10 amazingly simple tips on how to learn to speak beautifully

Why do you need good diction?

Proper diction implies clear pronunciation of words and correct placement of the speech organs. The reason for poor diction is congenital defects of the speech apparatus. But the reason may also be imitation of the speech of other people in childhood. But even with poor pronunciation, improvement is possible if special diction exercises are used.

The delivered diction helps:

• Achieve understanding. If a person has not worked on speech development, the information he expresses will be difficult to perceive by people who are seeing him for the first time and are not accustomed to the peculiarities of pronunciation.
• Make an impression. Improving your diction helps when you need to show your best side. An example is a conversation with an employer who would be more willing to give a position to a person with clear pronunciation.
• Attract attention. If a person is constantly developing his pronunciation and voice, any story he tells will be more readily accepted than if he has a speech impediment.

What prevents people from speaking beautifully?

The importance of mastering the art of eloquence does not require proof. However, many people experience fear when they have to speak in public or talk to strangers. Such fear in psychology is called “logophobia” (or “verbophobia”). It is curious that, according to research by psychologists, the fear of public speaking ranks second among people after the fear of death.

People suffering from such a phobia are terrified of speaking not only in front of a full audience, but also in front of a small group of people. They feel hot and cold, they begin to tremble, stammer, and cannot concentrate. This phobia has psychological and physiological causes.

Psychological reasons are associated with the fact that a person does not believe in himself, in his abilities, knowledge, experience, that his speech will be of interest and he will be able to hold the attention of listeners.

As for the physiological factor, as we know, in dangerous situations, the human adrenal glands begin to release the stress hormone adrenaline into the blood, the action of which is aimed at consolidating all protective forces. The same thing happens when a person is nervous before a speech or some kind of conversation.

However, adrenaline motivates a person to take physical actions, such as running, during which it is consumed. When performing or having an exciting conversation, there is no such physical activity, so adrenaline is not fully used, and its excess only causes harm. As a result of strong excitement, instead of a brilliant performance, the result may be uncertain and crumpled.

Development of pronunciation in adults

The development of diction in an adult differs in that the production of sounds is much more complex. When a person is accustomed to pronouncing words in a certain way, he has to change not only the pronunciation, but also the perception of his speech. Before improving your diction, it is worth considering the main types of exercises.

To develop their diction and voice, announcers usually use the following exercises:

• pronunciation of tongue twisters;
• listening to your voice;
• breathing training.

To learn beautiful speech using tongue twisters, you should choose several such phrases designed to develop the pronunciation of certain sounds and find out which of them are more difficult to pronounce. It is on them that you should concentrate your attention. It is important to pronounce such phrases regularly so that the speech apparatus gets used to the correct pronunciation. Working on yourself means doing exercises every day.

A tool that helps you learn to pronounce sounds correctly is dictation recordings. If you listen to your speech on a recording, you can understand that it sounds completely different from how it sounds when talking to your interlocutor. When identifying defects and correcting them, you need to constantly record speech until they disappear.

A common problem is shortness of breath when speaking long phrases. This becomes noticeable during public speaking. To get rid of this problem, the diaphragm training method is used. One of the diction exercises is to draw out the vowel sound as you exhale for as long as possible. At first you can only do this for a few seconds, but later the time increases to 25. Breathing training also involves changing the pitch of your voice. Another way to practice is to blow up balloons.

With regular exercise, the results appear within a few days. But to maintain the effect, you need to do all of the above constantly. At the same time, it is worth using books that are intended for speech development.

Why do you need to speak beautifully?

Speech has always played a huge role for humanity, because it is a means of communication and thanks to it, the thoughts of one person are transmitted to another.

There is a proverb:

“You are greeted by your clothes, but you are escorted by your mind.”

And a person demonstrates his intelligence (or lack thereof) precisely through speech. That is why it can be called a person’s calling card: whether he wants it or not, his speech reflects his essence.

As the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates said to one constantly silent young man:

“Speak so I can see you.”

And the Persian poet Saadi wrote:

“Whether you are smart or stupid, whether you are big or small, we don’t know until you say a word.”

