Using your voice

Good voice production – why bother?

 

How

you say what you say

is as important as

what

you say

How can listeners understand what you are saying if

    you are too soft to be heard
    you mumble
    you speak so fast that your words blur into one another

Here are some issues to work on, with suggestions:

Speak clearly

Use your voice for emphasis

Vary your voice

Speak clearly

Speak slowly rather than quickly. Project your voice to the back of the group you are speaking to

Articulate your words carefully – see below for advice on articulation

Use your voice for emphasis

Use pauses – a pause before a word or phrase gives it emphasis, while a pause before and after gives great emphasis. Change the volume for emphasis – either louder or softer. A louder voice for key words gives obvious emphasis, but a whisper that carries the whole space can be very dramatic.

Vary your voice

Change the timbre (pronounced tamber) of your voice. This is the way you produce your voice. Choose a word like “development” and practise different ways your voice can produce the word. Vary the pitch i.e. in a range from a high, light tone to a deep, heavy tone

Vary your speed. You should have a regular, standard speed, which very occasionally you vary by speeding up, and more often by slowing down, sometimes to a very slow measured pace

For very detailed advice, explore the material on the voice in Wikipedia