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10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills

Few are immune to the fear of public speaking. Marjorie North offers 10 tips for speakers to calm the nerves and deliverable memorable orations.

Marjorie North

Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Just thinking about public speaking — routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears — can make your palms sweat. But there are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In part one of this series,  Mastering the Basics of Communication , I shared strategies to improve how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace , I examined how to apply these techniques as you interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the third and final part of this series, I’m providing you with public speaking tips that will help reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your performance.

Here Are My 10 Tips for Public Speaking:

1. nervousness is normal. practice and prepare.

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

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2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head — in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

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About the Author

North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private practice specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.

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How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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22 Tips to Be More Articulate and Speak More Clearly

Boost your communication skills with these 22 practical tips. Learn to speak clearly, articulate your thoughts effectively, and command any conversation.

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Have you ever tried to make a compelling point in an argument but couldn’t quite express the thoughts in your head? Or had an opportunity to speak to a group but felt like your words were jumbled and mumbly? 

The ability to express ourselves clearly and effectively is fundamental in today’s fast-paced, communication-driven world. And in this guide, we’ll help you become more articulate and clear in your speech.

What Does It Mean to Be Articulate?

To be articulate means that you can clearly, effectively, and coherently express your thoughts and feelings.

The two main components of articulateness are:

• Clarity refers to the ability to express thoughts and ideas concisely and clearly-structured while picking just the right words. When you speak clearly, you are able to translate your inner world to another person in a way they fully understand. They can straightforwardly grasp what you are trying to say without ambiguity or confusion. The opposite here might be a word salad.
• Delivery refers to how clear and comprehensible a person’s voice and body language is. This is when you enunciate your words with punchy clarity and when you use your hands, posture, and the emotional tone of your voice to support what you are sharing. As an example to avoid, think of mumble rap.

Becoming more articulate is a fantastic goal, and if you want to improve your goal-setting skills for other domains of your life, check out this free goodie.

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Benefits of Being More Articulate

When you start to develop your articulateness, you don’t just talk or write—you connect, influence, and inspire. 

Imagine being able to clearly voice your ideas during a critical work meeting or confidently tell a captivating story at a social gathering. Maybe even persuade your friends to join you on that adventurous hiking trip. Developing articulate speaking patterns is a game-changer for your social connections.

Here are some of the specific benefits of improving your articulation skills.

• Increased understanding: being articulate allows you to express your thoughts and ideas clearly, reducing misunderstandings and promoting effective communication.
• Improved confidence: when you can express yourself effectively, it boosts your self-confidence, helping you feel more comfortable in a variety of situations.
• Improved professional success: in the professional world, being articulate can help you present ideas convincingly, leading to recognition, respect, and potential career advancement.
• Stronger relationships: clear communication, a product of being articulate, enables more meaningful and authentic conversations, which can ultimately strengthen your relationships
• Influence and leadership : articulate individuals are often perceived as leaders because they can convey their vision and ideas convincingly, influencing others and driving change.

Whether you’re gearing up for a big presentation, striving to make a difference in your community, or simply seeking deeper conversations over coffee, becoming more articulate will open new opportunities.

22 Tips to Be More Articulate

Improve your vocabulary.

A robust vocabulary gives you a rich palette of words to precisely express thoughts, emotions, and ideas. The more words you know, the more colors you have to paint with. 

A strong vocabulary allows you to convey complex concepts succinctly and convincingly while improving your credibility.

Remember though, a good vocabulary isn’t just about knowing many words; it’s about using the right word in the right situation. Try some of these tips to develop your vocabulary:

• Read with a dictionary in hand. Whenever you read a book or blog post, try reading with a physical dictionary. Look up every word you don’t know. You’ll quickly notice just how many words you don’t know (there are about 300,000 words in the English language, after all!), and over time, new words will start to sink in.
• Watch a video in Latin. So much of the English language comes from Latin. If you brush up on Latin—even just a video or two—you’ll quickly notice how often Latin roots appear in words. When you encounter a new word, you might spot a Latin root that you can connect to the word instead of a random sound to memorize. For example, the word licentious means “morally unrestrained” and actually derives from the Latin root licentia, meaning “freedom, liberty.” This root also appears in “license,” which is something you obtain that gives you the permission or freedom to do something (e.g., drive a car)—knowing that makes the word much easier to grasp.

3. Use a word of the day. The New York Times is one great resource for your dose of daily diction. When you learn a new word, use it at least five times daily to let it sink in. Word-of-the-day apps can be notoriously hard to stick to. So it might be most effective to commit to learning a word a day for a set amount of time, whether that’s one day or seven days in a row.

Present your ideas clearly

If every time you talk, it comes out like a jumbled ball of spaghetti; it can make it challenging for others to understand what you’re trying to convey.

One way to increase your speaking cogency is to practice writing.

While journaling is an effective practice to open your creative spigot and examine yourself, writing an actual essay (or blog post) forces you to think carefully about which words you choose, the order of your arguments, and how to convey complex thoughts.

Try out this activity.

4. Write a 150-word essay. Try creating a short but compelling argument for any of the following topics:

a) What is the best meal of the day, and why?

b) Who is the most talented musician, and why?

c) If you could re-write the rules of society, what would be the three most important social norms you’d implement and why?

It should take about 10 minutes to write 150 words. But if you want to practice your articulation skills more deeply, try a 500-word essay.

Ditch the filler words

We all rely on filler words and sounds when speaking. Usually, if we’re searching for something to say, we’ll fill the silence with “ums” or “likes.”

And even though it’s commonplace to use these filler words, they can make you come off as unsure or nervous.

It’s tough to stop using filler words, but here’s one way to practice.

5. Record yourself for 3 minutes. Try reflecting on the prompt, “What was 2017 like for you?” Once you finish, listen back to the recording, and notice every time you said “um,” “uh,” “like,” or something similar. 

Do as many reps as you’d like to try to improve!

Enunciate crisply

To speak articulately, it helps to pronounce each word with sharp clarity. And it helps to say each word as its own, not bleeding into the next one.

Here’s one great practice for enunciation borrowed from the freestyle rap community.

6. Read backward. Pick up a book and read a paragraph backward. Try it at different paces. This activity is helpful because you won’t habitually slur one word into the next when the word order doesn’t make sense.

Speak at the right pace

If you talk too fast, people might lose track of what you’re saying, or your words may blend together. When you slow down your pace, you can focus on saying each word clearly. It’s a difficult habit to build, but a slower speaking pace will also ensure that your conversational partner will absorb all of what you are saying. Here are a few tips.

7. 50% Speed with a partner. Grab a friend for this practice. Simply set a three-minute timer, and tell your friend how your day is going. But try to talk at 50% of your normal pace when you’re sharing.

Here are a few more tips to help fast-talkers slow down.

But don’t go too slow! Researchers at The University of Michigan 1 https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/530278 found that the most persuasive speaking pace to convince people to participate in phone studies is 3.5 words per second or 210 words per minute.

If you’re a slow talker and want to speed up, then try the inverse of the activity above.

8. 2x Speed with a partner. Grab a friend for this practice. Simply set a three-minute timer, and tell your friend how your day is going. But when you’re sharing, try to talk at two times your normal pace.

And to either slow down or speed up your pace, you can try this:

9. Read a page. Pick up a book and read a page as clearly as possible—either slower or faster than your normal pace, depending on what you are practicing.

Watch our video below to learn the 6 most commonly mispronounced words:

Barack Obama is known for giving some epic pauses in his speeches. He’ll leave an audience hanging on his every word. Silence creates tension and anticipation. 

Pausing can make you more articulate by giving you time to gather your thoughts and share clearly, while also adding an extra oomph of emphasis to your message.

As a bonus, pausing also communicates confidence. If you’re feeling insecure, you might avoid pausing because you’re afraid that if you pause, someone in the group will lose interest and steal the microphone from you. 

Practicing pausing is a way to practice conversational confidence. Pausing is like wearing a leather jacket—a leather jacket is a bold outfit choice, so donning one forces your confidence to meet the garment. And if you try pausing in your speech, it might similarly bring forth your confidence.

Let’s take a page out of Barack’s book.

10. Practice pausing in a voice memo. Try texting a voice memo to a friend—either about a relevant topic or just that you’re thinking of them. But when you record this voice memo, see if you can insert at least one two-second pause. If you’re not used to it, pausing might feel scary. But just remember that if it works for Obama, it can work for you too.

Find the right pitch

Pitch is the tone of your voice. It can be high, medium, or low. Studies suggest that when your pitch is lower 2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3350713/ , people will see you as more of a leader.

That said, some research finds that females with higher-pitched voices 3 https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/jul/16/women-high-pitched-voices-men tend to seem more attractive.

What you do with your voice pitch is up to you, but if you choose to go higher or lower, you can bring intention to it.

11. Find your maximum resonance point. We all have a natural range of pitches that our voice can hit, and when we speak in a certain part of our range, it comes off as most comfortable. Check out this article to learn how to find your maximum resonance point.

12. Deepen your range with neck stretches. If you do want to deepen your voice, there are ways to do so. According to the vocal training center My Voice Exercises, neck exercises can deepen the voice by “reducing tensions that are placed on your vocal cords.” Here’s one stretch they advise:

• Slowly rotate your head to the left. Attempt to position your chin above your shoulder.
• Hold for 10 seconds. 
• You can deepen the stretch if you put your left hand on the right side of your jaw and offer gentle pressure
• Relax and repeat the stretch on the right side.

Bolster your speech with your hands

If you want to get your point across clearly, using your body language 4 https://cognitiveresearchjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41235-016-0004-9 can help people understand you.

The best body language will match what you’re saying and will communicate subconsciously to the other person so that they more easily understand your point. Here are a few body language gestures to try:

13. Emphasize big points. If you’re saying something important and you want to emphasize its significance, try this tip from Columbia University 5 https://sps.columbia.edu/news/five-ways-improve-your-body-language-during-speech#:~:text=Speakers%20should%20avoid%20sweeping%20the,be%20locked%20onto%20someone%20else’s.&text=Plant%20your%20feet%20shoulder%20width,shifting%20from%20side%20to%20side. . Put your hands in front of your face as if you’re holding a large ball, and gesture symmetrically.

14. Speak from the heart. If you want to convey anything emotional or sentimental, simply put your hand over or near your chest.

15. Use your hands to track. If you are comparing two categories, you can use each hand to represent each category. This helps the other person keep track of the associations you’ll build about each category.

Here’s a great video resource below for even more tips about how you can use your hands.

Do a vocal warmup

Warming up your speaking muscles is a great way to get your throat, tongue, and mouth lose and ready for talking.

Acting classes typically teach vocal warmups 6 https://www.masterclass.com/articles/7-acting-warmups-games-and-techniques-for-actors . And it makes sense—athletes warm up before competing, and actors warm up before speaking. If you have an important meeting or conversation where you want to bring your full articulateness, try a warmup exercise. 

16. Untwist that tongue. Tongue twisters are classic vocal warmups. They train your mouth 7 https://www.masterclass.com/articles/11-articulation-exercises-for-actors#3rdaEWwElDqb2rJ4rSkyiR to ensure it clearly spits out the correct sounds. Here are three to try offered by Masterclass . Recite each phrase enough times until you can say it flawlessly.

• Friday’s Five Fresh Fish Specials
• High roller, low roller, lower roller
• I need a box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer.

If you want to go deeper into vocal warmups, check out this video.

Keep refining

The best way to practice is to record yourself speaking in different contexts.

You might take on different speech patterns when you’re speaking into your voice memos app versus when you’re with your boss or in front of a crowd. One of the best ways to improve at anything is through good feedback.

17. Record yourself in different contexts. Whether on Zoom calls, phone calls, presentations, or whatever. If you want to become more articulate, it’s invaluable to hear your speaking patterns—pace, pitch, filler words—so that you can make adjustments. When you listen to a recording, note how you could improve, and then practice that next time.

How To Overcome Nervousness

When you’re nervous, you might forget what you want to say, talk too fast, fidget, take shallow breaths, or generally jumble up whatever you’re trying to say.

Besides writing, I also help make YouTube videos. I was on a call recently with my manager Ben and was feeling quite nervous. And as we closed the call, I said, “Alright! Bee you later, Sen!” 

We both took it in stride, but I was nervous, and it was not my most articulate moment!

The best way to overcome the hurdle of nervousness is through the most classic technique in the book. Breathing.

​​Lucille Schutmaat-Rubin, Ph.D., is a voice and speech coach who offers a powerful step-by-step process 8 https://voicefoundation.org/articles/breathe-and-speak-with-ease/ to calm yourself for speaking. Her process is as follows:

18. Breathing technique to calm nerves before speaking

• Breathe in through your mouth
• Relax the back of your tongue while inhaling to create silent breaths
• Follow the breath into your belly
• Put your hands above and below your navel to feel your breath in your belly
• Vocalize an “AH” on the next few exhales
• Keep up smooth exhaling “AHs” until your throat and belly start to relax
• On your exhale, speak the number 1. Then 1 2. Then 1 2 3. Up to 10. Add one number at a time
• Let your breath’s pace dictate your pace of speech

Places to Practice Your Speaking

As with any skill, you can practice by yourself, but it’s tremendously helpful to practice with a group. 

Here are a few resources you can explore to take your articulateness to the next level.

19. Toastmasters . Toastmasters is an international organization that helps people train in public speaking. There are tons of clubs in every major city. Each club has its own culture, but essentially you’ll meet with a group of people for an hour or two and have a chance to practice both written and spontaneous speeches in front of a group. People will give you feedback on everything from your filler words to your pacing to help you improve.

20. Standup comedy. Another place to practice the art of speaking is standup. Lots of cities have standup classes you can take, where over several weeks, you’ll write bits and perform them in front of your classmates, eventually building up to a performance in front of strangers.

21. Coursera. If you’d like to jump into a deep dive, the University of Washington offers courses on public speaking for free on Coursera . The course promises to help you “diminish your public speaking anxiety” and “leverage rehearsal methods to develop a robust, engaging speaking voice.” 

22. Virtual reality . There are VR programs that give you the experience of talking to a boardroom. If you want to practice your speech in a deliberate format while sparking any public-speech butterflies, try the program Ovation . Can you feel your palms get sweaty just by looking at the image below?

Source  

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Be More Articulate

To train yourself to be more articulate, the best thing you can do is practice with feedback. That might mean recording yourself or going to a group like Toastmasters. When you listen to recordings of yourself, look for areas where you speak too fast, mumble, or say “like” a lot.

You might not be able to articulate what you want to say if it’s a complex idea that you don’t quite understand fully yourself. Often something makes sense in our head, but when we try to explain it, it comes out like gobbledygook. In this case, it can be effective to turn to writing. Try to get your thoughts out on paper in a way that feels complete and makes sense. Then you’ll be able to explain these ideas more readily in conversation. 

You might struggle to articulate your feelings because you lack the proper emotional vocabulary. Gaining emotional clarity of your inner landscape is a notoriously long and challenging journey. To better articulate your feelings, it can help to have more nuanced language for everything you feel. Check out this article, which goes over the feelings wheel, to learn to describe your feelings more accurately.

Three ways to improve your vocabulary are to read with a dictionary in hand so that you can build your word knowledge as you read, to study some basic Latin so that you can more recognize and pick up new words based on their roots, and to practice a word of the day so that you can proactively add more words to your knowledge base.

Takeaways On Becoming Articulate

With all of these tips, you should be on your way to becoming a more articulate speaker. The most important thing is that you practice! If you want to improve your speaking skills, then doing so will take time and effort–and it won’t happen overnight. Just try any of the following:

• Improve your vocabulary. Read with a dictionary, study basic Latin, or try a word of the day to expand your verbal knowledge.
• Present your ideas clearly. Try writing a short essay to improve your clarity on how you present ideas. What’s the best meal of the day and why?
• Ditch filler words. Record yourself giving a speech and find all those “likes” and “ums.”
• Enunciate crisply by reading a paragraph backward.
• Speak at the right pace. If you’re a fast talker, ask a friend to listen to you for three minutes while you talk slowly. Slow talkers do the reverse.
• Hit pause. In your next conversation, try increasing your use of pauses…more than you’re used to.
• Find the right pitch. Record your highest and lowest pitches, and stay in the second to the bottom quarter of your pitch variation.
• Use your hands. Consciously try to match your hand gestures with your talking points.
• Do a vocal warmup —Friday’s Five Fresh Fish Specials.
• Keep refining. Record yourself in as many different speaking contexts as possible, and learn your habits in each situation.
• Overcome nerves before speaking by taking deep breaths, relaxing your throat, and making sounds on your exhale.
• Practice with a group at Toastmasters, a standup comedy class, or a public speaking course.

If you want to go even deeper into mastering your speech, check this article out to learn to speak more confidently.

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21 Most Effective Ways to Improve Your English Speaking Skills

English is the world’s lingua franca , a common language that people with different native languages use to communicate with one another.

In fact, 96 countries use English to varying degrees.

That means the more fluent you are in English, the more interesting, exciting and  insightful (thoughtful) conversations you’ll have.

And, for the most part, you can boost your English speaking skills without having a classroom partner or taking stressful lessons.

In this article, we’ll take you through 21 of the best ways to improve your English speaking skills. We’re sure you’ll find at least one tip here that you haven’t tried before!

1. Learn new words and phrases every day

2. improve your pronunciation using authentic english audio and videos, 3. improvise conversations, 4. use tongue twisters, 5. learn the natural flow of english, 6. shadow english speech, 7. think in english, 8. retell a story in english, 9. use english pronunciation apps, 10. participate in public speaking events, 11. go to language cafes, 12. use formal or informal english appropriately, 13. be clear and to the point, 14. ask questions, 15. use filler phrases, 16. don’t be afraid to repeat yourself, 17. watch your body language, 18. improve your speaking by writing, 19. make friends online, 20. brush up on your cultural references and political knowledge, 21. visit an english-speaking country, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Before you learn things like improving your English pronunciation and accent , you’ll want to have a good grasp of the words and phrases used in daily conversations .

After all, it’s easier to figure out which aspects of your pronunciation can be improved if you know which words you need to practice saying aloud.

Also, you can commit to learning more words every day as you practice your speaking skills. This allows you to kill two birds with one stone (achieve two goals by doing one thing).

• Thousands of learner friendly videos (especially beginners)
• Handpicked, organized, and annotated by FluentU's experts
• Integrated into courses for beginners

• Set a goal for the number of new words you want to learn daily. For example, you can learn three new words or 10 every day. Even if you only have time to learn one new word per day, that will still be 365 new words a year (assuming you commit to your goal every day). You can take note of your target number using your phone, or share it with a learning partner who can help you check your progress.
• Subscribe to an online dictionary’s “Word of the Day” section. Not sure which words you want to learn right now? You can look up English dictionaries online with the “Word of the Day” feature. Just sign up for their free subscription via email, and you can get these words delivered to your inbox every day.
• Pick up new words all around you. Go to an English-speaking area, and listen discreetly (in a way you won’t be noticed) to native conversations. Write down any words or phrases you don’t understand, and look them up later using your dictionary. Do the same with the English songs you hear on the radio. By learning new words in context, you’ll be able to remember them more easily and grow your vocabulary more quickly.
• Learn words in phrases. For example, you refer to drinks as a glass of wine , a pint of beer , a cup of tea , a pot of coffee , etc. Again, learning words in context works much better for recall.
• Learn related words. For example, the moon has four phases every month: crescent , gibbous ,  waxing and waning . It’s more efficient to learn all four words at the same time.

Even if you know a lot of words, you won’t be understood if you don’t pronounce them correctly. That’s wasting the time spent remembering words, right?

