how to speech in english

How to speak English fluently: Expert strategies to perfect your language skills

When you can speak English fluently it opens up new opportunities, connects you with people from different cultures, and expands your horizons in life.

But what does it even mean to speak fluent English , and what are some practical steps you can take to reach a level of fluency you are happy with?

In this article we have 8 practical tips, tools, and strategies for how to speak English fluently , covering everything from vocabulary expansion to pronunciation techniques.

Give these a try and you’ll be well on your way to greater confidence, clarity, and fluency in English.

What is a fluent English speaker?

Fluency in English is not about speaking the language perfectly but being able to communicate with confidence and a natural flow .

A fluent English speaker can understand others and express themselves easily in English conversation, without hesitation or frequent interruptions to check for comprehension.

In terms of CEFR levels , C1 (Advanced) is considered the point at which you can express yourself fluently in any situation. However, even at level B2 (Upper-Intermediate), learners start to experience fluency in terms of becoming confident speaking about unfamiliar topics.

Keep in mind that even native English speakers can struggle with certain grammar rules and obscure words, so don’t get discouraged if some aspects of the language present a challenge.

See fluency as a journey, not a destination. As an English learner , there will always be more for you to learn and improve on – so enjoy the ride and don’t forget to look back and see how far you’ve come!

8 Tips to become fluent in English

Let’s get onto our tips to speak English fluently and confidently so you can make the language a bigger part of your life.

1. Embrace daily English exposure

Consistent exposure to English is key to improving your skill level. Integrating English practice into your daily routine can help you improve your speaking, listening, and comprehension skills.

The easiest way to do this is through English immersion . Although you may not be able to live in an English-speaking country, you can do plenty of other things to expose yourself to English throughout your everyday life.

These include:

• Listening to podcasts in English
• Reading the news to learn English words about new topics
• Switching the language on your phone and other devices to English
• Practicing sports or hobbies with English-speaking friends
• Using an English learning app to complete short lessons every day

Actively seeking English exposure and diversifying your learning methods can quicken your journey toward fluency.

2. Build a strong vocabulary foundation

Effective communication in English requires a rich vocabulary. This means having all the words you need to express yourself precisely and concisely.

For instance, using words like “fortunate” instead of “very lucky” or “exceptional” instead of “very good” adds precision to your language. Find some more synonyms for ‘very’ here.

To expand your vocabulary, try memorizing example sentences along with new words, as this helps you learn and remember new vocabulary in a more natural way. Spaced repetition is another effective technique for actively reviewing words and retaining them in your long-term memory.

Don’t forget to learn about American and British English vocabulary differences so you can speak confidently with people from different countries.

We have more tips for learning new English words in a separate guide.

3. Prioritize pronunciation and accent

Pronouncing words clearly is fundamental to fluent English speech. You may also need to work on reducing your native accent so that people can understand you more easily when you speak English.

Here are a few techniques you can use to practice pronunciation and sound more like a native English speaker.

Practicing phonetics

Phonetics plays a key role in helping learners grasp and articulate English sounds with precision. By practicing phonetic exercises, you can master English pronunciation and sound more like a native speaker.

This website has a great list of pronunciation exercises that you can do to master different sounds used in the English language.

Another helpful technique is to practice tongue twisters ; fun phrases designed to challenge your pronunciation skills. Choose tongue twisters that use simple words and target sounds you struggle with the most, as this will help you improve your skills quickly. Here’s one to get you started:

She sells seashells on the sea shore.

Consistent phonetic practice will build your confidence and enhance your English speaking fluency.

You may also it helpful to take lessons with a personal language tutor who can give you individual guidance on your spoken language skills. Or, as a more budget-friendly option, language apps Mondly and Busuu both have speech recognition features to give you immediate feedback on how you pronounce words and phrases.

Observing native speakers

Simply observing native speakers can significantly improve your accent and pronunciation. By listening to their speech and imitating their pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation, you can enhance your own speaking skills.

You should also pay attention to the shapes people’s mouths form when they speak English, and try to copy these.

There is no shortage of content to help you with this strategy for speaking English fluently. Try it next time you are watching things such as:

• YouTube videos
• English movies

You may want to pause the video regularly to try and repeat what was said or to go over tricky words.

Of course, you can also do this by meeting up with native English speakers at a language club or other event, which will help with the next point as well!

Engaging in conversation practice

Without conversation practice, you will end up with a lot of knowledge but probably not much fluency in English.

Speaking practice helps broaden your knowledge of the language and enhances your ability to think and respond quickly, as conversations often require immediate responses.

Moreover, practicing speaking allows you to learn from your mistakes and improve both your vocabulary and understanding.

It’s helpful to know some good conversation starters so that whether you’re in a classroom setting, enjoying dinner with friends, or just chatting to a stranger, you’ll always have something to talk about.

Meetups are also a good place to practice speaking English, as you’ll find people who are happy to have basic conversations and guide you to improve your pronunciation and accent.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; it’s a natural part of the learning process. Continued practice will enhance your confidence and fluency in speaking English.

4. Enhance listening and comprehension skills

The other main element required to speak fluently is listening comprehension . After all, it’s no good being very confident with what you say if you can’t understand another person’s response.

By exposing yourself to authentic spoken English through various media, you can become familiar with different English accents, intonations, idioms, and colloquial expressions . Some ways to do this include:

• Watching English movies and TV shows to absorb new vocabulary, slang, expressions, and accents
• Listening to English learning podcasts or audiobooks to practice understanding spoken English in different contexts
• Engaging in conversations with native English speakers to improve your listening skills and learn from their natural speech patterns
• Learning English idioms so you know the meaning of these figurative expressions and can use them yourself

Actively engaging with a variety of listening materials can help improve your spoken English and your understanding of others.

5. Master grammar and syntax

Although speaking English fluently does not mean having perfect grammar and never making mistakes, correct grammar and syntax (word order) are important for avoiding misunderstanding.

While it is true that even native English speakers can struggle with certain grammar rules , it is essential to dedicate time to understanding grammar and sentence structures to become a proficient English speaker.

There are plenty of resources available to help you improve your grammar skills , such as:

• Grammar books
• Online exercises
• Language learning apps
• Tutoring services

Identify your weak spots and focus on strengthening them to become a better English speaker. Consistent practice and study of grammar will refine your language abilities and improve your English fluency.

6. Build confidence and overcome the fear of mistakes

Confidence in your English speaking abilities is key to achieving fluency and talking with a natural flow.

It’s completely normal to feel uncomfortable when speaking a new language, but putting yourself in English-speaking situations where you feel safe to make mistakes and learn from them will help you become more confident.

Don’t forget to celebrate your successes and remind yourself of how far you have already come on this journey. As your confidence grows, so will your ability to speak English fluently.

7. Utilize technology and online resources

Take advantage of the incredible websites, online courses, classes, and apps available to help English learners start speaking english more fluently without having to attend lessons in a physical classroom.

Online resources to check out include:

• Online English courses and lessons
• Websites for learning English
• Language exchange platforms
• Online games to learn English

These resources can help you practice speaking, listening, and comprehension at your own pace and convenience.

What is the best app to learn English speaking fluently?

If your goal is to speak English fluently, we recommend a language app that includes:

• Lessons up to level C1 or above
• Daily lessons
• Speech recognition technology
• Interactive conversations
• A free trial or limited free content so you can decide whether it’s right for you

Gymglish , Mondly , and Busuu all meet these requirements and have other exciting features for you to explore.

Find the one that best suits your learning style, and you’ll be on your way to speaking fluent English with confidence.

8. Set realistic goals and track your progress

To maintain motivation and ensure success, it’s important to set realistic English learning goals and keep track of your progress.

By setting specific goals, such as memorizing ten new English words by the end of the week, you can provide direction and focus to your language learning journey.

Breaking down significant goals into smaller milestones can make them more achievable and less intimidating. For example, setting a longer-term target like holding a basic conversation in English after two months of study can be an incredibly motivating goal to work towards.

Setting achievable goals and measuring your progress will help maintain your motivation and lead to consistent improvement in your English speaking skills.

In conclusion, there is no set formula for how to speak english fluently and you should see it as a journey that requires dedication, practice, and the right resources.

Here’s a reminder of the areas you should try to incorporate daily as you develop your English language skills toward fluency:

• Learning new English vocabulary
• Pronunciation practice
• Comprehension practice
• Improving grammar
• Building confidence

Embrace the learning process, set realistic goals, and utilize technology and online resources to accelerate your progress. The world awaits you as a confident and fluent English speaker!

What does ‘fluent English’ mean?

Speaking fluent English means that you can:

• Express yourself confidently and without too much hesitation
• Write and talk at length with a natural flow
• Communicate effectively on a broad range of topics, even unfamiliar ones
• Understand subtle jokes made in English

It doesn’t necessarily mean that you never make mistakes, although as you continue to practice regularly, your accuracy should improve too.

How many words do you need to know to be fluent in English?

To be fluent in English, you need to know around 5,000 words to understand 98% of most ordinary texts. However, native speakers typically know 15,000 to 20,000 word families in their first language.

