60 Ways to Speak Love Using Words of Affirmation

Love languages are a great way to be more intentional in your marriage. They give you ideas for showing love to your spouse in a way that they appreciate. Words of affirmation is one of five different love languages. There are a lot of things you can do when it comes to words of affirmation, beyond a simple “thank you” or “I love you”. I hope this list gives you some ideas to help you love your spouse better!

Related: 7 Truths When Using the Love Languages in Your Marriage

What are words of affirmation?

Words of affirmation is one of The 5 Love Languages, created by Gary Chapman. People who score high on this love language appreciate verbal compliments and affirmation, especially from their romantic partners. Verbal communication speaks volumes to someone with words of affirmation as their love language.

Why words of affirmation are important

Simple and straightforward communication is the best way to speak to your spouse if their love language is words of affirmation. We see in parenting and pet training that positive reinforcements are much better than negative consequences. The same is true in marriage, spouses respond to positive words much better than negative. Someone whose love language is words of affirmation will get their love tank filled with encouraging, kind, humble, and humble words.

Related: Things to Avoid with Each of The 5 Love Languages

How to Show Love Through Words of Affirmation

1. Leave love notes written on sticky notes where they’ll find them
2. Compliment them on things that they do
3. Write a love letter and send it to them in the mail
4. Call them during the workday to check in and let them know how much you love them
5. Share something great about them in a social media post
6. Hide love notes in their lunch bag
7. Verbally thank them for the simple things that they do for you
8. Tell them how attracted you are to them and why
9. Call them by a fun nickname or two
10. Put together a list of the reasons you love them
11. Praise them in front of other people, where they can hear
12. Tell them how proud you are of them
13. Give verbal support and encouragement
14. Randomly share a favorite memory you have of or with them
15. Tell them why you chose to marry them and why you love staying married to them
16. Say “I love you more than_____” and fill in the blank with something you love a lot (ie ice cream, tacos, football, shopping)
17. Engage in pillow talk at the end of the day, before you fall asleep
18. Talk them up as often as possible
19. Listen to them and validate their feelings
20. Let them know how important they are in your life and why
21. Tell them you love them often
22. Let them know how much you trust them
23. List off some things that you love doing with them
24. Tell them what things make them a great spouse
25. Don’t take them for granted
26. Share any positive thoughts you have about them so they hear them
27. Write a note in the foggy mirror with your finger for them to find after their shower
28. Share what qualities you admire about them over dinner
29. Send the lyrics or links to songs that remind you of them and tell them why
30. Leave a voicemail when you know they’ll be unavailable, letting them how much you love them
31. Send them a thank you card in the mail with all of the things you can think of that they do for you on a regular basis.
32. Send a “thank you for providing for our family” email to them while they’re at work
33. When they’re feeling stressed or down, tell them something they’re good at or that you admire about them
34. Leave a note for them on their car windshield when they’re parked at work or in the garage
35. Write “I ‘heart’ you” in the fog on the mirror
36. Do a social media post praising your significant other for something they’ve accomplished recently
37. Text them randomly telling them you love them or something you admire about them
38. Thank them at the moment after they do something for you
39. Leave a note in their wallet or under their car keys for them to find
40. Share things you are proud of them for just with them or with other people
41. Create a “love journal” to write letters of affirmation to each other in
42. Send a text every hour for one day, letting them know something you love or appreciate about them
43. Write them a poem
44. Write them a song, or just the lyrics to a tune you know
45. Make a list of all of the things your spouse does that you benefit from each day and turn it into a thank you note that you can give to them
46. Encourage them in something they are trying to achieve or something that has been difficult for them recently
47. Use a kind tone when speaking to them
48. Repeat the things your spouse has said to clarify details and make sure you understand and are on the same page
49. Sincerely apologize when you have spoken in a way that hurts your spouse or if you have done something to upset them
50. Forgive your spouse and tell them you have forgiven them
51. Make kind requests instead of demanding things of your spouse
52. Respond to requests in a positive way, rather than acting put off
53. Speak positively of them when they are not around
54. Give credit to your spouse where credit is due
55. Avoid complaining about things you do not like that your spouse does
56. Tell them what strengths you see in them and how much you appreciate those
57. Praise your spouse in front of your children
58. Say “I love you” and mean it
59. Answer their phone calls with a pleasant tone, even if they’re interrupting something
60. Set aside time every day to put your phone away and just talk together

Related: The Secret to Success with The 5 Love Languages

Printable checklist of Words of Affirmation Love Language ideas

Click here to download a printable version of this list, checklist-style. If you or your spouse’s love language is words of affirmation, you can use this to find ways to love each other better. It is written in the first person so your spouse can read and mark things as “I appreciate it when you do these things for me”. The checklist includes a few blank spots you can use to fill in your own preferences or examples of words of affirmation if they are not already included in the list. Click here to grab checklists for each of the other love languages.