Chapter 17, p. 431
CHAPTER 17
Your Voice in Delivery
CHAPTER CONTENT OUTLINE
I. Adjust your speaking volume.
A. Volume is the relative loudness of a speaker’s voice while delivering a speech.
1. Typically, the proper volume is slightly louder than normal conversation, but it
II. Vary your intonation.
A. Pitch describes the range of sound from high to low (or vice versa).
2. Speakers should vary their pitch to avoid a monotonous delivery.
B. Intonation is the rising and falling of vocal pitch across phrases and sentences.
III. Adjust your speaking rate.
A. Speaking rate is the pace at which you convey speech. It is the most effective way to hold
an audience’s attention.
1. Being alert to your audience’s reactions is the best way to determine whether you are
Chapter 17, p. 432
IV. Use strategic pauses.
A. A pause can be used strategically within a speech to enhance meaning. It provides a type
of punctuation and can be used to emphasize a point, draw attention to a key thought, or
V. Strive for vocal variety.
A. Vocal variety, the use of volume, pitch, speaking rate, and pauses, is important to
achieving a successful delivery.
VI. Carefully pronounce and articulate words.
A. Speakers should pay special attention to pronunciation and articulation. The correct
formation of words and the clarity and forcefulness of words so that they are individually
audible and discernible are particularly important to holding the audience’s attention.
2. Articulation problems can be overcome by unlearning the problem behavior.
3. A lavaliere microphone attaches to a speaker’s lapel or collar, while a fixed
microphone is handheld.
VII. Use dialect (language variation) with care.
A. A dialect is a distinctive pattern of speech associated with a particular region or social
group.
1. When speaking publicly, use General American (GA) English, which is most likely to
Chapter 17, p. 433
KEY TERMS
volume relative loudness of a speaker’s voice while giving a speech
pitch range of sounds from high to low (or vice versa) 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 rising and falling of vocal pitch across phrases and sentences
speaking rate pace at which a speech is delivered. The typical public speech occurs at a rate
slightly below 120 words per minute.
vocal variety the variation of volume, pitch, rate, and pauses to create an effective vocal delivery
pronunciation correct formation of word sounds
articulation clarity or forcefulness with which sounds are made, regardless of whether they are
pronounced correctly
Chapter 17, p. 434
CHAPTER STUDY GUIDE
I. SUMMARY QUESTION
What are the elements of vocal delivery?
The elements of vocal delivery include volume, pitch, and intonation, speaking rate, pauses,
vocal variety, pronunciation, and articulation. Volume is the loudness or softness of the speaker’s
voice. The proper volume for delivering a speech is somewhat louder than that of normal
conversation. Just how much louder depends on three factors: (1) the size of the room and the
number of people in the audience, (2) whether or not you will use a microphone, and (3) the level
of background noise.
The other element of vocal delivery involves correctly saying the words you speak. Few things
distract an audience as much as improper pronunciation or unclear articulation of words.
Pronunciation is the correct formation of word sounds. Articulation is the clarity or forcefulness
with which the sounds are made, regardless of whether they are pronounced correctly.
Chapter 17, p. 435
II. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Can you think of speakers you’ve heard whose vocal delivery impressed you? What did you
find particularly appealing about these individuals’ vocal quality? Consider pitch, rate, pauses,
articulation, and pronunciation in your answer.
Show a YouTube video of a famous speaker, a video clip from LaunchPad for A Pocket
2. 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
communication and that some levels of formality and accuracy are more appropriate in some
CONTENT PRESENTATION IDEAS
I. STUDENT ACTIVITY
1. 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 and record it. Then listen to yourself reading the passage. Does your voice
Chapter 17, p. 436
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?
II. GROUP ACTIVITIES
1. Divide the class into five groups and give each group a piece of paper on which is written one
2. Use the text to discuss commonly mispronounced words and examples of lazy speech. Divide
students into groups, and ask each group to create a list of words that tend to be mispronounced
or poorly articulated.
This activity alerts students to the mispronunciation of commonly used words that might be
3. Put students into groups of four or five and have them review the principles of strong vocal
delivery. As a group have them write down the following aspects of voice and come up with
their own grading criteria: a scale of 110, from needs improvement to great work, and so forth.
Poor Fair Strong
Volume
Speaking rate
Pitch
Pauses
Vocal fillers
Vocal delivery (pronunciation, articulation, no mumbling or lazy speech)
Log on to LaunchPad for A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking and click on Chapter 24:
Constructing the Persuasive Speech in the table of contents. Have students watch the two
This activity draws awareness to the complexity of evaluating a speaker in a short amount
of time. It can show the many different interpretations and subjective nature of grading. It can
also point out the importance of nonverbal communication as students evaluated a speech just
on voice, not content or evidence.
Chapter 17, p. 438
III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
The following questions may be used by instructors to help illustrate important points in the
chapter and to facilitate students’ learning of this material. These questions can be used as:
• Homework questions
• Quizzes
1. When speakers have inadequate control over their voice, 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: relative loudness of a speaker’s voice while giving a speech
Pitch: range of sounds from high to low (or vice versa)
Speaking rate: speed at which a speaker talks; it should vary during a speech depending on the
mood or emotion the speaker wants to convey
Pauses: strategic elements of a speech that enhance meaning by providing a type of
Articulation: clarity or forcefulness in saying words so that they are individually audible and
discernible
2. 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
emotions listed below.
Emotions: anger, 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
Chapter 17, p. 440
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 sentence below with one of the following
Sentence: “When giving a speech, it is very important for a speaker to engage in vocal variety.”
Delivery Instructions:
Volume: Whisper the sentence.
Pitch: Say the sentence like Mickey Mouse.
Rate: Say the sentence as fast as you can.
RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES
Ayres, J. (1996). Speech preparation processes and speech apprehension. Communication
Education, 45, 228–235.
Burgoon, J. K., Buller, D. B., & Woodall, W. G. (1996). Nonverbal communication (2nd ed.). New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Conley, T. M. (1994). Rhetoric in the European tradition. New York, NY: Longman.
Cooper, L. (1932). The rhetoric of Aristotle. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Hahner, J. C., Sokoloff, M. A., & Salisch, S. L. (2001). Speaking clearly: Improving voice and
diction (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
compelling. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.
Malloy, J. T. (1975). Dress for success. New York, NY: Warner.
McCroskey, J. C. (2000). An introduction to rhetorical communication (8th ed.). Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. (An extensive and excellent review of research on the effects of
speaker delivery.)
McCroskey, J. C., Sallinen, A., Fayer, J. M., Richmond, V. P., & Barraclough, R. A. (1996).
Nonverbal immediacy and cognitive learning: A cross-cultural investigation. Communication
Education, 45, 200–211. (Importance of vocal variety in speechmaking.)
Monarth, H., & Kase, L. (2007). The confident speaker. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
O’Loghlin, J. (2007). Ummm . . . : A complete guide to public speaking. Crows Nest, NSW,
Australia: Allen & Unwin.
Chapter 17, p. 442
Segrin, C. (1993). The effects of nonverbal behavior on outcomes of compliance gaining attempts.
Communication Studies, 44, 169–187.
Wagstaffe, J., & Bean, B. (2002). Romancing the room: How to engage your audience, court your
crowd, and speak successfully in public. New York: Three Rivers Press.