Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.
Your Voice is the Most Important Part of Your Speech
Why Your Voice is the Most Important Instrument
The most important part of your delivery has to be your voice. You are not an actor in a silent film, a mime in a skit, nor a person giving lessons on lip reading. You are a presenter giving a speech. If your audience can’t hear you or understand your words, then you have failed. Like any other skill, strengthening your voice takes practice, but it is time well spent. This chapter gives you reasons for why you should develop your voice and includes activities and videos to help you improve your voice.
Video source: TED. (2014, June 27). How to speak so that people want to listen – Julian Treasure [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/eIho2S0ZahI
Vocal Qualities
Vocal Qualities – Text Version
Register
Definition: Refers to the pitch range of your voice, from high to low. Example: When speaking up in your nose, the pitch is higher, while speaking from your chest gives a lower, more authoritative tone (Treasure, 2014).
Timbre
Definition: Describes how your voice feels or its texture. Example: People prefer voices that are rich, smooth, and warm, “like hot chocolate”; training with a voice coach can help improve timbre (Treasure, 2014).
Prosody
Definition: The sing-song or melody in your speech that adds meaning. Example: Monotonic speech, lacking prosody, can be challenging to listen to. Repetitive prosody, or uptalk, where every sentence sounds like a question, restricts effective communication (Treasure, 2014).
Pace
Definition: Refers to the speed of your speech. Example: Speaking quickly can convey excitement, while slowing down emphasizes certain points; silence, used strategically, can be a powerful communicative tool (Treasure, 2014).
Pitch
Definition: The highness or lowness of your voice. Example: Changing pitch can alter the meaning of a sentence, such as asking “Where did you leave my keys?” with a higher pitch for curiosity or a lower pitch for frustration (Treasure, 2014).
Volume
Definition: The loudness or quietness of your voice. Example: Using loud volume can express excitement, while lowering your volume can capture attention; constant broadcasting is discouraged for considerate communication (Treasure, 2014).
Source: Vocal Qualities H5P by Amanda Quibell is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Working on your voice is important! If you have an attractive voice, people tend to attribute other positive characteristics to you. Research highlights that those with attractive voices are believed to be warmer, more likable, and more honest (Shang & Liu, 2022). Those with confident voices are believed to be more dominant and are perceived to be higher achievers (Fagan, 2019). Strengthening your voice can help you with your speech, but it can also help you in other parts of your life. A strong voice will help you in your job interview, in meetings, and in interpersonal relationships.
This chapter is mostly made of exercises for you to try to strengthen your voice. Reading the activities will not help you, doing the activities will. As with all skills, you won’t necessarily improve with one try, it takes practice!
Warm Up Your Voice
Do a Five-Minute Vocal Warm-Up
Loosen up and shush: Loosen up your upper body, take a deep belly breath and then say shhhh
Video source: Van Edwards, V. (2019, January 25). 5 vocal warm up exercises before meetings, speeches and presentations [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/7eDcHZZn7hU
Work on Clearly Articulating Words
Articulation refers to the clarity of the sounds you produce. The opposite of articulation is mumbling. Try putting a pencil in your mouth horizontally and then read your textbook out loud working on keeping your lips off of your teeth to exaggerate the sounds.
Video Source: Vocal Image. (2022, June 18). The best exercise for articulaton. YouTube. https://youtube.com/shorts/R8p51Y6R6pA?si=z5kINOJ_vYU1TYu1
Articulation Practice
Another way to work on articulation is to do the practice drills. Here are some suggestions from Communication in the Real World.
Say “Red Rover” ten times, overenunciating each r.
Say “Wilbur” ten times, overenunciating the w and r.
Say “Bumblebee” ten times, enunciating each b.
Say “Red-letter, yellow-letter” five times, making sure to distinctly pronounce each word.
Say “Selfish shellfish” five times, making sure to distinctly pronounce each word.
Say “Unique New York” five times, enunciating the q and k. (To really up the challenge, try saying, “You need, unique, New York.”)
Bring Your Voice Up Front
Bring your voice from the back of your throat to inside your mouth. Practice bringing your voice forward by trying this exercise.
Say the words “coal, coal, coal.”
Now, do it again. Say the words “coal, coal, coal” as you hold one hand in front of your mouth and feel the air pushing out on your hand. Do it several times to feel the air.
Now say the words “coal, coal, coal,” but this time let it drop to the back of your throat. Notice that the air is no longer pushing on your hand.
When people have strong, energetic voices, they have their voices upfront. When people are tired, weak, or unenergetic, they have their voices in the back of their throats. As speakers, we want to have strong energetic voices.