It is important to note that vocabulary size alone does not guarantee fluency, as other English skills such as grammar, pronunciation, and cultural understanding also play a vital role in achieving fluency.

You can find some more interesting English language statistics here.

How long does it take to become fluent in English?

With dedicated study and practice, an adult can become fluent in English in an average of 2-3 years. This time frame can be influenced by factors such as the similarity between your native language and English, the amount and quality of practice, and your motivation and commitment to learning.

Learn more about how long it takes to learn English and what else affects this.

How do I know if I am fluent in English?

To gauge your fluency in English, consider the following:

• Can you express your thoughts, ideas, and feelings in English without having to translate from your native language first?
• Can you understand English spoken at a natural pace by native speakers?
• Can you read English texts and understand the main ideas without frequently consulting a dictionary?
• Can you write in English and convey your thoughts effectively?
• Can you use English in a variety of contexts, such as at work, in social situations, or when traveling?

These are all good indicators of someone who speaks English fluently.

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How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

10+ interpersonal skills at work and ways to develop them

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How to write a good speech in 7 steps

By:  Susan Dugdale  

- an easily followed format for writing a great speech

Did you know writing a speech doesn't have be an anxious, nail biting experience?

Unsure? Don't be.

You may have lived with the idea you were never good with words for a long time. Or perhaps giving speeches at school brought you out in cold sweats.

However learning how to write a speech is relatively straight forward when you learn to write out loud.

And that's the journey I am offering to take you on: step by step.

To learn quickly, go slow

Take all the time you need. This speech format has 7 steps, each building on the next.

Walk, rather than run, your way through all of them. Don't be tempted to rush. Familiarize yourself with the ideas. Try them out.

I know there are well-advertised short cuts and promises of 'write a speech in 5 minutes'. However in reality they only truly work for somebody who already has the basic foundations of speech writing in place.

The foundation of good speech writing 

These steps are the backbone of sound speech preparation. Learn and follow them well at the outset and yes, given more experience and practice you could probably flick something together quickly. Like any skill, the more it's used, the easier it gets.

In the meantime...

Step 1: Begin with a speech overview or outline

Are you in a hurry? Without time to read a whole page? Grab ... The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist And come back to get the details later.

• WHO you are writing your speech for (your target audience)
• WHY you are preparing this speech. What's the main purpose of your speech? Is it to inform or tell your audience about something? To teach them a new skill or demonstrate something? To persuade or to entertain? (See 4 types of speeches: informative, demonstrative, persuasive and special occasion or entertaining for more.) What do you want them to think, feel or do as a result of listening the speech?
• WHAT your speech is going to be about (its topic) - You'll want to have thought through your main points and have ranked them in order of importance. And have sorted the supporting research you need to make those points effectively.
• HOW much time you have for your speech eg. 3 minutes, 5 minutes... The amount of time you've been allocated dictates how much content you need. If you're unsure check this page: how many words per minute in a speech: a quick reference guide . You'll find estimates of the number of words required for 1 - 10 minute speeches by slow, medium and fast talkers.

Use an outline

The best way to make sure you deliver a perfect speech is to start by carefully completing a speech outline covering the essentials: WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW.

Beginning to write without thinking your speech through is a bit like heading off on a journey not knowing why you're traveling or where you're going to end up. You can find yourself lost in a deep, dark, murky muddle of ideas very quickly!

Pulling together a speech overview or outline is a much safer option. It's the map you'll follow to get where you want to go.

Get a blank speech outline template to complete

Click the link to find out a whole lot more about preparing a speech outline . ☺ You'll also find a free printable blank speech outline template.  I recommend using it!

Understanding speech construction

Before you begin to write, using your completed outline as a guide, let's briefly look at what you're aiming to prepare.

• an opening or introduction
• the body where the bulk of the information is given
• and an ending (or summary).

Imagine your speech as a sandwich

If you think of a speech as a sandwich you'll get the idea.

The opening and ending are the slices of bread holding the filling (the major points or the body of your speech) together.

You can build yourself a simple sandwich with one filling (one big idea) or you could go gourmet and add up to three or, even five. The choice is yours.

But whatever you choose to serve, as a good cook, you need to consider who is going to eat it! And that's your audience.

So let's find out who they are before we do anything else. 

Step 2: Know who you are talking to

Understanding your audience.

Did you know a  good speech is never written from the speaker's point of view?  ( If you need to know more about why check out this page on  building rapport .)

Begin with the most important idea/point on your outline.

Consider HOW you can explain (show, tell) that to your audience in the most effective way for them to easily understand it.   

Writing from the audience's point of view

To help you write from an audience point of view, it's a good idea to identify either a real person or the type of person who is most likely to be listening to you.

Make sure you select someone who represents the "majority" of the people who will be in your audience. That is they are neither struggling to comprehend you at the bottom of your scale or light-years ahead at the top.

Now imagine they are sitting next to you eagerly waiting to hear what you're going to say. Give them a name, for example, Joe, to help make them real.

Ask yourself

• How do I need to tailor my information to meet Joe's needs? For example, do you tell personal stories to illustrate your main points? Absolutely! Yes. This is a very powerful technique. (Click storytelling in speeches to find out more.)
• What type or level of language is right for Joe as well as my topic? For example if I use jargon (activity, industry or profession specific vocabulary) will it be understood?

Step 3: Writing as you speak

Writing oral language.

Write down what you want to say about your first main point as if you were talking directly to Joe.

If it helps, say it all out loud before you write it down and/or record it.

Use the information below as a guide

(Click to download The Characteristics of Spoken Language  as a pdf.) 

You do not have to write absolutely everything you're going to say down * but you do need to write down, or outline, the sequence of ideas to ensure they are logical and easily followed.

Remember too, to explain or illustrate your point with examples from your research. 

( * Tip: If this is your first speech the safety net of having everything written down could be just what you need. It's easier to recover from a patch of jitters when you have a word by word manuscript than if you have either none, or a bare outline. Your call!)

Step 4: Checking tone and language

The focus of this step is re-working what you've done in Step 2 and 3.

You identified who you were talking to (Step 2) and in Step 3, wrote up your first main point.  Is it right? Have you made yourself clear?  Check it.

How well you complete this step depends on how well you understand the needs of the people who are going to listen to your speech.

Please do not assume because you know what you're talking about the person (Joe) you've chosen to represent your audience will too. Joe is not a mind-reader!

How to check what you've prepared

• Check the "tone" of your language . Is it right for the occasion, subject matter and your audience?
• Check the length of your sentences. You need short sentences. If they're too long or complicated you risk losing your listeners.

Check for jargon too. These are industry, activity or group exclusive words.

For instance take the phrase: authentic learning . This comes from teaching and refers to connecting lessons to the daily life of students. Authentic learning is learning that is relevant and meaningful for students. If you're not a teacher you may not understand the phrase.

The use of any vocabulary requiring insider knowledge needs to be thought through from the audience perspective. Jargon can close people out.

• Read what you've written out loud. If it flows naturally, in a logical manner, continue the process with your next main idea. If it doesn't, rework.

We use whole sentences and part ones, and we mix them up with asides or appeals e.g. "Did you get that? Of course you did. Right...Let's move it along. I was saying ..."

Click for more about the differences between spoken and written language .

And now repeat the process

Repeat this process for the remainder of your main ideas.

Because you've done the first one carefully, the rest should follow fairly easily.

Step 5: Use transitions

Providing links or transitions between main ideas.

Between each of your main ideas you need to provide a bridge or pathway for your audience. The clearer the pathway or bridge, the easier it is for them to make the transition from one idea to the next.

If your speech contains more than three main ideas and each is building on the last, then consider using a "catch-up" or summary as part of your transitions.

Is your speech being evaluated? Find out exactly what aspects you're being assessed on using this standard speech evaluation form

Link/transition examples

A link can be as simple as:

"We've explored one scenario for the ending of Block Buster 111, but let's consider another. This time..."

What follows this transition is the introduction of Main Idea Two.

Here's a summarizing link/transition example:

"We've ended Blockbuster 111 four ways so far. In the first, everybody died. In the second, everybody died BUT their ghosts remained to haunt the area. In the third, one villain died. His partner reformed and after a fight-out with the hero, they both strode off into the sunset, friends forever. In the fourth, the hero dies in a major battle but is reborn sometime in the future.

And now what about one more? What if nobody died? The fifth possibility..."

Go back through your main ideas checking the links. Remember Joe as you go. Try each transition or link out loud and really listen to yourself. Is it obvious? Easily followed?

Keep them if they are clear and concise.

For more about transitions (with examples) see Andrew Dlugan's excellent article, Speech Transitions: Magical words and Phrases .

Step 6: The end of your speech

The ideal ending is highly memorable . You want it to live on in the minds of your listeners long after your speech is finished. Often it combines a call to action with a summary of major points.

Example speech endings

Example 1: The desired outcome of a speech persuading people to vote for you in an upcoming election is that they get out there on voting day and do so. You can help that outcome along by calling them to register their support by signing a prepared pledge statement as they leave.

