How to Improve Your Clarity of Speech
Control your breath., Don't rush when speaking., Swallow excess saliva., Know what you are going to say., Walk it out., Repeat words that are hard to say.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Control your breath.
Listen to a singer or watch him on stage and you’ll see how much he pays attention to his breathing.
Mick Jagger wouldn't be able to run up and down a stage while belting “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” if he didn’t know how to breathe properly.
The same goes for speaking, and proper breathing can greatly improve your speech clarity.
One way to ensure that you’re getting proper breaths is to put one hand on your belly and one on your chest while breathing.
You want the hand on your belly to move while your chest stays in place.
Breathing with your belly ensures that you get a true full breath that will allow you speak with a full voice.Speak at the top of your breath.
Once you’ve inhaled properly, begin speaking and think about your words as your breath slowly and steadily leaves you.
This allows your breath to support your words and will allow you to naturally take your time. -
Step 2: Don't rush when speaking.
Talk deliberately, but not so slow that you sound like a robot.
Oftentimes, speaking in public can make people nervous.
If you find yourself nervous and rushing, try to remember that it’s ok to slow down.
If you are breathing correctly this will help you stay calm and parse out your words.
Also keep in mind that people want to hear what you have to say.
Your words have value, so give them a chance to hear them.
The human ear can pick up on a lot very quickly but by making sure that you finish each word completely before starting the next one, you’ll create enough space between words so that everyone can understand you properly. , Saliva left in the mouth can result in mumbling and distortion of consonants such as "S" and "K".
Taking a moment to swallow will not only keep your mouth clear, but it will give you time to pause and breathe again.
Take a moment to swallow when you finish a sentence or thought, not during the middle of a sentence.
This will also give you a moment to prepare what you're going to say next. , Whether you’re giving a public speech or just having a casual conversation with a friend, taking at least a moment before speaking to know what you are going to say will help you speak with clarity and prevent you from talking too fast.
Clarity isn’t just about forming words properly, it’s also about getting your message or point of view out as precisely as possible.
Oftentimes this means knowing what you want to say so you don’t have to backtrack or fill in your sentences with “um”, “like”, or “uh”. , If you have to speak publicly and are giving a presentation of some kind you have probably written down at least an outline of your speech.
Practice your speech while walking around.
Some actors will use this method to memorize their lines, as getting up and moving can help you remember what you need to say.
Practice your speech and say one word for every step you take.
This may seem arduous and slow, but by taking one step for every word you’ll learn to slow down.
You don’t have to speak this slowly in your speech or normal conversations but being able to feel comfortable going at a slower pace will improve your speech clarity and allow you to further take your time. , When we have a hard time pronouncing certain words we often speed up and try to stumble through them resulting in muddled speech.
Practice saying these words aloud over and over again until you build the muscle memory to pronounce them correctly.
Words like “Squirrel”, “Brewery”, “Phenomenon”, and “February” are considered some of the hardest words to pronounce in the English language because they may be spelled unlike they sound.To help you learn to pronounce difficult words try spelling the words out phonetically.
Once you feel comfortable with trouble words you will be able to speak with confidence and take your time. -
Step 3: Swallow excess saliva.
-
Step 4: Know what you are going to say.
-
Step 5: Walk it out.
-
Step 6: Repeat words that are hard to say.
Detailed Guide
Listen to a singer or watch him on stage and you’ll see how much he pays attention to his breathing.
Mick Jagger wouldn't be able to run up and down a stage while belting “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” if he didn’t know how to breathe properly.
The same goes for speaking, and proper breathing can greatly improve your speech clarity.
One way to ensure that you’re getting proper breaths is to put one hand on your belly and one on your chest while breathing.
You want the hand on your belly to move while your chest stays in place.
Breathing with your belly ensures that you get a true full breath that will allow you speak with a full voice.Speak at the top of your breath.
Once you’ve inhaled properly, begin speaking and think about your words as your breath slowly and steadily leaves you.
This allows your breath to support your words and will allow you to naturally take your time.
Talk deliberately, but not so slow that you sound like a robot.
Oftentimes, speaking in public can make people nervous.
If you find yourself nervous and rushing, try to remember that it’s ok to slow down.
If you are breathing correctly this will help you stay calm and parse out your words.
Also keep in mind that people want to hear what you have to say.
Your words have value, so give them a chance to hear them.
The human ear can pick up on a lot very quickly but by making sure that you finish each word completely before starting the next one, you’ll create enough space between words so that everyone can understand you properly. , Saliva left in the mouth can result in mumbling and distortion of consonants such as "S" and "K".
Taking a moment to swallow will not only keep your mouth clear, but it will give you time to pause and breathe again.
Take a moment to swallow when you finish a sentence or thought, not during the middle of a sentence.
This will also give you a moment to prepare what you're going to say next. , Whether you’re giving a public speech or just having a casual conversation with a friend, taking at least a moment before speaking to know what you are going to say will help you speak with clarity and prevent you from talking too fast.
Clarity isn’t just about forming words properly, it’s also about getting your message or point of view out as precisely as possible.
Oftentimes this means knowing what you want to say so you don’t have to backtrack or fill in your sentences with “um”, “like”, or “uh”. , If you have to speak publicly and are giving a presentation of some kind you have probably written down at least an outline of your speech.
Practice your speech while walking around.
Some actors will use this method to memorize their lines, as getting up and moving can help you remember what you need to say.
Practice your speech and say one word for every step you take.
This may seem arduous and slow, but by taking one step for every word you’ll learn to slow down.
You don’t have to speak this slowly in your speech or normal conversations but being able to feel comfortable going at a slower pace will improve your speech clarity and allow you to further take your time. , When we have a hard time pronouncing certain words we often speed up and try to stumble through them resulting in muddled speech.
Practice saying these words aloud over and over again until you build the muscle memory to pronounce them correctly.
Words like “Squirrel”, “Brewery”, “Phenomenon”, and “February” are considered some of the hardest words to pronounce in the English language because they may be spelled unlike they sound.To help you learn to pronounce difficult words try spelling the words out phonetically.
Once you feel comfortable with trouble words you will be able to speak with confidence and take your time.
About the Author
Olivia Hill
Enthusiastic about teaching lifestyle techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: