A Talk on 'Pronounce,' 'Articulate,' and 'Enunciate'

What to Know Pronounce means "to speak aloud a word or sound according to the rules of the language." Additionally, it often refers to speaking these words and sounds correctly. The related word articulate refers to speaking or pronouncing words in a way such that they are clearly understood. Lastly, enunciate can refer to speaking words fully and distinctly, making it a synonym of articulate , but can also refer to speaking words correctly, making it also a synonym of pronounce , depending on the context.

Pronounce , articulate , and enunciate —and their respective noun forms, pronunciation , articulation , and enunciation —are words used when speaking of the production of speech sounds. These word pairs have distinct as well as similar meanings, which we will clearly and cogently discuss. (At the end, you'll be introduced to a pair of relatively unfamiliar cousins of this word family that you can add to your vocabulary.)

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The Meaning of 'Pronounce'

Pronounce derives from Latin pronuntiare , a union of the prefix pro- ("forth") with the verb nuntiare ("to report or declare"). To pronounce a word, syllable , digraph , or letter is to sound it aloud according to the established rules governing the language—or according to the unconventional rules of dialect . Here are a few basic examples of the verb: "The students practiced pronouncing the new spelling words"; " Colonel is pronounced the same as kernel "; "The k in know is not pronounced." Pronounce in this sense has a noticeable linguistic quality. The verb, however, is also generally used to mean "to say or speak a word or speech sound correctly," as in "The teacher had trouble pronouncing the student's name." Its noun form, pronunciation , likewise, refers to the way in which a word or speech sound is spoken according to the language's rules. Additionally, it is used to make reference to a particular person's way of pronouncing words: "The spelling bee's pronouncer has flawless pronunciation."

The Meaning of 'Articulate'

Articulate derives from Latin articulāre , meaning "to divide into distinct parts." The verb can mean "to express an idea, thought, feeling, etc., in words" (e.g., "He found it hard to articulate his feelings"), or it can mean "to say [pronounce] a word or speech sound in a way that can be clearly heard and understood" ("She spoke slowly, articulating each syllable"). If told to articulate your words, you might be mumbling or slurring, or perhaps speaking too slowly or softly so that listeners cannot clearly hear and identify each word because you are not being articulate .

Articulation is the related noun form of the verb articulate . It refers to the act of expressing something in words—for example, "The collection of essays is an articulation of the author's most personal thoughts." Technically, it is a word for how clearly and understandably a particular individual forms, or pronounces, the sounds that make up a word. Enunciation also shares this sense, as illustrated in these examples:

Actors try out a range of salty brogues that pitches much of the dialogue in a sea of confusing accents. However, [Johnny] Depp takes the opposite approach with precise enunciation of every line in what is best described as an accent-less accent. — The Hollywood Reporter , 25 May 2017 He blazed through his set, delivering each line, each syllable of each word with perfect articulation and fervor. — Katie Karpowicz, Gapers Block , 16 Nov. 2012

The Meaning of 'Enunciate'

Enunciate is a synonym of both articulate and pronounce . It can refer to the act of saying a word or parts of a word fully and distinctly, as articulate does, or correctly, which pronounce signifies.

So it's a word finding difficulty. ... The fact that she's speaking, that she's enunciating as well as she is. She's coordinating the movements of her mouth. All much better than, you know, we heard how she was doing before. Those are all good signs. This word finding difficulty or word sound often does improve, especially as she's had this much improvement at 10 months. — Sanjay Gutpa, quoted on CNN , 15 Nov, 2011 Whistle in the Dark also starts with a pause (must be a point of style). Woman stands staring in her dining room, shards of crockery on the floor, then she sweeps them up. Gets livelier, though. It's a "fightin' Irish" play, with Dada shootin' the blarney and eggin' (there are no final consonants enunciated on stage) his brawlin' brood into fightin' another clan. — Bob Mondello, The Washington City Paper , 22 Oct. 2012

Like pronounce , enunciate derives from Latin nuntiare , meaning "to report or declare." Both enunciate and enunciation can denote stating, announcing, or declaring something, such as a law or principle.

'Phonate' and 'Phonation'

Now the aforementioned introduction. Phonate and phonation are technical words for the making of speech sounds, as shown here.

Learn about American Sign Language and the countless benefits of this valuable language. Our guest speaker, Holly Lorenz, who comes to us from Little Lark Signing Academy gained her knowledge from her daughter who was born unable to phonate. — The Arizona Republic , 24 Feb. 2018 Vocal folds , sometimes called vocal chords are two rubberband-like tissues located, in the throat specifically the larynx. These folds vibrate and stretch together to create the sound that is the voice, also known as phonation. — Savanna Allen and Sam Kunz, The Gateway (University of Nebraska at Omaha), 26 Aug. 2017

The cousins are from the combining form phon- , a Latin and Greek root meaning "sound," "voice," or "speech," which has given English such words as phonics , phonetic , among others.