"We're agreed we want change. You can help us give it to you by signing this pledge statement as you leave. Be part of the change you want to see!

Example 2: The desired outcome is increased sales figures. The call to action is made urgent with the introduction of time specific incentives.

"You have three weeks from the time you leave this hall to make that dream family holiday in New Zealand yours. Can you do it? Will you do it? The kids will love it. Your wife will love it. Do it now!"

How to figure out the right call to action

A clue for working out what the most appropriate call to action might be, is to go back to your original purpose for giving the speech.

• Was it to motivate or inspire?
• Was it to persuade to a particular point of view?
• Was it to share specialist information?
• Was it to celebrate a person, a place, time or event?

Ask yourself what you want people to do as a result of having listened to your speech.

For more about ending speeches

Visit this page for more about how to end a speech effectively . You'll find two additional types of speech endings with examples.

Write and test

Write your ending and test it out loud. Try it out on a friend, or two. Is it good? Does it work?

Step 7: The introduction

Once you've got the filling (main ideas) the linking and the ending in place, it's time to focus on the introduction.

The introduction comes last as it's the most important part of your speech. This is the bit that either has people sitting up alert or slumped and waiting for you to end. It's the tone setter!

What makes a great speech opening?

Ideally you want an opening that makes listening to you the only thing the 'Joes' in the audience want to do.

You want them to forget they're hungry or that their chair is hard or that their bills need paying.

The way to do that is to capture their interest straight away. You do this with a "hook".

Hooks to catch your audience's attention

Hooks come in as many forms as there are speeches and audiences. Your task is work out what specific hook is needed to catch your audience.

Go back to the purpose. Why are you giving this speech?

Once you have your answer, consider your call to action. What do you want the audience to do, and, or take away, as a result of listening to you?

Next think about the imaginary or real person you wrote for when you were focusing on your main ideas.

Choosing the best hook

• Is it humor?
• Would shock tactics work?
• Is it a rhetorical question?
• Is it formality or informality?
• Is it an outline or overview of what you're going to cover, including the call to action?
• Or is it a mix of all these elements?

A hook example

Here's an example from a fictional political speech. The speaker is lobbying for votes. His audience are predominately workers whose future's are not secure.

"How's your imagination this morning? Good? (Pause for response from audience) Great, I'm glad. Because we're going to put it to work starting right now.

I want you to see your future. What does it look like? Are you happy? Is everything as you want it to be? No? Let's change that. We could do it. And we could do it today.

At the end of this speech you're going to be given the opportunity to change your world, for a better one ...

No, I'm not a magician. Or a simpleton with big ideas and precious little commonsense. I'm an ordinary man, just like you. And I have a plan to share!"

And then our speaker is off into his main points supported by examples. The end, which he has already foreshadowed in his opening, is the call to vote for him.

Prepare several hooks

Experiment with several openings until you've found the one that serves your audience, your subject matter and your purpose best.

For many more examples of speech openings go to: how to write a speech introduction . You'll find 12 of the very best ways to start a speech.

That completes the initial seven steps towards writing your speech. If you've followed them all the way through, congratulations, you now have the text of your speech!

Although you might have the words, you're still a couple of steps away from being ready to deliver them. Both of them are essential if you want the very best outcome possible. They are below. Please take them.

Step 8: Checking content and timing

This step pulls everything together.

Check once, check twice, check three times & then once more!

Go through your speech really carefully.

On the first read through check you've got your main points in their correct order with supporting material, plus an effective introduction and ending.

On the second read through check the linking passages or transitions making sure they are clear and easily followed.

On the third reading check your sentence structure, language use and tone.

Double, triple check the timing

Now go though once more.

This time read it aloud slowly and time yourself.

If it's too long for the time allowance you've been given make the necessary cuts.

Start by looking at your examples rather than the main ideas themselves. If you've used several examples to illustrate one principal idea, cut the least important out.

Also look to see if you've repeated yourself unnecessarily or, gone off track. If it's not relevant, cut it.

Repeat the process, condensing until your speech fits the required length, preferably coming in just under your time limit.

You can also find out how approximately long it will take you to say the words you have by using this very handy words to minutes converter . It's an excellent tool, one I frequently use. While it can't give you a precise time, it does provide a reasonable estimate.

Step 9: Rehearsing your speech

And NOW you are finished with writing the speech, and are ready for REHEARSAL .

Please don't be tempted to skip this step. It is not an extra thrown in for good measure. It's essential.

The "not-so-secret" secret of successful speeches combines good writing with practice, practice and then, practicing some more.

Go to how to practice public speaking and you'll find rehearsal techniques and suggestions to boost your speech delivery from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist

Before you begin writing you need:.

• Your speech OUTLINE with your main ideas ranked in the order you're going to present them. (If you haven't done one complete this 4 step sample speech outline . It will make the writing process much easier.)
• Your RESEARCH
• You also need to know WHO you're speaking to, the PURPOSE of the speech and HOW long you're speaking for

The basic format

• the body where you present your main ideas

Split your time allowance so that you spend approximately 70% on the body and 15% each on the introduction and ending.

How to write the speech

• Write your main ideas out incorporating your examples and research
• Link them together making sure each flows in a smooth, logical progression
• Write your ending, summarizing your main ideas briefly and end with a call for action
• Write your introduction considering the 'hook' you're going to use to get your audience listening
• An often quoted saying to explain the process is: Tell them what you're going to tell them (Introduction) Tell them (Body of your speech - the main ideas plus examples) Tell them what you told them (The ending)

TEST before presenting. Read aloud several times to check the flow of material, the suitability of language and the timing.

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How to Start a Speech: The Best Ways to Capture Your Audience

You’ve heard the saying,  “First impressions are lasting; you never get a second chance to create a good first impression” —  right?

The same is true when talking about how to start a speech…

The truth is, when you start your speech, you must focus everything on making a positive first impression on your audience members (especially if you are doing the presentation virtually ). Capturing the audience’s attention from the very beginning is crucial to prevent them from being distracted, losing interest, or forming negative opinions.

The introduction is the formal greeting for speeches, so let’s be sure to get this right to hook the audience. Understanding the importance of speech openings can significantly impact making a strong first impression. Planning and delivering the first words with confidence and relevance is essential, as they set the tone for the entire presentation and ensure you deliver a professional start, free from hesitation or irrelevance.

Here are 15 different ways to start a speech as well as 2 extra BONUS tips at the end.

1) Thank the Organizers and Audience

You can start by thanking the audience for coming and thanking the organization for inviting you to speak.

Refer to the person who introduced you or to one or more of the senior people in the organization in the audience.

This compliments them, makes them feel proud and happy about your presence, and connects you to the audience like an electrical plug in a socket.

2) Start With a Positive Statement

A presentation tip at the start is to tell the audience members how much they will like and enjoy what you have to say.

For example, you might say:

“You’re really going to enjoy the time we spend together this evening. I’m going to share with you some of the most important ideas that have ever been discovered in this area.”

Remember that  speaking is an art,  so be an artist and take complete control of your performance,

3) Compliment the Audience

You can begin by complimenting the audience members sincerely and with great respect.

Smile as if you are really glad to see them as if they are all old friends of yours that you have not seen for quite a while.

You can tell them that it is a great honor for you to be here, that they are some of the most important people in this business or industry, and that you are looking forward to sharing some key ideas with them.

You could say something like:

“It is an honor to be here with you today. You are the elite, the top 10 percent of people in this industry. Only the very best people in any field will take the time and make the sacrifice to come so far for a conference like this.”

4) Start Your Speech With the First Sentence Referring to Current Events

Use a current event front-page news story to transition into your subject and to illustrate or prove your point. You can bring a copy of the newspaper and hold it up as you refer to it in your introduction.

This visual image of you holding the paper and reciting or reading a key point rivets the audience’s attention and causes more people to lean forward to hear what you have to say.

5) Refer to a Historical Event

For many years, I studied military history…

Especially the lives and campaigns of the great generals and the decisive battles they won. One of my favorites was Alexander the Great. Standing in the symbolic shadow of such historical figures can provide a powerful and engaging start to any speech, especially when drawing parallels to contemporary challenges.

One day, I was asked to give a talk on leadership principles to a roomful of managers for a Fortune 500 company.

I decided that the campaign of Alexander the Great against Darius of Persia would make an excellent story that would illustrate the leadership qualities of one of the great commanders in history.

I opened my talk with these words:

“Once upon a time there was a young man named Alex who grew up in a poor country. But Alex was a little bit ambitious. From an early age, he decided that he wanted to conquer the entire known world. But there was a small problem.

Most of the known world was under the control of a huge multinational called the Persian Empire, headed by King Darius II. To fulfill his ambition, Alex was going to have to take the market share away from the market leader, who was very determined to hold on to it.

This is the same situation that exists between you and your major competitors in the market today. You are going to have to use all your leadership skills to win the great marketing battles of the future.”

6) Refer to a Well Known Person

You can start by quoting a well-known person or publication that recently made an interesting or important statement.

One of the subjects I touch upon regularly is the importance of continual personal development.