So, you need to hear or watch English words and phrases as they’re pronounced by native speakers. Some places where you can do this are:

• Online dictionaries. You’ll notice that these dictionaries often have little speaker symbols next to the new words (like this ). Some of them, like the Cambridge Dictionary , even have different audio for U.S. and U.K. pronunciations. Just click the speaker symbol, listen carefully and imitate the way the audio pronounces the word.
• YouTube. Sometimes, when you search for the pronunciation of a certain word online, the results will show YouTube videos . They often repeat the word slowly several times, which makes it easier for you to follow along.
• Podcasts. Podcasts like English Pronunciation Pod and American English Pronunciation can teach you the many aspects of American English pronunciation.

If you’re having trouble pronouncing whole words, you may want to work on pronouncing individual letters first.

For example, when pronouncing English vowels , prepare your mouth for speaking by making the sounds of the vowels A , E , I , O and U .

Make a shape with your mouth as you make these sounds.  Exaggerate the sounds and shapes—that is, make them very large and very obvious.

• Interactive subtitles: click any word to see detailed examples and explanations
• Slow down or loop the tricky parts
• Show or hide subtitles
• Review words with our powerful learning engine

By practicing these basic sounds, it’ll be easier to hear the difference between, for example, a  cat and a  cut . (A cat can give you a cut, but a cut can never give you a cat! That’s just silly.)

For consonants, pronunciation practice is a bit trickier, and will require an entire post on its own. Luckily, we have a handy guide that covers how to pronounce consonants in English !

Improvisation (or just improv ) means making things up in the moment.

Here are a few improvisation ideas you can do on your own:

• Choose an ordinary object (like a pen) and make up a story about it. Talk about how important it is to you, how it helped you find your long-lost sister or how it saved your life. Be as creative as you want!
• Choose a letter of the alphabet and speak as long as you can while starting every sentence with this letter. Or start with the letter A and go through the alphabet as you speak. It’s much harder than it sounds!
• Speak for two minutes.  Set a timer to run for two minutes. Choose a random topic from places like Conversation Starters or prompts (ideas) at Writing Exercises . Then, speak about that topic for the full two minutes without giving yourself time to think about it. The first minute might be hard, but by the second minute, you’ll start to speak more confidently and comfortably. Try this as many times as it takes to get comfortable within the first minute.

Practicing improv is a good way to get more comfortable speaking with others, since it teaches you to speak without preparation.

Tongue twisters are phrases and sentences that are difficult to say quickly. They’re designed to help you see how fast you can say them before your tongue gets confused.

But saying them slowly works, too! It’s an excellent way to work on your pronunciation and how clearly you speak. You can choose one of these English tongue twisters , making sure to correctly and clearly say every word.

• Learn words in the context of sentences
• Swipe left or right to see more examples from other videos
• Go beyond just a superficial understanding

Once you’re comfortable saying the words slowly, try to say them faster, gradually increasing your speed with each new repetition. Even if you get some words wrong (and believe me, even native English speakers struggle with tongue twisters sometimes), you’ll at least have a good laugh about it!

Being able to say individual words correctly is great, but the secret to speaking English fluently lies in the flow of your sentences.

Whenever you read a piece of poetry, listen to a melodic song or watch a hilarious sitcom, pay attention to:

• Linking. Notice how native speakers link words together. This refers to joining two sounds, making a sound disappear or changing a sound to make it flow better.
• I + am =  I’m
• he + will =  he’ll
• they + have =  they’ve
• do + not =  don’t
• Stress.  There are stressed syllables in a word and stressed words in a sentence .
• Rhythm.  The rhythm is the overall result of stress, contractions and linking. It’s the ups and downs, or the musical features of English. You can also think of it as the speed and “sound” of your speaking.

Finding your perfect speaking rhythm can go a long way toward boosting your fluency. A good speaking pace is comfortable (both for you and the listener), keeps you focused and gives you enough time to think through what you want to say.

Here’s how you can improve the flow of your spoken English:

• Find a short paragraph, or even just a sentence at your reading level. You can find lots of short reading passages for different levels here . You can also open your favorite English book to a random page and choose a paragraph or two.
• Get a recorder or video camera. If your phone doesn’t already have a recorder installed, you can download this for iOS or this for Android.
• Say the paragraph or sentence slowly, then again faster, and again.
• Once you reach a speed that doesn’t feel comfortable or is too fast, slow down.
• Repeat this a number of times, making sure to record what you say every time.

Listen to the recordings. How do they sound? You should’ve felt a difference when you were speaking, too. Speaking slowly helps you work on pronunciation and enunciation (how clearly you say things). Speaking fast helps you work on your fluency, since you’re not worrying about every single word you say.

Shadowing English basically involves listening to how a native speaker says something and copying it.

• FluentU builds you up, so you can build sentences on your own
• Start with multiple-choice questions and advance through sentence building to producing your own output
• Go from understanding to speaking in a natural progression.

Here are some ideas on how to shadow English:

• Pick your favorite video with subtitles. Make sure it’s something you enjoy watching. This is important for the next step.
• Listen to it many times. Listen to the video once. Then, read the subtitles to get a good grasp of the general content and flow.
• Imitate the narrator sentence by sentence. Play. Listen. Pause. Speak. Record (optional). Copy the speech pattern as best as you can. 

With enough shadowing, you’ll naturally get closer to sounding like a native speaker. Just make sure to pick videos with the same English accent! 

You can find plenty of English videos with quality subtitles on the language learning platform FluentU .

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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When you’re learning English, and you’re having a conversation with a native speaker, your natural tendency is to take what they say, translate it into your native language in your head, mentally create a response in your native language then translate that response back into English.

As you can imagine, this takes a lot of time. It also makes conversations feel slow or even frustrating (something that causes stress) for the person you’re talking to.

On the other hand, if you practice thinking in English , it takes less time to come up with responses and engage in conversations. You don’t have to take that extra step of translating to and from your native language.

• Images, examples, video examples, and tips
• Covering all the tricky edge cases, eg.: phrases, idioms, collocations, and separable verbs
• No reliance on volunteers or open source dictionaries
• 100,000+ hours spent by FluentU's team to create and maintain

A good way to start thinking in English is to keep a diary for writing down your daily thoughts in English. It doesn’t have to be perfect—you just want to practice getting your thoughts out in English as often as you can.

For example, you can start with a familiar story from your culture. Your translation needs to  convey (communicate) not only the meaning of the words you use, but as much cultural nuance (small differences in meaning) as you can pack into it. You can also choose a short story or fairy tale that mostly uses words you can understand.

Then, you can record your retelling or ask a native English speaker to listen to you and give you their thoughts.

Sometimes, you have words in your language that don’t easily translate into English, and that’s okay! You can try to explain it in another way, like how an untranslatable word would feel to a native English speaker, for example.

If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s an app to help you perfect your English pronunciation, the answer is “Yes.” There’s a lot of them , in fact.

For example, ELSA Speak (available on iOS and Android ) uses speech recognition technology to help you correct the way you say words in English. The lessons are arranged according to topic (e.g., travel, business, etc.). If you’re taking proficiency exams like the IELTS, this app can come in handy, too!

Big universities, theaters and cultural societies often organize events like open debates , spoken word readings and improvised storytelling gatherings. These are places where you can come and mingle with like-minded people and practice speaking English.

Many cities host TED Talks where you can register, participate and share your  innovative (something that’s new or original) ideas. Check the events page of your local university to see if there are any of these opportunities available. It might be a nerve-racking experience, but it would be great for your English!

But what if you don’t feel confident speaking in English? Don’t worry, all language learners deal with this at some point! One of the best ways to overcome the lack of confidence is to get out there and practice.

The best way to do this is to try speaking in English with strangers. The following video has tips on avoiding mistakes when starting a conversation in English.

If public speaking terrifies you, you can opt for language cafes instead. These are cafes that create a friendly and relaxing atmosphere for people who want to practice and exchange languages.

You can usually find language cafes through local universities or the Meetup groups in your local area. If nothing else, they’re a great place to find friends you can share your personal interests with.

Depending on the context, you may have to use either formal or informal English . But how do you know which one to use?

Often, it’s a good idea to listen to how your conversation partner is talking, notice your situation and environment and try to match the type of English being used.

For example, if you’re in the office or at school talking to a boss or professor, it’s safe to use formal English. If you’re talking over coffee with a friend in a cozy cafe, you’re free to throw around all the slang you know.

If you’re only learning “regular” English, don’t worry. Most of the time, standard English works perfectly well as a communication tool, no matter who you’re speaking to. Context is key!

Imagine hearing both of these sentences out of the blue (suddenly). The first thing you’ll probably think of is, “What on earth is this person talking about? What do ‘elucidate’ and ‘dihydrogen monoxide’ mean?”

Even if you know what those words mean, you’ll probably still think that they could’ve just said  “Can you please explain to me what this means?” or “Drink lots of water every day!”

You may be tempted to throw around impressive-sounding words in everyday conversations. But, unless there’s no other way to express what you really mean, you’ll want to use the simplest words possible. Not only will you be better understood, but you’re also less likely to come across as pretentious (someone who acts like they’re better than they really are).

But how do you know which words are the “simplest” for English speakers? Again, that’s where regularly listening to authentic conversations comes in. The more you listen to regular conversations by native speakers, the more you’ll pick up patterns regarding the words they use to make themselves understood.

Communication works both ways. To make sure your listener is engaged (interested in what you have to say) and understands you, ask questions. 

The questions can be about anything you want to know more of. If it’s your first time meeting someone, “What’s your name?” is always a good conversation starter. You can also use other ways to introduce yourself in English .

Ask questions whenever the other person stops and there’s something you want to know more about. For example, if you see your friend with a good-looking car, you can say something like “Wow, that’s a nice car! What make and model is it?” The “compliment + question” formula works like a charm!

Whenever you don’t understand what the other person says, just say it back to the speaker in your own words. This will give them a chance to correct whatever you didn’t understand, or confirm that you heard right.

You can use these phrases before the information:

• I want to make sure I got that right, …
• So let me get this straight, …
• If I’m understanding you correctly, …
• Just to make sure I’ve got it right, you mean…
• Are you saying that… ?
• When you said… Did you mean… ?
• I am not quite sure I am following. Did you say…

If you’re worried that this makes you look “slow” or rude (has no manners), don’t fret! Most people will be perfectly understanding of the fact that English isn’t your first language. They’d rather repeat themselves than have any misunderstandings.

Filler phrases are phrases that act like placeholders in a sentence. They fill in silences so that your speech isn’t interrupted, and give you a little time to think of what to say.

Some examples of filler phrases are:

• To be honest…

You’ll hear these words a lot when you’re talking to native English speakers. To have a better grasp of what they mean and how to use them, you’ll want to—you’ve guessed it—practice them regularly.

But, as with any good thing, don’t overuse them! Too many filler phrases are just as bad as too many pauses. As a general rule of thumb, try not to use more than one filler phrase for every couple of sentences you speak. 

Because you’re still practicing English, you may not always be sure if people really understand what you mean.

In that case, just ask! Most of the time, you can make sure someone understands what you said by asking them to repeat what you said.

For example, the next time you give instructions, directions or information in English, follow it up with one of these phrases:

• I want to make sure you got that. Would you mind repeating it?
• I’m not sure if I said that right. Can you please repeat it?
• Can you please run that by me, so I know you got it?
• I’d like to be sure I’m expressing myself clearly. Could you please tell me what I’ve just said, so I know we’re on the same page?

There’s an English saying that goes like this: “Actions speak louder than words.”

The way you sit, the way you hold your hands and even where you look—all of these can add to or change the meaning of the words you say. The most important thing is to relax.

Not all body language and gestures mean the same thing in different cultures, however. Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re speaking in English:

• Avoid certain hand gestures. Showing just the middle finger with the rest of the fingers folded down is considered an offensive gesture. In the U.K., making a V sign with your index and middle finger is also considered rude. (In the U.S., it’s just a sign that means “peace.”)
• Do use your hands when you’re speaking, though. Your hands can show so many emotions. Slamming a  fist (where your fingers are curled into your hands like a boxer’s) into an open hand shows determination. Slamming an open palm or a fist into a table can show anger. Keeping your hands closed and folded on your chest makes you seem cold and uninterested.
• Fingers can speak, too. For example, you can make an “okay” sign by keeping your last three fingers open, and making an “O” with your index finger and thumb.
• Crossed legs can mean different things. If you cross your legs toward the person you’re speaking to, this shows you’re listening to them. If you cross your legs away, it can show you’re not interested or are distracted.

Take note of the situation and mood of the speaker when they make certain gestures. Watching others’ body language in person can help you better understand what they mean.

You can also do this exercise:

• Sit or stand in front of a mirror and speak.
• Pretend you’re having a conversation with your reflection. What are your hands doing? What does your posture say?
• Move around, try different things and see how they change the meaning of the words you’re speaking.

This may seem like a strange tip in a post on how to improve your English speaking skills. After all, what does writing have to do with speaking?

Plenty, in fact. When you know the most natural way to express something in English on paper, that can also translate to how you express yourself in spoken conversations.

Practice writing in English . Take time to collect your thoughts. Try writing a blog in English to hone your writing skills.

Take a look at the steps below and start blogging!

• Choose a platform.   WordPress is a good option for blogging. You can set up an account, then choose a theme and a domain (e.g., imlearningenglish.wordpress.com). Other content management systems like Wix , Ghost and Squarespace are also useful. If you only want to write and aren’t too comfortable with overly technical setups, check out Medium .
• Choose a topic. You can write about whatever you like, of course. But since you want to practice more and more, you should choose a topic that you’re  passionate (interested in or knowledgeable) about.
• Set a schedule and stick to it. Decide how often you’ll be writing—daily, twice a week or once every other week. Be realistic, but committed.
• Write away!  Staring at a blank page can be intimidating (scary). To get started, set a timer for one to two minutes. Think of your topic for that day, then start writing without stopping until the timer goes off. Don’t worry about vocabulary, sentence structure or spelling for now. The point is to express yourself without having to think too much about what you want to say—which is how most conversations go!

Do you feel shy about meeting people in person?

Luckily, you don’t have to leave home to find people to talk to. You can always go to language exchange sites like:

• italki. italki works like a tutoring site where you can find native English speakers to teach you their language. (Read our italki review here .)
• Polyglot Club . A  polyglot is someone who can speak multiple languages. As you can guess from the name, the website consists of a community of people dedicated to learning languages.
• HelloTalk. On HelloTalk, you can connect with English speakers via voice, text or video chat. (Read our HelloTalk review here .)
• Tandem. Similar to HelloTalk, Tandem allows you to contact English speakers from halfway around the world. It has more of a social media feel, though. (Read our Tandem review here .)

Native English speakers love to throw around cultural references in conversation. Cultural references are usually ideas, sayings or jokes related to popular media. For example, the meme (pronounced “meem”) “Brace yourselves, winter is coming” is a reference to a quote by the character Ned Stark from the TV series “Game of Thrones.”

There are so many possible cultural references that it’s hard to keep all of them straight, even if you’re a big pop culture fan! However, you can “get” (understand) most of them by watching lots of English TV shows and movies .

Aside from pop culture, you’ll also want to read about the politics, values and norms of the English-speaking country you’re interested in. That way, you can avoid saying something insensitive or politically incorrect. You can read all about these in newspapers and magazines , where you can also pick up idioms , phrases and other expressions you’ll use over and over again.

If you can afford a plane ticket and accommodations, you can always travel to an English-speaking country. Traveling gives you a chance to see and feel the culture—the food, the drinks, the shops, etc. You can practice chatting with native speakers, testing out your accent and seeing how well people understand you. 

So, off you go! Choose your preferred method to improve your English speaking skills above. Expand your vocabulary, correct your pronunciation and boost your English speaking with the tips that feel right for you. Don’t forget to practice as much as possible!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Speech Writing Tips: 27 Key Tips from Seasoned Pros

• Filed under: Featured articles , Public speaking articles , Public speaking tips and tricks , Speaking tips

Whether it’s your first speech or your hundredth, you might be feeling the anxiety build as you stare at a blank page. You need to wow your audience, but you’re not sure how. It can be stressful to create a moving speech from nothing, but you’re not alone. Below, I’ve compiled a killer list of speech writing tips from seasoned pros.

So, what are the best speech writing tips to remember? Choose the right topic for your audience, which is based on their interests and needs. To make your speech more interesting, avoid jargon, and use personal stories and humor in your speech. Make your transitions from subtopic to another smooth, natural, and flawless.

By the end of this article, you’ll know how to write an awesome speech from start to finish. So, let’s not waste another moment!

Table of Contents

Speech Writing Tips: The Audience

Before you begin writing your speech , you need to consider several factors about your audience. Without taking these points into consideration, your speech will fall flat or may even offend your audience, so don’t rush past this part.

#1 Who is my audience for this speech?

This is the first and most important question you need to ask yourself. The answer will dictate the path your speech should take. This first tip has everything to do with the people you’re talking to and nothing at all to do with you.

Why does your audience even matter? Isn’t your speech all about you?

No! If a speech needs to touch an audience, move them, or inspire them, the speaker needs to recognize the audience and adapt to them. Your job, before any other, is to figure out who your audience is and then write your speech around their needs and expectations.

For example, if your audience is a room full of young mothers at a convention aimed at small crafting businesses, you don’t want to come at them with a bunch of sports metaphors. That’s not to say they won’t understand or appreciate one of those thrown in for contrast and a new twist. However, it’s safe to assume they’d rather hear crafting anecdotes or small business stories instead of quips about the latest sports news.

On the flip side, if you’re speaking to a room full of lawyers on a retreat intended to relax and entertain them, you wouldn’t want to fill your speech with depressing cases and stories of judicial frustration. More on that in a moment though.

The bottom line is that you need to gauge who your audience is before you write a single word.

#2 Why is my audience here?

I touched on this briefly a moment ago, but I want to dig into it a bit deeper to drive my point home. Knowing who your audience is, is only half the equation. Understanding why they are there is the other half.

The “why” matters almost as much and who they are. For example, if the audience is there because it’s required, they may come into the speech feeling hostile and tense. A hostile audience is a closed-off audience; they’ll need to be handled with care.

If the audience has paid to be there, on the other hand, they are more likely to be receptive and open right from the start.

So, why are they there?

• Is their attendance voluntary or compulsory?

#3 What does the audience want from my speech?

You know who you’ll be speaking to and why they are there. Now, you just need to figure out what they want from your speech. If you know what they want to walk away with, you can deliver it.

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In my previous examples, we saw mothers at a convention for small crafting business owners, and we saw a bunch of lawyers on a relaxing retreat. Each of those groups will be at their events for a specific reason, and you need to know what that reason is.

They are both groups of professionals, but they each have very different expectations for your speeches. One group expects to learn from you or be inspired. The other group wants to be entertained.

How you handle these two situations should be based on their needs. So, what do they want to get out of your speech ?

• Are they there to learn?
• Are they there to be inspired?
• Do they want to be entertained?
• Do they want to be challenged?
• What do they hope to gain from your speech?
• Why is this topic important to this particular audience?

Remember, this isn’t about what you want them to get out of it; it’s about their needs and expectations. Your job is to make sure your words resonate with them, and that won’t happen if you don’t understand what they need.

How do I utilize these speech writing tips for my audience?

So, now you know who your audience is, why they are there, and what they expect from you. But what do you do with all this information?

#4 Research demographics

Jump online and research your audience’s specific demographics. Important factors may include:

• Political affiliations

#5 Be informed about the industry

Pay attention to current trends in their industries as well as past ones. Doing some research now can help your speech writing process in the long run, so take the time to dig deep.

#6 Understand the mission

Every event has a mission. Speak to the event organizers to get a better feel for the main mission of this event. This is a good time to ask more questions about the attendees, too.

#7 Check out the venue

Look up the venue and speak to the people in charge. Organizers often choose venues that are friendly to their causes or already have a good reputation in their circles.

#8 Research other speakers

It helps to look at past speakers for the group and how they were received. It’s also very helpful to do some research on fellow speakers at this particular event, if there are any.