To review: pronounce / pronunciation are words describing the act of correctly sounding out words, syllables, digraphs, and letters, and a person's pronunciation is gradable. Articulate / articulation refer to speaking in a clear and understandable way, fully pronouncing each word. Enunciate / enunciation are synonymous with articulate / articulation . They can also be substituted for pronounce / pronunciation in contexts in which those words are used in their general senses. One last note—you can pronounce words without articulation or enunciation; however, you cannot articulate or enunciate without correct pronunciation .

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Module 8: Delivering Your Speech

Articulation, pitch, and rate, learning objectives.

  • Identify techniques to use effective articulation.
  • Identify effective rates of speaking.

Articulation

Once you’ve mastered controlling your breath as you speak, next let’s look at how you speak. If you have ever had someone ask you to repeat a word, you may suffer from poor diction.  Articulation , or diction , is what helps the listener not just hear the spoken word but also understand it.

Articulation is how clearly the speaker pronounces words. When some sounds are slurred together or dropped out of a word, the word may not be understood by the audience. To use proper articulation, a speaker must use their articulators : tongue, teeth, and lips. When a speaker uses improper diction, the hearer cannot make out the word spoken and often requests a repeat of what was said. In public speaking, a hearer cannot request a repeat and therefore poor articulation can make a listener tune out. It is important to say all parts of the word in order to speak clearly. This often requires slowing down your speaking pace , more on that topic to follow, and using your lips, teeth, and tongue to their full capacity.

Tongue twisters are a great way to force the speaker to slow down and pronounce each part of the word. Try saying, “Seven silly swans swam silently seaward” three times quickly. If that was easy for you, s’s may be your forte! Each individual speaker will struggle with certain sounds specific to them, or have developed a regionalism that makes them pronounce a word the way they’ve always heard it that doesn’t work in other parts of the country. A technique to making sure your speech isn’t affected by problem words is to note which sounds are struggles and circling the parts of the word on the speech outline. This serves as a reminder to take extra care when speaking that word out loud. Identifying these barriers to communication will improve the understanding of the audience and give polish to your speech.

In addition to speaking clearly, finding vocal variety in your speaking voice will help the audience stay awake. A voice that lacks variety can be described as monotone. In comedies, teachers are often portrayed as having a monotone voice, as in this famous scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off :

You can view the transcript for “Bueller Bueller Bueller” here (opens in new window) .

When the audience hears a monotone voice, they don’t stay engaged.

Much like a keyboard, your voice has many notes to it called pitches. Your voice can speak on higher notes and lower notes much like when someone sings. To explore the notes in your voice, try this exercise. Stand up on your toes and lift your hands in the air. Say ah at the highest point of your voice, which makes sound come out, and drop your wrists, elbows, and head over as you slide down to your lowest note. Reverse it and come back up trying to go higher and lower each time. Having discovered how much pitch variety you have to work with, you can now put arrows into your speech outline reminding you to raise the pitch or lower it on some words or phrases to be more effective.

Photo of Twista

Chicago rapper Twista can clock 280 words per minute or 598 syllables in 55 seconds (a Guinness record). Don’t try to do this in your speech.

Next to being loud enough, the most commonly identified speech problem is speaking too quickly. Raise your hand if you’ve ever been told you’re a fast talker. Controlling the rate at which one speaks is often one of the most challenging things a speaker has to do. When nerves kick in, it can be really hard to pull back on the speed that you’re talking at as sometimes you just want to finish and get out of the spotlight. Speaking too quickly can also make your audience tune out from listening to the speech. You’ve put all this time into the speech, so let’s make sure the audience hears it. According to The National Center for Voice and Speech, the average speaking rate for English speakers in the U.S. is around 150 words per minute. In a public speaking situation, you’ll want to speak slower than average, around 125–150 words per minute.

One of the ways to control your rate of speech is to make sure you are taking enough breaths. As we discussed before, if you lose control of your breathing, the rate of speech also gets out of control. One of the ways to make sure you breathe enough is to place a mark next to the word in a sentence on your outline to remind yourself to breathe there. A backwards slash (/) is a good signal to use. In order to see if the breaths selected work, read it out loud. If you find yourself gasping for air at the end of that sentence, there should be another breath added. Punctuations are the clues for where to breathe in a sentence too, so let those be your guide.

Recording yourself is one way to get a sense of how quickly you’re going. Play the recording back and listen to see if you can hear and understand every word. If not, write notes on your notecards that say SLOW DOWN or BREATHE to remind yourself to do so. Once you’ve mastered a controlled rate of speech, then you are able to play with speeding up and slowing down certain sections. Finding this variety of speed will further engage your audience. Think about telling the climax of a story. Sometimes you pause at certain moments to build suspense. That’s what you want to do in public speaking too. Sometimes you speed up to tell a story with momentum so the audience goes along for the ride too. Finding variety in your rate can be thrilling and the icing to a great speech.

