Volume:
Volume means loudness. Voice should be
loud enough for audience to hear.
Volume
of voice is affected by the following:
(i)
Mode of communication:
If the speaker is talking on phone,
his volume has to be low but if he is addressing a seminar or conference, the
volume is comparatively high.
(ii)
Size of audience:
A large audience or gathering requires
high volume of the speaker and a small gathering requires low volume.
(iii)
Emphasis on words:
Certain words or sentences that need
special attention are spoken at a higher volume than the rest.
Importance
of Word Choice
A person must develop the habit of using correct words. While speaking
or writing, one must use the most appropriate word. One must learn the
importance of correct word choice. Some of them are
·
If a person is using an
incorrect word, the message delivered is not meant.
·
Incorrect word choice
leads to the misunderstanding among the audience.
·
It sometimes makes a
situation awkward and unclear.
·
Sometimes, an incorrect
word makes no sense.
·
Correct word choice
increases the impact on one’s mind.
·
It reveals the attitude
and personality of a person.
Word Choice
What you say—the words you
choose—matters.
A word is the simplest part of any language. While communicating or
delivering any ideas or thoughts, one must use a proper word. Word choice is a
person’s choice or selection of words. There are many factors which determine
or compel a person for a word choice. A word choice is an important part of
any communication.
It is a manner in which something is expressed in words. The choice of
words is the style of expression. A person, in general, chooses words to which
he feels comfortable, confident, and simple enough for a general audience to
understand.
Tone
This
can be described as the light and shade of the voice, which also demonstrates
and displays emotion. The light and shade demonstrates warmth or coldness,
smoothness or roughness, harshness or gentleness, tension or relaxation.
Most
of us can quickly identify someone’s mood by the tone they use.
Example: ‘Oh yes, the engineer arrived’ said in warm tone implies a successful visit.
Alternatively, said with a cold tone it implies an unsuccessful visit.
Example: ‘Oh yes, the engineer arrived’ said in warm tone implies a successful visit.
Alternatively, said with a cold tone it implies an unsuccessful visit.
We
pick up on these vocal characteristics unconsciously. By being aware of the way
the words are being spoken you will not only be able to ‘hear’ what isn’t being
said but also understand the feelings and emotions being communicated.
What Is Speech?
Speech is how we say sounds and words.
Speech includes:
Articulation
How we make speech sounds using the mouth, lips, and tongue. For example, we need to be able to say the “r” sound to say "rabbit" instead of "wabbit.”
How we make speech sounds using the mouth, lips, and tongue. For example, we need to be able to say the “r” sound to say "rabbit" instead of "wabbit.”
Voice
How we use our vocal folds and breath to make sounds. Our voice can be loud or soft or high- or low-pitched. We can hurt our voice by talking too much, yelling, or coughing a lot.
How we use our vocal folds and breath to make sounds. Our voice can be loud or soft or high- or low-pitched. We can hurt our voice by talking too much, yelling, or coughing a lot.
Fluency
This is the rhythm of our speech. We sometimes repeat sounds or pause while talking. People who do this a lot may stutter.
This is the rhythm of our speech. We sometimes repeat sounds or pause while talking. People who do this a lot may stutter.
fast rate is one of the most common causes
of unclear speech. Vowel sounds get shortened and words become a jumble of
consonants. Slowing the rate of your speech gives you time to form sounds
accurately and gives your listeners time to absorb what you’ve said. Learning
to breathe deeply while speaking is one of the most effective strategies for
slowing down naturally.
Mumbling often goes hand in hand with
fast speech. When you speak quickly, your mouth doesn’t have time to open very
far. Speech sounds get distorted while being squeezed through your teeth.
Practicing jaw and tongue relaxation creates more openness in your mouth and
encourages more precision in the formation of vowels and consonants.
A quiet voice often
contributes to a lack of clarity. When you’re not putting enough sound into the
room, your listeners have nothing to work with. Using more breath, feeling
sound vibrations in your body and allowing your voice to fill the room will
generate more power, without straining. Remember, your voice will seem louder
to you than it sounds to your listeners. Get used to it.
An accent can
make it difficult for others to understand you. There’s nothing wrong with
accents. In fact, everyone has one, depending on who’s listening. But a strong
accent can lead to confusion and even frustration, especially if it’s combined
with a quiet voice and/or fast speech. Learning to improve a few strategically
selected language skills will often produce dramatic improvements in clarity.
But first, make sure you’re speaking slowly and projecting well. That might be
all that’s required.
Failure to speak clearly is not a
minor inconvenience; it has serious implications for your personal image and
professional success. When listeners struggle to understand you, they
eventually ignore you. Addressing the underlying causes enables you to
communicate fluently and distinctly. Enhancing clarity not only strengthens
your communication skills, it improves your image and makes others more
responsive to your message.