How to Speak Clearly

Co-authored by Devin Fisher, CCC-SLP

Last Updated: March 29, 2024 Fact Checked

Speaking clearly and effectively can make it much easier to communicate ideas accurately. You'll need to slow down your speech, enunciate each syllable, and practice your diction. Take the time to practice speaking, and correct yourself if you mess up.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Slowing Down

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Calm yourself down before you start speaking, so that your lungs won't run out of air. Distill your thoughts – do not spill them. If you dive into speech without taking time to ground yourself, you may speak more quickly and slur your words. Take the time to center yourself, and proceed mindfully from there.
2
Articulate your words. Pronounce each syllable individually. Syll - a - ble. Take it very slowly, at first, until each sound is clear and distinct. Gradually speed up your speech and decrease the space between words until you are speaking normally.^{[1]
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- Make sure you actually stop the air for consonants like 't' and 'b'. Differentiate between your vowels.
- Don't expect to speak with perfect clarity right away. You may need to practice this for several hours each day, and you may need to practice more to master difficult words.
- Practice when you're alone – in the car, or walking down the street; when cleaning, or knitting, or standing in front of the mirror. You can slow down your syllables in conversation, but you may make more progress if you devote some serious time to honing your speech.
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It can be incredibly helpful to give your words an extra second or two to fully come out of your mouth. Pausing also works, because pausing allows the person you're speaking to, to digest all of the words you've just said.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Honing Speech Mechanics

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1
Practice your grammar. If you use poor grammar, your thoughts and ideas may not come across as clearly as you'd like. Speak as though you're composing an essay or a letter: with patience, poise, and precision.
- Avoid speaking in run-on sentences. If you let yourself ramble, your listeners might miss the point. Try to break up your thoughts into comprehensible chunks.^{[3]
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2
Expand your vocabulary. One apt word can be much clearer than a flurry of circumlocution. Try to find exactly the word you need – then use it effectively. Be careful not to use words incorrectly or out of context; you may obscure the clarity of what you're trying to say, and you will not be taken seriously.^{[4]
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- The caveat: you'll need to make sure that the people you're speaking to also know these words. Keep audience in mind. Use simpler words, when possible.
- Reading is a great way to expand vocabulary. Read books, articles, essays; read things that fascinate you, and read things that you wouldn't normally read. Whenever you come across a word that you don't know, look it up.
- Try keeping a list of useful, powerful words. The more you use them in context, the more natural it will feel – and the better your word-selection may become.
3
Think before you speak. If you prepare your words, you may run less risk of slipping up. Even if you don't plan out the exact words that you're going to say, you can take a moment to think through your ideas and clarify them in your mind.
- Silently say the words to yourself before you say them aloud. This might help you ensure that you've gotten the pronunciation right.
Questions should ascend in pitch at the end. Statements should inflect somewhat deeper, with finality. Notice which syllables and words get emphasis. Try exaggerating your inflection, the way you would if you were reading a story to a small child.^{[5]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Exercising Diction

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1
Practice saying tongue twisters. If you work on phrases that are difficult to pronounce, you may find it easier to speak clearly in everyday conversation. Start slowly, and gradually work your way up to a normal pace. Identify problem syllables: if you notice that you have trouble enunciating your "B" sounds, try saying tongue twisters that play on the "B" syllable.^{[6]
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- For "B" words, try: Bill had a billboard. Bill also had a board bill. The board bill bored Bill, so Bill sold his billboard and paid his board bill. Then the board bill no longer bored Bill, but though he had no board bill, neither did he have his billboard!
- For "D" words, try: Did Doug dig David's garden or did David dig Doug's garden? or Do drop in at the Dewdrop Inn.
- For "F" sounds, try: Four furious friends fought for the phone or Five flippant Frenchmen fly from France for fashions.
- For "J" sounds, try: James just jostled Jean gently or Jack the jailbird jacked a jeep.
Start very slowly and clearly, enunciating each syllable: "Five flipp-ant French-men fly from France for fash-ions." Get faster and faster while maintaining clarity. If you trip over words, stop and start again. With determined practice, you may learn to conquer difficult syllables.
3
Be confident in your speech. Don't be afraid to speak loudly and clearly. Reciting anything that someone else has written—poems, books, tongue twisters—is great for practicing confidence. Follow through with your words: finish as strong as you start! Be sure of what you intend to say, and the meaning will shine through.^{[7]
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- If you tend to mumble or slur your words, it can be difficult to break from the pattern and speak clearly. When you recite words, try to forget about the fact that you are speaking. Focus only on the words, their meaning, their beauty. Try not to overthink it.^{[8]
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Become a Diplomatic Communicator with this Expert Series

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Effective and diplomatic communication is one of the most effective life skills you can develop. Learn how to be clear, kind, and straightforward in your communication with this expert series.

1

Not Be Rude

2

Be More Careful About What You Say

3

Respond to Rude Comments

4

Be Less Annoying Towards Friends

5

Say What You Mean Without Being Mean

6

Speak Clearly

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Question

How can I help my child develop healthy speech and speak clearly?

Devin Fisher, CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Devin Fisher is a Speech-Language Pathologist based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Devin specializes in speech and language therapy for individuals with aphasia, swallowing, voice, articulation, phonological social-pragmatic, motor speech, and fluency disorders. Furthermore, Devin treats cognitive-communication impairment, language delay, and Parkinson's Disease. He holds a BS and MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Fontbonne University. Devin also runs a related website and blog that offers speech-language therapy resources and information for clinicians and clients.

Devin Fisher, CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Expert Answer

Modeling speech and language for your child is really helpful. Reading with them from an early age, explaining how things work and why you're doing certain things, and playing with your child every day are all great opportunities to model healthy speech. Also understand that there are going to be times where you're going to want to take a break and not model speech, and that's okay. You're only human. You can't be modeling speech and language 100% of the time.

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How can I speak clearly without mumbling?

Patrick Muñoz
Voice & Speech Coach
Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association.

Patrick Muñoz

Voice & Speech Coach

Expert Answer

Practice! Try vocal warmups, read poetry out loud, or say tongue twisters. You can even practice adding intonations to the warmups to help you convey different intentions, like if you want to come across as more persuasive or charming.

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I am not able to pronounce certain words. What should I do?

Community Answer

Google the pronunciation and keep on saying them over and over until you get them down.

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Tips

When you are speaking: open your mouth bigger, and over-articulate the word. It's like singing: you need to open your mouth. You may not realize it, but opening your mouth expresses your voice.

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Try listening to yourself using a voice recorder. This may help you determine what you need to work on.

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Keep it simple. Sometimes, a simple explanation is all you need to speak clearly.

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Warnings

Don't overthink it when you speak to others. You may end up making the situation worse. Try to be natural; try to think about exactly what you are saying now, not about what you need to say next. Get into a flow.

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