To watch: Rébecca Kleinberger, “Why you don’t like the sound of your own voice”

In this talk, MIT voice expert and researcher Rébecca Kleinberger talks about the three voices humans have: the outward voice, the inward voice, and the inner voice. Kleinberger’s account here helps to explain why our own voice—which we hear all the time—sounds so unfamiliar to us when we hear it in a recording. It also speaks to the need to  practice listening to your voice in recordings.

You can view the transcript for “Why you don’t like the sound of your own voice | Rébecca Kleinberger” here (opens in new window) .

What to watch for:

Kleinberger’s speech is fascinating, and offers a great deal of insight into the way we perceive (or fail to perceive) our own voices. Interestingly, although she speaks at length about why we don’t recognize  our voice, Kleinberger doesn’t really answer the question of why we don’t  like  our voices. At the end of the speech, some listeners may still be wondering why they don’t like the voice they hear in recordings of themselves, and what they could do about it. This should serve as a reminder that if you have a catchy title with a question in it, you have to make sure you answer the question in your speech!

  • Twista. Authored by : Adam Bielawski. Located at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twista#/media/File:Twista_101109_photoby_Adam-Bielawski.jpg . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
  • Bueller Bueller Bueller. Authored by : blc3211. Located at : https://youtu.be/f4zyjLyBp64 . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
  • Why you don't like the sound of your own voice | Rebecca Kleinberger. Provided by : TED. Located at : https://youtu.be/g3vSYbT1Aco . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
  • Articulation, Pitch, and Rate. Authored by : Misti Wills with Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

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The importance of good speech: 5 tips to be more articulate

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What does articulation mean?

6 benefits of becoming more articulate, 5 tips for improving articulation, why is good speech so important, moving forward.

Being able to effectively express your needs, goals, and feelings is a skill that can have a big impact on every part of your life. If you’ve ever struggled to share an idea with your coworkers or convey feelings to your loved ones, you know how important good communication is. 

Getting your point across without articulate speech can be frustrating. Filler words can distract from your point and lead you to try to explain yourself three or four times. Fortunately, you can learn how to speak articulately with a little time and effort.

Becoming more articulate with your words will serve you well in every interaction, from the office to holiday dinner with your family. We’re here to teach you how to be more articulate an d tell you about the benefits of being a stronger speaker. 

When we define articulateness, we mean someone who uses the right words, at the right pace, so others can understand what they're trying to communicate. That means both that the listener can understand the actual words that they're saying, and that the words represent the meaning in the clearest way possible.

Not sure of the difference? Have you ever listened to a college professor, lawyer, or maybe minister who spoke very clearly — you heard all the words that they were saying — but you had no idea of what they meant? Perhaps there were so many words and their connection wasn't obvious.

People who use big words and many caveats and modifiers might be technically correct, but they won't necessarily be articulate.

To some degree, articulateness is in the ear of the beholder. Think carefully before you start assessing whether someone is articulate or not. Context matters. 

 An articulate speaker is comfortable with their own voice and can speak coherently to the intended audience. 

They can slow their words down when they need to and use proper grammar and pronunciation. Rather than always speaking in the same tone, their speaking skills lead them to enunciate and emphasize differently depending on the topic, setting, and audience. 

That said, did you know that articulation isn't only about our words? Great speakers go beyond what comes from their mouths. Our body language skills also need to be in tune with our words to be most effective. Even though it can be difficult to make eye contact and use the correct hand movements, these nonverbal cues contribute to how articulate we are. 

Syncing your body language and speaking skills can take time. As you set your goals, you can start by identifying your strengths and weaknesses.

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There’s a reason why public figures go through media training. Being well-spoken and articulate can bring lots of benefits besides knowing proper grammar. 

Here are six benefits of becoming more articulate. Notice how these benefits aren’t just for your workplace but also your personal life.

  • Being articulate helps you appear more understanding and competent.
  • Articulation skills can make you more comfortable in any environment where you have to talk to people.
  • You’ll find you have greater confidence when you explain your thoughts and stand up for yourself .
  • Being articulate can help others see you as a leader .
  • Asking for feedback (or giving it) will be less challenging if you are able to communicate more clearly and succinctly.
  • You’ll stand out compared to your other friends and colleagues, which can be great for career opportunities.

Group-of-people-working-together-how-to-be-more-articulate

There are a wide variety of strategies for improving how eloquently you speak. Some people need to focus on getting past a fear of public speaking , while others need to pace themselves better while speaking.

No matter what is blocking you from being articulate with your speech, here are five tips for how to improve articulation.