People who can speak beautifully and express their thoughts clearly have always been valued. This is indicated by the existence of schools of oratory in ancient times. And the ancient Greek sage Skilef noted that “Eloquence is more valuable than money, fame and power, for the latter are very often achieved through eloquence.” He was echoed by the American politician Daniel Webster, who lived many centuries later: “Take from me everything I have, but leave me my speech, and soon I will gain everything I had.”

The French emperor and commander Napoleon believed that a person who cannot speak beautifully will never make a career.

Nothing has changed these days. Employees who master the art of eloquence advance their careers much faster than those who do not know how to correctly express their thoughts. Moreover, it often happens that smart and knowledgeable employees suffer from tongue-tiedness, who do not understand that it is precisely this that makes their further career growth unlikely. Of course, professionalism, knowledge, skills and experience are very important, since no one needs non-professionals.

But those who have experience and knowledge, but are not able to convey them to the listener, explain, prove, convince and change their minds, will someday definitely have big problems. After all, the higher the official position of an employee, the more often and more he has to communicate with colleagues, subordinates, clients, etc. Therefore, he definitely must be able to logically and clearly express his thoughts, influence his interlocutor and convince him.

Text for diction development

To develop correct pronunciation, there are texts that are compiled on the same principle as tongue twisters. They usually combine several tongue twisters to develop different sounds. This means that to correct diction you do not need to search for texts. To practice, just find tongue twisters to make all the sounds and combine them into a single whole.

To help the formation of correct pronunciation occur faster, nuts of different sizes are placed in the mouth or a pencil is clamped between the teeth. After removing such items, you can feel that it has become easier to pronounce even complex phrases.

Expressive reading of fiction also helps to develop diction. By recording your pronunciation on a voice recorder, you can easily determine which sounds are being pronounced incorrectly.

The longest tongue twister

“On Thursday the 4th, at 4 and a quarter o’clock, the Ligurian traffic controller was regulating in Liguria, but 33 ships tacked, tacked, but never caught, and then the protocol about the protocol was recorded by the protocol, as the interviewed Ligurian traffic controller was eloquent, but not reported cleanly, and so reported about the wet weather that, so that the incident did not become a contender for a judicial precedent, the Ligurian traffic controller acclimatized in unconstitutional Constantinople, where the tufted laughter laughed and shouted to the Turk, who was blackly stoned with a pipe: don’t smoke, Turk, a pipe, buy a better one a pile of peaks, it’s better to buy a pile of peaks, otherwise a bombardier from Brandeburg will come and bombard him with bombs because some black-snouted guy dug up half his yard with his snout, dug up and dug up; but in fact the Turk was not in the business, and Klara the King was sneaking to the stall at that time, while Karl was stealing corals from Klara, for which Klara stole the clarinet from Karl, and then in the yard of the tar widow Varvara, 2 of these thieves stole firewood; but it’s a sin - not laughter - not to put it in a nut: about Clara and Karl in the darkness, all the crayfish were noisy in a fight - so the thieves had no time for the bombardier, but also not the tar widow, and not the tar children; but the angry widow put the firewood in the barn: once firewood, 2 firewood, 3 firewood - all the firewood could not fit, and 2 woodcutters, 2 woodcutters, for the emotional Varvara, expelled the firewood across the width of the yard back to the wood yard, where the heron withered, the heron withered, the heron died; the heron's chick clung tenaciously to the chain; well done against the sheep, and against the well done the sheep itself, to which Senya carries the hay in a sleigh, then Senka carries Sonya and Sanka on a sled: the sled hops, Senka sideways, Sonya head on, everything into a snowdrift, and from there only a head of bumps knocked him down, then Sasha went along the highway, Sasha found the sachet on the highway; Sonya - Sashka’s friend was walking along the highway and sucking a dryer, and besides, Sonya the turntable also had 3 cheesecakes in her mouth - exactly like a honey cake, but she had no time for a honey cake - Sonya, with the cheesecakes in her mouth, would over-mix the sexton, - over-mix: it buzzes like ground beetle, buzzing and spinning: was at Frol's - Frol lied about Lavra, will go to Lavra at Frol Lavra will lie that - the sergeant with the sergeant, the captain with the captain, the snake has a snake, the hedgehog has a hedgehog, and a high-ranking guest has taken away from him a cane, and soon again 5 guys ate 5 honey mushrooms and a half-quarter of a quadruple of lentils without a wormhole, and 1666 pies with cottage cheese from whey from yogurt - about all of that, the bells were ringing with groans, so much so that even Konstantin - a Salzburg unpromising man from - under an armored personnel carrier he stated: just as all the bells cannot be re-ringed, all the tongue twisters cannot be repeated, all the tongue twisters cannot be re-spoken; but trying is not torture.”