Now you understand what we are trying to do. Try it one more time each way: “coal, coal, coal.” This time, don’t just feel for the air difference, but also listen for the difference in sound.
Practice Regularly
It is not enough to want to get better; you have to practice.
Video source: Ghiang, V. (2023, July 23). 5 vocal exercises for a more powerful voice. YouTube. https://youtu.be/3A_rI31vdBI
Practice These Phrases
Once you have your voice warmed up, voice coach Graham Williamson suggests you practice these phrases. As you speak them, try to keep an even tone and pace as if you were speaking one long word with no break in between.
Many men munch many melons.
Mandy made marinade in May.
Major Mickey’s malt makes me merry.
My mom’s marvelous modern manicure.
Mervin Maclean’s mess marred my marmalade.
Magnify Your Voice
Having a strong, clear voice is important for speechmaking. The best way to learn to amplify your voice is with practice. Amplify doesn’t mean to scream, it means to use the force of your breath and the amplification provided in your mouth to make the sounds strong and clear.
Try talking to your furniture. Right now, look at a chair that you can see and say, “Hello chair.” Imagine seeing your words as rays of light traveling to the chair. Now, look out of a window or a door and see an object farther away and try it again. For example, you can look out the window and say, “Hello tree” and imagine your words traveling to the tree. Try this for various objects at varying distances.
Arguably you may feel silly doing this but trust the process and give it a try. Practice with things inside your room and outside your window. Feel the air and notice the difference.
Practice Changing Your Volume
To practice changing the volume of your voice, Williamson suggests counting exercises. Try to do it in one breath.
1. Count and gradually increase the loudness.
Count to 10, gradually increasing your volume from 1-5, then start again at 6 with gradual increase in volume until you reach 10. 5 and 10 should be the loudest numbers in the exercise.
2. Count and gradually decrease the loudness.
Count to 10, gradually decreasing your volume from 1-5, then start again at 6 with gradual decrease in volume until you reach 10. 1 and 6 should be the loudest numbers in the exercise.
3. Count and increase the loudness on every 2nd number.
Count to 10, increasing your volume equally on every second number. Odd numbers should be quiet, even numbers should be louder.
4. … on every 3rd number.
Count to 9, in sets of 3, where the first two numbers are quiet, and the third is louder. 3, 6 and 9 should be loud, while the other numbers are quieter.
5. … on every 4th number.
Count to 12, where every 4th number is louder. 4, 8 and 12 should be spoken loudly, the rest of the numbers should be quieter.
6. … on every 5th number.
Count to quietly to 10, with numbers 5 and 10 spoken loudly.
Yawn a couple of times really big. Feel the back of your throat open when you are yawning.
Now try a big yawn, as you exhale close your mouth, let out a sigh. The goal is to open your throat.
Focus on the back of your throat opening up. Now yawn right before taking a big breath to open up the back of your throat. Relax your larynx and your head and neck muscles.
Video source: Jimmy Cannon Speaking Coach. (2019, August 22). Public speaking tips: Use a straw! [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zUCkRfXamM
Use Pauses for Effect
A pause can be a way to help give your presentation impact. A pause can:
Help Comprehension: Pauses give people time to understand what you’re saying.
Emphasize A Point: They make key ideas stand out and stick in people’s minds.
Build Suspense: Pauses can make your audience curious about what’s coming next.
Show Confidence: Using pauses makes it clear you know your stuff and are in control.
Keep People Interested: Well-timed silence helps to keep your listeners engaged in what you’re saying.
Don’t be afraid to take a moment of silence—it’s a great tool for good communication.
Video Source: Clapp, C. (2019, October 13). The importance of pauses [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/qdje4DVNcTo
Avoid Filled Pauses
Um, uh, ok, like, ya know. All of these happen to even the best speakers, but they are distracting. According to one study, recording yourself and listening to your speech is one way to reduce ums. Another trick is to replace the filler word with the word “period” or “pause” in your everyday speech to help your filler awareness. Why do we use filler words? We use filler words because we are afraid of silence and pauses. As an advanced speaker, you should begin to think of pauses as a purposeful thing you do for emphasis. Eliminating those “ums” will make you sound more organized and confident.
In the video below, hesitation phenomena is explained. Replacing empty filler words like “um” or “uh” with intentional pauses and words like “look” can help your audience understand.
Source: TED-Ed. (2021, Feb 18). Why do we, like, hesitate when we, um, speak? – Lorenzo García-Amaya [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/FsMWbVrjucg
Avoid Uptalk
Uptalk is where the voice goes up at the end of sentences. To many listeners, uptalk makes the speaker sound uncertain, insecure, and annoying. Within other circles (groups of uptalkers), the use of uptalk may signal that the speaker is “one of us.” UK Publisher, Pearson, interviewed 700 managers on the use of uptalk and this is what they found:
85% thought it was a “clear indicator of insecurity.”
