How To Become A Better Speaker

Speaking can do useful things and it can do harm. From getting someone a better position at work to getting someone fired, the extremes of what speaking can do reveal how crucial this skill is.

How to become a talented speaker

Here are some ways to become a better speaker.

1. Practice enunciation

Make sure you don’t mumble or slur your words. You don’t have to sound robotic, artificial or forced, but speak clearly.

If you struggle with enunciation, try some enunciation activities to help yourself practice using your tongue, lips and voice. Try some tongue twisters or maybe read out loud to yourself.

If you have any trouble with particular words or sounds, practice them extra. Try repeating them alone by yourself.

Mouth, lip and tongue exercises could also help. Do these for a few minutes in the day.

2. Practice speaking with someone you trust

Practice verbal communication with someone who you trust. Try to practice different types of speaking situations with them (i.e. pretend you’re giving a speech, giving a presentation, having a normal conversation, etc.).

Ask them for feedback to see if they have any suggestions for improvements. Another person might notice mistakes or bad habits in your speech that could slip past you.

3. Read

Reading is a great way to learn phrases and build vocabulary. Think about it, you’re reading words and sentences that deliver messages. There’s a lot of opportunities for learning with reading.

Reading could also help you pick up on ways to speak more cohesively. Most books and articles are written in such a way that the points are linked to each other and there is a smooth transition from one area of focus to another.

All of these skills could prove useful not just for reading and writing but also for speaking.

4. Choose your words wisely

Good speaking isn’t just about the actual action of talking, it’s also about the contents: what is being said. The things you say can have a huge effect on how a message is delivered. For this reason, phrasing and choosing your words wisely is crucial to being a talented speaker.

Reading can help with this. You can also try searching up some synonyms or definitions of words to broaden your vocabulary.

Practice saying the same point in different ways. Learn something new and pretend you’re explaining it to someone using your own words. Pretend you’re giving a lecture on it, too.

Choose approaches to speaking which prioritize delivering a message positively. For example, instead of “I failed” use “I didn’t achieve the results I was hoping for.”

Maybe go on some business websites and read press releases (especially if the business dealt with an issue like a recall). See how they word their message(s) and learn from this.

5. Speak at a good volume

Not too loud or not too quiet. Make sure the loudness of your voice suits the environment you’re in.

The people you’re talking to should be able to hear you. A good speaker shouldn’t be hard to hear nor should they be too loud to comfortably listen to.

Be cognizant of what the perfect volume to speak at in a given environment is. Maybe try practicing the volume of your voice with another person.

6. Take it easy

Getting nervous when speaking could negatively impact the overall quality of your speech. It’s important to take it easy when you speak. Don’t be or seem nervous.

Remind yourself that it’s not a big deal if you make a mistake. If you do make one, just brush it off and keep going.

Don’t overthink speaking. Yes, there are some things you should be aware of to make sure you have good quality speech. But this doesn’t mean you have to give it too much thought. With practice, a lot of the key skills associated with good quality speech should just come naturally.

Keep practicing in safe environments to build up your confidence. Confidence makes it easier to keep calm.

7. Record yourself

Speaking to someone is great but it’s important to be able to self-judge the quality of your own speech. Record yourself speaking and listen back to it.

Identify if there are any areas of improvement you can focus on in the recording. This can be your volume, enunciation, the content (what you say), bad habits (like saying “um” too often), etc.

If you find any flaws, work on them.

8. Use a mirror

The mirror is also a great way to train. Speaking in front of one can help you not only practice your speech but see your facial expressions and body language, as well.

The way you look while communicating is important and mirrors help you monitor if this is an area of strength or improvement.

9. Be passionate (or at least be a good actor)

You might find yourself in a situation where you’re stuck speaking about a topic that bores you. In this situation, sounding passionate may feel like an arduous task.

If you’re ever in such a situation, or even if you’re talking about something you already are passionate about, you need to convey excitement. Whether your excitement about a certain topic is genuine or not doesn’t really matter.

When you sound unexcited, you risk boring your audience. A talented speaker should show emotions that suit the environment.

Not too much excitement, but enough to not be boring. Either be passionate about the topic or pretend that you are.