I will say something like:

“In the twenty-first century, knowledge and know-how are the keys to success. As basketball coach Pat Riley said, ‘If you are not getting better, you are getting worse.’”

7) Refer to a Recent Conversation

Start by telling a story about a recent conversation with someone in attendance.

For instance, I might say:

“A few minutes ago, I was talking with Tom Robinson in the lobby. He told me that this is one of the very best times to be working in this industry, and I agree.”

8) Make a Shocking Statement With a Startling Fact

You can start your talk by making a shocking statement of some kind.

For example, you might say something like:

“Here’s a startling fact: According to a recent study, there will be more change, more competition, and more opportunities in this industry in the next year than ever before. And 72 percent of the people in this room will be doing something different within two years if they do not rapidly adapt to these changes.”

Click here If you want to learn more techniques to wow your audience.

9) Quote From Recent Research

You can start by quoting a relevant, recent research report.

One example is:

“According to a story in a recent issue of Businessweek, there were almost 11 million millionaires in America in 2018, most of them self-made.”

10) Start Your Speech With a Strong Opening By Giving Them Hope

The French philosopher Gustav Le Bon once wrote, “The only religion of mankind is, and always has been hope.”

When you speak effectively, you give people hope of some kind.

Remember, the ultimate purpose of public speaking, is to inspire people to do things that they would not have done in the absence of your comments.

Everything you say should relate to the actions you want people to take and the reasons that they should take those actions.

11) Be Entertaining

Bill Gove used to walk onto the stage after his introduction if he had just finished talking to someone on the side and was breaking off to give his talk to the group.

The audience got the feeling that his entire talk was one continuous conversation, devoid of meaningless filler words .

Bill would often go to the edge of the stage and then drop his voice in a conspiratorial way, open his arms, and beckon the audience members to come a little closer.

He would say, “Come here, let me tell you something,” and then he would wave them forward as though he was about to tell a secret to the entire room.

The amazing thing was that everyone in the room would lean forward to hear this “secret” that he was about to share. People would all suddenly realize what they were doing and break out in laughter. It was a wonderful device to get the audience into the palm of his hands.

12) Ask a Question

You can open by making a positive statement and then pose a rhetorical question to engage your audience and set the stage for your presentation.

Try something like this:

“This is a great time to be alive and in business in America. But let me ask you, what does it truly mean to be self-employed in today’s economy?”

Raise your hand to indicate what you want people to do. I have used this line, and after a moment of thought, I then say to someone who looks intrigued in the front, “How many people here feel truly self-employed?”

Invariably, someone will say, “We all do!”

I then compliment and affirm the answer: “You’re right! We are all self-employed, from the time we take our first jobs to the day that we retire; we all work for ourselves, no matter who signs our paychecks.”

Similarly, a 17-year-old science fair winner effectively engaged their audience with a question at the beginning of their TED Talk, showcasing the power of this technique.

13) Open With a Problem

You can start with a problem that must be solved. If it is a problem that almost everyone has in common, you will immediately have the audience’s complete and undivided attention.

For example, you could say:

“Fully 63 percent of baby boomers are moving toward retirement without enough money put aside to provide for themselves for as long as they are going to live. We must address this problem and take action immediately to ensure that each person who retires will be able to live comfortably for the rest of his or her natural life.”

Introducing a new idea at this point can be a powerful way to engage your audience further, by promising a solution that is both innovative and beneficial.

14) Make a Strong Statement, Then Ask a Question

You can start by making a strong and powerful statement and then ask a question. You then follow with an answer and ask another question. This gets people immediately involved and listening to your every word.

Here’s an example:

“Twenty percent of the people in our society make 80 percent of the money. Are you a member of the top 20 percent? If not, would you like to join the top 20 percent or even the top 10 percent? Well, in the next few minutes, I am going to give you some ideas to help you become some of the highest-paid people in our society. Would that be a good goal for our time together today?”

15) Tell a Personal Story

You can start your talk with a personal story. Some of the most powerful words to capture the complete attention of the audience and make a personal connection are, “Once upon a time…”

From infancy and early childhood, people love stories of any kind. When you start off a presentation with a personal anecdote using the words, “Once upon a time…” you tell the audience that a relatable story is coming. People immediately settle down, become quiet, and lean forward, eager to hear how your experience might mirror their own or offer them new insights.

When I conduct full-day seminars and I want to bring people back to their seats after a break, I will say loudly, “Once upon a time there was a man, right here in this city…”

As soon as I say these words, people hurry back to their seats and begin to listen attentively, connecting with the story on a personal level.

Incorporating a personal story is very effective.

In fact, it’s probably one of the best public speaking tips I’ve learned to this day.

Bonus Tip: Tell Them About Yourself

Very often, I will start a serious speech or presentation to a business, sales, or entrepreneurial group by saying:

“I started off without graduating from high school. My family had no money. Everything I accomplished in life I had to do on my own with very little help from anyone else.”

It is amazing how many people come up to me after a talk that began with those words and tells me that was their experience as well.

They tell me that they could immediately identify with me because they too had started with poor grades and limited funds, as most people do. As a result, they were open to the rest of my talk, even a full-day seminar, and felt that everything I said was more valid and authentic than if I had been a person who started off with a successful background.

Building a bridge like this is very helpful in bringing the audience onto your side.

Bonus Tip: Get Them Talking to One Another

You can ask people to turn to the person next to them to discuss a particular point.

For instance, you could say:

“Tell the person next to you what you would like to learn from this seminar.”

Whatever you ask your audience members to do, within reason, they will do it for you. Your commands and your thought leadership will easily influence them, as long as you ask them with confidence.

By following any one of these tips for starting your speech, you are sure to grab your audience’s attention every time. How do you start a speech? Let me know in the comments.

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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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How to Start a Speech: The Best (and Worst) Speech Openers

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One of the hardest things about public speaking is knowing how to start a speech. Your opening line is your first impression. It’s how you capture attention. It’s how you captivate the audience. So how do you make sure you nail it every time?

The best way to know how to open a speech is to look at what has worked in the past. When we examined the top speeches of all time and the most popular TED talks of all time, we found some interesting speaking patterns.

Time has identified the top 10 greatest speeches of all time. They are:

Opening Lines of the Top 10 Greatest Speeches of All Time

#1: Socrates – “Apology”

#2: Patrick Henry – “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”

#3: Frederick Douglass – “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery”

#4: Abraham Lincoln – “Gettysburg Address”

Opening Line: “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

#5: Susan B. Anthony – “Women’s Rights to the Suffrage”

#6: Winston Churchill – “Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat”

#7: John F. Kennedy – “Inaugural Address”

Opening Line: “We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom — symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning — signifying renewal, as well as change.”

#8: Martin Luther King, Jr. – “I Have a Dream”

#9: Lyndon B. Johnson – “The American Promise”

#10: Ronald Reagan – “Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate”

How do all of these historical greats start their speeches? Is there a difference between these and some of the more modern top TED talks?

Before we dive in, let’s recap with some critical do’s and don’ts when opening a speech:

Opening Lines of the Top 10 TED Talks of All Time

Here are the opening lines to the top 10 Ted Talks of all time according to view count:

#1: Sir Ken Robinson – “Do schools kill creativity?” Opening Line: “Good morning. How are you? It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving.”

#2: Amy Cuddy – “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are” Opening Line: “So I want to start by offering you a free, no-tech life hack, and all it requires of you is this: that you change your posture for two minutes.”

#3: Simon Sinek – “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”

#4: Brene Brown – “The Power of Vulnerability” Opening Line: “So, I’ll start with this: a couple years ago, an event planner called me because I was going to do a speaking event.”

#5: Mary Roach – “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Orgasm” Opening Line: “All right. I’m going to show you a couple of images from a very diverting paper in The Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.”

#6: Julian Treasure – “How to Speak so that People Want to Listen” Opening Line: “The human voice: It’s the instrument we all play.”

#7: Jill Bolte Taylor – “My Stroke of Insight” Opening Line: “I grew up to study the brain because I have a brother who has been diagnosed with a brain disorder: schizophrenia.”

#8: James Veitch – “This is What Happens When You Reply to Spam Email” Opening Line: “A few years ago, I got one of those spam emails.”

#9: Cameron Russell – “Looks Aren’t Everything; Believe Me, I’m a Model” Opening Line: “Hi. My name is Cameron Russell, and for the last little while, I’ve been a model.”

#10: Dan Pink – “The Puzzle of Motivation” Opening Line: “I need to make a confession at the outset here.”

What can we learn from these opening lines? There are some patterns that can help us. First, let’s start with what you shouldn’t do. Have you ever made one of these cardinal speaking sins?

Never Start a Presentation with…

Anything technical! This is a big mistake people make when they have not done a tech check ahead of time or are feeling nervous. Never start with these openers:

• Is this microphone working?
• Can you hear me?
• Wow, these lights are bright!

Your nervousness. Many people think it is vulnerable to start with how nervous they are about speaking — you can mention this later, but it should not be the first thing. Why? People will then only be looking for signs of your nervousness. Don’t start with:

• I’m so nervous right now!
• Wow there are so many people here.
• I’m not a great public speaker.

