Absurdists often express concern that language might obstruct rather than facilitate genuine human communication. They argue that true meaning is more effectively conveyed through subtext, the unspoken, or the manner in which something is delivered. In Pinter's works, words frequently mask the true self, whereas silence threatens to reveal and expose it. Pinter's characters appear to have a fear of silence.

In The Birthday Party, language is often used in ways that fail to aid communication. For example, Meg and Petey engage in pointless conversations, having little or nothing meaningful to say to each other when alone. They exist in the remnants of their marriage, a reality they refuse to acknowledge. To avoid confronting the truth, they repeat empty, routine phrases that only confirm trivial and obvious facts. Their small talk both begins and concludes the play.

For other characters, language becomes a tool of manipulation, especially for Goldberg, who uses false friendliness to torment Stanley. By insincerely praising Meg, Goldberg orchestrates the birthday party, which ironically contrasts with his darker agenda, possibly involving Stanley's abduction for execution.

In The Birthday Party, as in many of Ionesco's plays, words function like tangible objects. They are as palpable as clubs during the interrogations of Stanley by Goldberg and McCann. Their alternating lines during the questioning create a rhythm resembling physical blows.

Overall, language is depicted as an unreliable medium for human expression, a central theme for Pinter. By the play's conclusion, language seems to fail entirely for Stanley. On the brink of being taken away by McCann and Goldberg, he can only produce nonsensical syllables, fully revealing his terror.