18 The Voice in Delivery
<A> OBJECTIVES
To adjust your speaking volume.
To beware of speaking in a monotone.
To adjust your speaking rate for comprehension and expressiveness.
To use strategic pauses and avoid meaningless vocal fillers.
To use vocal variety.
To be conscious of how you pronounce and articulate words.
<A> CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Adjusting your speaking volume
A. Volume is the relative loudness of a speaker’s voice.
B. Typically, the proper volume is slightly louder than normal conversation, but it can
also depend on
1. the size of the room,
2. the number of people in the audience,
3. the availability of a microphone, and
4. the level of background noise.
C. Speakers whose volume is too low are viewed less positively than those who project
their voices at a pleasing volume.
D. To project your voice and thus sound more confident, breathe deeply from your
diaphragm rather than shallowly from your vocal cords.
II. Varying your intonation
A. Pitch describes the range of sound from high to low (or vice versa) and is determined
by the number of vibrations per unit of time.
B. Your natural pitch is determined by anatomy, through the size of your voice box, but
within this constraint you can control the pitch of your voice through intonation.
C. Intonation is the rising and falling of voice pitch across phrases and sentences.
D. Speakers should vary their pitch to affect the meaning associated with spoken words.
1. Intonation also helps to:
a. Highlight certain aspects of your speech.
b. Capture the audience’s attention.
c. Convey your mood.
d. Convey your concern for the audience.
e. Convey your commitment to the occasion.
f. Avoid a monotonous delivery.
E. It may also help to practice with a tape recorder in order to identify places that call for
better inflection.
III. Adjusting your speaking rate
A. Speaking rate, or the pace at which you convey speech, can affect your ability to hold
an audience’s attention.
B. The normal rate of speech for adults is between 120 and 150 words per minute.
C. Being alert to your audience’s reactions is the best way to determine whether you are
speaking too rapidly or too slowly.
D. Varying your speaking rate can also be a strategic technique.
E. Practice speaking rates until you achieve a comfortable pace.
IV. Using strategic pauses
A. A pause can be used strategically within a speech to enhance meaning.
B. Pauses provide a type of punctuation and can be used to emphasize a point, draw
attention to a key thought, or give listeners a moment to contemplate a point.
C. Speakers should avoid using unnecessary and undesirable vocal fillers such as “uh,”
“hmm,” “you know,” “I mean,” “it’s like,” and “anyways.”
V. Striving for vocal variety
A. Vocal variety, or the use of multiple vocal cues, is important to achieving a successful
delivery.
B. One key to achieving effective vocal variety is combining varied volume, pitch, rate,
and pauses with enthusiasm.
VI. Carefully pronouncing and articulating words
A. Speakers should pay special attention to pronunciation and articulation – the correct
formation of word sounds and the clarity or forcefulness with which the sounds are
made, respectfully – so that they are individually audible and discernible.
B. Incorrect pronunciations are a matter of habit and are sometimes associated with a
regional accent or dialect.
1. It is important to practice good pronunciation to enhance the audience’s
perceptions of your competence and enhance the impact of your speeches.
C. Articulation problems are also a matter of habit.
1. A very common pattern of poor articulation is mumbling.
a. Sometimes the problem is lazy speech, such as saying “wanna” in
place of “want to.”
b. Mumbling and lazy speech can be overcome through several practice
techniques.
<A> KEY TERMS
volume the relative loudness of a speaker’s voice while giving a speech.
pitch the range of sounds from high to low (or vice versa). Pitch is determined by the
number of vibrations per unit of time; the more vibrations per unit (also called
frequency), the higher the pitch, and vice versa.
intonation the rising and falling of voice pitch across phrases and sentences. Intonation is
what distinguishes a question from a statement.
lavalier microphone a microphone that is attached to a lapel or collar.
handheld or fixed microphone a microphone that is attached by a cord to an electrical
power source.
speaking rate the pace at which a speech is delivered. The typical public speech occurs
at a rate slightly below 120 words per minute.
vocal fillers unnecessary and undesirable phrases or utterances that are used to cover
pauses, such as “uh,” “hmm,” “you know,” “I mean,” and “it’s like.”
pauses strategic elements of a speech used to enhance meaning by providing a type of
punctuation, emphasizing a point, drawing attention to a key thought, or allowing
listeners a moment to contemplate.
vocal variety the variation of volume, pitch, rate, and pauses to create an effective
delivery.
pronunciation the formation of word sounds.
articulation the clarity or forcefulness with which sounds are made, regardless of
whether they are pronounced correctly.
mumbling slurring words together at a very low level of volume and pitch so that they
are barely audible.
lazy speech a poor speech habit in which the speaker fails to properly articulate words.
dialect a distinctive way of speaking associated with a particular region or social group.
CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTIONS
What are the elements of vocal delivery?
The elements of vocal delivery include volume, pitch, rate, pauses, and pronunciation and
Pitch is the range of sounds from high to low (or vice versa) made by the speaker’s
voice. Varying pitch, or using inflections to convey meaning, is a crucial part of effective vocal
Vocal variety involves making use of each of these elements so that they work together
II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Can you think of speakers you’ve heard whose vocal delivery impressed you? What did
you find particularly appealing about those individuals’ vocal quality? Consider pitch,
rate, pauses, articulation, and pronunciation in your answer.
Show a videotape of a famous speaker on television or an exemplary student speaker from a
You might also ask students to provide examples of speakers they have heard who lack
Do you think your own dialect may be a factor in the effectiveness of your speech delivery?
Why or why not?
Ask students to be honest about their cultural dialects—do they use an accent or regional
Do you struggle with using vocal fillers when delivering a speech? How can you work to
avoid them in your upcoming speeches?
Students are often unaware of how many vocal fillers they use in conversations and speeches.
Because we tend to excuse people’s articulation and pronunciation errors in conversations,
why should we expect them to be more accurate in public speaking?
Students should recognize that different communication needs require different modes of
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may help you illustrate important points in the chapter and facilitate
students’ learning of this material. These questions can also be used as:
homework questions
quizzes
in-class work (individually or in groups)
topics to generate discussion
question-and-answer sessions between instructor and students
If speakers have inadequate control over their voices, they may lose their audiences’
attention. Speakers can learn to control vocal delivery by practicing seven different
elements. Identify and discuss each of these elements.
Volume: The relative loudness of a speaker’s voice while giving a speech
Pauses: Strategic elements of a speech that enhance meaning by providing a type of punctuation,
emphasizing a point, drawing attention to a key thought, or just giving listeners a moment to
Provide an example of each of the elements of vocal delivery. Think of examples you have
been exposed to or have seen in the media.
ACTIVITIES
Vocal Variety
Purpose: To gain a better understanding of the ways in which individuals express emotion
through tone of voice.
Instructions: The instructor will write a sentence on the board—for example, “A pig fell in the
mud” or “A frog jumped out of the water.” Alternatively, students can suggest a sentence or two.
(This exercise can be repeated a couple of times, especially with a large class.) Ask for a student
to volunteer to come up to the board and read the sentence out loud in a normal tone. Then have
the student pick one of the emotions listed below, but do not tell the class which one. The student
should then read the sentence again, trying to express the emotion he or she picked. The audience
will try to guess this emotion. Once the class has correctly identified the emotion, the student
picks someone else to come up and trade places with him or her. After each emotion is used, it
should be crossed off so that it is not repeated. Students should use their vocal qualities to
express one of the emotions listed below.
Emotions: anger, sadness, fear, happiness, reverence, disgust, relief, love, uncertainty,
hate, surprise, jealousy, joy, boredom, pain, passion, guilt
Discussion: Following this exercise, discuss the importance of using vocal expressiveness in
presenting a speech. Also, discuss the difference between the first time a student said the
sentence (without emotion) and the second time (with emotion).
Ummmmm
Purpose: To increase students’ awareness of their vocal fillers.
Instructions: Ask students to get in pairs and select a topic that they can talk about for at least
one minute. Instruct students to take turns speaking, and to count their partner’s vocal fillers
during this minute of conversation. You might have students do this activity several times,
encouraging them to lower their vocal filler count each time.
“I Never Said He Hit His Dog”
Purpose: To communicate to students that vocal emphasis can alter the meaning of our speech.
Instructions: Write the following sentence on the board: “I never said he hit his dog.” One at a
time, ask students to say the sentence out loud, placing emphasis on a different word each time.