1. Record yourself speaking

It’s awkward and cringe-worthy to listen to a recording of your own voice. But when you listen back to yourself, you’ll be able to identify your bad habits. Do you only speak in long sentences? Are you using too many filler words? You might find that you need to use pauses, slow it down, or vary your sentence length.

After listening to yourself, you can focus on improving specific areas of your speech. Rather than wasting time improving on things you already do well, you can hone in on exactly what’s giving you trouble. 

2. Think about your final sound

Your final sound is how you finish your sentences and speech. It’s your closer and what you leave your listeners with. To become more articulate, try completing your thought without mumbling or trailing off. 

Think about pitch variation and how you can emphasize certain words to drive home what you’re saying. Begin to think about pronouncing each syllable in your words. This will help you use them properly and ensure that everyone understands what you’re saying.

Woman-Gesticulating-Recording-Podcast-how-to-be-more-articulate

3. Be confident in yourself

To be a better speaker, you need to believe in what you’re saying. When we’re confident in ourselves, our words come out more smoothly. Even if you’re asking a question about something that confuses you, make sure to ask it with confidence. 

Sometimes it can be daunting to put yourself out there and speak up. However, it’s better to use your words rather than be confused and regret it later. 

4. Watch how others do it

If you’re looking for inspiring examples of articulation, you have plenty of options to choose from. You can read books to help you study proper grammar. Or you can listen to podcasts and listen to the hosts’ speech patterns. Try to think about how they create their sentences. 

If you’re looking for help with your body language skills and want to see how public figures do it, try watching TEDTalks. Taking time to stop and study examples helps you know what you’re working towards achieving. 

5. Be mindful of your speed

Speaking shouldn’t be a race. When you rush through your words for no reason, you’re more prone to mistakes. That said, you don’t want to speak too slowly and lose your listeners’ attention either. 

Try to identify when it’s important to talk faster versus slower. Speaking faster can show passion and excitement, while speaking slower is often deliberate and serious. Start to make a conscious effort to have an appropriate speed of speech and remember to pace yourself.

A supportive person can be helpful as you strive to become more articulate. For example, a BetterUp coach can remind you that becoming an articulate speaker will help fill your professional and personal life with clear, concise conversations. They can help you stay on track and make a real impact on your personal growth. 

Woman-talking-in-conference-how-to-be-more-articulate

Having good speech is important for every aspect of your life. Skills like articulation never go out of style, but they can still be hard to come by. Being articulate can truly make you stand out personally and professionally.

Articulation has endless benefits for your career. For example, speaking well can help you give better presentations at work. It can also help you create more connections with colleagues and clients . 

Besides helping you professionally, being a great speaker helps your personal life. It can boost your self-esteem and help you better communicate with those around you. 

For example, if you’re talking to someone about how they’ve hurt you emotionally, articulation will help you communicate your sadness, anger, or frustration in a way that is heard. You want to be vulnerable while also taking time to listen to the other person. Being articulate in situations like this will help you resolve conflict , solve problems, and support others.

Office-workers-talking-how-to-be-more-articulate

As you do your be st to learn how to be more articulate, re member that you’re harnessing one of your most valuable tools: your own voice. Be proud of how you sound and what you have to say.

Learning to be an articulate speaker isn’t always easy. It’ll take time and some mishaps along the way. Make sure that you appreciate the small wins and use them to empower you to keep getting better. 

Pay special attention to the first time you had a conversation where you made eye contact the entire time, or when you learned a new word and used it well. It’s all a learning curve, but remember that you’re strengthening a skill that will serve you well for the rest of your life. 

Ready to find a coach to help you through this journey? At BetterUp , we have coaches who are communication specialists (they can also help you through the ups and downs of life that sometimes show up in our speech and self-presentation . When you can articulate your thoughts, ideas, and feelings, you'll be that much closer to feeling in control of your own potential.

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Cambridge Dictionary

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Meaning of articulate in English

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  • articulately
  • articulateness
  • loquaciously
  • silver-tongued
  • the gift of gab idiom
  • turn of phrase
  • well turned

Related words

Articulate verb [t] ( express in words ).

  • (your) every word idiom
  • come out with something
  • fall from something
  • find your voice idiom
  • in your own words idiom
  • talk sense idiom

articulate verb [T] ( PRONOUNCE )

  • accentuation
  • asyndetically
  • mispronounce
  • non-verbally
  • paralanguage
  • pronunciation

articulate verb [T] ( FORM A JOINT )

  • affix something to something
  • agglomerate
  • convergence
  • cross-Channel
  • unintegrated
  • unseparated

articulate | Intermediate English

Examples of articulate, translations of articulate.

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  • articulation

an act or the process of articulating: the articulation of a form; the articulation of a new thought.

Phonetics .

the act or process of articulating speech.

the adjustments and movements of speech organs involved in pronouncing a particular sound, taken as a whole.

any one of these adjustments and movements.

any speech sound, especially a consonant.

the act of jointing.

a jointed state or formation; a joint.

a joint or place between two parts where separation may take place spontaneously, as at the point of attachment of a leaf.

a node in a stem, or the space between two nodes.

