History Main / SlidingScaleOfAnimalCommunication

* '''Level 7''': ''All'' animals are {{Talking Animal}}s, whether speech impaired or not, and there are no language barriers between the human stand-in animals and the normal ones. There are no humans other than {{Token Human}}s in the setting. TalkingAnimal world examples are allowed if there there are no humans showing up in the world or mention of humans being in the world at all whatsoever.

* '''Level 7''': ''All'' animals are {{Talking Animal}}s, whether speech impaired or not, and there are no language barriers between the human stand-in animals and the normal ones. There are no humans other than {{Token Human}}s in the setting. TalkingAnimal world examples are allowed if there there are humans showing up or even mention of humans in the world whatsoever.

* '''Level 7''': ''All'' animals are {{Talking Animal}}s, whether speech impaired or not, and there are no language barriers between the human stand-in animals and the normal ones. There are no humans other than {{Token Human}}s in the setting.

* '''Level 8''': ''All'' animals are {{Talking Animal}}s, whether speech impaired or not, and there are no language barriers between animal and human communication.

* The Chipmunks and The Chippettes from AlvinAndTheChipmunks, both in the cartoons and in the live action movies

* WowWowWubbzy

* '''Level 6''': A lot to most animals of a lot of species can talk, whether with speech impediments or not, and be understood by people. More often than not, the non-talking animals are those that are designated as pets. There is still a language barrier, but some examples are close to not having one at all. The example can either be a human world example or a FunnyAnimal world example.

* '''Level 7''': ''All'' animals are {{Talking Animal}}s, whether speech impaired or not, and there are no language barriers between animal and human communication.

Related to BrotherhoodOfManimals, FurryConfusion, and LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy. Supertrope of TheDoctorDolittle, which is Level 4, and AnimalTalk, which is Level 3. Related to SpeechImpairedAnimal, TalkingAnimal, and SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism.

!!!Level 4: Some Animals Can Talk And Be Understood By People:

!!!Level 5: A Lot To Most Animals Can Talk:

!!!Level 6: Every Single Animal Can Talk And Be Understood By People:

* '''Level 2''': Like Level 1, it occurs when there are no humans other than {{Token Human}}s in the setting and only human stand-in animals can talk, but unlike Level 1, anthropomorphic animals regardless of species are allowed to talk. Still, the only way they can talk with ''other'' animal species is with a translation device.

* '''Level 3 - AnimalTalk''': Animals have their own language and can talk freely to each other, but to human ears this language is either silence or nothing more than a stream of unintelligible babble. Sometimes the animals can understand human language. Sometimes, not all species can talk in this manner ([[NoCartoonFish fish]] and [[CarnivoreConfusion evil predators]] being the most common examples), or only members of the same / similar species can understand each other's particular "language". Again, the only way they can be understood by people is with a translation device.

* '''Level 4 - TheDoctorDolittle''': Much like the previous level, but with the addition of certain humans who can understand AnimalTalk without need for a translation device. Sometimes the animals can understand the person's human words in return, but other times the understanding is strictly one-way. Sometimes, these people may talk to animals in the animal's own language, but for only one species of animal.

* '''Level 5''': There are certain kinds of {{Talking Animal}}s who can talk freely with people (with or without [[SpeechImpairedAnimal speech impediments]]). Sometimes it may be limited to one, two, or a few specific individuals, but more often than not the ability to talk will be shared by most members of one, a few, or some species.

Related to BrotherhoodOfManimals and LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy. Supertrope of TheDoctorDolittle, which is Level 4, and AnimalTalk, which is Level 3. Related to SpeechImpairedAnimal, TalkingAnimal, and SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism.

{{AC:Western Animation}}

* '''Level 1''': A variant of the above occurs when there are no humans in the setting, and ''one'' species of animal is allowed to talk, these {{talking animal}}s being the world's equivalent for humans. Again, the only way they can talk with ''other'' animal species is with a translation device.

* '''Level 2 - AnimalTalk''': Animals have their own language and can talk freely to each other, but to human ears this language is either silence or nothing more than a stream of unintelligible babble. Sometimes the animals can understand human language. Sometimes, not all species can talk in this manner ([[NoCartoonFish fish]] and [[CarnivoreConfusion evil predators]] being the most common examples), or only members of the same / similar species can understand each other's particular "language". Again, the only way they can be understood by people is with a translation device.

* '''Level 3 - TheDoctorDolittle''': Much like the previous level, but with the addition of certain humans who can understand AnimalTalk without need for a translation device. Sometimes the animals can understand the person's human words in return, but other times the understanding is strictly one-way. Sometimes, these people may talk to animals in the animal's own language, but for only one species of animal.