A lackluster or non-believable nicety. It’s great to be grateful to the person who introduced you, but it’s not a great way to include the audience. It’s ok to thank the audience for being there—but do it at the end (not as your opening line). These are all too boring:

• Thanks for having me.
• Thanks for that intro.
• Nice to be here.

Boring, shmoring! I have an exception here if you can make it funny. Ken Robinson started with a nicety and then turned it into a joke. He said, “ “Good morning. How are you? It’s been great, hasn’t it? I’ve been blown away by the whole thing. In fact, I’m leaving.”

More Public Speaking Resources

Get even more public speaking tips with our related resources:

• 10 Presentation Ideas that will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills
• 6 Public Speaking Apps to try Before Your Next Presentation
• My Top 5 Favorite Public Speakers
• 15 Science-Based Public Speaking Tips To Become a Master Speaker
• How to Give Captivating Presentations
• How to Give an Awesome Toast

How to Start a Presentation

A story. The absolute best way to start a presentation is with a story. There is nothing better to capture the imagination and attention of an audience. Try to use these speaking openers as fill-in-the-blanks for your speech.

• I’m here for a reason. And it’s an interesting story…
• The best thing that ever happened to me was…
• Once upon a time…

In his talk, “The lies our culture tells us about what matters,” David Brooks started off with a great opening line AND a story. He said, “So, we all have bad seasons in life. And I had one in 2013. My marriage had just ended, and I was humiliated by that failed commitment.” Makes you want to watch right…

And if you need help on storytelling basics, be sure to check out some of my top 5 favorite speakers .

A BIG idea. Sometimes you want to share your big idea right up front. This can be helpful because it is intriguing and gets people clued in right away. All TED speakers try to integrate their big idea early.

• You’re here for a reason. It’s…
• The single most important thing I want to share with you today is…
• Today, I want to share a big idea…

I love how Stacy Smith starts off her talk with her big idea framed in an interesting way. She said, “Today, I want to tell you about a pressing social issue. Now, it’s not nuclear arms, it’s not immigration, and it’s not malaria. I’m here to talk about movies.”

Special Note: Be very careful to NOT deliver your one-liner by re-reading your title slide. You also want to position it as exciting and intriguing. For example, don’t say, “Today I am going to talk about body language.” Instead say, “Today I am going to teach you the single most important thing you can do to improve your charisma… and it starts with your body.”

A quirky one-liner. If you can use humor — do it! Humor or curiosity is a great way to start a speech on a high. You can get creative with these! Think of an interesting fact about you, your audience or your topic that can lead you into your content.

• One thing most people don’t know about me is…
• A teacher, a mother and a duck walk into a bar…
• I want to tell you something surprising.

When I gave my TEDx London Talk I started off with a quirky one-liner that immediately got a few laughs. It was “Hi, I’m Vanessa and I am a recovering awkward person.” It worked so well it is also the first line of my book, Captivate . 

II love the way Eve Ensler opens her speech with an interesting one-liner: “For a long time, there was me, and my body.”

This is a great tip from Conor Neill. He says that it is great to start with a question that the audience is asking themselves or would be very curious to know the answer to. This might be phrasing a pain point or worry for your audience.

• Do you ever worry about…?
• Have you ever wondered…?
• You might have always thought…

See Cono Neill’s examples here: 

Did you know…? Any interesting factoid or curiosity is bound to intrigue your audience. This is great if it leads into your content or a story. I like to start with did you know… Here are some that I use. You will have to fill in the blank for your audience:

• Did you know that it takes less than a second to make a first impression ?
• Did you know that your nonverbal communication is 12.5 times more powerful than your words ?
• Did you know that we are lied to 200 times a day ?

Jamie Oliver does this amazingly in his TED Talk. He starts with this mind-blowing fact, “Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, four Americans that are alive will be dead through the food that they eat.”

Hopefully these opening lines will give you some ideas to use to open your speech.

How to End a Speech: My Favorite Closers

Do you know how to end on a high? Leave a lasting impression in your presentation? Science tells us that the first and last parts of your presentations are the most important. Get our FREE download to get our closer guide.

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20 thoughts on “how to start a speech: the best (and worst) speech openers”.

Love your material

didnt help me but still good stuff

Thank you Vanessa. I’ve been a public speaker for 25 years and I’m impressed with your content here. Thank you. Looking forward to a deep dive into more of your material. With gratitude.

Found these examples super informative. Can’t wait to mix match the examples to see which one will work best for my presentation!

I am preparing to make a presentation on Public Speaking and came across your article. This is very instructive and timely too.Many thanks.

Comments are closed.

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

“How To” Speech Topics, Ideas & Examples

Amanda Green was born in a small town in the west of Scotland, where everyone knows everyone. I joined the Toastmasters 15 years ago, and I served in nearly every office in the club since then. I love helping others gain confidence and skills they can apply in every day life.

Want to speak in front of an audience but are terrified of freezing or being boring? I know the feeling. If you’ve ever had to give a “how-to” speech, you know that it can be incredibly intimidating. It also entails coming up with how-to speech ideas and creative examples.

After all, how will they finish listening if the audience isn’t hooked by what you’re saying right away? To help ease your worries (and inspire those ideas!), here’s everything you need on “how-to” speeches: topics, samples & potential pitfalls — so read ahead!

Writing a How-to Speech

The speaker needs to consider several important factors when preparing to give a how-to speech. The how-to speech should identify the problem that needs to be resolved, explain how the problem can be fixed with a step-by-step approach, and list any potential obstacles the audience may face.

It is also important for speakers to choose how-to speech topics that are of interest or relevance to their target audience. This will ensure maximum engagement and retention throughout the speech.

How-to Speech Ideas That Are Funny

When it comes to funny “how-to” speeches, the possibilities are endless! Whether talking about how to make a perfect paper airplane or how to be the life of the party, humor can enhance your presentation and help keep your audience engaged.

Try using puns, silly props, or even anecdotes that provide insight into the process while still making people laugh. The goal is to not only impart valuable knowledge but also entertain your listener.

With some creativity, you can develop a humorous speech that achieves a comedic effect and explains its topic.

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Interesting How-to Topics

When asked to present a speech, many people immediately search for the most interesting ideas for a how-to speech. From tidying up after the biggest mess to baking a delicious cake, speeches about how to do something can be informative and entertaining.

While it may seem challenging to come up with fresh ideas, an infinite number of topics could be used. Some great suggestions include teaching viewers how to create a simple budget plan , explaining plant-based diets and their benefits, explaining how to instruct others effectively, or even how to ace an interview.

No matter what topic you go with, remember that the important thing is to be passionate and provide audiences with detailed instructions. When done correctly, choosing an interesting “how-to” topic for your speech will surely have your audience applauding in no time!

Choosing a Demonstration Speech Topic

Choosing a demonstration speech topic may seem daunting, but it can be simple and enjoyable with the right guidance. Identifying the topics appropriate for a demonstration speech is the first step in navigating this process.

Demonstration topics should be grounded in facts and provide pertinent knowledge about your expertise or interest. They should also focus on something that can be demonstrated in a tangible way, such as making a craft or performing an experiment.

• Your Interests

Choosing engaging good how-to speech topics based on one’s interests can be daunting yet rewarding. Taking the time to reflect on potential topics and thinking carefully about what topics truly interest you is fundamental to assembling a captivating presentation.

As such, it is paramount to begin by reflecting upon your hobbies and leisure activity ideas that you find most intriguing, as well as any activities or tasks you feel passionate about sharing with others.

Additionally, curating ideas from other media sources, such as newspaper articles or magazines, helps provide further insight into new and novel subjects or angles that can motivate your research process.

Only through this deliberate effort to understand our interests and apply them creatively towards developing a worthwhile “how-to” speech topic can we find the contentment of presenting a presentation with which listeners will engage.

• Who the Speech Is For

Choosing a “how-to” speech topic is critical in delivering an effective presentation. When selecting your topic, it’s important to keep the audience in mind.

Decide who your speech is for and make sure it is relevant to their interests. Select something specific that can benefit them or be beneficial in a general sense. Choose something the audience wants to learn about and that you are comfortable presenting. This will ensure your presentation skills are on display, as well as your knowledge about the topic.

Ensure your topic has enough depth for you to use additional research as support. This will strengthen the content of your presentation and demonstrate personal effort.

Ultimately, with careful consideration of who your speech is addressed to, you can craft a “how-to” topic that adds value both for yourself and your audience.

• The Setting of the Speech

Choosing a “how-to” speech topic based on the setting of the speech is an important step in preparing for an effective presentation.

It is essential to consider the purpose of the speech, the audience’s interests and needs, and any limitations or restrictions that may be present to construct an appropriate topic and choose relevant information to include.

Anticipating questions or topics of interest related to the audience is helpful when selecting a relevant topic.

• The Time You’ve Got to Prepare the Speech

Deciding on a “how-to” speech topic can be daunting. But the task becomes much more manageable, considering how much time you have to prepare for the presentation. Start by narrowing down the possibilities based on how much time you have.