Anatomy , Zoology . a joint, as the joining or juncture of bones or of the movable segments of an arthropod.

Dentistry .

the positioning of teeth in a denture, usually on an articulator, for correct occlusion.

the bringing of opposing tooth surfaces into contact with each other.

the relations of the upper and lower natural or artificial teeth in occlusion.

a measure of the effectiveness of a telephonic transmission system in reproducing speech comprehensibly, expressed as the percentage of speech units uttered that is correctly understood.

Origin of articulation

Other words from articulation.

  • ar·tic·u·la·to·ry [ahr- tik -y uh -l uh -tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], /ɑrˈtɪk yə ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjective
  • ar·tic·u·la·to·ri·ly, adverb
  • mis·ar·tic·u·la·tion, noun
  • re·ar·tic·u·la·tion, noun
  • sub·ar·tic·u·la·tion, noun
  • un·ar·tic·u·la·to·ry, adjective

Words Nearby articulation

  • articulated
  • articulated joint
  • articulated lorry
  • articulated vehicle
  • articulator
  • articulatory feature
  • articulatory loop
  • articulatory phonetics

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use articulation in a sentence

This swing-arm desk lamp has three points of articulation which lets you adjust the height and angle to create the ideal lighting, no matter the task.

The Bronco has 10 inches of articulation between the two sides of the front suspension, which is more than Wrangler.

If you go farther off-road than simple dirt roads, a mid-size truck like the Ford Ranger or the upcoming Bronco will still offer more articulation , better angles, and more traction.

Consider the most infamous articulation of Christian nationalism’s anti-democratic goals from Paul Weyrich, co-founder of the Moral Majority.

This was simple, strong, and granted vehicles so endowed with the easy ability to access a lot of wheel articulation .

Smith speaks with perfect articulation and a vacuous undertone laces her words.

ALEC: The writing is so smart and well crafted that articulation is critical.

To me, this was both a perfect articulation of the problem and the suggestion of a solution.

It's not like Kanye brought the articulation either when he apologized on his website.

The quality of artistic beauty in articulation is very important, beyond the mere accuracy which is ordinarily thought of.

To make the effort of articulation a vital impulse in response to a mental concept,—this is the object sought.

Let your articulation be easy, clear, correct in accent, and suited in tone and emphasis to your discourse.

Mrs. Carroll made a violent effort at articulation , then shook her head, despairingly.

A crunching of feet upon the gravel mixed in with the articulation of the sea—steps light as if they were winged.

British Dictionary definitions for articulation

/ ( ɑːˌtɪkjʊˈleɪʃən ) /

the act or process of speaking or expressing in words

the process of articulating a speech sound

the sound so produced, esp a consonant

the act or the state of being jointed together

the form or manner in which something is jointed

a joint such as that between bones or arthropod segments

the way in which jointed parts are connected

botany the part of a plant at which natural separation occurs, such as the joint between leaf and stem

a joint or jointing

Derived forms of articulation

  • articulatory , adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for articulation

[ är-tĭk′yə-lā ′ shən ]

The arrangement of parts connected by joints.

A fixed or movable joint between bones.

A movable joint between inflexible parts of the body of an animal, as the divisions of an appendage in arthropods.

A joint between two separable parts, as a leaf and a stem.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

  • Delivery Techniques →

11 Tips on Being More Articulate in Public Speaking

Featured-image-more-articulate

When delivering a speech, how do you ensure the audience understands what you mean while also sounding confident, intelligent and articulate all at the same time? Let’s break it down below.

So, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of somebody who’s articulate?

Is it how they command a stage with an audience made up of thousands of individuals or just somebody who has mastery over how they use language, to help them communicate their message in a way that is both effective and persuasive?

While commanding an audience made up of thousands is no easy feat, it doesn’t really make you more articulate in public speaking.

So, what is being articulate?

Being articulate is simply being able to express your ideas and thoughts to your audience in a way that makes it easier for them to understand what you mean; that is, the points you’re driving at.

11 Tips on becoming more articulate

Below, are a few ways to help you become more articulate when giving a presentation .

1. Listen to yourself speak

Noting how you sound in a normal conversation would help you tremendously in gauging how an audience would feel if they heard you speak.

Pay attention to how you feel; do you feel irritated or pleasant or drowsy and energized, when listening to your voice?

A good way to do this would be to record yourself having normal conversations in order to figure out how you sound.

speaking-infront-of-mirror

Additionally, you can also:

  • Ask your friends or individuals you trust to give you their honest criticism and feedback on how they feel when they listen to you while you carry out a conversation together.
  • Organize your thoughts in a coherent way that makes you sound certain of what you are talking about. This will prevent you from confusing yourself while ensuring you grasp the most important details of your presentation.

