How to improve your diction
If you mumble a lot when speaking or find that people don't understand a lot of what you are saying, you can take steps to improve your clarity of speech. Improving your diction can take time and practice. Here are nine tips for improving your diction with exercises to help you increase the quality of your speech:
1. Practice tongue twisters
Tongue twisters are a great way to improve your speech clarity as mastering them will allow you to learn how to keep your voice clear and speak with confidence.
A tongue twister is a string of words that use patterns of similar sounds that require different placements of your tongue to produce.
- Red leather, yellow leather (repeat five times)
- She sells seashells by the seashore
- You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York
2. Read aloud
Reading aloud can be a helpful strategy because it may be easier to focus on how you say things when you aren't thinking about what to say.
3. Manage your pace
When you speak, be aware of your pacing. Some people may speak more quickly when they feel nervous. Pay attention to the speed of your speech and slow down so that you complete each word before saying the next one. .
4. Exaggerate mouth movements
To help you understand how the movements of your tongue, lips and jaw affect your speech, practice repeating a sentence, phrase or word while moving your mouth in different ways.
5. Use exercises to strengthen your facial muscles
sometimes, weaknesses in facial muscles can interfere with your diction. It may help to practice exercises that work the muscles in your mouth and jaw to strengthen them.
6. Control your breathing
Good breath control is important for speaking clearly. which may help you speak with a full voice.
7. Imitate good speakers
Another strategy to improve your speaking is to watch how others speak. Choose a speaker who is effective at giving presentations and study their speaking. Pay attention to their breathing, tone, pace and mannerisms. Try to copy their tone and techniques and reflect on what qualities make them an effective speaker.
8. Prepare in advance
When you feel confident and prepared for a presentation, speech or interview, you may use better diction. Feeling comfortable with the content of your material may allow you to focus more on your delivery.
9. Record yourself
When practicing for a presentation, you may find it helpful to record yourself giving your speech. Watch the recording to identify strengths in your speaking and areas for improvement.
10.Pay attention to tone.
Tone also plays into clarity and diction as it can affect how you pronounce certain words.
11.Avoid uptalk
Uptalk is that nasty habit of ending your sentences with an upward inflection that makes you sound like you're asking a question.End your sentences on a strong note with authority.
12.Taking Your Time While Speaking
Don't rush when speaking. Talk deliberately, but not so slow that you sound like a robot.
13.Know what you are going to say.
Whether you're giving a public speech or just having a casual conversation with a friend, taking at least a moment before speaking to know what you are going to say will help you speak with clarity and prevent you from talking too fast.
14.Repeat words that are hard to say.
When we have a hard time pronouncing certain words we often speed up and try to stumble through them resulting in muddled speech.
15.Avoid speaking with clenched teeth.
When you clench your teeth you're causing a lot of strain on yourself and it can be a sign of stress. And speaking with a clenched jaw will prevent you from opening your mouth enough to enunciate and speak clearly.