Speaking clearly and effectively allows you to express your ideas more easily. To achieve your goal you will need to learn to speak slower, to spell each syllable correctly and to improve your diction. Take the time to practice and fix your mistakes when you make a mistake.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Slow down
Step 1. Take a deep breath
Before you start talking, try to get into a calm state so your lungs don't run out of air. Don't just expose your thoughts casually, elaborate and organize them carefully. Starting a speech without first having entered a state of equilibrium means risking speaking too quickly, slurring the words badly. Take the time to find the right focus, then start speaking mindfully.
Step 2. Clearly articulate your words
Pronounce each syllable individually. Start by speaking very slowly, until each sound becomes clear and distinct. Gradually increase your speed and reduce the space between words until you speak normally.
- Make sure you completely block the airflow for consonants like 't' and 'b'. Differentiate vowels correctly.
- Don't expect to be able to speak clearly right away. It may take several hours of daily practice, and you may need to pay special attention to the more difficult words.
- Practice in solitude, for example when you are driving, while walking on the street, while cleaning or sewing, or while looking in the mirror. You can also try spelling your words slower during conversations, but progress will be greater if you take the time to practice specifically.
Step 3. Speak slower
Allowing an extra second or two to formulate words can be incredibly helpful. Inserting a few pauses into your speech can also be effective, because when you pause, you allow your interlocutor to process all the words just heard.
Part 2 of 3: Perfecting the Dialogue Mechanisms
Step 1. Practice your grammar
If you speak ungrammatically, you will not be able to express your thoughts and ideas with the desired clarity. Speak as if you were composing a theme or a letter, in a patient, composed and precise way.
Don't be verbose. By overwhelming your interlocutor with confused and inconclusive words, you will prevent him from grasping the point of the speech. Try to organize your thoughts into concise and understandable sections
Step 2. Expand your vocabulary
A single appropriate term is much clearer than an endless turn of phrase. Try to find the exact word you need, then use it effectively. Be careful not to use words incorrectly or out of context, you could confuse the listener and even risk not being taken seriously.
- Important note: you need to make sure that the people you are addressing also know the meaning of the terms in use. Don't forget that your goal is to be understood. Use simple words whenever you get the chance.
- Reading is a great way to broaden your vocabulary. You can read books, articles, essays and everything that fascinates you; from time to time also immerse yourself in reading something you would not normally read. Whenever you come across a term you don't know, find out what it means.
- Create a list of useful and powerful words. The more you practice using them in the right context, the more comfortable you will be in expressing them, and the more complete and appropriate your vocabulary will become.
Step 3. Before you speak, think
Preparing the words in advance will remove the risk of slipping. While not planning the entire speech, you can take a few moments to thoroughly analyze your ideas and achieve the necessary mental clarity.
Before uttering them aloud, repeat the words to yourself silently. This way you can make sure you can pronounce them correctly
Step 4. Use the right intonation
The tone of the questions should be ascending. In statements, the pitch tends to decrease and is modulated in such a way as to give particular emphasis to a part of the sentence. Notice what syllables and words are highlighted. Try exaggerating the intonation, as if you were reading a story to a small child.
Part 3 of 3: Training Diction
Step 1. Practice pronouncing some tongue twisters
Working on some difficult phrases to pronounce will help you express yourself more clearly in everyday conversations. Start by repeating the tongue twisters slowly, then gradually increase the pace until you reach normal. Identify the problematic syllables, if you notice that you have difficulty pronouncing the letter "B", try repeating tongue twisters to help you train the sounds.
- For the letter "B" try: I dance like a rascal, toasting I drink beer, wetting blue beards, drooling funny mustaches in brilliant glasses, biscuits and mumbling bonbòn!
- For the letter "D" try: Twelve or ten? So decide. Give me the dice. Tell me where I will have to go: behind the dunes from the dromedaries? Or to the dentist (playing down)?
- For the letter "F" try: Fruit and flowers, flowers and fruit, figs and branches, branches and figs, Florentine frangipani, Florentine del Fréjùs, pheasant in fricassee, cold fried or baked freesias. We celebrate offal by whistling with finches. o The flame strikes a flambéed flan. Rivers of hay in Val di Fiemme make flannel with cornflowers. There is trouble among Africans. Fragile foreheads quiver in the cold.
- For the letter "G" try: Genoa and Gaggiano Gorizia and San Giuliano hail on crabs Greeks crowded on the steps they gorge on geckos fatten the ruffs gulp down galantine gram of hen jellies with Grand Marnier granatine with grappa wallowing greedy delightful gaseous in frozen eddies of heavy gaseous.
Step 2. Repeat the sentences over and over
It begins very slowly and clearly, pronouncing each syllable: "Fruit and flowers, flowers and fruit, figs and branches, branches and figs, Florence frangipani, Florentine from Fréjùs, pheasant in fricassee, fried or baked cold freesias". Now faster and faster, without neglecting the clarity of every single word. If you make a mistake, stop and start over. With practice and determination, you will learn to pronounce even the most difficult syllables correctly.
Step 3. Speak confidently
Don't be afraid to express yourself in a high, clear tone. Reciting a text written by others, such as a poem, a tongue twister, or an excerpt from a book, is a great way to gain self-confidence. Stay determined and confident from start to finish, complete your exposition with the same strength you started it with! Be sure of what you intend to communicate, this way the meaning will show through your words.
If you normally tend to mumble or babble, changing your habits and starting to speak clearly may not be easy. When reciting the words, try not to think about the fact that you are speaking. Focus exclusively on the terms, and on their meaning and beauty. Try not to think too much
Advice
- Choose simplicity. Sometimes a simple explanation is all it takes to speak clearly.
- Try to register and listen to yourself again, it may help you to highlight the areas that require more work.
- As you speak: Open your mouth wider and articulate words with greater emphasis. As with singing, you must open your mouth wide to speak. While it's not easy to realize, opening your mouth allows you to express your voice better.
- Train in front of friends and family. After doing some practice, see if you can make yourself better understood.
- During conversations, ask your interlocutor if they can understand what you are trying to express. If not, try to rephrase what you just said.
- Singers learn to press their tongue against the back of the lower dental arch and hold it in that potion, except when pronouncing words that contain letters that require tongue movement (such as "L," "T," "M" and "N"). By doing so, they allow the air to move better in the mouth, without being hindered by the tongue. Be cautious about using this trick - you may focus too much on the shape of your mouth, neglecting the words you are about to say.
- Always speak with an appropriate volume of your voice.
- Always express yourself confidently, with confidence in yourself.