In doing so, you would improve how you speak in a way that would make you sound more pleasant but also help give your audience a more positive feeling when you talk to them.

2. Enlarge your vocabulary

This does not mean that you should add difficult words to your vocabulary.

Using difficult words will not only make it seem like you’re trying too hard but will also make it harder for your audience to understand what you mean.

As being articulate is expressing your views in a way that is easily understandable, you need to incorporate into your vocabulary words that help relay to your audience what you mean in the easiest way possible.

grammarian

So, instead, try to include more descriptive words into your vocabulary, words that help you express your emotions .

Pro-Tip: A good writer/speaker is one who succeeds in making his audience understand them without the use of difficult words. So, keep in mind; the simpler, the better!

3. Ever heard of the dramatic pause?

Okay, so while we probably won’t be pausing dramatically to wait for a character to resurrect since we are giving a presentation, we will be pausing, regardless.

Pauses play the same role as filler words and do an excellent job of helping you lay emphasis on a point. They can be used before and after any point that you would like to highlight.

Not to say that filler words aren’t okay to use, but they shouldn’t be overused as they make it seem like you are unsure of the direction you would like to take or what you are talking about.

So instead, make use of silence by pausing for a while before carrying on with your presentation. This allows the audience some time to fully understand what you just said before you proceed.

4. Practice improvisation

Learning how to improvise trains you to think on your feet and come up with the right thing to say spontaneously. Why is this important? A speaker who cannot improvise may end up being glued to their notes, and the audience will lose interest in the presentation.

However, a speaker who can improvise tends to be more engaging. For instance, they can weave something that has just happened at the venue into their speech, and this will drive their point home more effectively than the notes they had prepared in advance .

pause-speech

When you become better at improvising, you are able to tap into the non-verbal cues, such as your facial expressions, since you aren’t preoccupied with sticking to the script that you had prepared.

Note that improvisation isn’t a license for you to go off-topic, so keep any improvisations you make relevant to your topic.

A good way to practice improvisation would be to enroll in an acting class or take a few Improv lessons.

Related: Impromptu Speaking: How to Speak-off-the-Cuff

5. Always try to portray self-assurance and confidence

One thing you should always keep in mind when it comes to public speaking is that the audience sees you through your eyes and not theirs.

An audience is more likely to remember what you say, believe and understand any facts you convey if you give them the impression that you know what you’re talking about and are 100% confident in the information you are relaying.

president

A good way to show confidence would be to project your voice. Being audible helps the audience understand what you’re saying without having to struggle to listen to you.

Pro-Tip: If someone who’s 10 feet away from you can’t hear what you’re saying, their interest in what you’re talking about diminishes, which makes it harder for them to understand any points that you are trying to put across.

6. Pay attention to your accentuation and your tone

This simply refers to the pitch of your voice changing .

Accentuation is when you, the speaker, makes some syllables more defined by either putting more emphasis on them or making them more noticeable through your pronunciation .

With regard to tone, ensure that you try not to change your tone as much, as it may convey a different meaning, given that in languages like English, tone is statement specific.

Paying attention to your tone when giving your speech will help the audience understand you better.

7. Vary your sentences, volume and speed

When giving a presentation, using short sentences or at least using both long and short sentences prevents you from droning on, which may bore your audience .

Varying your sentences’ length helps you relay your message more clearly while also making sure that your audience doesn’t get lost trying to keep up with what you’re saying.

facial-expressions

When it comes to your volume and speed, you should slow down when you want your audience to fully understand particular phrases or words that are important to your presentation.

Once you’re sure they’ve understood the point you’re trying to convey, then you can speed up (but not too much!).

It should be noted that volume and speed allow you to become more expressive, depending on the emotion you may be trying to express, i.e.

  • If you are telling a serious or sad story, then you need to lower your volume and slow down your speed
  • When telling an exciting or funny story, you can increase the volume and accelerate your pace of speech

Pro-Tip: If you’re a fast talker, you may want to slow down to prevent the audience from failing to hear parts of your presentation which may be crucial.

8. Focus on the final sound in a word

By fully pronouncing every syllable in a word, you prevent mumbling or trailing off, which may make you inaudible.

Pro-Tip: Pay attention to the final word in each sentence, giving special attention to the final ‘ng’ and ‘t’ sounds in words.

9. Analyze speeches from other speakers

It can be easier for you to identify effective speech patterns by studying other speakers. Why reinvent the wheel?

video

To learn from those who have walked the road to seek to travel, you will need to find a podcast, radio show or even a good speech online that you enjoy, then analyze it for any verbal tics or tips that you may find useful.

10. Do you know what a story toolbox is?

This is basically an arsenal made up of interesting stories that you can practice and refine over time .

