Levels of intended meaning of utterances

An utterance's intended meaning may be the same or different at six conceptually distinct levels. Level 0 is the speaker's literal meaning – the conventional meaning of the words as used by the speaker. Level 1 is the speaker's occasion meaning – the pragmatic, on-record intended meaning. Level 2 is the hint level – intended to be recognized as intended, but off-record. Level 3 is the manipulation level – intended to be understood by the hearer but not to appear as intended by the speaker. Level 4 is the secret or deception level – meanings that underlie an utterance yet are not meant to be recognized. And level 5 is the subconscious or self-deception level - meanings that underlie an utterance but are not fully known even to the speaker. These distinctions are advanced as an aid to precision in theory and research on verbal communication in psychotherapy and interpersonal relationships.