Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Speak More Clearly
• Method 2 of 3: Use pauses and control your speech rate
• Method 3 of 3: Practice Speaking Aloud

It may be difficult for those listening to you to hear speech that is too fast. Often this speech is the result of a nervous tic that makes you stumble when speaking. If you speak too quickly, there are several actions you can take. Try vocal exercises to help you slow down your speech with pauses, and learn to pronounce each word individually. In addition, you can record your speech on a voice recorder. This will help you identify where to slow down, and will also allow you to mark pauses in the printed speech to remind yourself to catch your breath.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Speak More Clearly

1. 1 Pronounce each word more clearly. One of the biggest problems with people who speak too fast is that they often concatenate words in a way that is difficult to understand. Spend some time practicing your pronunciation of words, especially if you put them together in a sentence.
   • Don't miss a single word, even the smallest. Pronounce every syllable of every word.
2. 2 Practice pronouncing tongue twisters. Tongue twisters are designed to help you train the muscles in your mouth and improve your pronunciation. Use different tongue twisters to warm up your voice before speaking, or simply to slow down the rhythm in general.
   • Try to repeat several times: "The ships maneuvered, maneuvered, but did not fish." Pronounce every syllable.
   • Say: "Sasha walked along the highway and sucked drying." Speak every word clearly. Repeat the phrase over and over.
3. 3 Stretch vowel sounds. As you practice your pronunciation, try to stretch the vowel sounds to add length to each word. This will help you speak more slowly and clearly.
   • Highlight the word first, then add a short pause between each word. Over time, you will learn not to glue words together and still pronounce them clearly.

Method 2 of 3: Use pauses and control your speech rate

1. 1 Add pauses at the right time. Many people who speak too quickly skip places where there should have been a pause in normal speech. For example, pauses between sentences, after the main piece of information and when changing the topic. Try to make a conscious effort to add more pauses while speaking.
   • You may need to pause after each word, or add very long pauses after important information.
2. 2 Allow yourself to use parasitic words from time to time. These words are colloquial tools that allow the listener to better understand what is being said and also give the speaker time to think.Allowing yourself to use these words in your speech from time to time can slow down your speech. It will also allow your audience to better follow your thoughts.
   • Examples of words-parasites: "hmm", "well", "here", "that is", "means."
   • Be aware that using too many parasitic words can give the impression that you are struggling to find the right words or don't know the answer. Use them in moderation and only to slow down your speech.
3. 3 Breathe more often. Sometimes people hold their breath slightly or speak faster to get more words out in one breath. If you want to speak more slowly, make a serious effort to breathe more often while speaking.
   • If you have a printed text of the speech, it makes sense to make reminders in it so that you remember to breathe and do it more often than usual.
4. 4 Make eye contact with the audience. When giving a speech or talking to others, it can be helpful to make eye contact with the listener. As you practice this technique, you will wait for cues (verbal or body language) from your listener before continuing to talk about the topic. This means that you will have to slow down to adjust to your audience.
   • Slower speech and eye contact with the audience will help them follow your words and understand what you are talking about.
5. 5 Practice self-soothing techniques. Speaking too quickly is often caused by anxiety or nervousness in communication. It can be helpful to practice self-soothing techniques to slow down the rhythm of your speech.
   • Try to count your breaths in and out slowly. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Count each inhalation and exhalation, and continue this exercise for 1-5 minutes.
   • Try contracting and relaxing your muscles. Start with the muscles in the upper body and work your way down. Tighten your forehead and face muscles as you inhale. Hold your breath for a moment, and then slowly relax, unclenching your muscles as you move. Repeat this process down to your lower body, contracting and relaxing all of your muscles.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Amy Chapman, MA

   
   
   Voice and Speech Trainer Amy Chapman, MA, CCC-SLP is a Voice Therapist and Singing Voice Specialist. Licensed and certified as a speech and language pathology specialist. She has dedicated her career to helping professionals who want to improve and optimize their voice. Has lectured on voice optimization, speech, voice health, and voice rehabilitation at universities in California, including the University of California Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, Chapman University, California Polytechnic University Pomona, California State University Fullerton, and Los Angeles. She attended Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT and is a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association.

   Amy Chapman, MA
   Voice and Speech Trainer

   Our specialist agrees: “People tend to speak very quickly when they are nervous, and for the same reason they speak indistinctly. The stress response is triggered, and your brain works at a tremendous speed, just like your heart begins to beat faster. Try to pause and be quiet for a moment. During the pause, consider what to say next. This will slow down your heart rate and calm you down, and you will have a clearer idea of ​​what to say. "

   
   

Method 3 of 3: Practice Speaking Aloud

1. 1 Read the text aloud at different speeds. Try reading the passage aloud at your usual speed and then faster than usual. This will make any other pace seem slower. Then reread the text, deliberately slowing down your speech. And keep slowing down until the pace seems exaggeratedly slow.
   • With practice, these speed changes will help you learn to control the tempo of your speech.
2. 2 Read the text aloud at different volumes. Read the passage aloud at your usual volume. Then try reading it out loud in a whisper. Practice reading different things, muffling your voice to a whisper. The extra effort you put into pushing out the air when you speak softly will automatically slow down your speech.
   • Try to take a deep breath, and then exhale all the air, ending one phrase. Pause between phrases.
3. 3 Record your speech on a voice recorder. Many people do not hear the problem that arises when they speak, especially when speaking or speaking. Record yourself on a tape recorder as you speak (preferably during a live presentation, not just during rehearsal) so that you can listen to yourself and analyze your mistakes.
   • Play the recording when you are alone and when you have time to reflect on what you hear. Try to repeat the same speech, but make a conscious effort to correct some of the problems you noticed while listening to the recording.
   • Think about the places where your speech seemed especially fast, and practice slowing down especially during these moments.
4. 4 Ask someone to listen to you and give you feedback. Ask your best friend or colleague to listen to your speech and take a few notes for you. After finishing the talk, ask the person for any considerations, especially related to the speed of your speech.
   • Try to take criticism kindly. Remember that you yourself asked the person for it.