If you don’t have a funny bone in your body, having a collection of good stories at your fingertips that can re-energize an audience while providing them with a short break is a good option to have when you want to lighten the mood.

11. Get to understand yourself

Understanding exactly why you are not articulate may help you work on the root cause, which may be a fear of being embarrassed, social anxiety or not wanting to be the center of attention.

Overcoming this may give you confidence and peace of mind, which makes it easier for you to be more comfortable when presenting and allows you to express how you truly feel.

spotlight

Additional Tips to Sound More Articulate

Here are a few additional tips on how to sound more confident and articulate .

  • Use facial expressions and hand gestures to help highlight any important points in your message.
  • Always engage in slow and controlled movements as this will allow you to put your audience at ease while showing that you are composed.
  • Try to refrain from moving your legs and arms from side to side in a quick jerky manner as it may make some people feel uneasy and can show that you are nervous.
  • Use simple and short declarative sentences as it helps prevent going round in circles, which may confuse your audience.
  • Avoid the use of any unspecific and vague language and instead, try using the correct term when referring to something. This will avoid confusion.
  • Avoid touching your neck or face as it may show dishonesty or a lack of certainty in the message you are trying to relay.
  • Always try to maintain an upright posture by standing straight with your shoulders back. This allows you to fully project your voice while also showing competence and confidence.
  • Avoid slouching.
  • Avoid overthinking. A good way to do this would be to always keep in mind that how you say something is way more important than what you say.

From the above, we can see that there are various ways to make it easy for your audience to understand you. As long as you are being confident, audible and making use of simple language , then you’ll be good to go.

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Definition of 'articulate'

IPA Pronunciation Guide

Video: pronunciation of articulate

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articulate in American English

Articulate in british english, examples of 'articulate' in a sentence articulate, related word partners articulate, trends of articulate.

View usage over: Since Exist Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

In other languages articulate

  • American English : articulate / ɑrˈtɪkyəlɪt /
  • Brazilian Portuguese : articulado
  • Chinese : 善表达的
  • European Spanish : que se expresa bien
  • French : qui s'exprime bien
  • German : redegewandt
  • Italian : che si esprime bene
  • Japanese : 優れた表現力のある
  • Korean : 분명한
  • European Portuguese : articulado
  • Spanish : que se expresa bien
  • Thai : ที่มีทัศนะกระจ่างชัด
  • American English : articulate / ɑrˈtɪkyəleɪt /
  • Brazilian Portuguese : articular
  • Chinese : 表达
  • European Spanish : expresar
  • French : articuler
  • German : darlegen
  • Italian : esprimere efficacemente
  • Japanese : はっきり表現できる
  • Korean : 말로 표현하다
  • European Portuguese : articular
  • Spanish : expresar
  • Thai : พูดเสียงดังชัดเจน, กล่าวอย่างชัดเจน

Browse alphabetically articulate

  • articular cartilage
  • articular surface
  • articulate a feeling
  • articulate a message
  • articulate a need
  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'A'

Related terms of articulate

  • re-articulate
  • over-articulate
  • articulate clearly
  • articulate speaker
  • articulate voice
  • View more related words

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ARTICULATE SPEECH

any form of oral language that is meaningful and intelligible.

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COMMENTS

  1. Articulate Definition & Meaning

    : expressing oneself readily, clearly, and effectively an articulate teacher also : expressed in such a manner an articulate argument b : divided into syllables or words meaningfully arranged : intelligible an articulate cry/utterance c : able to speak So furious was he that he was hardly articulate … Arthur Conan Doyle 2 a

  2. 22 Tips to Be More Articulate and Speak More Clearly

    To be articulate means that you can clearly, effectively, and coherently express your thoughts and feelings. The two main components of articulateness are: Clarity refers to the ability to express thoughts and ideas concisely and clearly-structured while picking just the right words.

  3. ARTICULATE

    able to express thoughts and feelings easily and clearly, or showing this quality: an intelligent and highly articulate young woman She gave a witty, entertaining, and articulate speech. Opposite inarticulate SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases Talkative and eloquent articulately articulateness chattily eloquence eloquently expansive

  4. What Is Speech? What Is Language?

    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." 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.

  5. Pronounce, Articulate, and Enunciate: Explaining the Differences

    It can refer to the act of saying a word or parts of a word fully and distinctly, as articulate does, or correctly, which pronounce signifies. So it's a word finding difficulty. ... The fact that she's speaking, that she's enunciating as well as she is. She's coordinating the movements of her mouth.

  6. Articulation, Pitch, and Rate

    According to The National Center for Voice and Speech, the average speaking rate for English speakers in the U.S. is around 150 words per minute. In a public speaking situation, you'll want to speak slower than average, around 125-150 words per minute. One of the ways to control your rate of speech is to make sure you are taking enough breaths.