How to improve your diction in a short time

Sometimes it is not possible to perform exercises to practice pronunciation due to lack of time. In such situations, articulatory charging is used. It consists of several simple exercises:

• Moving the jaw back and forth. During such actions, the mouth is in an open position.
• Pronouncing the vowels o, u and y. This should be done in a bent position with your arms crossed over your chest. At the same time, the voice lowers and the sound is pronounced in a drawn-out manner. After the next sound, you need to rise to a standing position, and then tilt and repeat the action.
• Tongue movements. A good exercise for quickly developing diction is a movement in which the tongue rests alternately on the cheeks. This is done both with a closed and open mouth.
• Touching teeth. This exercise is performed with your mouth wide open. With your tongue you need to touch each tooth in turn, following the top and bottom rows.

After completing such diction exercises, the clarity of spoken phrases increases, so they are often used by people speaking in front of the public.

Why do they barely open their mouths in the videos?

Students often ask why we learn to sing with a mask, although in the videos many performers sing with their mouths barely open. The answer is simple: in the videos, the singers do not sing, but simply move their lips to the music. To see the real work of the articulatory apparatus, you should watch the song performed live.

Performed by the group "VIA Gra"

For example, let’s take the song of the group “VIA Gra” “Don’t leave me, my love.” In the video, the girls sing, barely opening their mouths, and sometimes even stop mid-sentence. Another thing is a concert where they sing live. It can be seen that all the performers sing with a smile, open their mouths wide and show their upper teeth.

A smile (or vocal mask) allows you to reach high notes and direct sound into the resonator, so mastering it is simply invaluable for a singer.

Performed by Sia

Should you always open your mouth wide when singing? No! For example, let's watch a video of Sia singing live. During the performance of the verse, the mouth almost does not open. Only on the chorus she uses a wide mask. Note, however, that this is an exceptional case.

The fact is that some singers, in particular Sia, use a style of closed singing: vowel sounds sound closed and directed into the hard palate - with a characteristic nasal tint. With this performance, you need to master the resonator and be able to correctly direct the sound. Let’s say right away: if you are fluent in resonators and know how to direct the sound where it is needed, you don’t need a mask that is too wide!

Read more about Sia’s performance in the article “Texts of the song Sia - Chandelier and full analysis” >>>

Performed by Billie Ellish

The Billie Ellish video is a completely different story: the sound is delivered with an absolute exhalation. The song sounds relaxed and sluggish, the mouth is motionless, as if numb. This performance, together with Billie's mermaid image, hypnotizes the listener. But don’t forget: in the right places she articulates everything clearly, all the words are legible. In addition, the video shows a masterful command of sound direction and resonators. The sound still goes where it needs to, and the combination of singing and frequent aspirations creates an absolutely complete and colorful picture. It is clear that the singer spent a lot of time on exercises for diction and voice.

Is it worth taking speech development courses?

There are speech development courses designed for speakers. They include not only exercises for correct pronunciation, but also tips to help cope with problems that arise during public speaking. The programs of such courses consist of several lessons:

• rules of articulation;
• learning the basics of proper breathing;
• development of vocal range and strength;
• rules for constructing intonation;
• study of orthoepy;
• mastering the basics of gestures.

The courses help you learn proper pronunciation techniques and overcome the fear of speaking in front of an audience. Working on yourself involves long sessions, which is why announcers do this.