* '''Level 4''': There are certain kinds of {{Talking Animal}}s who can talk freely with people (with or without [[SpeechImpairedAnimal speech impediments]]). Sometimes it may be limited to one, two, or a few specific individuals, but more often than not the ability to talk will be shared by most members of one, a few, or some species.

* '''Level 5''': A lot to most animals of a lot of species can talk, whether with speech impediments or not, and be understood by people. More often than not, the non-talking animals are those that are designated as pets. There is still a language barrier, but some examples are close to not having one at all. The example can either be a human world example or a FunnyAnimal world example.

* '''Level 6''': ''All'' animals are {{Talking Animal}}s, whether speech impaired or not, and there are no language barriers between animal and human communication.

Related to BrotherhoodOfManimals. Supertrope of TheDoctorDolittle, which is Level 3, and AnimalTalk, which is Level 2. Related to SpeechImpairedAnimal, TalkingAnimal, and SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism.

!!!Level 2: Animals Can Talk, But Not To People:

!!!Level 3: Some People Can Understand AnimalTalk, A.K.A., TheDoctorDolittle:

* TheRescuers and [[TheRescuersDownUnder its sequel]] count, but since only children are shown to talk to animals, this may be in between Level 3 and this level.

** This example may fall between this level and Level 5.

* ChipNDale, Goofy's mynah bird Ellsworth, and even Pluto the dog (albiet extremely speech impaired) and Humphrey the bear (albeit [[TheUnintelligible unintelligibly]]) from the ClassicDisneyShorts. Note that even though there is at least one TokenHuman, this is a FunnyAnimal world.

* TheLegendOfTheTitanic starts at level 3, but then goes to full-blown level 6 in its sequel.

** The show implies Level 3 actually. When Baby Jaguar appears in ''DoraTheExplorer'', we don't understand him.

Supertrope of BrotherhoodOfManimals, which is often at Levels 5 and 6, TheDoctorDolittle, which is Level 3, and AnimalTalk, which is Level 2. Related to SpeechImpairedAnimal, TalkingAnimal, and SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism.

* '''Level 5''': '''BrotherhoodOfManimals''': A lot to most animals of a lot of species can talk, whether with speech impediments or not, and be understood by people. More often than not, the non-talking animals are those that are designated as pets. There is still a language barrier, but some examples are close to not having one at all. The example can either be a human world example or a FunnyAnimal world example.

Please don't list any examples of this type.

* The animals in KimbaTheWhiteLion literally all speak to HUMANS! And they learn the dub language in like 5 seconds!
* In ''Manga/PocketMonsters'' all Pokemon speak, except the protagonists Pikachu.

* ''SluggyFreelance'', with a remarkable lack of any consistent underlying logic. Bun-bun can talk, and he does have extraordinary physical abilities and an only partially revealed past involving tangling with supernatural beings, but there's still no actual indication he's meant to be anything but an incredibly BadAss rabbit that happens to talk. Kiki can talk, as could all the other animals in the animal testing lab she was found in, but it's never said this was the result of any experiment performed on them, and it looks like it wasn't. The Easter Bunny can talk, but he's a... [[AnthropomorphicPersonification lepomorphic personification]]? Frog can talk as a result of a genetically modified earwig altering his brain and giving him intellect ([[ItMakesSenseInContext it makes a little more sense in context]]), but his mate Corsica can't, having remained an ordinary frog like he used to be. Some animals can only talk AnimalTalk, which the talking animals may understand, but Corsica is pretty brainless and it's become clear Frog is in fact only imagining her croaks have any meaning — especially as [[spoiler: it's not even the same Corsica any more, and he can't tell the difference]]. Sometimes animals are intelligent and/or talk just for a joke. Sometimes humans think animals shouldn't talk, sometimes they're not bothered by it.

* ''SluggyFreelance'', with a remarkable lack of underlying logic. Bun-bun can talk, and he does have extraordinary physical abilities and an only partially revealed past involving tangling with supernatural beings, but there's still no actual indication he's meant to be anything but an incredibly BadAss rabbit that happens to talk. Kiki can talk, as could all the other animals in the animal testing lab she was found in, but it's never said this was the result of any experiment performed on them, and it looks like it wasn't. The Easter Bunny can talk, but he's a... [[AnthropomorphicPersonification lepomorphic personification]]? Frog can talk as a result of a genetically modified earwig altering his brain and giving him intellect ([[ItMakesSenseInContext it makes a little more sense in context]]), but his mate Corsica can't, having remained an ordinary frog like he used to be. Some animals can only talk AnimalTalk, which the talking animals may understand, but Corsica is pretty brainless and it's become clear Frog is in fact only imagining her croaks have any meaning — especially as [[spoiler: it's not even the same Corsica any more, and he can't tell the difference]]. Sometimes animals are intelligent and/or talk just for a joke. Sometimes humans think animals shouldn't talk, sometimes they're not bothered by it.

