Hedges, Fillers, Tag Questions, Indirect Requests, Euphemisms, Intensifiers, Precise Terms, Weak Expletive Terms, and Apologetic Requests are all language features often used by women that make their language 'weaker'
Book: Language and Women's Place(1975)
-Men=dominant, Women= lack of power
-Women's language= lacks authority, less decisive and inherently deficient when compared to men's
-Socialisation(not biological difference) to be blamed for perpetuating the notion that women's lanuage is lacking , when compared to the assumed male norm
×WEAKNESS× Took place in a male dominated academic climate and didn't consider other factors that account for unconfident responses in women; the study was also largely anecdotal and intuitive.
"Women are systematically denied access to power, on the grounds that they are not capable of holding it as demonstrated by their linguistic behaviour.
×WEAKNESS× Lakoffs research was based purely on her own observations, not any linguistically vigorous testing.