Speech defects arise due to improper structure of the speech apparatus or due to improper formation of sounds in childhood. The first type of defects can only be corrected with the help of speech therapists or dentists, if we are talking about irregular teeth structure.

You can correct your speech by using the normal arrangement of the organs of articulation during a conversation. In the absence of deviations in the development of the body, defects appear:

• sonorous sounds;
• hissing;
• whistling.

The occurrence of such defects occurs as a result of even a slight deviation of the speech organs from their natural location. For correct pronunciation, you need to know how to correctly position the lips, tongue, soft palate and lower jaw. This can only be achieved through training, because working on speech correction implies constant improvement.

Another way to learn how to talk to people correctly

An alternative to home classes are special courses. Here, highly qualified specialists deal with the entire range of speech problems.

Individual problems are solved during the training. In addition to beautiful speech, after the training students improve the following skills:

1. Controlling your own emotions.
2. Establishing emotional contact with the interlocutor.
3. Showing genuine empathy.
4. Avoiding and managing conflicts.

Completing such trainings helps you formulate goals and achieve what you want. Participants also overcome their fear of communication and interaction. This is necessary for people of all professions, even those who do not communicate directly with people. Correct presentation of information with appropriate intonation ensures better results in all areas of life.

School of speech technique and voice production @LABVoice includes 6 main blocks:

1. Speech breathing.
2. Working with diction, articulators, resonators.
3. Manipulation, intonation and expressiveness of speech.
4. Self-presentation, improvisation and speech logic.
5. Speech therapy exercises.
6. Public speaking, fear of speaking, discomfort in communication.

The training was developed by Maria Savicheva, an expert in speech technique and voice production (more than 20 years of experience).

Suitable for people who:

• a quiet, expressionless, unconvincing voice;
• there is misunderstanding on the part of colleagues and relatives;
• difficulties with pronunciation, sluggish, unclear diction, sore throat, loss of voice;
• relationships with the opposite sex do not work out;
• no career growth;
• They don’t listen, they interrupt, they don’t give a chance to speak in company.

After classes, 1,273 students were surveyed. Of them:

1. 100% have become more confident in themselves.
2. 84% began to earn more.
3. 100% strengthened leadership skills.
4. 94% felt much sexier and more attractive.
5. 88% no longer have stage fright.

This is 100% online learning. More than 7,000 participants have already completed it.

How the training works:

1. First you will conduct a Voice and Speech analysis. Receive personal recommendations and additions to the course program.
2. Follow video lessons and strictly follow the expert’s instructions.
3. Interim analysis of voice and speech with program adjustments.
4. Final voice analysis with an expert’s conclusion and further recommendations.

For 249 rubles. You can get a voice test right now. Then they will create an individual program for you depending on your results. The price of training will depend on this (3,500–26,900 rubles). You can pay immediately or in installments over 4 months.

The training time is approximately 1.5–2 months.

If you don't like the training, you can get your money back within 14 days.

You can also get access to a free trial lesson for 5 days.

The online intensive “Effective Communication” is suitable for:

1. Entrepreneurs, executives, top managers.
2. For those who work with clients, middle managers, and freelancers.
3. To everyone who is involved in raising children.
4. Anyone who wants to improve their communication with others.

The author of the course is Oleg Kalinichev, an expert in nonverbal behavior, emotional intelligence and lie detection. Accredited trainer Paul Ekman International. Managing Director of Paul Ekman International in Russia (PEI Russia).

You will learn:

1. Communicate with closed people.
2. Coping with daily problems involving other people.
3. Influence your environment and much more.

The course lasts 1 month and contains 33 video lectures, 26 exercises, 6 tests + webinars with emotional intelligence experts.

The training consists of 4 blocks:

1. Emotions. Basics.
2. Emotional stability and emotional flexibility.
3. Social efficiency.
4. Building harmonious relationships.

How it goes:

1. You are watching video lectures.
2. Then you complete independent tasks to reinforce the material.
3. Participate in webinars and discuss difficult issues.
4. Take tests on the material you have studied.
5. You complete the intensive course and receive a certificate.