* ''SluggyFreelance'', with a remarkable lack of underlying logic. Bun-bun can talk, and he does have an only partially revealed past involving tangling with supernatural beings, but there's still no actual indication he's meant to be anything but an incredibly BadAss rabbit that happens to talk. Kiki can talk, as could all the other animals in the animal testing lab she was found in, but it's never said this was the result of any experiment performed on them, and it looks like it wasn't. The Easter Bunny can talk, but he's a... [[AnthropomorphicPersonification lepomorphic personification]]? Frog can talk as a result of a genetically modified earwig altering his brain and giving him intellect ([[ItMakesSenseInContext it makes a little more sense in context]]), but his mate Corsica can't, having remained an ordinary frog like he used to be. Some animals can only talk AnimalTalk, which the talking animals may understand, but Corsica is pretty brainless and it's become clear Frog is in fact only imagining her croaks have any meaning — especially as [[spoiler: it's not even the same Corsica any more, and he can't tell the difference]]. Sometimes animals are intelligent and/or talk just for a joke. Sometimes humans think animals shouldn't talk, sometimes they're not bothered by it.

* ''SluggyFreelance'', with a remarkable lack of underlying logic. Bun-bun can talk, and he does have an only partially revealed past involving tangling with supernatural beings, but there's still no actual indication he's meant to be anything but an incredibly BadAss rabbit that happens to talk. Kiki can talk, as could all the other animals in the animal testing lab she was found in, but it's never said this was the result of any experiment performed on them, and it looks like it wasn't. The Easter Bunny can talk, but he's a... [[AnthropomorhicPersonification lepidomorphic personification]]? Frog can talk as a result of a genetically modified earwig altering his brain and giving him intellect ([[ItMakesSenseInContext it makes a little more sense in context]]), but his mate Corsica can't, having remained an ordinary frog like he used to be. Some animals can only talk AnimalTalk, which the talking animals may understand, but Corsica is pretty brainless and it's become clear Frog is in fact only imagining her croaks have any meaning — especially as [[spoiler: it's not even the same Corsica any more, and he can't tell the difference]]. Sometimes animals are intelligent and/or talk just for a joke. Sometimes humans think animals shouldn't talk, sometimes they're not bothered by it.

Supertrope of BrotherhoodOfManimals, which is Levels 5 and 6, TheDoctorDolittle, which is Level 3, and AnimalTalk, which is Level 2. Related to SpeechImpairedAnimal, TalkingAnimal, and SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism.

[[AC:Video Games]]
* SonicTheHedgehog and co. are capable of understanding and being understood by humans, which really isn't that much of an example considering [[AdultChild Egg]][[ArchEnemy man's]] short temper.

* '''Level 2 - AnimalTalk''': Animals have their own language and can talk freely to each other, but to human ears this language is nothing more than a stream of unintelligible babble. Sometimes the animals can understand human language. Sometimes, not all species can talk in this manner ([[NoCartoonFish fish]] and [[CarnivoreConfusion evil predators]] being the most common examples), or only members of the same / similar species can understand each other's particular "language". Again, the only way they can be understood by people is with a translation device.

* Wonderland in the animated Disney version of {{Disney/AliceInWonderland}}

* Most of the animals in Wonderland in the Disney live action {{Film/AliceInWonderland}}

* ChipNDale, Goofy's mynah bird Ellsworth, and even Pluto the dog (albiet extremely speech impaired) and Humphrey the bear (albeit [[TheUnintelligible unintelligibly]]) from the ClassicDisneyShorts. Note that even though there is a TokenHuman, this is a FunnyAnimal world.

Supertrope of TheDoctorDolittle, which is Level 3 and AnimalTalk, which is Level 2. Related to SpeechImpairedAnimal, TalkingAnimal, and SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism.

* '''Level 5''': A lot to most animals of a lot of species can talk, whether with speech impediments or not, and be understood by people. More often than not, the non-talking animals are those that are designated as pets. There is still a language barrier, but some examples are close to not having one at all. The example can either be a human world example or a FunnyAnimal world example.

* ChipNDale, Goofy's mynah bird Ellsworth, and even Pluto the dog (albiet extremely speech impaired) and Humphrey the bear (albeit [[TheUnintelligible unintelligibly]]) from the ClassicDisneyShorts. Note that even though there is a TokenHuman, this is a FunnyAnimal world.

* Most of the animals in CourageTheCowardlyDog can talk.