Verbal communication involves the exchange of information through spoken words, while nonverbal communication conveys messages through facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, and other physical cues. Some key differences are that verbal communication requires a single medium of words and language, can be easier to understand but requires more conscious thought, while nonverbal communication uses multiple physical channels and is more subtle to decode but can occur subconsciously. Effective communication relies on both verbal and nonverbal signals being aligned.