The cost of completing it independently is 1,040 rubles, with a curator – 2,370 rubles.

They will refund your money if you decide within 7 days that the course is not suitable for you.

How to fix slurred speech

A common speech defect that manifests itself in people with a normally developed articulatory apparatus is slurring. It manifests itself in swallowing entire syllables during a conversation. Such a defect is formed in childhood due to unconscious imitation of others. To get rid of it, you need to perform the following exercises to improve diction:

• Scan poems, following the rhythm. You should choose works that are more difficult to read. An example is Mayakovsky's poems. This kind of self-improvement will help you quickly correct speech deficiencies.
• Often pronounce words that have consonants next to each other. For example, counter-revolution. After composing such words, you should say them several times a day.

This will help you improve your pronunciation in just a few weeks.

Keeping listeners' attention

The main function of beautiful speech is the ability to attract the attention of the interlocutor. You always want to listen to an eloquent storyteller; such a person easily becomes the life of the party, he has many friends and is rarely alone. The secret of an attractive speech is simple:
it is involvement in the storytelling process. The brighter the storyteller's eyes shine, the more he wants to intrigue and surprise his listener, the more tangible the result. You can master this art and develop eloquence by attending courses on competent speech and acting classes, and it consists of three main factors:

1. Bright intonations.
   Through intonation, emotions are conveyed to the listener; he gets the opportunity to enjoy the story not only on an informative level, but also on a sensory or empathy level.
2. Eventfulness.
   The question from an interested listener is: “what happened next?” The answer to it is the event, that is, what the whole story was started for. There are many events in an interesting story; the narrator masterfully leads the listener from one to the next, preventing him from relaxing and getting bored.
3. Structure and logic.
   Well-delivered speech is easier to understand. Without structure, it turns into a pile of information, which is difficult and tedious to navigate. Logic allows you to correctly place accents, highlight important points in the story and highlight secondary ones. Logic reveals thought.

How to put a voice

There are 3 exercises that help develop your voice. In order for an audible effect to appear, it is necessary to perform the exercises for several months. Such exercises include:

• Pronouncing vowels. To perform the first exercise to develop diction, you need to pronounce vowel sounds one by one until you have enough breath. Saying “i”, “e”, “a”, “o” and “u” can make your voice more sonorous. Work on voice training occurs constantly, since during breaks, even for a few days, the effect becomes less noticeable.
• Activation of the abdominal and chest area. To activate the abdominal and chest areas, you need to pronounce “m” with your mouth closed. The first utterance of the sound should be quiet, the second louder, and the third time you need to strain the vocal cords as much as possible. If work on pronunciation and voice occurs without performing these exercises, the effect is reduced.
• Pronouncing words with the letter "r". Also, to establish the voice, the sound “r” is pronounced, which also improves pronunciation. To do this, you first need to growl the sound “rrrr”, and then pronounce more than a dozen words containing the letter r in a row. During pronunciation, the letter should stand out. This exercise will help you develop your voice and improve your diction. Books also help develop diction when read aloud.

To develop diction and achieve clear pronunciation, you need to work hard. Only through regular exercise and training will you achieve tangible changes.

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Getting rid of parasitic words

It is no coincidence that parasitic words have this name. A parasite is a creature that lives at someone else’s expense, is not useful, unnecessary and even harmful. Parasitic words eat up your listener’s attention, sometimes distracting them from the main idea so much that the interlocutor begins to count them. Imagine how stupid this is: you put your heart and soul into sharing something interesting and important, and your friend counts the words “in short” and “that’s it.”

Speech and thinking are interconnected, speech parasites live in your head and parasitize on your thoughts.

Remember: you say a filler word not because it helps you express your thoughts better, but because you have nothing to say instead.
It's like a patch to cover a hole in a sentence, and it looks as messy as a patch on clothing. To build competent speech and get rid of parasites, pay attention to them. The best way to do this is to record your own voice. After listening to the recording of several conversations, you will understand the logic by which you arrange these harmful words. Figure out what exactly your speech is missing in order to avoid patches, start practicing and you will definitely achieve results.