Quick ways to improve your diction and speak better!

ACTIVITY #1
reference: http://iml.jou.ufl.edu

One of the quickest ways you can improve your public speaking skill is by working on the quality of your speaking style and pronunciation.

I personally find that if my words are coming out clearer, than I feel confident about what I am saying and other aspects of speaking like pace, rhythm, and projection follow in line.

Here’s a quick trick to get quality diction fast.

Get a pen and put it in your mouth sideways positioned right in front of your third molars.

Now try to recite something out loud. It could be a speech you’re preparing, a book, or even your favorite movie quote. While you’re doing this, focus more on using your vocals (think of using your throat) more than using your tongue against your teeth. Go as SLOW as you need to, annunciating as best as you can on every word. You’re going to sound ridiculous and that’s totally fine. Do this for a couple of minutes.

Go do it now. No, seriously, I’ll wait.

Done? Okay, now try reciting whatever you used without the pen.

Amazing right? Your voice is much clearer now and you’re annunciating almost perfectly.

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ACTIVITY #2

reference: tedb.byu.edu

Exercises for Consonants

§ High roller, low roller, lower roller.

§ I need a box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer.

§ Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

  A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

  If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,

  Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

§ He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.

§ Friday's Five Fresh Fish Specials.

§ Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.

§ The Leith police dismisseth us.

§ Twixt this and six thick thistle sticks.

§ Red leather, yellow leather.

§ She sells seashells by the seashore, and the shells she sells are seashells.

§ The sixth Sikh Sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

§ Three free thugs set three thugs free.

§ Charles deftly switched straight flange strips.

§ Gwen glowered and grimaced at Glen's gleaming greens.

Exercises for Vowels

§ Fancy! That fascinating character Harry McCann married Anne Hammond. (Be sure you are pronouncing all the "short a" sounds identically.)

§ Lot lost his hot chocolate at the loft.

§ Snoring Norris was marring the aria.

Exercises for Everything

§ Eleven benevolent elephants.

§ Girl gargoyle, guy gargoyle.

§ She stood on the balcony inexplicably mimicking him hiccupping and amicably welcoming him in.

§ Six sick slick slim sycamore saplings.

Repeaters

These tongue twisters become more challenging the more you say them. So if you don't find each one "hard to say" at first, just keep repeating it until you do!

§ You know you need unique New York.

§ Toy boat.

§ Lemon liniment.

§ Three free throws.

§ Blue black bugs blood.

§ Red lorry, yellow lorry.

§ Giggle gaggle gurgle.

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