Speech Writing Tips for Choosing A Topic

Though you will likely have instructions for the general theme of your speaking engagement, the specific topic will be up to you. Choosing the right topic for your audience and their needs can be a stressful part of writing a speech.

Choosing the wrong topic can make your speech a nightmare for you and your audience. So how do you choose the right speech topic for your audience? Using the previous speech writing tips to get to know your audience, you should already have some ideas about topics of interest to that group.

Just in case you’re still stumped, here are some more speech writing tips for choosing a topic.

#9 Explore relevant speech topics

While researching your audience, the event, and the venue, you probably stumbled across interesting tidbits of information about each. Use them. Even if they seem insignificant at first, everything is worth exploring at this stage.

Look at the bits of information floating around the group you’ll be speaking about. This can be something in the news, a hot topic on social media, or new legislation that could affect the group.

#10 Ask event coordinators for speech ideas

Event coordinators will have a clear picture of the event, the main focus, and the interest of the attendees. Ask the coordinator for suggestions on topics. They may be willing to share the list of topics already being discussed by other speakers, too.

Knowing what other people will be talking about can help you choose a smaller niche or expand on that topic. It can help you avoid redundancy, too.

#11 Ask social media for speech topics

Harness the power of social media by asking your followers what kinds of topics they’d like to explore. Even if these people won’t be in that audience, if they’re familiar with the main theme, they probably have an idea of what kind of speech they’d enjoy hearing.

Writing the Speech

You’ve done a lot of research, spoken to important people, and have a solid plan for impressing your audience. Now comes the hard part.

Getting your ideas and facts down onto paper can be frustrating and incredibly stressful. What will you say? How will the audience react? What if you don’t make sense?

These next tips can help you nail the writing process and produce your finest speech yet.

#12 Write your speech outline first

Outline your speech before you begin writing the words you’ll be speaking. This helps you stay on topic. It also gives you an opportunity to test out the flow of ideas and pacing.

If anything in your outline seems out of place, you have an opportunity at this point to make room for it, or just chuck it. Don’t hang onto stubborn bits past the outline stage. If it just won’t fit, don’t try to force it. You’ll only frustrate yourself. Save that bit for another speech.

#13 Write Your Speech Introduction Last

It may seem counterintuitive to write the beginning last, but hear me out.

Your speech introduction is one of the most important parts of your speech. This will set the tone for the entire speech. Sometimes, it’s hard to get past that first step and get to the meat of your speech because you aren’t entirely certain what your speech is about yet.

So, skip the intro and start working on the body first. You’ll edit that draft over and over, fine-tuning it to perfection. And once you’re done, you will know exactly what your speech is about.

That’s the point where you can nail your introduction, touching on a few key points, and getting your audience ready for the main event.

When you do begin your introduction, lay it out in a simple way. Introduce yourself, talk about your purpose, mention your key points briefly, and establish credibility so your audience can trust you. If you can add some humor at this point, that would help relax your audience, but only do so if it’s appropriate for the occasion.

Your speech introduction is your hook. This is the way you grab attention. Use this moment to engage the audience, too. Eye contact, body language, and asking questions right from start will draw attention.

But a good hook needs more than these tricks. You need to get attendees to want to stay and listen.

Some hooks include:

• A puzzling question
• Posing a dilemma
• Or a combo of all of these

If you’re still stuck on introduction ideas, you can watch a few speeches from popular orators to get a feel for it.

#14 Use personal stories and humor in your speech

After your outline is done, look at your subtopics and choose a few to add personal stories too. It’s best to put personal anecdotes with the most important parts of your speech to help those aspects stand out. Adding a personal touch keeps audiences engaged and interested.

Don’t waste your anecdotes on minor points, unless they add something bigger than entertainment to the mix.

Make sure your anecdotes don’t pull focus from your topic. If people are too connected with your story, it could pull their attention away from the real point of your speech. There is a balancing act here.

#14 Use repetition when writing your speech

Humans are creatures of habit and routine. Both habits and routine come from the repetition of actions, thoughts, and words. Use that to your advantage when you write your next speech.

Pick a short phrase to repeat throughout your speech. It will trigger a subconscious reaction in your audience and help them pay attention. It will help them remember your points, too.

An example of repetition in a speech is Winston Churchill’s “We shall fight on the beaches; we shall fight on the landing ground” speech . Everyone knows and remembers most of it. It’s the repetition of “we shall fight” that made this speech memorable.

#15 Remember that your audience is not you

You were asked to make this speech because you’re an authority. Your job is to impart your knowledge or to entertain your audience, but you have to remember that they’re not you.

The attendees may be interested in your topic, but they don’t have the same knowledge you do ; that’s why you are up there talking and not them. So, this speech writing tip is here to remind you to be a teacher, a guide, and an authority.

Your audience is interested in what you have to say. They will want and need specifics, facts, sources, and information. It’s your job to give it to them. Though each person listening may have some knowledge on your topic, you need to be sure your words and points are clear to someone who might not know much at all.

#16 Don’t patronize or talk down to your audience

Yes, you’re an authority. People will be looking to you for guidance and information. However, you’re not their parent. You’re not above them or more important than they are. Be careful not to cross the line from friendly expert to overbearing know-it-all.

#17 Choose jargon carefully

You want to write and speak naturally, but using too much industry jargon can be just as bad as using none at all. Be sure to choose appropriate industry jargon sparingly, but not too little.

Jargon helps build your credibility, while too much makes you sound desperate.

#18 Nail your speech transitions

You’ll need to go from one subtopic to another in a smooth, natural, and flawless way . This can be a major sticking point for some people.

One of my favorite ways is to put an anecdote between two subtopics to help bridge the gap. Most personal stories have multiple meanings and lessons to be learned. Put an anecdote between two closely related subtopics to help.

You can also use the recap method to transition between subtopics. It’s as simple as saying, “We explored this and this, but let’s turn to this for a moment”, and then continue on. This works best with subtopics that are naturally close together.

#19 Write a great speech ending

Hey, no pressure, but you need to write an awesome speech ending. This is your chance to recap briefly, excite the audience, and add your call to action.

What did your audience want and need from your speech? What was the point of the entire thing? The ending of your speech is where you show your audience that you delivered exactly what they needed.

A call to action can be as simple as signing up for your mailing list or as complex as voting or buying something. Whatever it is, make it clear that your speech has been persuading enough to give the attendees what they need.

One major problem a lot of speeches have is that they wander. It’s a common mistake to let your speech meander back and forth over a variety of topics.

While it may make total sense to you as you write it and even practice it, you must remember that your audience will probably get lost with your ramblings or lose interest in what you have to say.

Here are some speech writing tips to keep your speeches focused.

#20 Keep a narrow focus for your speech

It’s exciting to get up in front of people and talk about your passions. The problem many speakers run into is the desire to cram too much information into a short span of time . This confuses audiences and muddies your point.

Instead of putting every idea into your speech like a blanket, think of your speech as a thread in a bigger tapestry. You aren’t there to show them the entire picture; you’re there to show them details on one important part.

If you stay focused and on topic, your audience will get more out of your speech than if you try to cover every possible point. Besides, if you stay focused now, you are more likely to be asked back for another speech on another part of your tapestry.

#21 Keep your speech simple

This speech writing tip isn’t as much about wowing your audience as it is to caution against too many of those tactics at once . It’s tempting to fill speeches with various “tricks of the trade” to keep attendees glued to their seats, but it can backfire.

If you keep your speech simple and to the point, listeners are more likely to remember what you said. That means they’ll get a lot more out of your speech than the generic memory of you being really fun to watch.

• Use short sentences
• Use simple language appropriate for the audience
• Don’t ramble
• Cut extraneous words that don’t add value

#22 Write your speech like you speak

Too many people ignore this speech writing tip—don’t be one of them! You need to write your speech like you speak. That means using everyday language and even colloquialisms where appropriate.

By keeping your speech natural, it’ll help you stay comfortable and confident, which then helps you stay on topic. Adding big words you don’t normally use will only distract you and your audience.

#23 Stick to the facts to write an impressive speech

Understandable, it’s easy to get sucked into the excitement of passionate topics. When people are excited about something, they tend to exaggerate. Since exaggeration is sometimes considered as one branch of lying , that tendency can get you in trouble when writing a speech.

Elaboration is one thing—and it’s a good thing to do in your speech—but it’s a slippery slope from elaboration to exaggeration. Be sure you can cite your sources at any given moment.

Stick to the facts and you won’t find yourself in front of an audience shaking their heads in disbelief. Even if your facts are wild, if you can back them up with sources, you’ll keep your audience listening.

#24 Try to sound normal

Another big issue speakers face is sounding unnatural. There is a stiffness or obvious discomfort to some speakers that can make the audience feel uncomfortable. Some of this is due to anxiety over public speaking, but some has to do with poor word choice while writing the speech.

These tips will help you write a more natural-sounding speech.

• Use common terminology for the industry, but avoid difficult to pronounce words.
• Ask questions to keep the audience engaged. Speakers and audiences are more comfortable when it feels like a conversation.
• Laugh, smile, and gesture as if you were speaking to a friend. Obviously, you don’t want to laugh and smile if it’s a somber event, but use socially acceptable emotions and behaviors to keep yourself relaxed.
• Be open, honest, and human. If you know you’ll be nervous, add it to your speech. Poorly veiled discomfort can infect audiences, too. Showing your vulnerability will help show your human side while setting the audience at ease. And writing it in the speech in advance can help alleviate some of the stress.
• Write your speech with contractions. Say things like “I’m” instead of “I am” and “they’re” instead of “they are” to keep your tone friendly.

Practice Makes Perfect

You’ve researched, outlined, written, and edited your speech. Pat yourself on the back, but you’re not done yet.

#25 Read your speech out loud

Seeing the same words over and over on the page can start to muddle your brain. It’s a fact. The more you look at your speech, the less likely you are to see the mistakes .

The only real way to overcome this is to read your words out loud. You can do this alone or with a friend, but you must not skip this part of your preparation.

When you read your words out loud, your brain will often autocorrect your mistakes, just like it does while writing and editing silently. The difference this time is that your ears will now catch the mistake and give you the chance to fix it.

So, for example, if you’re reading your speech and your mouth says one thing while the paper says something else, you know there’s an issue. Stop, examine the problem, and make corrections.

If you continue to stumble over places in your speech where it is grammatically correct and is mistake-free, your brain is telling you there’s still a problem. Maybe it doesn’t sound as natural as you thought. Maybe it’s the wrong tone.

Whatever it is, your brain, eyes, and ears are trying to tell you there’s an issue. Don’t ignore these situations.

#26 Record your speech

If you can’t figure out what the problem is while reading aloud, record yourself. This can be audio or video; it doesn’t matter. Just record your speech and then replay it.

You may be able to spot the mistake by listening or watching. If you’re still stumped why it sounds odd, ask a friend or two to help.

#27 Time yourself

When your speech is done, you have one more job to do. Time yourself. It seems so simple and obvious, but many people forget this step.

Writing a speech is an arduous task sometimes, and once it’s done, you may feel great relief. But if you don’t time yourself giving your completed speech, you may find yourself on speech day talking too long or not long enough.

While timing, if you keep coming up short, try these tricks to lengthen the speech:

• Add pauses for emphasis
• Speak slower
• Practice suitable gestures and body language
• Add more content

If your speech is coming up too long, try these tips to shorten it:

• Speak faster, but not too fast
• Add more contractions
• Remove extra sentences
• Check for the bad kind of repetition or overstating facts
• If all else fails, you may need to cut sections

These speech writing tips cover the planning, research, writing, and practice stages. No matter where you’re running into difficulties in writing your speech, there should be something here to help. And if you’re completely stumped or too nervous to even begin, just follow the steps in order.

I’m always looking for more tips and tricks to share with my readers. If you’ve developed your own processes and would like to share, I’d love to hear from you.

Related articles

Speech preparation: The important question of “What do i do if…” Speech preparation is vital, and the more thoroughly you do it, the greater the chance that your presentation will work out well. Also, it is wise to ask yourself a question “what you would do if…” (full article here)

33 tips to improve your presentation skills. This post will highlight 33 main presentation skills you should know and use in the future. Probably you will see that most of them are very simple to implement right away and don’t require elaborate action plans. (full article here)

How to speak with confidence in public? Accept the fact you’ll be nervous, but don’t let it control you. Prepare your speech or presentation well in advance. Practice in front of a variety of listeners. Learn controlled breathing. Act like you own the stage. (full article here)

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• Tags: Art of public speaking , Good speech , Impromptu presentation , Introduction to a Speech , Prepare a speech , Prepared speech , Speech preparation process , Speech tips , Speech writing tips , Unprepared speech topics , Writing a speech

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Who is janek tuttar.

My name is Janek Tuttar , and I am the founder and author of Speak and Conquer website.

I have been teaching public speaking at Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences

Here, I am sharing the wisdom of how to cope in different public speaking situations.

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Hi! My name is Janek Tuttar, and I am the founder and author of SpeakAndConquer.com.

I have been teaching and blogging about public speaking since spring 2007. Here, I am sharing the wisdom of how to cope in different public speaking situations.

Send me an e-mail: [email protected]

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10-28-2015 HOW TO BE A SUCCESS AT EVERYTHING

5 Ways To Improve Your Speaking And Writing At The Same Time

It starts by understanding that speaking isn’t just writing out loud, and writing isn’t just transcribing speech.

BY  Anett Grant 4 minute read

For the last 5,000 years, humans have communicated with each other in two major ways: speaking and writing. As an English speaker in particular, you might think that speaking and writing are pretty similar—like different sides of the same coin. But in reality, they’re like two different coins altogether. In fact, a 2015 study from Johns Hopkins showed that speaking and writing actually utilize two distinct areas of the brain.

What does this mean for you? If you’ve always thought of public speaking as just delivering written remarks–in other words, “writing out loud”–chances are you’ve been getting it wrong (and putting your listeners to sleep). Conversely, if you write exactly the way you speak, your message might not resonate with readers as well as it could. Paying closer attention to these five commonly overlooked differences between writing and speaking can help you improve both those faculties at the same.

1. Adjust To Your Audience’s Attention Level

One of the biggest differences between speaking and writing is the level of attention your audience is likely to give your message. When you speak, listeners are seldom 100% focused on what you’re saying. There are just too many distractions: what they’re thinking about, what you’re wearing, what the room looks like, the way your voice sounds, etc. And since we think three to four times faster than we speak , your listeners’ thinking will always be a few steps ahead of the words coming out of your mouth.

When you write, you arguably have a more captive audience of readers, simply due to the nature of reading–at least until your readers stop reading. Readers are almost completely engrossed by the words on the page; reading demands a higher degree of concentration. That frees you up as a writer to present your ideas more methodically, and to skimp on some of the flourishes and techniques you need to keep a live audience of listeners from getting distracted.

2. Repeat (Only) As Needed

In speaking, offering frequent recaps is critical. When you’re driving towards a new destination, you need constant reminders (“road signs”) of where you’re heading. They help make sure your listeners stay along for the journey from beginning to end.

In writing, on the other hand, repetition is usually superfluous and can sometimes even be irritating. Writing has its own conventions to help structure the progression of ideas, like subheadings and chapters. Since reading takes comparatively much more focus, repetition can actually slow things down and cause frustrated readers to put down your text altogether.

3. Choose Your Words Carefully

When you speak, your choice of words is important, but not as much as you might think. When audiences listen to you speak, they may not remember particular phrases, even if they’re following your meaning closely. Listening is more about paying attention at the thought level, not the word level. This is because our brains act as editors, taking what we hear and sending it through filters based on our memories, assumptions, and biases. So in speaking, you may have more leeway in deciding which words you use to convey your message.

When you write, on the other hand, word choice is critical. Your readers can’t help but pay closer attention to the words you choose, and they’ll be much more critical of imprecise language. Good writing and great writing aren’t so much distinguished by the breadth of your vocabulary as by the way you choose language that’s best suited to the idea or impression you want to generate. That rule of course holds true for speakers as well, but it can arguably play a bigger role in writing.

4. Consider Complexity

As a rule of thumb, you should use less complex structures in your speaking than in your writing. The biggest reason why is simple: You need to breathe. When you speak in long, complex sentences, you tend to stuff so many words together that you end up gasping for air. In addition, you’ll use filler words like “ah” and “um” more frequently. So keep it simple. Think of speaking in terms of phrases–meaningful groups of words supported by breaths. By speaking in simple phrases, rather than in complex sentences, you’ll increase your fluency and help your audience stay engaged.

Writing allows for greater complexity because readers tend to read faster than speakers speak; since pausing to breathe isn’t an issue, you can pack more words into a mental “breath,” so to speak. In some cases, complexity can add variety and keep your writing interesting. The best writers can weave both long, complex and short, simple sentences together for maximum impact.

5. Use Rhythm Skillfully

Effective speakers use simple, obvious rhythms to keep their audiences engaged. You can repeat certain phrases in order to create a crescendo, or what’s known as a “rhythmic build.” This is a skill President Obama uses frequently in his speaking. For example, in the closing of his September address to the United Nations , he said, “They can be made to fear , they can be taught to hate , but they can also respond to hope .” A rhythmic build with three simple repetitions is best—four or five is usually overkill.

Writing can accommodate more complex rhythmic patterns. Many writers tend to think of formal inventiveness as the preserve of creative writing, but the fact is that no one likes to read dry, plodding prose. Business writing can become just as engaging as fiction if you repeat certain phrases for rhetorical impact. Pay attention to the “sound” of the words on the page, and use rhythm as well as the relative complexity of your sentence structure in order to speed up or slow down your readers’ pace.

In both speaking and writing, you have greater control over how your audiences receive your message than you might think. But making the most of it–in both formats–starts with distinguishing between these five differences, then using them to maximum effect.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anett Grant is the CEO of Executive Speaking, Inc. and the author of multiple e-books on speaking. Read her latest e-book here   More

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How to Improve Your Speaking Skills in 10 Easy Steps

You’re feeling like you can’t breathe, you’re sweating uncontrollably, your heart is beating like a drum, and it seems like you’re going to pass out now in front of the whole audience.

• Know who you you’re speaking to
• Know what you’re going to talk about
• Make simple presentations
• Connect with your audience
• Appeal to emotions
• Learn to be funny
• Tell stories
• Stay clear in your communication
• Concentrate your presentation on one major idea
• Explain difficult terms in simple words

If you’re one of the many people who suffer from public speaking anxiety , learn and make use of these 10public speaking skills to achieve the necessary level of confidence, persuasion, and leadership to wow any crowd.

Make sure you check out other articles for more smart study and career tips on our website .

👁 Step #1. Know who you’re speaking to

Wondering how to improve your public speaking skills? Start with solid preparation. When getting ready for your speaking performance, the very first thing to do is to get a full dossier on the people you’re going to deliver your speech to.

Think about it this way:

Wouldn’t it be awkward to talk about the awesome sound of brand new headphones in front of hearing-impaired people? What about giving a presentation about Shakespeare at a math conference? And how would Muslims react to your “5 Best Ways to Cook Pork”?

When preparing your speech, consider these six simple questions to keep yourself from looking silly:

Who? Learn as much information as possible about your audience in advance. You want to know things like the size of the group, the age of your listeners, their economic and educational status, and their attitudes towards you (friendly or hostile?).

What? What does your audience already about your subject? What else can you tell them? What impact do you want your speech to have on them?

When? When does your talk take place? Will it be after a long day of work or study when everyone really just wants to go home? Or will it happen during a short break when you need to give your maximum with the minimum at your disposal?

And here’s a few more questions to ask to give an outstanding speech :

Where? Where are you going to give your speech? At a lecture hall or in a college amphitheater? On a huge stage or in a small room?

Why? Why are these people here? Did they come to listen only to you, or are there 10 more speakers? Were they willing to come or were they forced to?

The last (but not least) question that will help you develop your public speaking strategies is this:

How? How can I achieve the desired result?