If you have more time to prepare, opt for something more challenging. If you have only a short amount of time, choose a simpler topic.

Once you have determined the complexity level and estimated preparation time, consider your interests to find a topic that is both engaging to yourself and hopefully your audience.

As with any speech or presentation, researching and practicing before the actual event will greatly benefit your delivery and engagement with your audience.

Although finalizing a speech topic for a “how-to” presentation can be stressful, understanding constraints and utilizing interests will help make this process easier.

• The Time You’ve Got to Give the Speech

When selecting a “how-to” speech topic, the amount of time you have to give the presentation should be considered. It is wise to carefully analyze the time frame constraints of the assignment and assess which topics can be thoroughly explored in the allocated duration.

Attempting to cover too much material within a limited timeframe may lead to rushed communication and limit your opportunity to expand on the subject matter. Instead, select a focus that allows space for further discussion but remains concise enough to explore properly within your allotted time.

It is also advantageous to choose a topic that naturally interests you. This will heighten enthusiasm and engagement throughout your presentation, thus helping create an impactful delivery. Doing so will ensure you stay on track and avoid exceeding the assigned timeframe.

• The Guidelines for Assessment

When choosing a “how-to” speech topic, it is important to ensure that the topic meets all of the guidelines for assessment. It is a good idea to consider current and relevant topics, informative, interesting, and new, demonstrating the speaker’s understanding of their subject matter.

Choosing a topic with an appropriate difficulty level can help ensure that your speech will be comprehensive and engaging for your audience.

Demonstrative Speech Topics

Selecting topics for speeches comes down to choosing something you both know and can present effectively. As you brainstorm possible show-and-tell ideas, narrow the topics until you arrive at one that is interesting to you and your audience and fulfills all criteria needed for an effective demonstration presentation.

Once you’ve chosen a successful topic, preparing the speech will become much simpler, allowing you to demonstrate confidently and successfully.

Here are some easy demonstrative speech ideas for how-to.

Animals/Pets

Giving a speech to educate an audience about how to care for animals/pets can be an enriching experience.

It is important to research and thoroughly understand the topic to provide the audience with accurate and applicable information. This will entail researching different animal species and their specific characteristics, needs, and behaviors.

Moreover, ample time must be allocated for preparation so all aspects of proper pet-keeping can be explained clearly and confidently.

Topics ideas could range from a persuasive speech on how to pick the best breed to an informative speech on pet health. 

Gardens/Yards

Talking about creating and maintaining a garden or a yard requires proper preparation to ensure that the information relayed is accurate and beneficial. Researching various gardening elements beforehand will provide a strong base for discerning audiences to build on.

Be sure to present topics such as plant selection, design ideas, pest prevention, watering methods, and other environmental factors in an organized fashion that is easy for your listeners to follow.

Offering clear instructions throughout the speech with examples showing the steps in action can help ensure that your audience walks away feeling confident about their newly acquired knowledge.

Topics could cover how to identify poisonous plants, how to get rid of garden pests, how to make an indoor herb garden, and even how to make garden art. 

To give an effective “how-to” speech about crafts, the speaker should start by introducing themselves and properly framing the topic. They should provide a brief overview of what the audience will learn in their presentation and then begin with the most basic information, slowly building up to more complex concepts.

Crafting often has visual aid speech topics. At every stage of presenting, visuals should be provided for illustration. Visuals could range from diagrams or step-by-step photographs showing how a craft is made to video or actual physical models.

Once all of this information has been presented, the speaker should summarize the key points covered and allow time for questions from the audience before concluding their presentation.

Games/Sports

Giving a “how-to” speech about games/sports is an excellent way to share knowledge and teach important concepts. It requires the speaker to do comprehensive research and prepare in advance.

To give an effective “how-to” speech, start by introducing the game/sport accurately and make sure to tailor the presentation for your specific audience. Additionally, focus on one topic at a time, explain each step with vivid examples, and use visuals like charts or diagrams if possible.

Once you have covered all steps necessary for playing the game/sport, end the speech concisely and provide resources that can be used after the presentation.

Topics here could range from how to perfect your golf swing to even how to teach basketball.

Food And More

Delivering a successful “how-to” speech about food and drinks requires careful preparation. First, it is important to do research on the topic so that you have an understanding of the background information.

Once this has been accomplished, the next step should be to focus on a specific field within the topic and craft your presentation around this selected focus. Be sure to collect illustrations, charts, or photographs relevant to your chosen material, as these visual elements can make all the difference in bringing your words to life.

How to Structure a How-to Speech

Structuring a “how-to” speech can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Firstly, you should brainstorm the steps needed to accomplish your desired outcome with as much detail as possible. Secondly, organize the steps in chronological order.

This will give the rhythm of your speech a natural flow. Then, begin by introducing yourself and the topic by providing background information on why it is important.

Following completion of the step-by-step instructions, summarize what was just explained and explain why it matters in general terms. Finally, address any foreseeable issues and offer solutions to avoid them.

How-to Speech Template

A “how-to” speech template is an effective method to prepare a speech. This is especially useful when speaking on topics that may be largely unfamiliar to the audience, as it provides a straightforward structure for organizing the material.

The basic format of this type of speech involves:

• Introducing the topic.
• Describing the purpose and benefits of knowing more about it.
• Decomposing the subject matter into easily digestible sections.
• Concluding with a summary and reflection on what has been covered.

Additionally, including visual aids and personal anecdotes can further add interest and clarity to speeches, helping ensure everyone remains engaged throughout the presentation. Use this blank demonstration speech outline to craft your own any time!

To Sum It Up

Giving a great how-to speech is mostly about choosing the right topic. As how-to speeches often require visuals such as PowerPoint slides and handouts, these should be reviewed pre-speech to guarantee smooth delivery during the presentation itself. Speaking confidently and clearly while allowing time for questions and feedback is also essential in delivering an effective how-to speech.

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How to prepare a speech in English

How to Start a Speech: 7 Tips and Examples for a Captivating Opening

By Status.net Editorial Team on December 12, 2023 — 10 minutes to read

1. Choosing the Right Opening Line

Finding the perfect opening line for your speech is important in grabbing your audience’s attention. A strong opening line sets the stage for the points you want to make and helps you establish a connection with your listeners.

1. Start with a question

Engage your audience from the very beginning by asking them a thought-provoking question related to your topic. This approach encourages them to think, and it can create a sense of anticipation about what’s coming next.

• “Have you ever wondered how much time we spend on our phones every day?”

2. Share a personal story

A relatable personal story can create an emotional connection with your audience. Make sure your story is short, relevant to your speech, and ends with a clear point.

• “When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell me that every kind deed we do plants a seed of goodness in the world. It was this philosophy that inspired me to start volunteering.”

3. Use a quote or a statistic

Incorporate a powerful quote or an intriguing statistic at the outset of your speech to engage your audience and provide context for your topic.

• “As the great Maya Angelou once said, ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'”

4. Make them laugh

Injecting a little humor into your opening line puts everyone at ease and makes your speech more memorable. Just make sure your joke is relevant and doesn’t offend your audience.

• “They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit!”

5. Paint a mental picture

Draw your audience in by describing a vivid scene or painting an illustration in their minds. This creates an immersive experience that makes it easier for your audience to follow your speech.

• “Picture this: you’re walking down the beach, and you look out on the horizon. The sun is setting, and the sky is a breathtaking canvas of reds, oranges, and pinks.”

2. Using a Personal Story

Sharing a personal story can be a highly effective way to engage your audience from the very beginning of your speech. When you open your talk with a powerful, relatable story, it helps create an emotional connection with your listeners, making them more invested in what you have to say.

Think about an experience from your life that is relevant to the topic of your speech. Your story doesn’t have to be grand or dramatic, but it should be clear and vivid. Include enough detail to paint a picture in your audience’s minds, but keep it concise and on point.

The key to successfully using a personal story is to make it relatable. Choose a situation that your audience can empathize with or easily understand. For example, if you’re giving a speech about overcoming adversity, you could talk about a time where you faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge and overcame it.

Make sure to connect your story to the main point or theme of your speech. After sharing your experience, explain how it relates to the topic at hand, and let your audience see the relevance to their own lives. This will make your speech more impactful and show your listeners why your personal story holds meaning.

3. Making a Shocking Statement

Starting your speech with a shocking statement can instantly grab your audience’s attention. This technique works especially well when your speech topic relates to a hot-button issue or a controversial subject. Just make sure that the statement is relevant and true, as false claims may damage your credibility.

For example, “Believe it or not, 90% of startups fail during their first five years in the market.” This statement might surprise your listeners and make them more receptive to your ideas on how to avoid pitfalls and foster a successful business.

So next time you’re crafting a speech, consider opening with a powerful shocking statement. It could be just the thing to get your audience sitting up and paying full attention. (Try to keep your shocking statement relevant to your speech topic and factual to enhance your credibility.)