70% found uptalk annoying.
Of those, 50% said that uptalk would hinder the prospect of employees and interviewers.
44% stated that they would mark down applicants with uptalk by as much as a third.
The evidence is clear that in professional circles, uptalk can hurt your credibility. Record yourself while giving a speech and listen for uptalk. Start being aware of when you do it in everyday speech.
Staying hydrated helps your body lubricate your vocal cords. It can take up to six hours for the water you drink to get to your vocal cords so you need to hydrate hours before your speech. You cannot wash off your vocal cords. You cannot slick them down with water.
Limit Alcohol and Caffeine.
Balance alcohol and caffeine consumption with water. Drink one glass of water for each cup of coffee or alcoholic beverage.
Humidify.
Use a humidifier when the air is dry to keep your throat moist.
Avoid Inhaling Smoke.
Do not smoke and avoid second-hand smoke. This also includes avoiding other airborn pollutants as much as possible.
Protect Your Voice.
Project your voice, don’t scream. Avoid vocal extremes. Too much shouting or too much whispering can damage your voice.
Warm Up Your Voice.
Before you give a speech, sing, or teach. Practice humming and gliding.
Resist Dairy: It Makes You Snotty.
Dairy products can thicken mucus and clog you up. When you get excess mucus, you are likely to damage your voice by repeated throat clearing.
Avoid Throat Clearing and Limit Coughing.
Coughing and throat clearing are hard on your voice. Try sipping water or sucking on a non-menthol or non-eucalyptus cough drops. It is better for your voice to cough than to clear your voice multiple times. The need to clear the voice often comes from thick mucus–staying hydrated thins the mucus and reduces the need to clear your voice.
Avoid Speaking from Your Throat
Use your breath to carry your voice. Speak from your core and use your diaphragm to support your breath. If you speak from your throat, your voice will begin to sound raspy, and you will struggle to maintain volume in even a three minute speech.
Key Takeaways
Remember This!
Having a strong voice can help you as a speaker, but it can also help you professionally.
Childs, L. (2016). Voice care: Sorting fact from fiction. UT Southwestern Medical Center. https://utswmed.org/medblog/vocal-cords-care-qa/
Christenfeld, N., & Creager, B. (1996). Anxiety, alcohol, aphasia, and ums. Journal of personality and social psychology, 70 (3), 451-60. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.70.3.451
Cleveland Clinic. (2020). Ten ways to keep your voice healthy and strong. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/10-ways-to-save-your-voice/
Esenwein, J.B. & Carnagie, D. (2015). The art of public speaking. The home correspondence school. https://library.um.edu.mo/ebooks/b17773544.pdf
Fagan, A. (2020, June 10). How is your voice perceived? Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/articles/201905/how-is-your-voice-perceived
Montes, C.C., Heinicke, M.R, Guendulain, M.A., & Morales, E. . (2020) A component analysis of awareness training for reducing speech disfluencies. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 76. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.795
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Information Clearinghouse. (2021) Taking care of your voice. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/taking-care-your-voice
Jeffers, J. M., & Underwood, G. D. (1993). Enhancing presentation dynamics through voice projection. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 24(5), 234-237. https://doi.org/10.3928/0022-0124-19930901-11
Shang, J., & Lui, Z. (2022). Vocal attractiveness matters: Social preferences in cooperative behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.877530
Shellenbarger, S. (2013). Is this how you really talk? Your voice affects others’ perceptions; Silencing the screech in the next cubicle. Wall Street Journal.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323735604578440851083674898
Toastmasters (2011). Your speaking voice. https://toastmasterscdn.azureedge.net/medias/files/department-documents/education-documents/199-your-speaking-voice.pdf
Tomlinson, J. M. Jr., Fox Tree, J. E. (2011). Listeners’ comprehension of uptalk in spontaneous speech. Cognition 119(1), 58–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2010.12.005
The University of Minnesota. Communication in the real world. Creative Commons Open Resource Textbook. https://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/
University of Michigan Medicine. (n.d.). Maintaining vocal health. https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/ear-nose-throat/maintaining-vocal-health
Warren, P. (2016). Uptalk- The phenomenon of rising intonation. Cambridge University Press.
Williamson, G. (2014). Voice projection exercises https://www.sltinfo.com/voice-projection-exercises/.
Weitzberg, E., & Lundberg, J. O. (2002). Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 166(2), 144–145. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200202-138BC
