How to Speak Clearly

Speaking clearly and effectively can help you convey the correct meaning easily. You will need to slow down, pronounce clearly, and practice your expressions. Take the time to practice speaking and correct yourself if you make a mistake.

Table of Contents

Speak slowly

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Take a deep breath. Calm down before you start speaking, so your lungs won’t run out of air. Know how to filter your thoughts, don’t say them all at once. If you start talking right away and you’re not calm yourself, you may speak too quickly and the words will be jumbled together. Take time to focus, then start speaking out thoughtfully.

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Fluent pronunciation. You should pronounce each syllable separately. At first, speak slowly until each sound is clear and coherent. Gradually speak faster and shorten the space between words until you can speak normally. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Make sure you really block the flow for consonants like ‘t’ and ‘b’. Pronounce vowels clearly.
Don’t expect yourself to be coherent immediately. You may need to practice for a few hours a day, and for difficult words it takes even more effort.
Practice when you are alone, in the car, or walking down the street, while cleaning or knitting, or while standing in front of a mirror. You may slow down when talking to someone, but you will progress faster if you invest serious time in improving your speaking skills.

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Speak more slowly. It helps to wait a second or two before saying the words. A little pause is also good, because that will allow the listener to fully understand the words you just said. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Sharpen your speaking skills

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Grammar practice. If you use incorrect grammar, your ideas and thoughts may not be communicated as clearly as you would like. Speak as if you were composing a speech or a letter: be patient, poised, and precise.

Avoid rambling. If you do, your listeners may not get the point. Always try to break your thoughts into understandable phrases. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Expand your vocabulary. A word used correctly is much clearer than a roundabout way. Find the exact word you need, then use it effectively. You should be careful not to use words in the wrong context or in the wrong way; you may lose the clarity of what you intend to say and will not be properly appreciated by others.

Note: you need to make sure that the listener knows these too. Always pay attention to your listeners. Use simple words when possible.
Reading is a great way to expand your vocabulary. Read books, newspapers, essays, read things that you like and also things that you normally don’t read. Every time you come across a word you don’t know, look it up in the dictionary.
Make a list of useful and powerful words. The more you use them, the more natural you will feel, and your vocabulary will also increase.

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Think before you speak. If you prepare the words to use in advance, you will not miss a word. Even if you don’t have the exact words ready to say, you can take the time to think through your ideas and make them clear in your head.

Whisper the words before saying them out loud. This will help you make sure that you have the correct pronunciation.

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Speak with intonation. The question should be raised at the end of the sentence. The narration should be said in a lower tone of voice and with clear breaks. Know which words or sounds need stress. Try reading as expressively as you would when reading stories to children. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Practice expressions

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Practice saying “tongue” sentences. If you practice difficult sentences, you may find everyday conversation easier. Start slowly, then gradually speak at a normal pace. Identify confusing consonants: if you find yourself having a hard time pronouncing the letter “L”, say “tongue” statements that contain a lot of L sounds ^{. [5] X Research Source}

With the L sound, try the sentence: “the eel it nestled it slithered past me”.
With the N/L sound, try the sentence: “Nanh Village gave birth to a sow this year. Frustrated young rice fire. The old farmer sobbed and took the nun back.”
With the B/M sound, try the sentence: “At the beginning of Bong village, chop bamboo shoots, sell fish sauce. At the end of Bong village, they sell fish sauce and minced bamboo shoots.”
With the R sound, try the sentence: “The perch in the basket rattles.”

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Say those words over and over. Start speaking slowly and clearly, pronouncing each syllable clearly: “Mr. Thanh eats cassava, Mr. Hanh eats onions”. Speak faster, but still be clear. If you get a word wrong, stop saying it and start over. When you practice persistently, you will quickly conquer difficult sounds.

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Be confident when speaking. Don’t be afraid to speak loud and clear. Recount what others have written; Poetry, stories, and tongue-in-cheek quotes are all great options for building confidence. Get to where you want to be: The end must be as definitive as the beginning! Always be sure of what you are going to say and the meaning will reveal itself.

If you find yourself stammering or slurring, it will be difficult for you to correct that and speak more clearly. When repeating what others say, you should forget what you are saying. Just focus on the words, their meaning and beauty. Do not think too much. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Advice

Be simple. Sometimes, a simple explanation is all you need to speak clearly.
Listen to your voice on the tape recorder. It can help you identify areas for improvement.
When you are speaking: open your mouth wider, pronounce each word clearly. This is like singing: you need to open your mouth. You may not realize it, but opening your mouth will make your voice clearer.
Practice in front of family and friends. See if they understand you better once you’ve been practicing for a while.
When you’re talking to someone, take the time to ask if they understand what you’re trying to say. If not, try saying it again.
Singers often have to learn to press the tongue behind the lower teeth and keep it there, unless using sounds that require tongue movement (such as L, T, M/N). This will allow the air to escape from your mouth more easily as it won’t get in the way of your tongue. But be careful when using this trick: you can focus too much on your mouth instead of the words you intend to say.

Warning

Don’t think too much when talking to others. You may end up making the situation worse. Speak naturally; think only about exactly what you are saying, not what you intend to say next. Enter the mind.

Steps

Speak slowly

Sharpen your speaking skills

Practice expressions

Advice

Warning

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