4. Using Humor

Humor can be an excellent way to break the ice and grab your audience’s attention. Opening your speech with a funny story or a joke can make a memorable first impression. Just be sure to keep it relevant to your topic and audience.

A good joke can set a light-hearted tone, lead into the importance of effective time management, and get your audience engaged from the start.

When using humor in your speech, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Be relatable: Choose a story or joke that your audience can easily relate to. It will be more engaging and connect your listeners to your message.
• Keep it appropriate: Make sure the humor fits the occasion and audience. Stay away from controversial topics and avoid offending any particular group.
• Practice your delivery: Timing and delivery are essential when telling a joke. Practice saying it out loud and adjust your pacing and tone of voice to ensure your audience gets the joke.
• Go with the flow: If your joke flops or doesn’t get the reaction you were hoping for, don’t panic or apologize. Simply move on to the next part of your speech smoothly, and don’t let it shake your confidence.
• Don’t overdo it: While humor can be useful in capturing your audience’s attention, remember that you’re not a stand-up comedian. Use it sparingly and focus on getting your message across clearly and effectively.

5. Incorporating a Quote

When you want to start your speech with a powerful quote, ensure that the quote is relevant to your topic. Choose a quote from a credible source, such as a famous historical figure, a well-known author, or a respected expert in your field. This will not only grab your audience’s attention but also establish your speech’s credibility.

For example, if you’re giving a speech about resilience, you might use this quote by Nelson Mandela: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Once you’ve found the perfect quote, integrate it smoothly into your speech’s introduction. You can briefly introduce the source of the quote, providing context for why their words are significant. For example:

Nelson Mandela, an inspirational leader known for his perseverance, once said: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

When you’re incorporating a quote in your speech, practice your delivery to ensure it has the intended impact. Focus on your tone, pace, and pronunciation. By doing so, you can convey the quote’s meaning effectively and connect with your audience emotionally.

Connect the quote to your main points by briefly explaining how it relates to the subject matter of your speech. By creating a natural transition from the quote to your topic, you can maintain your audience’s interest and set the stage for a compelling speech.

In our resilience example, this could look like:

“This quote by Mandela beautifully illustrates the power of resilience. Today, I want to share with you some stories of remarkable individuals who, like Mandela, overcame obstacles and rose every time they fell. Through their experiences, we might learn how to cultivate our own resilience and make the most of life’s challenges.”

6. Starting with a Question

Opening your speech with a question can be a great way to engage your audience from the start. This strategy encourages your listeners to think and become active participants in your presentation. Your opening question should be related to your core message, sparking their curiosity, and setting the stage for the following content. Here are a few examples:

• For a motivational speech : “Have you ever wondered what you would do if you couldn’t fail?”
• For a business presentation : “What’s the biggest challenge your team faces daily, and how can we overcome it?”
• For an educational talk : “How does the way we use technology today impact the future of our society?”

When choosing the right starting question, consider your audience. You want to ask something that is relevant to their experiences and interests. The question should be interesting enough to draw their attention and resonate with their emotions. For instance, if you’re presenting to a group of entrepreneurs, gear your question towards entrepreneurship, and so on.

To boost your question’s impact, consider using rhetorical questions. These don’t require a verbal response, but get your audience thinking about their experiences or opinions. Here’s an example:

• For an environmental speech : “What kind of world do we want to leave for our children?”

After posing your question, take a moment to let it sink in, and gauge the audience’s reaction. You can also use a brief pause to give the listeners time to think about their answers before moving on with your speech.

7. Acknowledging the Occasion

When starting a speech, you can acknowledge the occasion that brought everyone together. This helps create a connection with your audience and sets the stage for the rest of your speech. Make sure to mention the event name, its purpose, and any relevant individuals or groups you would like to thank for organizing it. For example:

“Hello everyone, and welcome to the 10th annual Charity Gala Dinner. I’m truly grateful to the fundraising committee for inviting me to speak tonight.”

After addressing the event itself, include a brief personal touch to show your connection with the topic or the audience. This helps the audience relate to you and gain interest in what you have to say. Here’s an example:

“As a long-time supporter of this cause, I am honored to share my thoughts on how we can continue making a difference in our community.”

Next, give a brief overview of your speech so the audience knows what to expect. This sets the context and helps them follow your points. You could say something like:

“Tonight, I’ll be sharing my experiences volunteering at the local food bank and discussing the impact of your generous donations.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective opening lines for speeches.

A powerful opening line will grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for the rest of your speech. Some effective opening lines include:

• Start with a bold statement: “The world needs your creativity now more than ever.”
• Share a surprising fact: “Did you know that the average person spends (…) years of their life at work?”
• Pose a thought-provoking question: “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”
• Tell a short, engaging story: “When I was 10 years old, I discovered my passion for baking in my grandmother’s kitchen.”

Can you provide examples of engaging introductions for speeches?

• Use humor: “As a kid, I believed that 7 pm bedtime was a form of torture. Now, as an adult, I find myself dreaming of 7 pm bedtime.”
• Share a personal experience: “On a trip to Italy, I found myself lost in the winding streets of a small village. It was there, amidst my confusion, that I stumbled upon the best gelato I’d ever tasted.”
• Use an analogy: “Starting a new business is like taking a journey into the unknown. There will be challenges to overcome, and you’ll need resilience, determination, and a strong compass.”

Which speech styles can make a powerful impact on the audience?

Different speech styles will resonate with different audiences. Some styles to consider include:

• Inspirational: Motivate your audience to take action or overcome challenges.
• Storytelling: Share personal experiences or anecdotes to illustrate your points and keep listeners engaged.
• Educational: Provide useful information and insights to help your audience learn or grow.
• Persuasive: Present a compelling argument to convince your audience to adopt a particular perspective or take specific action.

How do successful speakers establish a connection with their listeners?

Establishing a connection with your listeners is key to delivering an impactful speech. Some ways to connect with your audience include:

• Show empathy: Demonstrating understanding and concern for your audience’s feelings and experiences will generate a sense of trust and connection.
• Be relatable: Share personal stories or examples that allow your audience to see themselves in your experiences, thus making your speech more relatable.
• Keep it genuine: Avoid overrehearsing or coming across as scripted. Instead, strive for authenticity and flexibility in your delivery.
• Encourage participation: Engaging your audience through questions, activities, or conversation can help build rapport and make them feel more involved.

What are some techniques for maintaining a friendly and professional tone in speeches?

To maintain a friendly and professional tone in your speeches, consider these tips:

• Balance humor and seriousness: Use humor to lighten the mood and engage your audience, but make sure to also cover the serious points in your speech.
• Speak naturally: Use your everyday vocabulary and avoid jargon or overly formal language when possible.
• Show respect: Acknowledge differing opinions and experiences, and treat your audience with courtesy and fairness.
• Provide useful information: Offer valuable insights and solutions to your audience’s concerns, ensuring they leave your speech feeling more informed and empowered.
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in Leadership [Examples, Tips]
• Effective Nonverbal Communication in the Workplace (Examples)
• Empathy: Definition, Types, and Tips for Effective Practice
• How to Improve Key Communication Skills
• 38 Empathy Statements: Examples of Empathy
• What is Self Compassion? (Exercises, Methods, Examples)

15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

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Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

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• Speech Topics For Kids
• How To Write A Speech

How to Write a Speech: A Guide to Enhance Your Writing Skills

Speech is a medium to convey a message to the world. It is a way of expressing your views on a topic or a way to showcase your strong opposition to a particular idea. To deliver an effective speech, you need a strong and commanding voice, but more important than that is what you say. Spending time in preparing a speech is as vital as presenting it well to your audience.

Read the article to learn what all you need to include in a speech and how to structure it.

Table of Contents

• Self-Introduction

The Opening Statement

Structuring the speech, choice of words, authenticity, writing in 1st person, tips to write a speech, frequently asked questions on speech, how to write a speech.

Writing a speech on any particular topic requires a lot of research. It also has to be structured well in order to properly get the message across to the target audience. If you have ever listened to famous orators, you would have noticed the kind of details they include when speaking about a particular topic, how they present it and how their speeches motivate and instill courage in people to work towards an individual or shared goal. Learning how to write such effective speeches can be done with a little guidance. So, here are a few points you can keep in mind when writing a speech on your own. Go through each of them carefully and follow them meticulously.

Self Introduction

When you are writing or delivering a speech, the very first thing you need to do is introduce yourself. When you are delivering a speech for a particular occasion, there might be a master of ceremony who might introduce you and invite you to share your thoughts. Whatever be the case, always remember to say one or two sentences about who you are and what you intend to do.

Introductions can change according to the nature of your target audience. It can be either formal or informal based on the audience you are addressing. Here are a few examples.

Addressing Friends/Classmates/Peers

• Hello everyone! I am ________. I am here to share my views on _________.
• Good morning friends. I, _________, am here to talk to you about _________.

Addressing Teachers/Higher Authorities

• Good morning/afternoon/evening. Before I start, I would like to thank _______ for giving me an opportunity to share my thoughts about ________ here today.
• A good day to all. I, __________, on behalf of _________, am standing here today to voice out my thoughts on _________.

