How to Speak More Clearly

If you often speak in a soft or unclear manner, making it hard for others to understand, you can apply the methods mentioned in this article to speak more clearly. Whether you're preparing for a speech, have a job that requires speaking in front of a crowd, or simply want to improve your speaking skills, these tips will be extremely helpful.

Control Your Breathing. Listen to the voice of a singer or observe how they perform on stage, and you'll notice how much they focus on their breath. A famous singer wouldn't be able to dance and sing at the same time on stage without managing their breath properly. The same goes for speaking. Proper breathing will significantly enhance your speaking clarity.

• To check if you're breathing correctly, place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. If you're breathing properly, the hand on your belly will move while the hand on your chest stays still. Breathing deeply from your belly ensures you take in enough air to speak loudly and clearly.
• Speak while exhaling slowly. Once you've mastered proper breathing, start speaking while thinking about your words as you exhale steadily. This will allow your breath to support each word, and you'll naturally speak more calmly.

Don't rush when speaking. Speak slowly, but not too slowly like a robot.

• Speaking in front of a crowd can often make the speaker feel nervous. If you find yourself speaking too quickly due to anxiety, try to slow down a bit. Remember that proper breathing can also help you stay calm and speak more fluently.
• Always keep in mind that people are eager to hear what you have to say. Your words are valuable, so make sure you give them a chance to listen clearly.
• The human ear can catch sounds quickly, but it's important to articulate each word properly before moving on to the next. Make sure to pause appropriately between words so that your audience can fully understand what you're saying.

Swallow any excess saliva. Excess saliva in your mouth can cause slurred speech and affect the pronunciation of certain consonants like 'S' and 'K'.

• Taking a few seconds to swallow not only clears your mouth but gives you a chance to pause and take a breath.
• Try to swallow at the end of a sentence or a thought, not in the middle. This moment can also help you prepare for your next words.

Know what you want to say. Whether you're preparing to speak in front of an audience or just chatting with friends, taking a moment to think about what you're going to say will help you speak more clearly and avoid rushing.

• In order to speak clearly, not only do you need to pronounce your words distinctly, but you should also communicate your message or ideas as accurately as possible. So take the time to plan ahead, to avoid using filler words like 'um,' 'uh,' or 'like' in your speech.

Practice speaking while walking. If you're preparing to speak in front of a crowd or give a presentation, write down at least the outline of your speech and take the opportunity to practice speaking while walking.

• Actors often use this technique to memorize their lines because speaking while walking helps them remember what they need to say. You can practice delivering your speech clearly, articulating each word as you take each step.
• Though this might seem slow and awkward, speaking each word with every step will help you learn to slow down. While you won't necessarily speak this slowly in normal conversations or speeches, having the ability to speak at a slower pace will help you speak more confidently and calmly when presenting.

Repeat difficult words. When struggling with pronunciation, we often tend to rush through difficult words, which can make our speech sound unclear. Practice saying these words out loud until your muscles remember the correct pronunciation.

• Words like 'Squirrel,' 'Brewery,' 'Phenomenon,' and 'February' are known to be some of the hardest to pronounce in English because their spelling and pronunciation don't match up perfectly.
• To master these tricky words, try breaking them down and pronouncing each letter in the word.
• Once you can pronounce these words comfortably, you'll speak with more confidence and calmness.

Practice Tongue Twisters. Practicing tongue twisters is a fantastic way to enhance fluency, as mastering them helps you develop clarity and confidence in your speech. Many actors and public speakers use tongue twisters as a vocal warm-up before taking the stage.

• Start speaking slowly and gradually increase your speed until you can articulate the sentences at a normal conversation pace. Focus on emphasizing each word, engaging your tongue, jaw, and lips actively. Once you're comfortable, try speaking faster and with more emphasis. This will not only improve your speech skills but also strengthen your mouth muscles.
• Try these tongue twisters to improve your clarity:
• Buổi trưa ăn bưởi chua (Repeat).
• Nồi đồng nấu ốc, nồi đất nấu ếch. (Repeat).
• Lúc nào lên núi lấy nứa về làm lán nên lưu ý nước lũ.

Read Out Loud. When reading books or the news in the morning, try reading aloud to become more familiar with your own voice. Often, when we talk to others, we don't truly listen to our own voice or pay attention to how we sound. By reading out loud in the comfort of your home, you can listen to yourself and notice areas where your speech is unclear.

• You can also record your speech and listen back to identify any unclear or mumbled parts.

Practice Speaking with a Cork in Your Mouth. Many actors and voice-over artists use this exercise to improve fluency and pronunciation, especially when performing classic works by playwrights like William Shakespeare. Speaking while biting on a cork forces your mouth muscles to work hard to pronounce each syllable, and the cork helps prevent your tongue from tripping over certain words.

• This exercise can make your jaw sore, so be sure to learn how to relax your jaw. However, avoid practicing for too long to prevent pain.
• Keep a handkerchief on hand, as this exercise often makes your mouth produce a lot of saliva.

Pay Attention to Your Tone. Your tone of voice plays a crucial role in the clarity of your speech and expression, as it can impact how you pronounce certain words.

• If your speech is meant to motivate others but you use a monotonous, flat tone, it may be difficult for them to understand.
• Your tone, whether enthusiastic, informative, or conversational, will affect your audience's engagement and make your speech clearer and more comprehensible.
• Tone includes both your attitude and pitch. Pay attention to the highs and lows of your voice when speaking.

Avoid Rising Intonation. Ending a sentence with a rising intonation is a bad habit because it makes the listener feel as though you are asking a question.

• Finish your sentences with a firm, assertive tone to convey confidence.
• Many people unconsciously raise their tone at the end of sentences when they lack confidence in what they are saying. For example, when someone asks about your profession, saying 'I am a designer?' with a rising tone sounds like you're questioning them. Instead, confidently affirm with 'I am a designer.'

Jaw Exercise. Try a few jaw relaxation exercises to help with clearer speech.

• While chewing widely, hum gently in your mouth.
• Stretch all your jaw and facial muscles. Open your mouth as wide as possible (as if about to yawn), and then move your jaw in circular motions from side to side.
• Open your mouth wide as in the previous exercise, then close it again. Repeat 5 times.
• Pucker your lips and imitate the sound of a buzzing bee, but avoid clenching your jaw.

Mind Your Posture. Just like breathing, your posture while speaking plays a crucial role in speech clarity, though we often overlook this.

• To speak most clearly, stand upright, pull your shoulders back, and evenly distribute your body weight.
• Try doing shoulder rotations and side bends to improve your posture. These exercises will also help you breathe more effectively. Additionally, you can combine jaw exercises while stretching your muscles.

Warm Up Your Vocal Cords. Warming up your vocal cords is essential to relax and train your voice for clearer, more impressive speech.

• Even if you're not singing, you can practice vocal exercises, starting from low to high pitches, humming, or performing tongue twisters.
• Practice the 'u' sound, sliding from low to high pitches. Imagine your voice as a spinning wheel that continuously rotates.
• Hum and gently tap your chest to help clear mucus from your throat.

Drink Plenty of Water. Your vocal cords are like a machine that needs proper lubrication. Gargling with warm water and a little salt will help keep them supple and relax your throat.