  7. How to Be More Articulate: 5 Tips to Improve Speech

    When we define articulateness, we mean someone who uses the right words, at the right pace, so others can understand what they're trying to communicate. That means both that the listener can understand the actual words that they're saying, and that the words represent the meaning in the clearest way possible. Not sure of the difference?

  8. ARTICULATE

    able to express thoughts and feelings easily and clearly, or showing this quality: an intelligent and highly articulate young woman She gave a witty, entertaining, and articulate speech. Opposite inarticulate SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases Talkative and eloquent articulately articulateness chattily eloquence eloquently expansive

  9. ARTICULATE Definition & Usage Examples

    having parts or distinct areas organized into a coherent or meaningful whole; unified: an articulate system of philosophy. Zoology. having joints or articulations; composed of segments. verb (used with object),ar·tic·u·lat·ed, ar·tic·u·lat·ing. to utter clearly and distinctly; pronounce with clarity.

  10. Articulate Definition & Meaning

    Try to articulate [= enunciate] when delivering your speech. 3. [no object] technical : to connect with a joint or something that is like a joint. the bones that articulate with the clavicle. ARTICULATE meaning: 1 : able to express ideas clearly and effectively in speech or writing; 2 : clearly expressed and easily understood.

  11. ARTICULATION Definition & Usage Examples

    the act or process of articulating speech. the adjustments and movements of speech organs involved in pronouncing a particular sound, taken as a whole. any one of these adjustments and movements. any speech sound, especially a consonant. the act of jointing. a jointed state or formation; a joint. Botany.

  12. Articulation

    articulation, in phonetics, a configuration of the vocal tract (the larynx and the pharyngeal, oral, and nasal cavities) resulting from the positioning of the mobile organs of the vocal tract (e.g., tongue) relative to other parts of the vocal tract that may be rigid (e.g., hard palate). This configuration modifies an airstream to produce the sounds of speech.

  13. Articulate

    1. /ɑrˈtɪkjulet/ express or state clearly 2. /ɑrˈtɪkjələt/ characterized by clear expressive language IPA guide Other forms: articulated; articulating; articulates To articulate is to say something. And, if you say it well, someone might praise you by saying you are articulate. Confused yet? It's all in the pronunciation.

  14. 11 Tips on Being More Articulate in Public Speaking

    11 Tips on becoming more articulate. Below, are a few ways to help you become more articulate when giving a presentation. 1. Listen to yourself speak. Noting how you sound in a normal conversation would help you tremendously in gauging how an audience would feel if they heard you speak. Pay attention to how you feel; do you feel irritated or ...

  15. Articulation Disorder: What It Is, Types & Treatment

    Articulation is the process humans go through to produce sounds, syllables and words. A child with articulation disorder may be unable to produce certain sounds or form particular sounds incorrectly. It can make the child's speech hard to understand and affect socialization and learning.

  16. Articulation (Pronunciation and Talking)

    Articulation (pronunciation and talking) is the ability to physically move the tongue, lips, teeth and jaw to produce sequences of speech sounds, which make up words and sentences. Why is articulation (pronunciation and talking) important?

  17. ARTICULATE definition and meaning

    1. able to express oneself fluently and coherently

  18. ARTICULATION definition and meaning

    1. the act or process of speaking or expressing in words 2. a. the process of articulating a speech sound b. the sound so produced, esp a consonant 3. the act or the state of being jointed together 4. the form or manner in which something is jointed 5. zoology a.

  19. articulate

    The meaning of articulate. Definition of articulate. English dictionary and integrated thesaurus for learners, writers, teachers, and students with advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels. ... She is highly articulate in her speech, which helps her students understand when she uses a microphone. synonyms: clear, distinct, enunciated antonyms:

  20. Speech Sound Disorders-Articulation and Phonology

    Articulation disorders focus on errors (e.g., distortions and substitutions) in production of individual speech sounds. Phonological disorders focus on predictable, rule-based errors (e.g., fronting, stopping, and final consonant deletion) that affect more than one sound. It is often difficult to cleanly differentiate between articulation and ...

  21. What is Articulation? Importance of Articulation in Speech

    Articulation is a common term used in speech pathology. Articulation is the formation of clear and distinct sounds in speech. The production of sounds involves the coordinated movement of your lips, tongue, teeth, palate, and your respiratory system. Children will develop articulation skills as they grow up.

  22. ARTICULATE definition in American English

    articulate in American English. ( adjective & noun ɑːrˈtɪkjəlɪt, verb ɑːrˈtɪkjəˌleit) (verb -lated, -lating) adjective. 1. uttered clearly in distinct syllables. 2. capable of speech; not speechless. 3. using language easily and fluently; having facility with words.

  23. What is ARTICULATE SPEECH? definition of ARTICULATE SPEECH (Psychology

    Psychology Definition of ARTICULATE SPEECH: any form of oral language that is meaningful and intelligible.