How to speak more slowly

1.      Open your mouth more. Do you tend to speak with your upper and lower teeth close together? Check in a mirror if you aren’t sure – it’s a VERY common cause of unclear, rushed speech.

When you create more space between your teeth, the mouth space is bigger, so your tongue can articulate more precisely. The tongue moving a couple of millimetres further takes a fraction of a second longer. Added up, this leads to a more measured pace and clearer speech.

Practical tip: Relax your jaw and imagine there are tiny springs gently holding your upper and lower teeth apart.

2.      Move your lips more. Just like the tongue, your lips have a job to do in shaping your words, e.g. rounding for vowels like the ‘oo’ in food and spreading (smiling) for vowels like the ‘e’ in get. Just like with the tongue in point 1, moving your lips to shape your words brings down the overall speed a little.

Practical tip: Speak as if people need to read your lips (remember – you don’t always know when people really need to). Use 70% effort so you don’t feel or look exaggerated. Check in a mirror or video yourself.

3.      Chunk your speech. When we rush, we don’t tend to leave pauses or spaces between our phrases. it’s much easier for your listeners to follow / if you divide your speech into obvious chunks / so that they can digest your message / piece by piece.

Practical tip: Mark up a piece of text like above and read it aloud to ‘get you in the zone’. Then bring the same rhythm into free speech.

4.      Use your whole body. Speaking doesn’t only involve the mouth. Your voice needs the support of the breath and body, which in turn need the support of the floor and/or chair. Anchor yourself to the floor, sit tall. Many of my clients say this helps them to feel more grounded and present, and to express their thoughts in a more organised way.

Practical tip: Just before speaking, plant the feet on the floor hip-width apart and allow your spine to extend to its full length. This should feel relaxed and powerful, not rigid.

5.      Breathe freely. Many of us hold our breath before we speak, which can lead us to rush to get all the words in before our limited breath supply runs out! Connecting with the body as in point 4 can help free up your breath and get more fuel in the tank.

Practical tip: Make sure your breath is flowing before you speak. Don’t start speaking from a ‘held breath’ position. Your breath is the fuel for the voice.

Your idea is clear in your head – you know what you want to say and mean. Your listeners are depending 100% on the mechanics of your voice to receive the essence of your message. The above tips will help ensure that happens effortlessly.

Need more personalised guidance on slowing down or improving clarity for your next meeting or presentation? Book your free consultation here.