Most of the answers will be obvious to you already, but others will require some research and observation. However, the little bit of extra work is definitely worth the trouble.

🎙 Step #2. Know what you’re going to talk about

Brian Tracy, author of many books in sales, human productivity, and time management, paraphrasing Ernest Hemingway, said:

Make sure you do good research about your topic and get ready for the Q-and-A part of your speech. You won’t know everything, and that’s okay–you’re not Google after all—but it is to your advantage to learn as much as you can before your speech.

Are there any techniques for an excellent research process? Of course!

First, find trusted sources on your topic. For this purpose, you may need credible search engines:

• Google Scholar is a fantastic tool every student should use. It is an enormous library of all public articles, books, and journals on any topic.
• Microsoft Academic contains more than 190 million publications. Among them you will find statistics, journals, affiliations, and more.
• WorldWideScience.org is a place where you can use an advanced search to find the most appropriate information in dozens of scientific journals.

Second, you may want to search credible sources like World Health Organization , U.S. Food and Drug , or Physics.org . Finally, you may want to talk to an educator or influencer. If you discuss specific concepts and ideas on your topic with an expert, your presentation will strike the audience as more credible with convincing facts. Don’t have the time or opportunity to reach influencers? Then, use the power of the internet! Enhance your knowledge by watching lectures and video conferences, listening to podcasts, and reading interviews. Go to a free essay database to see how other students construct their speeches.

And to do that without sacrificing too much of your valuable time, you may want to consider some boost your productivity tips .

📝 Step #3. Make simple presentations

Most people think that a good presentation has to be complicated and contain dozens of slides with enormous amounts of data. Data that no one ever reads or understands, and that definitely no one remembers!

The year 2016 is the year when you can forget about PowerPoint with peace of mind. Public speaking experts insist that presentations with slides are not worth the effort. People remember a very small portion of everything they hear, so don’t complicate your life. Instead, write down your speech and make sure that it has a clear introduction, an interesting middle part (better if done according to the Rule of Three ), and a helpful summary. Your speech will only be memorable if you spend this extra time for presentation skills training.

After all, you don’t want this situation to happen to you, do you?

But there is good news for those who don’t like PowerPoint’s interface—use one of many excellent online services instead. Here are a couple of those:

Here are a couple of those:

• Piktochart – a free tool for presentations, infographics, and printouts. It has such benefits as attractive patterns, hundreds of vector images, various fonts, and a collection of stock images. You can not only use its patterns for your slides but also learn a lot of new techniques on presentation design, like the usage of frames or the choice of appropriate fonts.
• Canva – a helpful service in education, business, and daily life. You can develop a creative infographic, presentation, or happy birthday postcard in 20 minutes. It offers a comprehensive list of custom images—more than 1 million items to choose from, including fonts and patterns.
• Visme is another presentation making tool. You don’t need to spend time mastering design skills, just use one of their patterns and add your statistics, videos, and images. Publish your presentation online or share it with your audience.

Use these or other online services if you’re not a fan of PowerPoint. It usually takes less time and is much more fun!

👂 Step #4. Connect with your audience

One of the most important public speaking skills is the ability to connect with the audience. Your speech will hardly have any effect, no matter how wonderful the content is, if you look or act detached.

But here’s the deal:

Luckily for you, you already have three very simple and effective means of non-verbal communication: your eyes, your smile, and your enthusiasm.

• Establish eye contact with your audience as soon as you walk on the stage and maintain it throughout the whole performance. Here’s an awesome trick: Choose someone on the right side of the audience and keep eye contact with her. Everyone on that side will think you are talking to them! Use this technique to interact with the left part of the audience as well.
• Keep smiling . A smiling person projects confidence (even when he feels absolutely the opposite) and makes everyone smile back.
• Be enthusiastic. It’s crazy how contagious any idea can be when a person talks about it with genuine enthusiasm and interest.

😊 Step #5. Appeal to emotions

Your ability to influence people’s emotions considerably determines the effectiveness of your presentation skills. It is a proven fact that emotions affect long-term memory , having a huge impact on our ability to recollect information over time.

Here how it works:

The stronger emotions you can trigger in people, the more receptive they’ll be to what you say and the more likely they are to remember it.

This doesn’t mean that your performance should turn into a play (although in some cases that may be a great strategy), but it does suggest some easy tips for you:

• Be honest and open;
• Show your vulnerability, whether it’s a disease you’ve overcome, a bad childhood, or your strange passions;
• Express emotion by using different volumes, intonations, and gestures;

Be inventive!

😂 Step #6. Learn to be funny

By telling jokes and anecdotes, you can warm up the audience and blend the information traffic. You should definitely include funny tidbits every few minutes just to relax the atmosphere and give people time to digest what they’ve just heard.

A truly amazing example of how humor can fit into a presentation without ruining its seriousness is Ken Robinson’s TED Talk, “ Do schools kill creativity? ” According to calculations made by Carmine Gallo for Forbes, Sir Robinson’s talk received about 2 laughs per minute—almost as many as “The Hangover” (which got 2.5 laughs per minute)! https://embed.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity

And if your first thought right now is “I am not funny at all,” try to use these humor training tips . You may surprise yourself!

For example:

• Use personal experience. It doesn’t matter if you’re a comedian or a college student, everyone can find something funny in their everyday routine to put into the presentation.
• Put jokes into your presentation. It’s a perfect option for those who have a fear of public speaking. It may be difficult for you to tell a joke, but you can always include a meme or a funny gif into your slides.
• Use quotations. Is joke development a challenging task for you? Then, you may use an existing popular quote or joke. Don’t forget to mention the author though!

🗣 Step #7. Tell stories

It’s really easy to learn how to get better at public speaking if you just consider the words of Columbia University Professor Jane Praegar:

“People struggle so mightily writing speeches when all they have to do is find a message and three great stories to prove it.”

Some of the best examples of effective communication skills through telling stories were shown by Steve Jobs in his Stanford commencement speech in 2005 and Michelle Obama in her speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2012. These two speeches, fully consisting of personal stories, caused a frenzy in audiences around the world.

And if you just haven’t had that many heart-touching moments in your own life, use these classic storytelling techniques instead.

• Base your story on a conflict. This is a trick used by professionals and newcomers. Every encounter involving people, values, or beliefs gives you a strong foundation for narration.
• Create hooks. Include fascinating hooks in your story to attract your audience’s attention. Almost all successful presentations use this strategy.
• Use models. There are several models you can use in your speech—patterns you may find in many stories. For example, a hero’s journey .

✨ Step #8. Stay clear in your communication

Elizabeth Kuhnke, author of the book Communication for Dummies , said on her blog:

“ No matter how smart you are, how powerful your message, and how compelling your story, if you can’t be understood you might as well send a memo. ”

It’s very common to start speaking quickly when you are nervous. As a result, you swallow sounds or entire words, get lost in the content, and make yourself even more nervous.

But take a breath, break this vicious cycle, and learn how to be clear in communication:

• Do warming up vocal chords exercises before delivering the speech.
• Speak at a moderate pace. Thoroughly pronounce your words, keeping in mind your intonation. If you notice that you are starting to speed up, take a pause, drink some water, and then continue.
• Make sure that you think before you speak. No one wants to listen to indistinct or rambling speech.
• Remove filler words like “um” and “uh.” Each time you feel the necessity to fill your speech, just make a short pause instead.

💡 Step #9. Concentrate your presentation on one major idea

Accept the fact that it will be impossible to fit everything you want to say on the topic into your speech. In fact, one of the features of good speaking skills is the ability to pick a specific important idea and concentrate the whole speech on it. Share examples and tell stories to prove it.

By the way:

Some essay writing tips may do you good service when dealing with this part of your speech. After all, a speech is just like an essay: clear, organized, and focused. Don’t be afraid to use anything and everything that can be helpful during your preparation.

⭐ Step #10. Explain difficult terms in simple words

Here’s the thing:

Your audience might be totally unfamiliar with the terms and concepts that seem clear to you, so you need to build a kind of mental bridge to transfer your ideas to them. And the best way to do that is to keep it simple. Use common words, expressions, metaphors, and comparisons—let them understand you and actually picture what you are talking about.

In her TED speech on gene editing, Jennifer Kahnspoke about a new biotechnology called CRISPR, or clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat.

Sorry, what?

Look at how she explained it:

Now isn’t that easier to understand?

Practice makes perfect.

Don’t ruin your outstanding performance by being lazy.

Stop wondering about how to improve speech skills and simply start practicing. The simple fact is that your presentation skills won’t get better themselves.

Here are 9 more smart public speaking practice tips:

• Write down your speech and make a bulleted list of your narrative.
• Read the speech several times. Learn it but don’t memorize it exactly. You are going to share your ideas, not recite the digits of pi by memory.
• Use your bulleted list as a guide.
• Another great tip on how to develop speaking skills: Speak on camera. It may seem awkward, but by doing so, you will have an opportunity to hear and see yourself, to analyze your mistakes (both verbal and non-verbal ), and to improve your techniques and strategies. Film and watch your speech as many times as you need to.

• Speak in front of your friends or relatives. Pay attention to how they act when listening to you. If they are bored, notice it. Ask for their honest feedback after your performance so that you can learn how to improve.
• Ask your teacher/tutor/director/boss to give you an opportunity to deliver a speech in front of your group, classmates, colleagues, or even strangers. Field trainings are known to be very effective in developing speaking techniques.
• Keep practicing until your public speaking skills start to slowly improve. And then what? Continue practicing!

You might watch politicians, businessmen, celebrities, and other masters of the spoken word and think, “I can never be as good! They were born with this ability!” But now you can see that this is far from the truth. They haven’t inherited this craft. They’ve devoted countless hours, days, weeks, or even months to practicing everything from what they are talking about to how they look, stand, or move.

It’s crazy, but:

Every gesture, pause, or hesitation is carefully considered and rehearsed to make it look and sound smooth and natural.

So keep practicing your public speaking skills—and remember the words of a true master of language Ralph W. Emmerson:

“All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.”

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How to Improve Your Vocabulary for Writing & Speaking Success

Language is a powerful tool, and the better you are at wielding it the better your results will be. If you want to engage your audience and pique their interest, you need to develop exceptional written communication skills. A big part of improving your writing skills is simply learning how to improve your vocabulary .

Below, we’ll take a comprehensive look at why improving your vocabulary matter, and we’ll review a variety of methods that you can use to quickly grow your vocabulary.

Why Learn Vocabulary?

When you’re working as a writer, words are the only tool that you have available to help you communicate a personality, an emotion, or an idea.

Therefore, the more words you know and can use, the more likely it is that you will be able to find the perfect way to string together your thoughts into a message that will get the job done.

Having a large vocabulary allows you to say the same thing in a variety of different ways.

This means that you will be able to rewrite ideas from resources that you find without plagiarizing the original source.

You’ll also be able to better customize your message to specific audiences.

Of course, having a mastery of the English language will also improve the quality of your writing as well, and help you establish a sense of professionalism and expertise.

Is one of your dreams to learn how to write a book ?

Writing a book that is free of grammar and spelling errors will increase your chances of actually getting it published. By the way, this free guide to publishing books  will show you a lot more ways to improve your odds with a publisher.

In summary, if you intend to use written material to share a message or communicate with the masses, in any way, expanding your vocabulary is an excellent way to make it easier for you and for your readers.

Expand Vocabulary No Matter What Level

You may already have an impressive vocabulary or you may be starting out with only a basic set of words that you are able to pull from when you’re writing.

The good news is that no matter where you are starting out, the process for improving your vocabulary even further remains the same.

How to Expand Your Vocabulary as a Writer

Expanding your written vocabulary is, fortunately, much easier than expanding your speaking vocabulary.

The reason for this is that writing offers two big advantages that speaking does not: time to think and a backspace key, however this time to think, something introduces people to writer’s block .

When you’re writing, you’ll have all the time you need to search your mind (or a thesaurus) for the exact word that you need.

You’ll also have the ability to delete a word or a sentence and start over if need be.

Nevertheless, the goal is to eliminate the need for these things as much as possible.

Consulting a dictionary or a thesaurus every few minutes may be fine starting out, but it’s going to make for a slow, painstaking writing process.

You’ll be much better served by having a deep vocabulary that you can draw from at-will in your writing so that the words flow quickly and effortlessly from your mind to the keyboard.

Vocabulary Strategies

If you’re ready to start improving your vocabulary, there are a variety of strategies that you can employ. It’s important to note, though, that all of these strategies take time and effort.

Mastering the English language overnight is no more possible than it is to master any other skill overnight.

With that said, these strategies are still designed to help you improve your vocabulary skills as quickly and as effectively as possible.

Without further ado, let’s dive into some of the strategies you can use to expand your vocabulary.

How can I Learn Vocabulary Words?

Some effective strategies for learning new vocabulary words that you can put to use in your writing include:

1. Read…a lot

Reading everything you can get your hands on is one of the most passive and most effective ways to boost your vocabulary.

When you read, you’ll see new words put into use by writers who are likely to have a diverse vocabulary and you can add these words to your own vocabulary as you come across them.

The best part about reading to improve your vocabulary is that it doesn’t matter what it is that you read; whether it’s a how-to guide on the internet, a romance novel, or anything in-between, the simple act of digesting written material will drastically improve your vocabulary over time.

2. Keep a Thesaurus and a Dictionary Nearby

Dictionaries and thesauruses are the two most effective vocabulary-expanding tools that you have available, and you can use each of them in a slightly different way.

Whenever you come across a word that you don’t understand, look it up in a dictionary and take the time to commit the word and its definition to memory.

Meanwhile, you can look up words that you already know in a thesaurus at any time to find other words that mean the same thing.

Commit a few of those words to memory and you’ll have the ability to say the same thing in a number of different, more eloquent ways.

3. Make Flashcards

There’s a good reason why flashcards are a favorite memorization tool for students everywhere, and that reason is that they work well.

Start by putting together a few dozen flash cards filled with words that you don’t yet have committed to your vocabulary, and frequently add new flashcards to your collection.

If you run through these flashcards just once a day you will be well on your way to expanding your vocabulary.

4. Describe Your Surroundings

Whenever you’re sitting in traffic, relaxing at home, waiting in line at the coffee shop, or otherwise not preoccupied, try a mental exercise where you describe your surroundings in your head.

Do you know the name of everything in your setting?

What words would you use to describe the people around you?

Ask yourself questions such as this and paint a mental picture of the world around you using the most descriptive language that you can.

Exercises such as this will help you put the new words you use into practice in order to better commit them to your memory.

5. Listen to Music

In the same way that reading grows your vocabulary, listening can grow your vocabulary as well.

Listening to music is one good option, especially if you are listening to artists that are creative with their verses and rhymes.

However, listening to podcasts, audiobooks, and more can also improve your vocabulary over time as well.

6. Commit to Learning One New Word Every Day

Learning just one new word a day isn’t a particularly challenging goal, yet it is one that can make a dramatic difference in your vocabulary.

Each day, choose a new word to memorize and try to use that word as often as you can throughout the day.

Daily Vocabulary Words

Learning just one new word every day is a highly effective way to incrementally expand your vocabulary over time.

To use this method, you can pick a word at random from the dictionary or you can use one of many daily vocabulary word programs that will send a new word to your inbox each day.

Dictionary.com and other online dictionaries also feature a new word each day on the homepage of their website that you can check out.

However, you choose your daily word, though, take the time to memorize the word and try to use it as much as possible in conversation or in your mind throughout the day.

If you give your daily word enough focus, you should be able to make it a permanent part of your vocabulary after just 24 hours.

Learn a New Word a Day

Learning a new word a day is such an effective strategy thanks to the fact that it requires only a minimal amount of commitment and effort yet still allows you to add a new word to your vocabulary each and every day.

If there’s only one vocabulary-building strategy that you choose to implement, it should be this one.

Vocabulary List

An effective addition to your strategy of learning a new word a day that you might want to consider is keeping a list of the words that you choose to learn along with their definitions.

If you keep a list such as this, you’ll be able to review it from time to time in order to further commit your daily vocabulary words to memory and ensure that you don’t forget them as time goes by.

Your list will also serve as a visual example of how much your vocabulary has expanded, which can be a big motivator to keep up your progress.

Vocabulary Practice

Learning new words alone isn’t enough to truly improve your vocabulary; in order to make the words you memorize a functional part of your vocabulary that you can use in your writing, you also need to put the words you memorize into practice.

In the next section, we’ll look at some activities and exercises that you can use in order to practice using the words that you learn.

Vocabulary Activities to Help You Grow

There are plenty of effective activities that you can use to put the words you learn into practice as well as learn new vocabulary words in the process.

These activities include things such as:

1. Vocabulary Games

There is a wide range of online games designed to help you improve your vocabulary.

These games can serve as a fun and entertaining way to learn new words and put the words that you already know into practice.

Many online dictionaries such as Dictionary.com offer free vocabulary games, and a quick Google search for vocabulary games will turn up even more options.

2. Vocabulary Test

Vocabulary tests allow you to test your current vocabulary and receive a score at the end of the test that lets you know what level you are on. In addition to improving your vocabulary by exposing you to new words, these tests also allow you to gauge your progress so that you will know if and by how much your vocabulary is improving.

As with vocabulary games, a wide range of vocabulary tests can be found with a quick Google search .

3. Vocabulary Quiz

Vocabulary quizzes are similar to vocabulary tests, but are typically shorter and may not provide a very detailed analysis of your vocabulary level once the quiz is complete.

Nevertheless, vocabulary quizzes are still a great way to practice your vocabulary and measure your results.

4. Vocabulary Worksheets

Vocabulary worksheets come in a wide range of formats.

Some can be completed online while others can be printed off and completed by hand, and the exact goal and instructions for the worksheet vary from worksheet to worksheet.

Whatever format you choose, though, vocabulary worksheets are a great way to practice your vocabulary skills.

What is the Best Way to Learn Vocabulary?

There is no single best way to learn vocabulary, and the most beneficial approach will come from implementing a number of different practices and strategies.

Hopefully, this guide has given you plenty of vocabulary-building methods for you to consider implementing.

If you choose a handful of these methods and commit to them each day, you can rest assured that your vocabulary will improve over time, helping you write more effective content for your business.

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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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How to Build Vocabulary You Can Actually Use in Speech and Writing?

• Published on Aug 25, 2019

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This post comes from my experience of adding more than 8,000 words and phrases to my vocabulary in a way that I can actually use them on the fly in my speech and writing. Some words, especially those that I haven’t used for long time, may elude me, but overall the recall & use works quite well.

That’s why you build vocabulary, right? To use in speech and writing. There are no prizes for building list of words you can’t use. (The ultimate goal of vocabulary-building is to use words in verbal communication where you’ve to come up with an appropriate word in split second. It’s not to say that it’s easy to come up with words while writing, but in writing you can at least afford to think.)

This post also adopts couple of best practices such as

• Spaced repetition,
• Deliberate Practice,
• Begin with end in mind, and
• Build on what you already know

In this post, you’ll learn how you too can build such vocabulary, the one you can actually use. However, be warned. It’s not easy. It requires consistent work. But the rewards are more than worth the squeeze.

Since building such vocabulary is one of the most challenging aspects of English Language, you’ll stand out in crowd when you use precise words and, the best part, you can use this sub-skill till you’re in this world, long after you retire professionally. (Doesn’t this sound so much better when weighed against today’s reality where most professional skills get outdated in just few years?)

You may have grossly overestimated the size of your vocabulary

Once your understand the difference between active and passive vocabulary, you’ll realize that size of your vocabulary isn’t what you think it to be.

Active vs. Passive vocabulary

Words that you can use in speech and writing constitute your active vocabulary (also called functional vocabulary). You, of course, understand these words while reading and listening as well. Think of words such as eat , sell , drink , see , and cook .