For example, the first student would say, “I never said he hit his dog,” and the second student
would say, “I never said he hit his dog.” Keep going until all words have been emphasized. After
each student says the sentence, ask the class about the meaning of the phrase. Students will soon
realize that the same sentence in written form can have at least seven different meanings based
on vocal qualities.
Discussion: This activity takes only a short period of time, but communicates volumes about the
importance of vocal delivery. Students will realize the need to practice emphasis to ensure proper
meaning during their speeches.
Evaluating Vocal Variety (also for online courses)
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to evaluate and critique vocal delivery.
Instructions: Before class, locate a speech video to show after lecturing on the voice in delivery.
Have students write a brief paper evaluating the speaker’s volume, pitch, rate, use of pauses,
vocal variety, pronunciation, and articulation. Students should include specific examples from
the speech and offer constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement.
The Voice in Delivery
Purpose: To provide students with an understanding of the different elements of vocal delivery.
Instructions: Ask for six volunteers. If students are apprehensive, have them pick numbers to
determine who participates. Give each student the following sentence, with instructions on how
to read it. After each student reads the sentence, the rest of the class will guess which of the
elements the student was illustrating.
Sentence: “When giving a speech, it is very important for a speaker to engage in vocal
variety.”
Instructions:
Volume: Whisper the sentence
Pitch: Say the sentence like Elmo
Rate: Say the sentence as fast as you can
Pause: Pause for a few seconds in between every word
Pronunciation: Instead of important say importance, and instead of speech say
sfeech
Articulation: Say the sentence in a muffled voice; do not enunciate all the words
Vocal variety: Say the sentence in a monotone
Listen to Yourself
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to evaluate the qualities of their own voices.
Instructions: Select a favorite passage from a novel, a play, a poem, or another piece of writing.
Read the passage silently to yourself several times, trying to get a sense of what it means. Next,
read the passage aloud into a recording device. Then listen to yourself reading the passage. Does
your voice convey the meaning you think the writer intended? How accurate are your
pronunciation and articulation? How would you assess your pitch, rate, and volume? Is every
word clearly audible? Record another reading of the passage, this time trying to improve the way
you convey its meaning. Listen again. Now identify your strengths and weaknesses in vocal
delivery. How might these help or hinder your delivery of a speech?
Have students complete this activity outside of class and turn it in as a report.
Suggest that students conduct a full “diagnostic” of their vocal delivery, identifying their
strengths and weaknesses. Discuss how they will work on their weaknesses. Have students
conduct another diagnostic a month or two later, and ask them to note in their report any
changes—positive or negative—in their vocal delivery. This activity also works well for online
courses.
IV. GROUP ACTIVITIES
Illustrating Aspects of Delivery
Purpose: To allow groups of students to demonstrate inappropriate use of various aspects of
delivery.
Instructions: Ask the class to form four groups, and give each group a piece of paper on which
is written one of the following elements of delivery: volume, rate, pitch, or pauses. Each group
should think of an example speech topic and devise a plan to demonstrate inappropriate use of
their assigned aspect of delivery. Groups should then present their aspect of delivery to the class.
After all groups have presented, open the floor for discussion about how to ensure effective use
of these elements of delivery. An alternate activity would require the groups to locate a speech
video that displays ineffective or inappropriate use of their assigned aspect of vocal delivery.
Group Speech Rehearsals
Purpose: To give students a chance to rehearse upcoming speeches for members of their groups;
to challenge students to eliminate vocal fillers in their speeches and count them in others’
speeches.
Instructions: Place students in small groups and ask them to rehearse their upcoming speeches,
paying close attention to the use of vocal fillers. Have students count vocal fillers for one
another, and then have them rehearse the speech again. Ideally, the vocal filler count will
decrease with practice.
Experimenting with Vocal Delivery
Purpose: To allow students to illustrate and discuss different rates and volumes in delivery.
Instructions: Place students in groups and give each group a written excerpt of a speech. Ask
them to take turns reading the excerpt at different rates and volumes. Students can read at a fast
pace, a slow pace, in a whisper, or with loud volume.
After all students have read the excerpt, have them discuss how the speech seemed to
change with different vocal qualities.