What does pragmatics study in terms of language use?

Pragmatics studies the relationship between language and users, focusing on how context influences the interpretation and use of language in communication. This encompasses the social aspects of language, such as how speakers and listeners take into account their shared knowledge, cultural background, and situational context when conveying meaning. Pragmatics examines how meaning can shift based on context, speaker intention, and listener perception, making it essential for understanding effective communication beyond mere lexical definitions or grammatical structures.

In contrast to other aspects of language study, such as structural rules, word meanings, and phonetic organization, pragmatics emphasizes the interplay between language and the users who engage with it, including their intentions and the relational dynamics at play during communication.