But how about words such as munch , outsmart , salvage , savagery , and skinny ? Do you use these words regularly while speaking and writing? Unlikely. Do you understand meaning of these words while reading and listening? Highly likely. Such words constitute your passive vocabulary (also called recognition vocabulary). You can understand these words while reading and listening, but you can’t use them while speaking and writing.

Your active vocabulary is a tiny subset of your passive vocabulary:

(While the proportion of the two inner circles – active and passive vocabulary – bears some resemblance to reality, the outer rectangle is not proportionate because of paucity of space. In reality, the outer rectangle is much bigger, representing hundreds of thousands of words.)

Note : Feel free to use the above and other images in the post, using the link of this post for reference/attribution.

Many mistakenly believe that they’ve strong vocabulary because they can understand most words when reading and listening. But the real magic, the real use of vocabulary is when you use words in speech and writing. If you evaluate your vocabulary against this yardstick – active vs. passive – your confidence in your vocabulary will be shaken.

Why build vocabulary – a small exercise?

You would be all too aware of cases where people frequently pause while speaking because they can’t think of words for what they want to say. We can easily spot such extreme cases.

What we fail to spot, however, are less extreme, far more common cases where people don’t pause, but they use imprecise words and long-winding explanations to drive their message.

The bridge was destroyed (or broken) by the flooded river.

The bridge was washed away by the flooded river.

Although both convey the message, the second sentence stands out because of use of precise phrase.

What word(s) best describe what’s happening in the picture below?

Image source

Not the best response.

A better word is ‘emptied’. Even ‘dumped’ is great.

A crisp description of the above action would be: “The dumper emptied (or dumped) the stones on the roadside.”

What about this?

‘Took out grapes’.

‘Plucked grapes’ is far better.

If you notice, these words – wash away , empty , dump , and pluck – are simple. We can easily understand them while reading and listening, but rarely use them (with the possible exception of empty ) in speech or writing. Remember, active vs. passive vocabulary?

If you use such precise words in your communication you’ll stand out in crowd.

Little wonder, studies point to a correlation between strength of vocabulary and professional success. Earl Nightingale, a renowned self-help expert and author, in his 20-year study of college graduates found :

Without a single exception, those who had scored highest on the vocabulary test given in college, were in the top income group, while those who had scored the lowest were in the bottom income group.

He also refers to a study by Johnson O’Connor, an American educator and researcher, who gave vocabulary tests to executive and supervisory personnel in 39 large manufacturing companies. According to this study:

Presidents and vice presidents averaged 236 out of a possible 272 points; managers averaged 168; superintendents, 140; foremen, 114; floor bosses, 86. In virtually every case, vocabulary correlated with executive level and income.

Though there are plenty of studies linking professional success with fluency in English overall, I haven’t come across any study linking professional success with any individual component – grammar and pronunciation, for example – of English language other than vocabulary.

You can make professional success a motivation to improve your active vocabulary.

Let’s dive into the tactics now.

How to build vocabulary you can use in speech and writing?

(In the spirit of the topic of this section, I’ve highlighted words that I’ve shifted from my passive to active vocabulary in red font . I’ve done this for only this section, lest the red font become too distracting.)

Almost all of us build vocabulary through the following two-step process:

Step 1 : We come across new words while reading and listening. Meanings of many of these words get registered in our brains – sometimes vaguely, sometimes precisely – through the context in which we see these words. John Rupert Firth, a leading figure in British linguistics during the 1950s, rightly said , “You shall know a word by the company it keeps.”

Many of these words then figure repeatedly in our reading and listening and gradually, as if by osmosis , they start taking roots in our passive vocabulary.

Step 2 : We start using some of these words in our speech and writing. (They are, as discussed earlier, just a small fraction of our passive vocabulary.) By and large, we stay in our comfort zones, making do with this limited set of words.

Little wonder, we add to our vocabulary in trickle . In his book Word Power Made Easy , Norman Lewis laments the tortoise-like rate of vocabulary-building among adults:

Educational testing indicates that children of ten who have grown up in families in which English is the native language have recognition [passive] vocabularies of over twenty thousand words. And that these same ten-year-olds have been learning new words at a rate of many hundreds a year since the age of four . In astonishing contrast, studies show that adults who are no longer attending school increase their vocabularies at a pace slower than twenty-five to fifty words annually .

Adults improve passive vocabulary at an astonishingly meagre rate of 25-50 words a year. The chain to acquire active vocabulary is getting broken at the first step itself – failure to read or listen enough (see Step 1 we just covered). Most are not even reaching the second step, which is far tougher than the first. Following statistic from National Spoken English Skills Report by Aspiring Minds (sample of more than 30,000 students from 500+ colleges in India) bears this point:

Only 33 percent know such simple words! They’re not getting enough inputs.

Such vocabulary-acquisition can be schematically represented as:

The problem here is at both the steps of vocabulary acquisition:

• Not enough inputs (represented by funnel filled only little) and
• Not enough exploration and use of words to convert inputs into active vocabulary (represented by few drops coming out of the funnel)

Here is what you can do to dramatically improve your active vocabulary:

1. Get more inputs (reading and listening)

That’s a no-brainer. The more you read,

• the more new words you come across and
• the more earlier-seen words get reinforced

If you’ve to prioritize between reading and listening purely from the perspective of building vocabulary, go for more reading, because it’s easier to read and mark words on paper or screen. Note that listening will be a more helpful input when you’re working on your speaking skills .

So develop the habit to read something 30-60 minutes every day. It has benefits far beyond just vocabulary-building .

If you increase your inputs, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs but no other steps result in larger active vocabulary.

2. Gather words from your passive vocabulary for deeper exploration

The reading and listening you do, over months and years, increase the size of your passive vocabulary. There are plenty of words, almost inexhaustible, sitting underutilized in your passive vocabulary. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could move many of them to your active vocabulary? That would be easier too because you don’t have to learn them from scratch. You already understand their meaning and usage, at least to some extent. That’s like plucking – to use the word we’ve already overused – low hanging fruits.

While reading and listening, note down words that you’re already familiar with, but you don’t use them (that is they’re part of your passive vocabulary). We covered few examples of such words earlier in the post – pluck , dump , salvage , munch , etc. If you’re like most, your passive vocabulary is already large, waiting for you to shift some of it to your active vocabulary. You can also note down completely unfamiliar words, but only in exceptional cases.

To put what I said in the previous paragraph in more concrete terms, you may ask following two questions to decide which words to note down for further exploration:

• Do you understand the meaning of the word from the context of your reading or listening?
• Do you use this word while speaking and writing?

If the answer is ‘yes’ to the first question and ‘no’ to the second, you can note down the word.

3. Explore the words in an online dictionary

Time to go a step further than seeing words in context while reading.

You need to explore each word (you’ve noted) further in a dictionary. Know its precise meaning(s). Listen to pronunciation and speak it out loud, first individually and then as part of sentences. (If you’re interested in the topic of pronunciation, refer to the post on pronunciation .) And, equally important, see few sentences where the word has been used.

Preferably, note down the meaning(s) and few example sentences so that you can practice spaced repetition and retain them for long. Those who do not know what spaced repetition is, it is the best way to retain things in your long-term memory . There are number of options these days to note words and other details about them – note-taking apps and good-old word document. I’ve been copying-pasting on word document and taking printouts. For details on how I practiced spaced repetition, refer to my experience of adding more than 8,000 words to my vocabulary.

But why go through the drudgery of noting down – and going through, probably multiple times – example sentences? Why not just construct sentences straight after knowing the meaning of the word?

Blachowicz, Fisher, Ogle, and Watts-Taffe, in their paper , point out the yawning gap between knowing the meaning of words and using them in sentences:

Research suggests that students are able to select correct definitions for unknown words from a dictionary, but they have difficulty then using these words in production tasks such as writing sentences using the new words.

If only it was easy. It’s even more difficult in verbal communication where, unlike in writing, you don’t have the luxury of pausing and recalling appropriate words.

That’s why you need to focus on example sentences.

Majority of those who refer dictionary, however, restrict themselves to meaning of the word. Few bother to check example sentences. But they’re at least as much important as meaning of the word, because they teach you how to use words in sentences, and sentences are the building blocks of speech and writing.

If you regularly explore words in a dictionary, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs combined with exploration of words result in even larger active vocabulary.

After you absorb the meaning and example sentences of a word, it enters a virtuous cycle of consolidation. The next time you read or listen the word, you’ll take note of it and its use more actively , which will further reinforce it in your memory. In contrast, if you didn’t interact with the word in-depth, it’ll pass unnoticed, like thousands do every day. That’s cascading effect.

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4. Use them

To quote Maxwell Nurnberg and Morris Rosenblum from their book All About Words :

In vocabulary building, the problem is not so much finding new words or even finding out what they mean. The problem is to remember them, to fix them permanently in your mind. For you can see that if you are merely introduced to words, you will forget them as quickly as you forget the names of people you are casually introduced to at a crowded party – unless you meet them again or unless you spend some time with them.

This is the crux. Use it or lose it.

Without using, the words will slowly slip away from your memory.

Without using the words few times, you won’t feel confident using them in situations that matter.

If you use the words you explored in dictionary, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs combined with exploration of words and use of them result in the largest active vocabulary.

Here is a comparison of the four ways in which people acquire active vocabulary:

The big question though is how to use the words you’re exploring. Here are few exercises to accomplish this most important step in vocabulary-building process.

Vocabulary exercises: how to use words you’re learning

You can practice these vocabulary activities for 10-odd minutes every day, preferably during the time you waste such as commuting or waiting, to shift more and more words you’ve noted down to your active vocabulary. I’ve used these activities extensively, with strong results to boot.

1. Form sentences and speak them out during your reviews

When you review the list of words you’ve compiled, take a word as cue without looking at its meaning and examples, recall its meaning, and, most importantly, speak out 4-5 sentences using the word. It’s nothing but a flashcard in work. If you follow spaced repetition diligently, you’ll go through this process at least few times. I recommend reading my experience of building vocabulary (linked earlier) to know how I did this part.

Why speaking out, though? (If the surroundings don’t permit, it can be whisper as well.)

Speaking out the word as part of few sentences will serve the additional purpose of making your vocal cords accustomed to new words and phrases.

2. Create thematic webs

When reviewing, take a word and think of other words related to that word. Web of words on a particular theme, in short, and hence the name ‘thematic web’. These are five of many, many thematic webs I’ve actually come up in my reviews:

(Note: Name of the theme is in bold. Second, where there are multiple words, I’ve underlined the main word.)

If I come across the word ‘gourmet’ in my review, I’ll also quickly recall all the words related with food: tea strainer, kitchen cabinet, sink, dish cloth, wipe dishes, rinse utensils, immerse beans in water, simmer, steam, gourmet food, sprinkle salt, spread butter, smear butter, sauté, toss vegetables, and garnish the sweet dish

Similarly, for other themes:

Prognosis, recuperate, frail, pass away, resting place, supplemental air, excruciating pain, and salubrious

C. Showing off

Showy, gaudy, extravaganza, over the top, ostentatious, and grandstanding

D. Crowd behavior

Restive, expectant, hysteria, swoon, resounding welcome, rapturous, jeer, and cheer

E. Rainfall

Deluge, cats and dogs, downpour, cloudburst, heavens opened, started pouring , submerged, embankment, inundate, waterlogged, soaked to the skin, take shelter, run for a cover, torrent, and thunderbolt

(If you notice, words in a particular theme are much wider in sweep than just synonyms.)

It takes me under a minute to complete dozen-odd words in a theme. However, in the beginning, when you’re still adding to your active vocabulary in tons, you’ll struggle to go beyond 2-3 simple words when thinking out such thematic lists. That’s absolutely fine.

Why thematic web, though?

Because that’s how we recall words when speaking or writing. (If you flip through Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, a popular book on improving vocabulary, you’ll realize that each of its chapters represents a particular idea, something similar to a theme.) Besides, building a web also quickly jogs you through many more words.

3. Describe what you see around

In a commute or other time-waster, look around and speak softly an apt word in a split second for whatever you see. Few examples:

• If you see grass on the roadside, you can say verdant or luxurious .
• If you see a vehicle stopping by the roadside, you can say pull over .
• If you see a vehicle speeding away from other vehicles, you can say pull away .
• If you see a person carrying a load on the road side, you can say lug and pavement .

Key is to come up with these words in a flash. Go for speed, not accuracy. (After all, you’ll have similar reaction time when speaking.) If you can’t think of an appropriate word for what you see instantaneously – and there will be plenty in the beginning – skip it.

This vocabulary exercise also serves an unintended, though important, objective of curbing the tendency to first think in the native language and then translating into English as you speak. This happens because the spontaneity in coming up with words forces you to think directly in English.

Last, this exercise also helps you assess your current level of vocabulary (for spoken English). If you struggle to come up with words for too many things/ situations, you’ve job on your hands.

4. Describe what one person or object is doing

Another vocabulary exercise you can practice during time-wasters is to focus on a single person and describe her/ his actions, as they unfold, for few minutes. An example:

He is skimming Facebook on his phone. OK, he is done with it. Now, he is taking out his earphones. He has plugged them into his phone, and now he is watching some video. He is watching and watching. There is something funny there in that video, which makes him giggle . Simultaneously, he is adjusting the bag slung across his shoulder.

The underlined words are few of the new additions to my active vocabulary I used on the fly when focusing on this person.

Feel free to improvise and modify this process to suit your unique conditions, keeping in mind the fundamentals such as spaced repetition, utilizing the time you waste, and putting what you’re learning to use.

To end this section, I must point out that you need to build habit to perform these exercises for few minutes at certain time(s) of the day. They’re effective when done regularly.

Why I learnt English vocabulary this way?

For few reasons:

1. I worked backwards from the end result to prepare for real-world situations

David H. Freedman learnt Italian using Duolingo , a popular language-learning app, for more than 70 hours in the buildup to his trip to Italy. A week before they were to leave for Rome, his wife put him to test. She asked how would he ask for his way from Rome airport to the downtown. And how would he order in a restaurant?

David failed miserably.

He had become a master of multiple-choice questions in Italian, which had little bearing on the real situations he would face.

We make this mistake all the time. We don’t start from the end goal and work backwards to design our lessons and exercises accordingly. David’s goal wasn’t to pass a vocabulary test. It was to strike conversation socially.

Coming back to the topic of vocabulary, learning meanings and examples of words in significant volume is a challenge. But a much bigger challenge is to recall an apt word in split second while speaking. (That’s the holy grail of any vocabulary-building exercise, and that’s the end goal we want to achieve.)

The exercises I described earlier in the post follow the same path – backwards from the end.

2. I used proven scientific methods to increase effectiveness

Looking at just a word and recalling its meaning and coming up with rapid-fire examples where that word can be used introduced elements of deliberate practice, the fastest way to build neural connection and hence any skill. (See the exercises we covered.) For the uninitiated, deliberate practice is the way top performers in any field practice .

Another proven method I used was spaced repetition.

3. I built on what I already knew to progress faster

Covering mainly passive vocabulary has made sure that I’m building on what I already know, which makes for faster progress.

Don’t ignore these when building vocabulary

Keep in mind following while building vocabulary:

1. Use of fancy words in communication make you look dumb, not smart

Don’t pick fancy words to add to your vocabulary. Use of such words doesn’t make you look smart. It makes your communication incomprehensible and it shows lack of empathy for the listeners. So avoid learning words such as soliloquy and twerking . The more the word is used in common parlance, the better it is.

An example of how fancy words can make a piece of writing bad is this review of movie , which is littered with plenty of fancy words such as caper , overlong , tomfoolery , hectoring , and cockney . For the same reason, Shashi Tharoor’s Word of the Week is not a good idea . Don’t add such words to your vocabulary.

2. Verbs are more important than nouns and adjectives

Verbs describe action, tell us what to do. They’re clearer. Let me explain this through an example.

In his book Start with Why , Simon Sinek articulates why verbs are more effective than nouns:

For values or guiding principles to be truly effective they have to be verbs. It’s not ‘integrity’, it’s ‘always do the right thing’. It’s not ‘innovation’, it’s ‘look at the problem from a different angle’. Articulating our values as verbs gives us a clear idea… we have a clear idea of how to act in any situation.

‘Always do the right thing’ is better than ‘integrity’ and ‘look at the problem from a different angle’ is better than ‘innovation’ because the former, a verb, in each case is clearer.

The same (importance of verb) is emphasized by L. Dee Fink in his book Creating Significant Learning Experiences in the context of defining learning goals for college students.

Moreover, most people’s vocabulary is particularly poor in verbs. Remember, the verbs from the three examples at the beginning of the post – wash away , dump , and pluck ? How many use them? And they’re simple.

3. Don’t ignore simple verbs

You wouldn’t bother to note down words such as slip , give , and move because you think you know them inside out, after all you’ve been using them regularly for ages.

I also thought so… until I explored few of them.

I found that majority of simple words have few common usages we rarely use. Use of simple words for such common usages will stand your communication skills out.

An example:

a. To slide suddenly or involuntarily as on a smooth surface: She slipped on the icy ground .

b. To slide out from grasp, etc.: The soap slipped from my hand .

c. To move or start gradually from a place or position: His hat slipped over his eyes .

d. To pass without having been acted upon or used: to let an opportunity slip .

e. To pass quickly (often followed by away or by): The years slipped by .

f. To move or go quietly, cautiously, or unobtrusively: to slip out of a room .

Most use the word in the meaning (a) and (b), but if you use the word for meaning (c) to (f) – which BTW is common – you’ll impress people.

Another example:

a. Without the physical presence of people in control: an unmanned spacecraft .

b.  Hovering near the unmanned iPod resting on the side bar, stands a short, blond man.

c. Political leaders are vocal about the benefits they expect to see from unmanned aircraft.

Most use the word unmanned with a moving object such as an aircraft or a drone, but how about using it with an iPod (see (b) above).

4. Don’t ignore phrasal verbs. Get at least common idioms. Proverbs… maybe

4.1 phrasal verbs.

Phrasal verbs are verbs made from combining a main verb and an adverb or preposition or both. For example, here are few phrasal verbs of verb give :

We use phrasal verbs aplenty:

I went to the airport to see my friend off .

He could see through my carefully-crafted ruse.

I took off my coat.

The new captain took over the reins of the company on June 25.

So, don’t ignore them.

Unfortunately, you can’t predict the meaning of a phrasal verb from the main verb. For example, it’s hard to guess the meaning of take over or take off from take . You’ve to learn each phrasal verb separately.

What about idioms?

Compared to phrasal verbs, idioms are relatively less used, but it’s good to know the common ones. To continue the example of word give , here are few idioms derived from it:

Give and take

Give or take

Give ground

Give rise to

Want a list of common idioms? It’s here: List of 200 common idioms .

4.3 Proverbs

Proverbs are popular sayings that provide nuggets of wisdom. Example: A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

Compared to phrasal verbs and idioms, they’re much less used in common conversation and therefore you can do without them.

For the motivated, here is a list of common proverbs: List of 200 common proverbs .

5. Steal phrases, words, and even sentences you like

If you like phrases and sentences you come across, add them to your list for future use. I do it all the time and have built a decent repository of phrases and sentences. Few examples (underlined part is the key phrase):

The bondholders faced the prospect of losing their trousers .

The economy behaved more like a rollercoaster than a balloon . [Whereas rollercoaster refers to an up and down movement, balloon refers to a continuous expansion. Doesn’t such a short phrase express such a profound meaning?]

Throw enough spaghetti against the wall and some of it sticks .

You need blue collar work ethic to succeed in this industry.

He runs fast. Not quite .

Time to give up scalpel . Bring in hammer .

Note that you would usually not find such phrases in a dictionary, because dictionaries are limited to words, phrasal verbs, idioms, and maybe proverbs.

6. Commonly-used nouns

One of my goals while building vocabulary has been to learn what to call commonly-used objects (or nouns) that most struggle to put a word to.

