Improve Your Diction

T

he great Dale Carnegie states that we all get evaluated and classified by four things:

1. What we do
2. How we look
3. What we say
4. How we say it

It’s amazing how many speakers stumble through presentations speaking without precision or distinction and violating the accepted traditions of pronunciation often failing at #3 and #4.

So how does one improve his or her diction? I wish there was an overnight cure, but my recommendation would be to practice like the great speakers and thinkers that came before us – Lincoln, Twain, Tennyson, Tolstoy, etc. – study and read the dictionary.

Read it daily. Learn a few new words each day. Others have memorized passages in the Bible or their favorite books. I recommend that you do the same.

I’ll end this post with a quote from Dr. Charles W. Eliot, former president of Harvard University.

I recognize but one mental acquisition as a necessary part of the education of lady or gentlemen, namely, an accurate and refined use of the mother tongue.

Comments

[Barb]

That's right. Speaking is part of a speaker's influence over the audience. It's like the charm he uses to capture the attention of the people. Nobody will certainly want to listen to you if you have a terrible voice.

[Scott Schwertly]

Thanks for the comment, Barb. You're absolutely right. Poor grammar can easily destroy one's credibility.

[Dave]

Some of the speakers I heard are just terrible. I once attented a symposium and the speaker had a voice which was like a voice of a dying old man. I definitely suggest that he needs more power when talking.

[Scott Schwertly]

Thanks for the comment, Dave. I would be interested to count the amount of time that I have wasted over the years listening to bad presentations where the speaker was difficult to understand and respect and there was nothing to takeaway.

[Brent P. Newhall]

I have a slightly different problem. I love to speak and can be a pretty dynamic speaker, but I naturally speak fast and slur my words somewhat. People understand what I'm saying, but I know I could sound much better. And just telling myself to slow down only helps for about two seconds.

Perhaps I need to practice existing speeches.