Search:

Polished Professionals Pronounce Clearly!

[ Posted On: 2008-05-14 ]

You don't have to be a professional speaker making keynote speeches to achieve a new level of speaking. Whether you are a seasoned speaker or just beginning, knowing your strengths and developmental needs are an important first step for beginning to make changes.

Here's the problem, some people never even realize that certain behaviors create listener boredom and automatically send the listener to tune-out mode. Others have habits that reduce credibility and will eliminate hopes for promotions. This article covers the important aspect of speech called diction.

The way we pronounce words is dependant upon the way in which the general population pronounces the words. But a dictionary can be a valuable tool to learn how to pronounce words. Pronunciation in the dictionary is represented by symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The IPA can be confusing.

Each symbol in the IPA stands for one sound. This is different from our regular alphabet in which one symbol stands for many sounds. For instance, the sound /a/ can be produced as in bad, bade, and ball. Mastering the IPA system will assist you in many ways, particularly when you need to look up a word.

It is important to analyze your speech and determine your pronunciation. You may need to adopt new speech habits which will require perseverence and determination. Here are some common mistakes:

1. Omitting /l/ "Already"="awready"

2. Substituting /t/ with /d/ "letter"="ledder" "quantity"="quanidy"

3. "Our"= 'r' "R house is two blocks away."

4. Reducing words by eliminating sounds. Here is a short list of some commonly shortened words. Sharpen your pronunciation and diction by practicing the correct pronunciation (you may have many others to add):

Almond (amond)--picture (pitcher)--supposedly (supposebly)--temperature (temprature)-- laboratory (labratory)--hospitable (hosptable)"Probably"="Probly"

5. Shortening/changing vowels in running speech. For example:

a. "For"="fer" "The phone is fer you."

b. "To"="tuh" "I'm going tuh the store."

c. "Just"="jist" "Jist a minute..."

d. "you"="ya" "I'll see ya at the meeting."

6. Reducing other sounds like, "Going to"="gonna" "Want to"="wanna," "Didn't:"="dint," "wouldn't"="wunt"

What can be done to ensure that correct pronunciation of words? There are a few simple things to try to speak more clearly. Here are some suggestions:

1. Put endings on words.

2. Lengthen the vowels of stressed words.

3. Exaggerate your mouth opening to articulate more precisely.

4. Practice saying tongue twisters to "warm-up" your articulators:

a. Rubber baby buggy bumpers.

b. Greta grabbed Greg's grater and grated greater green grapes.

c. Can cotton candy coat clean cold combs?

d. The wary women wept over the war waifs and weakened widows.

Practice these tongue twisters and gradually increase the speed until are every sound and word is precisely pronounced even at a faster rate. As you go faster, notice how exaggerated mouth movements are key to hitting the sounds accurately.

A great way to get feedback about your speaking skills is to tape record your end of a phone conversation. Keep the recorder at your desk and when you make a call, hit the record. After the conversation, listen to the recording. Listen to your diction and pronounciation of words. Is your speech clear and precise? This can be a humbling experience but it is often motivates one to make changes.

Copyright (c) 2008 Lynda Stucky

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Lynda Stucky -- Speech and voice expert Lynda Stucky shows you how to use your voice effectively to establish credibility, position yourself within your company, and enhance your reputation as an authority in your area of expertise. She is a corporate speech pathologist who consults with business professionals on speaking to captivate, engage and inspire. www.clearly-speaking.com

| View Profile & All Articles By: Lynda Stucky |

		Post Comment
		Blog This Article!
		Discuss Article in Forum(s)
		Publication \| Reprint Terms

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Writing & Speaking Articles Via RSS!

| Category Feeds | All-in-one Feed | Other Feed & Syndication Options |

Additional Articles From - Home | Writing & Speaking

	Print This Article
	Post Comment
	Add To Favorites
	Email To Friends
	Ezine Ready \| Syndication
	Post To del.icio.us
	Post To Furl
	Add To Google Bookmarks
	Submit To Netscape

	Add To Yahoo! My Web
	Add Main Feed To Outlook
	Post to BookMarks @ AfroArticles.com

	Post To BookMarkAfrica.com

Site Home

Article Categories

More Search Options

Site Map

Submit Articles

Top Authors

Most Recent Articles