To give an example, what would you call the following?

Answer: Tea strainer.

You would sound far more impressive when you say, “My tea strainer has turned blackish because of months of filtering tea.”

Than when you say, “The implement that filters tea has turned blackish because of months of filtering tea.”

What do you say?

More examples:

Saucer (We use it every day, but call it ‘plate’.)

Straight/ wavy/ curly hair

Corner shop

I’ll end with a brief reference to the UIDAI project that is providing unique biometric ID to every Indian. This project, launched in 2009, has so far issued a unique ID (popularly called Aadhaar card) to more than 1.1 billion people. The project faced many teething problems and has been a one big grind for the implementers. But once this massive data of billion + people was collected, so many obstinate, long-standing problems are being eased using this data, which otherwise would’ve been difficult to pull off. It has enabled faster delivery of scores of government and private services, checked duplication on many fronts, and brought in more transparency in financial and other transactions, denting parallel economy. There are many more. And many more are being conceived on top of this data.

At some level, vocabulary is somewhat similar. It’ll take effort, but once you’ve sizable active vocabulary, it’ll strengthen arguably the most challenging and the most impressive part of your communication. And because it takes some doing, it’s not easy for others to catch up.

Anil is the person behind this website. He writes on most aspects of English Language Skills. More about him here:

Such a comprehensive guide. Awesome…

I am using the note app and inbuilt dictionary of iPhone. I have accumulated over 1400 words in 1 year. Will definitely implement ideas from this blog.

Krishna, thanks. If you’re building vocabulary for using, then make sure you work it accordingly.

Building solid vocabulary is my new year’s resolution and you’ve perfectly captured the issues I’ve been facing, with emphasis on passive vocabulary building. So many vocab apps are multiple choice and thereby useless for this reason. Thanks so much for the exercises! I plan to put them to use!

It was everything that I need to boost my active vocabulary. Thank you so much for sharing all these precious pieces of information.

Anil sir, I am quiet satisfied the way you laid out everything possible that one needs to know from A-Z. Also, thanks for assuring me from your experience that applying this will work.

This post definitely blew me away…. I am impressed! Thank you so much for sharing such valuable information. It was exactly what I needed!

Amazing post! While reading this post, I am thinking about the person who developed this. I wanna give a big hug and thank you so much.

Comments are closed.

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How to Improve Your Grammar and Vocabulary

Last Updated: April 13, 2023 References

Basic Grammar

Learning aids, expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by Grant Faulkner, MA . Grant Faulkner is the Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the co-founder of 100 Word Story, a literary magazine. Grant has published two books on writing and has been published in The New York Times and Writer’s Digest. He co-hosts Write-minded, a weekly podcast on writing and publishing, and has a M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University.  There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 68,486 times.

Having a good grasp on grammar and vocabulary is important for your writing, speaking, and general interactions with other people. Improving your skills in each area is a great personal growth exercise that can benefit your everyday life. Start at the beginning and review the basics of sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, and word roots. Grow your vocabulary by reading, looking up words, and committing to use those words in your normal speech. For more help, enroll in courses and use language games and apps to make learning fun.

• Books and online manuals like Purdue OWL and Chicago Manual of Style have information on all of the foundational grammar rules. Use them for the best information.
• Finding out which textbooks are used in college courses is another helpful way to find good resources.

• Semicolons and dashes are often used incorrectly. Semicolons separate 2 independent sentence clauses that can stand on their own, but are related enough to make them part of the same sentence. Dashes connect groups of words in a sentence to emphasize a point, and are usually in the middle of a sentence.
• Remember that apostrophes show possession or indicate a missing letter in a contraction.

• Correct sentence order is usually subject, verb, and object. A simple sentence that follows this structure is "John opened the door."
• Watch out for sentence fragments. These lack a key part of the sentence structure. For example, "Opened the door" is a fragment because it's missing a subject. Make fragments complete sentences by adding another clause or word that fills in the blank.
• Make sure your subjects and verb tenses agree with each other. For example, "They was running fast" is incorrect. "They were running fast" is the correct subject/verb agreement.

• For example, you might not know what predisposition means. But because you’ve studied roots, you know that the prefix “pre-“ means before, so you can at least get a basic grasp of the word’s meaning.
• Suffixes work similarly. The suffix “-oid” means resembling, so you can tell that the word spheroid means something similar to a sphere.
• The nonprofit Center for Development and Learning has a comprehensive list of prefixes and suffixes.

• The easiest way to identify the passive voice is by asking yourself “Who or what is doing the action?” in this sentence. If it’s not the subject, then you’re probably using the passive voice.
• The passive voice is much more common in fiction writing as a stylistic choice. There are situations where it works for dramatic effect, so in these cases it’s more acceptable.

• Note that this doesn’t always work. Some sentences may be entirely correct but sound strange. This tool is more of a guideline to identify potential mistakes.

• Try to read things that have passed some kind of editorial process rather than unedited websites. Blogs, for example, may use incorrect grammar if no one is checking them, whereas magazines have editors that check for grammar accuracy.
• If you do read unedited things, try to identify and correct improper grammar as an exercise.
• Remember that reading older work may be less helpful because grammar rules change over time. A book from the 19th century, for example, will probably use grammar that you don’t recognize, and using that grammar nowadays might be incorrect.

• Before looking up unfamiliar words, try to figure their meanings out by looking at prefixes, suffixes, and the sentence context.
• Try to focus on more advanced books and periodicals as your grammar improves. A higher-brow publication like The Atlantic will use more complicated words and grammar than the New York Post , for example, and you’ll learn more vocabulary.

• Either keep a dictionary near you or do an internet search for the word. Look up the other words on the page as well to learn even more.

• You can use a physical thesaurus, or look for one online and type the word in.
• A thesaurus also contains antonyms, or words that mean the opposite of a word. Looking at the antonyms builds your vocabulary even more.

• Once easy way to do this is pick a new word each day and look for situations where you can use it. Try to use that word as much as possible throughout the day.
• When you get better, you can pick multiple words that you’d like to use throughout the day. Over time, you’ll get very good at effortlessly using more advanced words in your normal speech.

• Instead of using filler words, try to pause instead. This makes it look like you’re thinking carefully about your responses.
• Always try to use the most descriptive words possible. General words don’t say all that much, and make your vocabulary seem much smaller.

• YouTube has many free instructional videos to improve your skills. For more in-depth, paid options, a site like Udemy has many courses that might appeal to you.
• If you don’t want to take a whole course, get a textbook or test review book and work in it in your spare time.

• Remember that spell check doesn't catch everything. Don't rely on it completely. Proofread your work in addition to using spell check.

• For an added exercise, pick one of the new words you learn in a crossword puzzle and use it in your everyday speech.

• Add a challenge to your friends or family to use some of the words they learned while they talk. Include everyone on your mission to improve your vocabulary.

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• ↑ https://www.apu.edu/live_data/files/288/basic_punctuation_rules.pdf
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/sentencestructure
• ↑ https://msu.edu/~defores1/gre/roots/gre_rts_afx1.htm
• ↑ https://louisville.edu/writingcenter/for-students-1/common-writing-questions-1/i-am-having-trouble-with-grammar-and-punctuation
• ↑ https://www.skillsyouneed.com/write/grammar2.html
• ↑ Grant Faulkner, MA. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 8 January 2019.
• ↑ https://rlc.rutgers.edu/news/how-build-your-vocabulary-0
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/collegesuccess/chapter/5-4-building-your-vocabulary/
• ↑ https://youtu.be/qXPrOoBXM7s?t=48
• ↑ https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-tips-for-using-spell-check-more-efficiently/
• ↑ https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/7-mobile-apps-that-will-dramatically-increase-your-vocabulary.html

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10 Powerful Literary Devices To Improve Your Writing (And Speaking)

• The Speaker Lab
• August 13, 2024

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Have you ever noticed how certain writers can capture your attention and keep you completely engaged? This magical effect is often due to their skillful use of literary devices. Like secret ingredients in a delicious recipe, these tools can make a piece of writing far more powerful, persuasive, and just plain fun to read. Literary devices are specific techniques writers use to create different effects in their writing. However, they can also be powerful tools for speakers.

Whether you realize it or not, you’ve definitely come across these techniques before. Even everyday speech often involves figurative language. For instance, if you tell someone “time flies,” you’re technically using a metaphor. By studying different types of literary devices, we can deepen our understanding of literature and improve our speaking (and writing).

What Is a Literary Device?

Before diving in, it’s important to first understand what literary devices are. A literary device is anything the writer does to enhance their writing, taking it beyond just a literal recounting of details. They are different from rhetorical devices , which are techniques or language used to convey a point or convince an audience.

Sometimes literary devices refer to the bigger structural elements of a story—like setting or theme—while other times, they get down to the nitty-gritty level of individual sentences or even words. For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on common literary devices found in poems and novels.

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10 Common Literary Devices (with Examples)

To give you a better sense of how these writing tools function “in the wild,” we’ll look at ten of the most common literary devices, along with some examples. As you’ll notice, these techniques often rely on the power of comparison, helping readers see things in a new light.

Let’s start with a really familiar one. When you’re making a comparison using the words “like” or “as,” you’re constructing a simile. These create vivid imagery for the reader. Although we use similes often in everyday speech, they pack a powerful punch in formal writing as well.

For example, take a look at this line from East of Eden by John Steinbeck: “Kate inched over her own thoughts like a measuring worm.” Notice how Steinbeck avoids directly stating how slowly Kate is examining her thoughts. Instead, by comparing her to a measuring worm, he is able to create a much stronger impression.

2. Metaphor

The distinction between simile and metaphor causes a lot of confusion, so let’s clarify. Instead of explicitly stating the comparison, a metaphor says that one thing is another thing, adding a layer of complexity that similes generally avoid. If you’re still struggling to tell the difference, remember that metaphors never use the words “like” or “as.”

You’ll find metaphors at work in tons of famous lines, from Shakespeare’s “all the world’s a stage,” to Sylvia Plath’s iconic “I am a camera, with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking.” The metaphor is a popular literary device, but it has to be used with caution. If used too much, both metaphors and similes can reek of clichés and amateur writing.

Are you sensing some common threads here? Many literary devices make use of comparison, but it’s how writers go about that comparison that distinguishes the different tools. This one—analogy—is essentially an argument based on comparison. Writers use analogies when they need to demonstrate how two seemingly unrelated things actually share surprising similarities.

Take this classic example from Shakespeare’s  Romeo and Juliet : “That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.” This famous quote essentially uses the analogy of a rose to make the case that the name we give something doesn’t actually define what it is. You could swap out “rose” for “cat” or “trashcan,” and Shakespeare’s point would still stand. The format, “A is as B” or “A is to B,” is a common analogy structure.

4. Allegory

Now we’re getting into the truly symbolic literary devices. These techniques can really elevate a story, adding layers of meaning. If the writer is using their complete narrative to symbolize something larger—like a historical event or philosophical concept—then they’re using allegory.

This is probably best explained using a super familiar example, like George Orwell’s dystopian novel Animal Farm . On the surface, it seems like a simple children’s story about talking animals. However, the events of the story actually parallel the lead-up to the Russian Revolution, with animals representing specific historical figures. The pig Napoleon, for instance, represents Joseph Stalin.

5. Allusion

In contrast to an allegory, where the comparison plays out over an entire story, an allusion only requires a quick, indirect reference to another event, figure, or work of art. Because allusions are by definition indirect, the writer assumes you get the reference without explicitly laying everything out.

Poets often use allusion to convey rich meaning in a few words. Take Robert Frost’s poem “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” This short poem reads as follows: “Nature’s first green is gold, / Her hardest hue to hold. / Her early leaf’s a flower; / But only so an hour. / Then leaf subsides to leaf. / So Eden sank to grief, / So dawn goes down to day. / Nothing gold can stay.”

In his poem, Frost makes an allusion to Eden, specifically the Garden of Eden mentioned in the Bible. As described by the author of Genesis, Eden “sank to grief” when Adam and Eve sinned and were barred from ever entering the Garden again. In this way, Frost emphasizes that nothing lasts forever—including paradise.

6. Anachronism

Anachronism is a conflict of time within a single work. For example, you would be using an anachronism by describing a character as “zipping up her dress” if the story is set at a time before the invention of zippers. Oftentimes, the use of anachronism is unintentional . Sometimes, however, an author will purposely use it to make their story more accessible to their audience or for a humorous effect.

Just consider Shakespeare’s play  Julius Caesar . At one point, the character Cassius remarks that “The clock has stricken three,” even though mechanical clocks weren’t invented until centuries later. Rather than use something that his audience would be less familiar with—like a sundial—Shakespeare opts for an anachronism.

7. Foreshadowing

When done skillfully, foreshadowing deepens the reading experience, giving little hints or clues about what’s to come. It can even prompt readers to reread sections after a shocking plot twist. When poorly handled, it just seems cheesy, even taking away the suspense the writer has tried so carefully to cultivate.

Because foreshadowing generally impacts a longer work of writing, like a novel or screenplay, it can be challenging to provide concise examples here. For a simple example, just consider the title of this Agatha Christie novel: “Murder on the Orient Express.” Thanks to the title, anyone who reads this book already knows what major event occurs. Thankfully, being a murder mystery novel, the real secret is who did it and how, creating a different kind of suspense. Next time you sit down to read, challenge yourself to spot instances where the author hints at future events…you might be surprised how common this really is.

Along with simile, imagery ranks pretty high on the list of super common but essential literary devices. It really boils down to using descriptive writing that speaks to the reader’s five senses. Evoking the world of the senses makes for vivid, memorable writing, drawing readers more deeply into the story you’re telling.

Consider the evocative lines from Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour,” where she writes as follows:

She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which someone was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves.”

In these lines, Chopin engages multiple senses such as sight, smell, and hearing. Not only does this passage activate readers’ imaginations, but it also works to describe the setting and the character’s frame of mind. Using imagery of this kind can greatly enrich your writing.

9. Personification

Using personification requires imbuing something non-human with human qualities, whether that’s emotions, desires, or physical characteristics. Writing becomes far more engaging when this literary device is employed. If you describe “the wind whispering secrets through the trees,” your reader is far more likely to actually imagine that scene. Of course, personification doesn’t literally mean an animal can speak or an inanimate object can waltz—that’s a different technique called anthropomorphism.

Personification is a creative way for poets to describe common objects or experiences. Emily Dickinson uses this technique in her poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” The first few lines of this poem read, “Because I could not stop for Death – / He kindly stopped for me – / The Carriage held but just Ourselves – / And Immortality.” In these lines both death and immortality are personified, allowing Dickinson to creatively imagine life after death.

10. Juxtaposition

Writers often arrange words and phrases in deliberate ways, and when it comes to crafting striking comparisons, few literary devices rival the effectiveness of juxtaposition. Juxtaposition simply means placing two very different (often opposing) elements side-by-side. While contrast is an essential component, the true power of juxtaposition lies in its ability to illuminate a deeper meaning or unexpected connection.

Consider the poem “ A Juxtaposition ” by Kenneth Burke, which juxtaposes a nation and an individual, treble and bass, and loudness and silence. In using this technique, the poem compels readers to see things differently. Other examples of juxtaposition include light and darkness, hope and despair, and beauty and ugliness. This literary device can also appear visually in film.

Other Types of Literary Devices to Elevate Your Writing

There’s no need to use every single literary term in your book, but by knowing what’s available for you to use and how to use it strategically, your writing will become stronger and therefore, more captivating to readers.

You could categorize symbolism as a kind of overarching term. After all, many literary devices could ultimately be described as symbolism. It happens when the writer intends for a specific thing in the story—an object, person, situation, even just a recurring word—to stand in for some bigger idea. To grasp the significance of what symbols add to stories, consider what literary devices, or even storytelling as a concept, would be like without them.

Symbolism makes the core ideas of your writing concrete and also allows you to manipulate your ideas. For instance, by including a dove in your story, you could symbolize peace without saying it outright. In J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (and The Hobbit ), it is said the ring of Sauron symbolizes evil, corruption, and greed, which everyday people, symbolized by Frodo, must strive to resist.

While less common than something like imagery, this tool proves valuable when you need to create a certain mood or foreshadow thematic elements without overtly spelling things out for the reader. Essentially, an epigraph involves incorporating a quote at the beginning of a work (and sometimes even chapters within a longer work) that sets the tone in subtle but effective ways.

An epigraph is almost always written by a different writer (with credit given) and is used as a way to introduce overarching themes or messages in the work. Some pieces of literature, such as Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick , incorporate multiple epigraphs throughout. Just imagine you’ve decided to open your newest chapter with a line from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein . Chances are, that would cast your narrative in a completely different light.

Ekphrasis refers to a piece of writing that describes another piece of art. This literary device, while obscure nowadays, used to be more common. A classic example of ekphrastic literature is John Keats’ poem “ Ode on a Grecian Urn .”

Want to try this challenging form for yourself? If you’re looking to stretch your creative writing skills, check out the monthly ekphrastic challenge that Rattle Poetry runs.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia refers to a word which actually resembles the sound of that thing, with animal noises representing prime examples. Just think of how we say a bee “buzzes”—that buzzing imitates the sound bees make.

Here’s an onomatopoeia example from the poem “Piddle-Paddle” by Jaymie Gerard: ““Piddle-paddle, piddle-paddle, splash, splash, splash / Into the pool with a great big dash!” Here, the words “piddle-paddle” and “splash” are meant to imitate the actual sound of moving through water. This type of word choice helps to create a more vivid and immersive experience for the reader. By using onomatopoeia, Gerard helps the reader to feel as if they are right there in the pool.

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FAQs On Literary Devices

What are some literary devices with examples.

Literary devices are techniques writers use to create specific effects in their writing. Some examples include metaphors (direct comparisons, like “He’s a bull in a china shop”), similes (using “like” or “as,” like “She’s as tough as nails”), and imagery, which engages the senses (“The cool fall wind made her shiver”).

What is a literary device?

Simply put, a literary device is any technique used in writing to enhance it and move it beyond just literal descriptions. These devices range from large-scale structural choices (like using an unreliable narrator) to the arrangement of individual sentences.

What is the difference between literary terms and literary devices?

Sometimes we refer to literary devices as “literary terms,” but essentially, they mean the same thing. They’re terms describing all those tools that elevate writing, such as allusions (references to something outside the story), or personification (giving something nonhuman human characteristics.)

If you want to strengthen your skills as a writer (or a speaker), then it’s important to analyze how literary devices function. Consider the effect the writer is creating, then try your hand at creating similar effects. This may seem a little overwhelming at first, but as you experiment with various approaches, you’ll likely find yourself drawn to some literary devices far more than others.

By studying various examples and experimenting in your writing, you’ll better understand how these tools shape a story’s emotional weight. Just remember that literary devices represent a single element in the writer’s toolkit. When an author combines them with plot, character, and word order, that person can create truly great literature.

• Last Updated: August 6, 2024

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Figures of Speech: 40 Ways to Improve your Writing

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View the full-size version of this infographic.

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Figurative speech plays an important role in our ability to communicate with one another. It helps create compelling narratives, and evoke emotion in readers.

With this in mind, this periodic table graphic by Visual Communication Guy groups the 40 different figures of speech into two distinct categories—schemes and tropes.

What’s the difference between the two, and how can they help improve your writing?

Types of Schemes

In linguistics, a scheme is language that plays with sentence structure to make a sentence smoother, or even more persuasive, using syntax, word order, or sounds.

Here are four different ways that schemes fiddle with sentence structure.

This is especially important when trying to make a sentence smoother. A good example of balance is parallelism , which is when you use the same grammatical form in at least two parts of a sentence.

• Not parallelism: “She likes reading, writing, and to paint on the weekends.”
• Parallelism: “She likes reading, writing, and painting on the weekends.”

Changing the position of words can have an impact on the way a sentence is understood. For instance, anastrophe is the deliberate reordering of words in a sentence to either emphasize a certain point, or distinguish a character as different.

