The article analyzes the views on the concept of a code in linguistics, the problem of cultural code, the semantics of the code, the equivalence of the concept of a code and the concept of a cipher, as well as the non-identity between them. Among the various functions of language, a special role belongs to the cultural function, this function is performed by the language with the help of vocabulary, texts, and the language becomes the archive of culture, its «memory». And the cultural code is a set of signs, symbols. It conveys important cultural information by collecting all verbal and non-verbal communication. There is a great need for non-verbal thinking or non-linguistic codes to translate information from one form to another. Non-verbal means of communication are auxiliary means performed by communicators, which are used in parallel with words in communication or are located near them. Their functions are different and their application is not always the same. And this diversity is associated with the intentions of the communicators. There are several ways to distinguish non-verbal means from other means, from various psychological actions. These include: make sense in communication, have a role in achieving a certain goal in communication, understandability for the linguistic community, etc. These features indicate the relevance of studying paralinguistics. Examples of non-verbal elements were selected from fiction.