have.

One uses a pen or pencil.



********EDIT************

Uhm– yes STUPID questions get STUPID answers. How much more general of a question could you have asked? It barely makes sense it could be answered so many different ways. People were making that point. If you had a lick of intelligence, you'd get that.

Written language is only a complement to a certain spoken language.
Spoken language comes in to existence long before it comes into form in its written sense.

Written language is governed by diction, grammar, structures, etc. but not pronunciation. It's more standardized and more universal. Whereas spoken language is more "dialect" where pronunciation of the words can be different from one region to another.

For example:
1) English: British vs. American.
2) Chinese: Mandarin vs. Cantonese vs. Shanghainess

Even German spoken in Germany is different from that spoken in Austria.

I guess you are talking about the difference between spoken language (we use in everyday life) and literary language used in written language. Correct?
well, that's an interesting topic. Spoken language is simplified, not so strict about grammar and often concise. It is more sensitive to "fashion": Some words or expressions are used for short time then the will disappear or change meaning. This is even more obvious when it comes to slang. Slang is a form of very versatile spoken language.
Written language doesn't change very fast. It is more strict about grammar and syntax.
The gap between written and spoken language depends on the language. For example in French, you will never use a 'passe simple' when you talk but it's normal to use it when you write. While in Spanish you will use it for both.
Hope it helped...

the difference is that written goes with " spellings" while spoken goes
with "pronunciations or sounds " In other words, some grammatical
errors can be condone in 'spoken lang', but in 'written lang' you must
be penalized for errors.

one uses youre tounge the other a pencil or pen, unless you can write with youre tounge