• An example of anastrophe: “The greatest teacher, failure is.” -Yoda

Omission and/or Inclusion

Omissions and inclusions are useful in order to build suspense or add emotional expression to text. For example, an ellipsis is a form of punctuation that uses three dots (…) to either replace a word in a sentence or indicate a break in speech or an incomplete thought.

• Example of an ellipsis: “I was thinking of calling her Susie. Well, at least I was until…never mind. Forget I said anything.”

Similar to the other types of schemes, repetition allows you to emphasize a certain point you want the reader to pay attention to, but it’s also used to create rhymes and poetry.

A well-known literary device, alliteration uses the same consonant sound at the start of each word in a sentence. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same letter, so long as the sound is the same.

• A popular example is this nursery rhyme: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
• Another example: Phillip’s feet. (different letter, but same sound)

Types of Tropes

While schemes play around with the mechanics of a sentence, tropes stray from the literal or typical meanings to evoke emotion, and keep a reader engaged and interested.

Tropes help create an alternative sense of reality, using these five strategies.

These are literary devices that help paint a deeper picture of a concept, using a reference to something related, but different.

Metaphors and similes are common examples of references, but a lesser-known type of reference is a synecdoche , which is when a small part of something is used in reference to the thing as a whole.

• An example of a synecdoche: “Check out my new wheels.” (where wheels refer to a car)

Wordplay & Puns

This type of literary device plays with sounds or meaning to add depth to a sentence. For instance, a syllepsis uses one word to create parallels between two separate thoughts, while an onomatopoeia is a figure of speech that uses words (either real or made-up) or even letters to describe a sound.

• An example of a syllepsis: “When I address Fred I never have to raise either my voice or my hopes.” – E.B. White
• An example of an onomatopoeia: “Ding-dong” (the sound of a doorbell)

Substitutions

This is when someone replaces a word or thought with something else. For instance, anthimeria is the use of a word in a grammatical form it’s not generally used in, while periphrasis is when someone intentionally elaborates on a point, instead of expressing it succinctly.

• An anthimeria: “I could use a good sleep .” (Sleep is normally a verb, but here it’s used as a noun)
• Example of a periphrasis: Instead of saying, “It’s cold outside.” you say, “The temperature of the atmosphere when I exited my home this morning was quite chilly and exceptionally uncomfortable.”

Overstatement and/or Understatement

These are intentionally exaggerated, or downplayed situations that aren’t meant to be taken literally. A hyperbole is an example of an overstatement, while litotes are the opposite—deliberate understatements.

• An example of a hyperbole: I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse.
• While a litotes looks like this: It’s not rocket science.

This type of literary technique uses contradictory ideas and indirect questions for dramatic effect, or to emphasize a point. For instance, an oxymoron is when two contradictory words are used back-to-back.

• An example of an oxymoron: Act natural

Using Figures of Speech to Craft Content

First, let’s just address it…Yes, I did use alliteration in the above header, and yes, now I’m using an ellipsis in this sentence.

Because let’s face it—in the age of information overload, writing articles that are interesting and compelling to readers is a top priority for online content creators. And using figurative language is a good way to keep readers attention.

So, if you’re a content creator yourself (or simply looking to beef up your knowledge on linguistics), hopefully this graphic has helped you on that journey.

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How to help adults regain the ability to write

One of the roles of a speech-language pathologist is to help adults regain the ability to write after some type of brain injury. This article shares the results of a recent systematic review ( Biddau et al. 2023 ), along with specific details on how to administer the different treatment protocols.

Free DIRECT download:  Helping adults regain the ability to write (cheat sheet). ( Email subscribers  get free access to all the resources in the  Free Subscription Library .)

• Types of writing impairments .
• About the systematic review on acquired central dysgraphia .
• Copy and Recall Treatment (CART) .
• Spell-study-spell treatment .
• Oral repetition + CART .
• Variations in lexical treatment .
• Phonological treatment .
• Training grapheme-phoneme correspondence + electronic speller .
• Reading treatment + spelling treatment with electronic speller .
• Clinical considerations .
• Limitations of the systematic review .
• Related Eat, Speak, & Think posts .
• Key references .

What is an acquired writing impairment?

An “acquired” writing impairment means someone has learned how to write, but then loses the ability due to some type of injury or illness. This article focuses on writing impairments that may be caused by a head injury, stroke, a tumor, an infection, or a neurodegenerative disease. An adult who acquires a writing disorder usually will have difficulty with other areas of language, as well.

The acquired writing disorder may be labeled “agraphia” or “dysgraphia.” Agraphia is the inability to write, while dysgraphia is difficulty writing. Check out the NIH’s StatPearls article on this distinction.

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Types of writing impairments

Here are some of the different types of dysgraphia that a person may experience, according to Biddau et al. (2023):

• Surface dysgraphia (left parietal lobe) – generally able to spell regular words and nonwords, but difficulty spelling irregular words.
• Phonological dysgraphia (left perisylvian cortical area) – difficulty writing non-words and unfamiliar words.
• Deep dysgraphia (supramarginal gyrus and the insula) – difficulty writing nonwords, unfamiliar words, and abstract words. May see semantic paragraphias (ex. writing “table” instead of “chair”).
• Graphemic buffer disorders (left parietal cortex) – difficulty with working memory during writing. Able to write short words better than longer words.
• Peripheral dysgraphia (left temporo-parieto-occipital cortex) – difficulty in “selecting the appropriate motor sequences to write letters”

According to Beeson & Rapcsak (2002), there are clinical reasons to focus on writing (or at least to include writing therapy in the plan of care). They argue that writing may be easier to recover than verbal speech, and writing can also serve as an effective compensatory strategy for verbal communication.

About the systematic review on acquired central dysgraphia

This article focuses on Biddau and colleague’s 2023 systematic review titled “Speech and Language Therapy for Acquired Central Dysgraphia in Neurological Patients: A Systematic Review to Describe and Identify Trainings for Clinical Practice.”

Biddau et al. (2023) included 11 studies with 43 patients (two patients participated in two unrelated studies). The systematic review excludes peripheral dysgraphias, which are writing impairments that include a motor or visual-spatial component.

The eleven studies were single-subject multiple-baseline design, two of which had a cross-over design. The studies were published in English, took place in the UK or the US, and were published between 2002 and 2019.

Eight studies used lexical writing treatments, one used a phonological treatment, and two studies looked at interactive treatments. The interactive treatments combined lexical and phonological exercises and trained problem-solving strategies, using an electronic speller. One of these studies included multiple oral reading.

While all of the studies reported improvements, greater success was reported for more patients undergoing lexical treatments than for the others. Biddau et al. (2023) identified the lexical treatments as being more widely used, seem to bring greater improvement, and are more flexible in clinical practice. In addition, the lexical treatments showed greater generalization and maintenance of effects.

Lexical writing treatments

The systematic review covers three lexical treatments, which were used in eight of 11 research articles. Nearly all participants showed improvement across the eight studies (33 out of 35). The treatment protocols were:

• Copy and Recall Treatment (CART).
• Spell-study-spell treatment.
• Oral repetition + CART.

Biddau et al. (2023) also report on intervention variations regarding:

• Errorful versus errorless teaching approaches.
• Unimodal versus multimodal intervention.

In general, participants showed improvement in spelling of trained words and some showed significant improvement in spelling of untrained words. I’ll go into more detail under the relevant section below, but read the systematic review for a full description.

As an aside, I’m aware of two other lexical treatments which weren’t included in the review. Perhaps the relevant research articles were considered but didn’t meet some criterion. The other two treatments are ACT (anagram and copy therapy) and ACRT (anagram, copy, and recall treatment), which is identified as a combination of ACT and CART. You can read a comparison of ACT and CART .

Copy and Recall Treatment (CART)

Two of the studies on Copy and Recall Treatment (CART) that were included in the systematic review were Beeson et al. (2003) and Clausen & Beeson (2003). Raymor et al. (2010) used a variation of CART. Not all of the CART studies looked at generalization.

• Identify a set of 5 meaningful words.
• Each word is to be copied at least 20 times a day, 6 days a week.
• Following the copying task, the patient completes a self-test for recall of the practiced words.
• A set is “mastered” when the patient can write at least 4 words across two consecutive sessions. Mastered words are still included in the daily practice.
• Choose a new set of 5 words.

Beeson et al. (2003) added additional semantic training or additional treatment sessions, as needed.

Spell-study-spell treatment

Rapp (2005) and Rapp & Kane (2002) reported on a spell-study-spell treatment protocol. All the participants showed improvement in spelling trained words. Only those participants with a deficit in the graphemic buffer showed generalization to untrained words.

Here is the general procedure, from the systematic review:

• Create 3 lists of words, 30 words per list. The lists are the “treated” words, the “repeated” words, and the “control” list.
• Treated list: Use at each session. Say the word. Your patient repeats it, then tries to spell it. If they are incorrect, show them the printed word and spell it aloud. Your patient studies it for as long as they like. Have them spell it again after a delay.
• Repeated list: Use for a spell-to-dictation task, conducted at each session.
• Control list: Only use for initial and final sessions. (In clinical practice, may omit this.)

Oral repetition + CART

Beeson & Egnor (2006) report on a protocol that combined an oral repetition task with CART. Their participants showed substantial improvement on naming and writing trained words, without generalization to untrained words. They also found significant improvement in speech in two patients (anomic and conduction aphasias).

Instead of describing their procedure, I’m presenting how I would modify it for clinical use. Be sure to select useful words for each individual patient!

• In the study, they used proper and common nouns. I would consider including verbs. 
• Since only trained words are likely to improve, I would include any picturable word they want to re-learn.
• Probe all 10-20 words: Show a picture for each word, ask your patient to orally name it and then write it. 
• Show a picture for each word, ask your patient to orally name it and then write it. 
• If using a device for the home exercise program (below), have your patient play that word, then repeat the model and try to write it again. If your patient can’t say the word, facilitate their production as needed. If they’re unable to write the word, point out the errors, then have them copy the correct word several times. 
• Ask your patient to verbally name each word in the list, then find it on their device, play the recording, and repeat it again. 
• Next they will attempt to write the word without a written model if they correctly wrote the word earlier during the recall task, otherwise provide a model for them to copy. 
• The study used an AAC device to present the participant with a picture and spoken label. If our patient has a smartphone or tablet, we could potentially make short video clips or use an AAC app to do something similar. 
• If we use a device, the therapy protocol trains them to do the home exercise program.

Variations in lexical treatments

As mentioned above, a few of the studies investigated intervention variations. Two studies compared errorless versus errorful teaching methods. Both approaches resulted in significant improvements in the 8 participants. One study suggested a possible advantage of errorful teaching, while the other didn’t find a significant difference.

A third study compared unimodal versus multimodal intervention. “Unimodal” therapy asked the participant to copy a word, then write it from memory and then proceed to the next word. The “multimodal” treatment required the participant to perform semantic, phonological, and orthographic tasks before saying the word and copying the word. All 8 participants in the study showed improvement. The authors didn’t find a significant difference between the two treatments.

Phonological treatment

Kiran (2005) reported that two out of three participants improved in almost all measures for treated and untreated words. The tasks were writing to dictation and written naming tasks. In addition, two out of three participants showed improvement in some oral spelling words that were trained. One participant did not significantly improve. They modified the protocol twice for one participant, and the third patient developed health issues and dropped out. Of three participants, only one achieved criterion.

Refer to Kiran (2005) for full details. I’m presenting a slight modification for clinical use. 

• Select 10 picturable words that your patient can’t write, spell, or name. Print in 18 pt font on individual cards. Print a color picture for each word.
• Have your patient copy the word and read it aloud.
• Present the letter tiles + an equal number of distractor tiles (see below). Ask them to select the letters and write the sounds of each letter in the correct sequence. Example “cup”: pick the ‘c’, ‘u’, ‘p’ tiles and write ‘kuh’, ‘uh’ ‘puh’. Assist as needed.
• Present each sound from the target word in random order. After hearing each sound, have your patient write the associated letter. Example: you make the ‘buh’ sound and your patient writes ‘b’. Assist as needed.
• Rearrange the letter tiles with the distractors and have them write the word.
• Say the word again and ask your patient to write it.
• Use pre-made letter tiles or make your own using card stock or index cards.
• Can provide the written alphabet for your patient to refer to.

Interactive treatment

Beeson et al. (2010) and Kim et al. (2015) report on a total of five participants who participated in interactive treatment protocols. The interactive treatments included training participants to use an electronic spell checker. Kim et al. (2015) used the Franklin Speaking Language Master * but stated that any similar device would suffice. If your patient isn’t able to use their smart phone or a voice assistant to check spelling, another option may be Webster’s Spelling Corrector *. Participants improved on spelling both trained and untrained words.

*This is an Amazon affiliate link. As an Amazon associate, I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. There is no extra charge to you, and it will help keep Eat, Speak, & Think sustainable.

Training grapheme-phoneme correspondence + electronic speller

Refer to Beeson et al. (2010) for more detail of their protocol. The study included 2 participants. Both of their participants improved spelling untrained regular and irregular words when using an electronic speller. One participant also improved without using the device.

Here is a description according to Biddau et al. (2023):

• Use a cueing hierarchy to train the grapheme-phoneme correspondence for 20 consonants and 12 vowels.
• Train the spelling of sets of 20 regular words and 20 nonwords, presented verbally.
• Use an electronic aid to check and correctly spell words.
• Criterion: Able to say and write each set with 80% accuracy across two sessions.

Reading treatment + spelling treatment with electronic speller

Kim et al. (2015) included three participants with alexia and agraphia, characterized by “relatively accurate but slow single-word reading with significant word length effects and surface agraphia” (p. 1527). All 3 participants improved on both trained and untrained words. They also improved their speed of reading trained passages, as well as single-word speed reading. They participated in two one-hour sessions per week.

Refer to Kim et al. (2015) for more details of their protocol.

• Select a passage from a novel and obtain baseline measures for reading rate and accuracy.
• Have your patient read the passage aloud repeatedly. Provide corrections/assistance as needed.
• Assign a new reading passage every 4th session.
• Goal: Teach patients how to use residual (or retrained) phonology and orthographic skills to improve detection and correction of spelling errors. Use an electronic spell checker, such as the Franklin Speaking Language Master or the American Wordspeller.
• Select irregularly spelled words for treatment and homework.
• Write the word as best as you can.
• Look at the word. Does it look correct?
• Try to spell the word again by sounding out any parts that are difficult.
• If the spelling still doesn’t look correct, try to spell it again.
• Type the best spelling attempt into the spell checker.
• Scroll through the options to find the correct spelling.
• Copy the correct spelling.
• If your patient can write at the sentence level, you can include therapy tasks such as writing sentences to dictation and generating written sentences.
• Reading: Read the same passage used for treatment aloud for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Spelling: Use a recordable device to record 5-10 irregular words per homework day. Patient is to follow the same steps to write and check their spelling. As able, have them use the word in a sentence or a paragraph.

Clinical considerations

These types of writing therapy programs may be best suited to highly motivated adults. Biddau et al. (2023) point out that some articles reported that their participants had previously shown success with other types of language therapy. Some of the articles explicitly suggested that their research subjects showed good results with therapy because they were highly motivated.

The dosage of therapy doesn’t need to be high. The studies featured individual sessions of 1 to 2 hours, and they met 1 to 3 times a week. Two of the studies included weekly group sessions for oral language skills. Most research protocols included daily writing assignments. Treatment lasted 4 to 14 weeks.

We don’t have to stick with a single treatment protocol. Two studies used a cross-over design to train two different protocols with each participant. In two other studies, the participants received two different protocols in each session.

We can certainly modify whichever protocol we choose to meet our patient’s needs. Four of the studies reported doing so. Some of the modifications included adding additional treatment sessions, adding homework assignments, providing additional tools, and repeating training.

Limitations of the systematic review

Biddau et al. (2023) list a number of limitations and possible confounding effects. I’ll list some of the highlights here, but please refer to the paper for a full discussion.

Limitations include:

• Small sample size.
• Wide variability in participant characteristics.
• Lack of disclosure on inclusion/exclusion criterion and other details.
• Many studies did not clearly state the type of dysgraphia.
• No study assessed the actual use of written language in daily life.

Possible confounding factors include:

• Time since onset.
• Severity and extent of the lesion.
• Aphasia type and severity.
• Perceptual and spatial abilities.
• Cognitive abilities.

Related Eat, Speak, & Think posts

This is the first post I’ve made on writing! But if you found this post helpful, you may enjoy taking a look at these:

• Free multimedia resources for the SLP .
• Attentive Reading and Constrained Summarization tutorial .
• Improve aphasia outcomes by creating intensive home exercise programs .

Key references

• Beeson, P. M., & Egnor, H. (2006). Combining treatment for written and spoken naming. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS , 12 (6), 816–827. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17064445/
• Biddau, F., Brisotto, C., Innocenti, T., Ranaldi, S., Meneghello, F., D’Imperio, D., & Nordio, S. (2023). Speech and Language Therapy for Acquired Central Dysgraphia in Neurological Patients: A Systematic Review to Describe and Identify Trainings for Clinical Practice. American journal of speech-language pathology , 32 (2), 762–785. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_AJSLP-22-00042
• Kim, E. S., Rising, K., Rapcsak, S. Z., & Beeson, P. M. (2015). Treatment for Alexia With Agraphia Following Left Ventral Occipito-Temporal Damage: Strengthening Orthographic Representations Common to Reading and Spelling. Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR , 58 (5), 1521–1537. https://doi.org/10.1044/2015_JSLHR-L-14-0286
• Kiran, S. (2005). Training phoneme to grapheme conversion for patients with written and oral production deficits: A model‐based approach. Aphasiology , 19 (1), 53–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687030444000633
• Thiel, L., Sage, K., & Conroy, P. (2016). Comparing uni-modal and multi-modal therapies for improving writing in acquired dysgraphia after stroke. Neuropsychological rehabilitation , 26 (3), 345–373. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2015.1026357

Featured image by Nuchylee on Canva.com .

Lisa A Young M.A. CCC-SLP

Lisa earned her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Maryland, College Park and her M.A. in Linguistics from the University of California, San Diego.

She participated in research studies with the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and the University of Maryland in the areas of aphasia, Parkinson’s Disease, epilepsy, and fluency disorders.

Lisa has been working as a medical speech-language pathologist since 2008. She has a strong passion for evidence-based assessment and therapy, having earned five ASHA Awards for Professional Participation in Continuing Education.

She launched EatSpeakThink.com in June 2018 to help other clinicians be more successful working in home health, as well as to provide strategies and resources to people living with problems eating, speaking, or thinking.

• Better AOS outcomes with a focus on participation
• Surveys reveal myths and truths about home health speech therapy
• Home health SLP survey results may surprise you
• An easy way to write participation-level speech therapy goals

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5 ways to better communicate with international business partners.

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If many of your business partners are located in other countries, communication will prove key in ... [+] keeping your relationships strong, dynamic and long-standing.

Many trade press articles claim that globalization is reversing, citing reasons ranging from increased tensions between the U.S. and China to ongoing logistics disruptions. However, a report from the Harvard Business Review notes that global flows of trade, capital and information have already recovered beyond pre-pandemic levels by 2021, with the recovery of people flow also gaining acceleration through 2022 and 2023.

With this background, more businesses than ever are relying on international partners to achieve their organizational goals. While international partners can bring a broader range of skills and perspectives to your initiatives, communication can sometimes be a challenge. By focusing on simple ways to improve communication with international partners, you can ensure more successful outcomes.

1. Establish Cultural Fit

I’ve written recently about how cultural fit can help improve international relationships , but it bears repeating here. If you want to have quality communication with your international business partners, you must establish cultural fit before you even enter into the partnership.

This can be done by completing a compatibility and trust assessment, where you look at a prospective partner’s approach to areas such as communication preferences, team orientation, innovation mindset and performance trust. You don’t have to be from the same geographic culture to have a compatible business culture.

Ensuring cultural fit at the start of the relationship helps establish clear expectations for both parties, which will go a long way in ensuring effective communication in the future.

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Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, 2. use clear, concise language.

Even when you and your international partners are aligned in terms of vision and performance, language barriers can persist. Even someone who speaks your language well might not understand all the subtleties and nuances that a native speaker would.

When meeting with your international colleagues, it can be helpful to keep this in mind by using clear and concise language. You should try to avoid slang and idioms that can be confusing to non-native speakers. There are many idioms across languages that don’t translate easily or directly to other languages. Similarly, avoiding business or industry-specific jargon may be necessary to ensure effective communication.

This doesn’t mean you have to dumb down what you’re saying. But be mindful of how you communicate so that your messages don’t get lost in translation.

3. Speak The Language — Literally

Of course, your ability to communicate effectively with international partners will improve drastically if you can speak their language. Investing in language training for yourself and your staff can increase engagement and grow your skills. Such efforts can also demonstrate to your partner just how much you value your relationship.

New technology is making it easier than ever to speak the language of your partners, even if you don’t have the time to learn it. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Artem Morgunov, co-founder of GalaxyVoice AI , an AI-based tool that helps translate your voice into other languages in real time, while maintaining your true voice.

"AI is now so advanced that we can not only provide instant translations for a variety of languages and accents, but even in your real voice," he explains.

"Thanks to voice-cloning technology and AI, it is now possible to speak in another language more easily than ever before. For example, you can give presentations in perfect Mandarin and still sound like yourself — with all your emotions and intonations. And, of course, without knowing a single word of it. The days of relying on slow and expensive interpreters or monotonous computer translations are over.”

4. Streamline Communications With Appropriate Tech

As exciting as tools like AI voice translation can be, they are far from the only tech tools available to streamline tech. As the COVID pandemic accelerated remote work, it also increased the adoption of a wide range of tools designed to improve communications among geographically diverse teams.

For example, video conferencing enables international partners to hold “face to face” meetings without the need for time-consuming travel. Workplace collaboration tools can also streamline the sharing of files, ideas, questions and more, allowing each team member to contribute from their own workspace (and time zone).

While the right tools can vary between partnerships, you and your partners should always look for solutions that will make communication more convenient for everyone.

5. Improve Your Writing

So much of business communication depends on writing. Yet many businesspeople who can communicate quite effectively when speaking struggle with the written word. A report from Verbal Identity found that while two-thirds of employees at large companies write as part of their job, bad and inefficient writing is estimated to cost businesses $400 billion per year due to time wasted, miscommunications and other issues.

These challenges are further compounded when using writing to communicate with an international business partner. In addition to obtaining language training for you and your team, you should also be mindful of your writing abilities. The ability to write clearly and concisely can make all the difference in achieving your partnership goals, especially when in-person meetings will be less frequent.

Investing in writing training (and using tools to help employees write better) will make your partnerships more effective by preventing misunderstandings and the need for frequent clarification. As you and your team become more efficient writers, other partnerships goals will fall into place.

Make Communication Your Top Priority

Your communication skills can make or break any partnership — but they are especially vital when working with an international partner. As you collaborate to find solutions that will prevent misunderstandings and keep everyone on the same page, you’ll be able to enjoy a more streamlined and efficient work process that delivers your desired outcomes.

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Table of contents

The 10 best free ai tools for writers in 2024.

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Not too long ago, AI burst into our writing universe like a tech tornado, reshaping how we create, scale, and tailor content for different platforms.

Companies everywhere jumped on the AI bandwagon, and guess what? It paid off big time!

Today, 43.8% of businesses that use AI content generation tools reported experiencing a very successful content strategy.

Yes, and it’s not just any content – we’re talking about high-quality, engaging pieces that have supercharged the productivity and creativity of different teams.

In fact, a recent survey by McKinsey revealed that companies leveraging AI saw a 20% increase in content production and a 15% uptick in audience engagement. Impressive, right?

So, if you’re a writer, marketer, or just someone who loves to create , you’re in for a treat. Today, we’re unveiling the 10 best free AI writing tools that can transform your writing game.

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We’ve categorized these tools by their key features, standout functionalities, pricing, availability of free versions, user feedback, and limitations.

Ready to dive in? Let’s get started!

1. Grammarly

Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that offers real-time grammar and punctuation checking, style and tone suggestions, and plagiarism detection. It’s designed to help users improve their writing quality across various platforms, including emails, documents, and social media posts.

With both free and premium versions available, Grammarly is an essential tool for anyone looking to enhance their writing skills and ensure error-free communication.

Key Features:

Grammar and punctuation checking: Grammarly scans your text for grammar and punctuation errors, suggesting corrections to ensure your writing is grammatically sound.

Style and tone suggestions: It provides recommendations to improve the style and tone of your writing, making it more engaging and appropriate for your audience.

Plagiarism detection: Grammarly checks your text against billions of web pages to ensure it is original and free from plagiarism.

Contextual spelling corrections: It identifies context-specific spelling mistakes, such as commonly confused words.

Hero Feature:

Real-time writing feedback: Grammarly offers instant suggestions as you type, helping you correct mistakes and improve your writing on the fly.

Limitations:

Can be overly prescriptive, sometimes suggesting changes that alter the writer’s voice.

• Free version is available with basic features.
• Premium version: $11.66/month.

Free Version:

Yes, with limited features.

User Verdict:

Users love Grammarly for its user-friendly interface and accurate corrections.

It’s often praised for its detailed explanations and suggestions that help improve writing skills over time. However, some users feel the premium version is necessary for comprehensive feedback.

2. Jasper AI

Jasper AI is a versatile content generation tool that uses artificial intelligence to create high-quality written content for blogs, ads, emails, and more.

It offers customizable tone and style options and integrates with popular platforms for SEO optimization.

Although it lacks a free version, Jasper AI’s powerful capabilities make it a valuable resource for marketers, writers, and businesses looking to generate compelling, long-form content efficiently.

AI-generated content for blogs, ads, and emails: Jasper can create high-quality content based on your inputs, saving you time and effort.

Customizable tone and style: You can adjust the tone and style of the generated content to match your brand or personal voice.

Integration with various platforms: Jasper integrates with popular tools like SurferSEO to help optimize your content for search engines.

Long-form content generation: Jasper excels at generating detailed, long-form content with minimal input from the user.

The quality of generated content may require additional editing.

• Free trial available.
• Starter plan: $29/month.

Not yet, but offers a free trial.

Jasper AI is highly regarded for its efficiency in generating content quickly. Users appreciate its versatility and the quality of the content it produces. The main drawback is the cost, as it can be pricey for those needing continuous access.

3. ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is a comprehensive writing assistant that provides in-depth grammar and style checking, readability reports, and writing style suggestions.

It integrates seamlessly with popular writing platforms like Microsoft Word and Google Docs, offering detailed feedback to help users improve their writing.

With a free version available, ProWritingAid is an excellent choice for writers seeking to enhance their text’s clarity, engagement, and overall quality.

In-depth grammar and style checking: ProWritingAid analyzes your writing for grammatical errors and stylistic improvements.

Readability reports: It provides detailed reports on the readability of your text, helping you make it more accessible to your audience.

Writing style suggestions: It offers suggestions to enhance your writing style, making it more engaging and effective.

Integrations with popular writing platforms: ProWritingAid works with tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Scrivener.

Detailed writing reports: ProWritingAid generates comprehensive reports that help you understand and improve your writing style and readability.

• The free version offers limited reports.
• The interface can be complex for new users.
• Free version available.
• Premium version: $20/month.

ProWritingAid is favored for its comprehensive writing reports and suggestions. Users appreciate the depth of feedback, though some find the interface slightly overwhelming due to the abundance of features.

4. Hemingway Editor

Hemingway Editor is a user-friendly tool focused on improving readability by highlighting complex sentences, passive voice, and adverbs.

It offers real-time readability scoring and formatting options for web writing, making it ideal for bloggers and content creators.

The free online version provides essential features, while the desktop app is available for a one-time fee, helping writers produce clear, concise, and engaging content.

Readability analysis: Hemingway highlights complex sentences and suggests simpler alternatives to improve readability.

Suggestions for simplifying complex sentences: It helps you shorten and clarify your sentences, making your writing more concise.

Highlights passive voice and adverbs: Hemingway identifies passive voice and excessive adverb usage, recommending changes to make your writing stronger.

Formatting options for web writing: It provides basic formatting tools to prepare your text for publication on the web.

Real-time readability scoring: Hemingway scores your text’s readability, helping you ensure your writing is clear and easy to understand.

Desktop app requires a one-time purchase for offline use.

• Free online version.
• Desktop app: $19.99 (one-time fee).

Yes, the online version is free.

Hemingway Editor is praised for its simplicity and effectiveness in making writing more concise. It’s a favorite among bloggers and writers looking to enhance readability. However, some users find the lack of advanced grammar checks a limitation.

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Copy.ai leverages artificial intelligence to generate high-quality marketing copy for various purposes, including social media posts, ads, and email campaigns.

It offers a wide range of templates and collaboration features, making it a versatile tool for different writing tasks.

With a free plan available, Copy.ai is especially useful for brainstorming and overcoming writer’s block, helping users create effective and targeted copy quickly.

AI-generated marketing copy: Copy.ai generates high-quality marketing copy for various purposes, including social media posts, ads, and email campaigns.

Blog and social media post generation: It creates engaging blog content and social media updates tailored to your needs.

Various writing templates: Copy.ai offers templates for different types of content, making it versatile for various writing tasks.

Collaboration features: Teams can collaborate on content creation within the platform.

Wide range of templates: Copy.ai provides numerous templates for different content types, making it easy to generate targeted, effective copy.

• The free version has usage limits.
• Sometimes, it requires significant editing for tone and accuracy.
• Free plan available.
• Pro plan: $35/month.

Copy.ai is appreciated for its ability to generate marketing copy quickly and efficiently. Users find it especially useful for brainstorming and overcoming writer’s block. However, the free version’s limitations can be a drawback for some.

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6. Writesonic

Writesonic is an AI-powered content generation tool designed to produce high-quality blogs, ads, and product descriptions.

It features SEO optimization and a unique AI article summarizer, along with multi-language support.

The free plan offers limited features, but Writesonic’s versatility and ease of use make it a valuable tool for writers and marketers looking to enhance their content creation process and improve search engine rankings.

AI-powered content generation for blogs, ads, and product descriptions: Writesonic generates various types of content tailored to your specifications.

SEO optimization: It helps you create SEO-friendly content that ranks well in search engines.

AI article summarizer: Writesonic can condense long articles into shorter summaries without losing key information.

Multi-language support: It supports multiple languages, making it useful for non-English content.

AI article summarizer: Writesonic’s summarizer condenses content while retaining key points, making it easier to digest.

Quality can vary depending on the topic complexity.

• Premium plans start at $15/month.

Writesonic is well-received for its multi-language support and SEO features. Users appreciate its ease of use and the quality of content produced. However, some feel the free version is too restrictive for regular use.

7. Quillbot

Quillbot is an advanced paraphrasing tool that helps users rephrase text to avoid plagiarism while maintaining the original meaning.

It also offers grammar checking, summarizing capabilities, and a citation generator.

The free version provides basic features, making Quillbot an excellent resource for students, writers, and professionals who need to reword content, enhance clarity, and ensure originality in their work.

Paraphrasing tool: Quillbot rephrases your text to make it unique while maintaining the original meaning.

Grammar checker: It checks for grammatical errors and suggests corrections.

Summarizer: Quillbot condenses long articles and documents into concise summaries.

Citation generator: It helps you create accurate citations for your references.

Advanced paraphrasing tool: Quillbot’s paraphrasing tool rephrases content while preserving its original meaning, making it a valuable tool for avoiding plagiarism.

Paraphrasing can sometimes result in awkward phrasing.

• Premium version: $9.95/month.

Quillbot is highly valued for its paraphrasing capabilities. Users find it especially useful for rewording text and avoiding plagiarism.

The main criticism is that the free version has limited functionality, especially for larger texts.

8. ShortlyAI

ShortlyAI is a powerful content generation tool that assists with long-form article creation and creative writing projects.

It features content expansion capabilities and a user-friendly interface, allowing users to turn short prompts into comprehensive articles.

While it lacks a free version, ShortlyAI’s ability to generate detailed and high-quality content quickly makes it an invaluable tool for writers seeking inspiration and efficiency.

AI-generated content for long-form articles: ShortlyAI helps you create detailed, long-form articles with minimal input.

Creative writing assistance: It assists with creative writing projects, providing inspiration and content generation.

Content expansion features: ShortlyAI can expand on your ideas, turning short prompts into comprehensive articles.

Easy-to-use interface: Its simple interface makes it easy to generate content quickly.

Content expansion tool: ShortlyAI’s expansion tool helps you lengthen articles by adding relevant content and details.

No free version, only a trial period.

• Monthly plan: $79/month.

No, only a free trial.

ShortlyAI is praised for its ability to expand and generate long-form content. Users appreciate its user-friendly interface and creativity in writing assistance.

The main downside is its high cost, making it less accessible for some.

Rytr is an AI writing assistant that generates content for emails, blogs, and ads. It includes a built-in plagiarism checker and SEO-friendly content generation, with support for multiple languages.

The free plan offers limited monthly character counts, but Rytr’s affordability and quality make it a popular choice for writers and marketers looking to produce original and optimized content efficiently.

AI writing assistant for emails, blogs, and ads: Rytr helps you create various types of content quickly and efficiently.

Built-in plagiarism checker: It checks your content for originality, ensuring it is free from plagiarism.

SEO-friendly content generation: Rytr generates content optimized for search engines.

Multiple language support: It supports various languages, making it versatile for different writing needs.

SEO-friendly content generation: Rytr’s ability to generate SEO-optimized content helps improve your content’s visibility on search engines.

Generated content may need significant editing for quality.

• Saver plan: $9/month.

Rytr is well-liked for its affordability and quality of content. Users find it useful for generating SEO-friendly content and appreciate the built-in plagiarism checker.

However, some feel the AI-generated content sometimes lacks depth and requires additional editing.

Scribe offers transcription services, note-taking assistance, and speech-to-text capabilities, integrating seamlessly with platforms like Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

It converts audio and video files into written text accurately, making it ideal for creating transcripts and notes.

With a free version available, Scribe is a valuable tool for professionals and students who need efficient and precise transcription and note-taking solutions.

Transcription services: Scribe converts audio and video files into written text, making it easy to create transcripts.

Note-taking assistance: It helps you take notes efficiently during meetings or lectures.

Integration with various writing platforms: Scribe integrates with tools like Microsoft Word and Google Docs for seamless writing.

Speech-to-text capabilities: It converts spoken words into text in real-time, perfect for dictation.

Accurate speech-to-text conversion: Scribe’s speech-to-text feature provides highly accurate transcription and note-taking capabilities.

The free version has limited transcription minutes.

• Premium version: $29.99/month.

Scribe is highly appreciated for its accuracy in transcribing and note-taking. Users find it particularly useful for turning spoken content into written text efficiently. However, the cost of the premium version and the limitations of the free version are common criticisms.

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• Simile - Meaning, Definition, Usage, Examples

How Similes Improve Your Writing and Provide Clear Visual Images

Similes are a poetic device used to compare two different things using the words "like" or "as." They help create clear and strong pictures in the reader's mind, making descriptions more interesting and easy to understand. For example, saying "Her smile is like the sun" compares a smile to the bright and warm sun, helping you imagine how bright and happy her smile is. By using similes, writers can explain complex ideas simply and engagingly. This makes their writing more enjoyable and relatable for readers.

How Simile is Used in a Sentence

A simile is used in a sentence to compare two or more nouns using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’. When using ‘as’, you pair it with a noun known for a specific quality, like in "as proud as a peacock". This creates a direct comparison between two things, whether they are similar or different. Similes help your reader or listener picture and understand the qualities of the nouns being compared, making descriptions more vivid and clear. Essentially, similes give a mental image to help better understand what is being described.

Some of the Similes Examples:

As Brave as a Lion : Showing great courage.

As Light as a Feather : Extremely light in weight.

As Slow as a Snail : Moving very slowly.

As Bright as the Sun : Very bright or cheerful.

As Busy as a Bee : Very busy and active.

As Cold as Ice : Extremely cold.

As Happy as a Clam : Very happy and content.

As Strong as an Ox : Very strong.

As Fast as a Cheetah : Extremely fast.

As Quiet as a Mouse : Very quiet.

As Cool as a Cucumber : Very calm and composed.

As Free as a Bird : Completely free.

As Wise as an Owl : Very wise.

As Clear as Crystal : Very clear and easy to understand.

As Sweet as Honey : Very sweet.

As Smooth as Silk : Very smooth.

As Sharp as a Tack : Very sharp or intelligent.

As Strong as Steel : Extremely strong.

As Soft as a Whisper : Very soft and gentle.

Some Commonly Used List of Similes:

Benefits of using similes in sentences

Similes add depth to descriptions.

They create mental images for readers.

Similes make writing more engaging and relatable.

Review your Learning on Simile: Identify the Similes in the Following Sentences.

The lake is as clear as crystal.

She sings like an angel.

His words cut like a knife.

The child is as playful as a kitten.

The storm was as fierce as a lion.

Her smile is like sunshine on a rainy day.

He ran as fast as a cheetah.

The cake was as light as a feather.

The night was as dark as coal.

Her hair is as smooth as silk.

Find Out if you Got them All Right From the Answers Below

as clear as crystal

like an angel

like a knife

as playful as a kitten

as fierce as a lion

like sunshine on a rainy day

as fast as a cheetah

as light as a feather

as dark as coal

as smooth as silk

Takeaways from This Page

Similes create strong visual images by comparing two different things, making the text more engaging and easier to imagine.

Using similes adds expressiveness to writing, helping to convey emotions and qualities in a more impactful way.

Similes simplify complex ideas by relating them to familiar concepts, making the content easier to understand.

Similes can be used across various forms of writing, including poetry , prose, and everyday speech, demonstrating their wide applicability.

Similes often reflect cultural experiences and values, adding depth and context to the writing.

FAQs on Simile - Meaning, Definition, Usage, Examples

1. What is simile?

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using the words "like" or "as" to create a vivid image or description.

2. How do similes enhance writing?

Similes, a figure of speech, enhance writing by creating strong visual images and making descriptions more engaging and relatable, which helps to convey emotions and qualities more effectively.

3. Can you give an example of a simile?

Yes, an example of a simile is "Her smile is as bright as the sun," which compares the brightness of her smile to the brightness of the sun.

4. What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

A simile uses "like" or "as" to make a comparison (e.g., "as brave as a lion"), while a metaphor makes a direct comparison without using "like" or "as" (e.g., "He is a lion in battle").

5. Why are similes important in literature?

Similes are important in literature because they enrich the text, make descriptions more vivid, and help readers visualise and understand the author's ideas and emotions better. 

6. Are similes used only in poetry?

No, similes are used in various forms of writing, including poetry, prose, and everyday speech, making them a versatile simile poetic device.

7. How can similes improve communication?

Similes improve communication by simplifying complex ideas and making them more relatable and easier to understand, which helps to convey messages more effectively.

8. Can similes reflect cultural values?

Yes, similes often reflect cultural experiences and values, adding depth and context to the writing, and making it more meaningful to the audience.

9. How can I create my similes?

To create your similes, think of a quality or characteristic you want to describe and compare it to something familiar using "like" or "as." For example, "as quick as lightning" to describe speed.

10. What are some common similes used in everyday language?

Some common similes include "busy as a bee," "light as a feather," "brave as a lion," "clear as crystal," and "cool as a cucumber." These are often used to describe everyday situations and qualities. We have provided above the list of similes which are used commonly.