It is said that the first seven seconds is all that a human brain requires to decide whether or not to focus on something. So, it is evident that a catchy opening statement is the factor that will impact your audience. Writing a speech does require a lot of research, and structuring it in an interesting, informative and coherent manner is something that should be done with utmost care.

When given a topic to speak on, the first thing you can do is brainstorm ideas and pen down all that comes to your mind. This will help you understand what aspect of the topic you want to focus on. With that in mind, you can start drafting your speech.

An opening statement can be anything that is relevant to the topic. Use words smartly to create an impression and grab the attention of your audience. A few ideas on framing opening statements are given below. Take a look.

• Asking an Engaging Question

Starting your speech by asking the audience a question can get their attention. It creates an interest and curiosity in the audience and makes them think about the question. This way, you would have already got their minds ready to listen and think.

• Fact or a Surprising Statement

Surprising the audience with an interesting fact or a statement can draw the attention of the audience. It can even be a joke; just make sure it is relevant. A good laugh would wake up their minds and they would want to listen to what you are going to say next.

• Adding a Quote

After you have found your topic to work on, look for a quote that best suits your topic. The quote can be one said by some famous personality or even from stories, movies or series. As long as it suits your topic and is appropriate to the target audience, use them confidently.  Again, finding a quote that is well-known or has scope for deep thought will be your success factor.

To structure your speech easily, it is advisable to break it into three parts or three sections – an introduction, body and conclusion.

• Introduction: Introduce the topic and your views on the topic briefly.
• Body: Give a detailed explanation of your topic. Your focus should be to inform and educate your audience on the said topic.
• Conclusion:  Voice out your thoughts/suggestions. Your intention here should be to make them think/act.

While delivering or writing a speech, it is essential to keep an eye on the language you are using. Choose the right kind of words. The person has the liberty to express their views in support or against the topic; just be sure to provide enough evidence to prove the discussed points. See to it that you use short and precise sentences. Your choice of words and what you emphasise on will decide the effect of the speech on the audience.

When writing a speech, make sure to,

• Avoid long, confusing sentences.
• Check the spelling, sentence structure and grammar.
• Not use contradictory words or statements that might cause any sort of issues.

Anything authentic will appeal to the audience, so including anecdotes, personal experiences and thoughts will help you build a good rapport with your audience. The only thing you need to take care is to not let yourself be carried away in the moment. Speak only what is necessary.

Using the 1st person point of view in a speech is believed to be more effective than a third person point of view. Just be careful not to make it too subjective and sway away from the topic.

• Understand the purpose of your speech: Before writing the speech, you must understand the topic and the purpose behind it. Reason out and evaluate if the speech has to be inspiring, entertaining or purely informative.
• Identify your audience: When writing or delivering a speech, your audience play the major role. Unless you know who your target audience is, you will not be able to draft a good and appropriate speech.
• Decide the length of the speech: Whatever be the topic, make sure you keep it short and to the point. Making a speech longer than it needs to be will only make it monotonous and boring.
• Revising and practicing the speech: After writing, it is essential to revise and recheck as there might be minor errors which you might have missed. Edit and revise until you are sure you have it right. Practise as much as required so you do not stammer in front of your audience.
• Mention your takeaways at the end of the speech: Takeaways are the points which have been majorly emphasised on and can bring a change. Be sure to always have a thought or idea that your audience can reflect upon at the end of your speech.

How to write a speech?

Writing a speech is basically about collecting, summarising and structuring your points on a given topic. Do a proper research, prepare multiple drafts, edit and revise until you are sure of the content.

Why is it important to introduce ourselves?

It is essential to introduce yourself while writing a speech, so that your audience or the readers know who the speaker is and understand where you come from. This will, in turn, help them connect with you and your thoughts.

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Nervous about making a speech? Life Kit can help

Nervous about making a speech life kit can help..

It can be anxiety-inducing to deliver a speech in front of an audience. NPR's Life Kit talks with a speechwriter and a speech coach to get their best tips for public speaking.

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Independence Day 2024: Uplifting quotes, wishes, and messages to share

Ayush mehrotra   .

30 Heartfelt Independence Day 2024 wishes and messages

• Happy 78th Independence Day! Let's honour the bravery and sacrifices of our freedom fighters by working towards a better and brighter India.
• May the spirit of freedom fill your heart with pride and joy. Happy Independence Day!
• On this special day, let's salute the heroes who fought for our freedom. Happy Independence Day!
• Jai Hind! May our tricolour always fly high as a symbol of peace, prosperity, and pride.
• Wishing you a day filled with pride, joy, and gratitude for the freedom we enjoy. Happy Independence Day!
• Let's celebrate the unity in diversity that makes our nation so unique. Happy Independence Day!
• May we always stand strong as a nation and work together for a prosperous future. Happy 78th Independence Day!
• As we celebrate our freedom, let's pledge to protect and cherish it forever. Happy Independence Day!
• Let us remember the golden heritage of our country and feel proud to be a part of India. Happy Independence Day!
• On this Independence Day, let's commit to building a nation that our future generations will be proud of.
• Happy Independence Day! May our country continue to flourish and prosper in peace and harmony.
• Freedom is the most precious gift. Let's cherish and celebrate it every day. Happy Independence Day!
• Wishing you a day filled with patriotic spirit and love for our nation. Happy Independence Day!
• Happy Independence Day! Let's honour the sacrifices of those who gave us the gift of freedom.
• May our flag always fly high as a symbol of our unity and strength. Happy Independence Day!
• Let's pledge to work together for a peaceful and prosperous India. Happy Independence Day!
• Jai Hind! May the pride of being an Indian remain in our hearts forever.
• Wishing you a day of pride, joy, and unity as we celebrate our freedom. Happy Independence Day!
• Let's cherish the freedom we have and strive to make India the best it can be. Happy Independence Day!
• May the colours of our flag always remind us of the sacrifices made for our freedom. Happy Independence Day!
• Happy Independence Day! Let's celebrate the spirit of freedom and the strength of our nation.
• Let's honour the courage and dedication of those who fought for our freedom. Happy Independence Day!
• May we continue to uphold the values of justice, equality, and liberty. Happy Independence Day!
• Happy 78th Independence Day! Let's work together to build a brighter future for our country.
• Wishing you a day filled with pride and love for our nation. Happy Independence Day!
• Let's celebrate the freedom we enjoy and strive to protect it every day. Happy Independence Day!
• Happy Independence Day! May the spirit of patriotism always inspire us to work for a better India.
• Let's honour the legacy of our freedom fighters by upholding the values of our nation. Happy Independence Day!
• May our country continue to progress and prosper in unity and peace. Happy Independence Day!
• Jai Hind! Let's celebrate the spirit of independence and the pride of being an Indian.

Memorable quotes by freedom fighters on Independence

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Independence Day Speech 2024: Engaging Short and Long Speeches for You!

Independence day speech (swatantrata diwas bhashan) 2024: as independence day is just around the corner, we bring short and long speeches that students can use on the occasion. students can use these engaging and informative speeches for their school assemblies or speech competitions. .

Independence Day Speech For School Students: India will celebrate its 78th Independence Day on August 15, 2024. Independence Day is the occasion on which people come together to honour the sacrifices of the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives to attain independence from the British rule. Independence Day is a time to showcase pride and patriotism. It is also a reminder that despite differences in language or tradition, we are all part of one nation. On Independence Day, we join hands to honour the courage of the brave people who fought for our rights. 

Independence Day is an occasion to reflect on how we have come as a nation and reaffirm our commitment to uphold the values of justice, liberty and equality. Various activities like speech contests are held in schools to celebrate the nation's freedom. 

Also Check:  Independence Day Hindi Songs 2024: Check Best Hindi Songs for School Competitions and Celebrations

Independence Day 2024 Speech in 100 Words 

Respected principal, teachers and my dear friends, today, we gather here to celebrate the 78th Independence Day of our nation. As we observe the  anniversary of the liberation of our nation from British colonial rule, our hearts are filled with pride and gratitude for the sacrifices of our freedom fighters who fought bravely for our liberty and our rights. 

Independence Day 2024 Speech in 200 Words 

Respected principal, teachers and my dear friends, Independence Day is celebrated on August 15. This day marks the nation’s liberation from the British colonial rule after a long struggle. On this day, we pay tribute to the brave souls who laid down their lives and fought valiantly for the freedom we cherish today. Independence Day is a solemn occasion of national pride and unity. 

Independence Day is a glorious occasion when people come together to cherish the journey of our nation and pledge to uphold the values of justice, liberty and equality. As a nation, our unity and diversity are our greatest strengths. The freedom that we enjoy today came as a result of the sacrifices of our valiant freedom fighters. 

Also Check: Independence Day 2024 School Assembly Ideas for Students and Teachers

This freedom was achieved after countless movements such as the Civil Disobedience movement. The nation would not have attained independence, had it not been for notable freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and many others. 

Independence Day 2024 Speech in 500 Words 

Respected guests, principal, teachers and my dear friends, we are gathered here today to celebrate the 78th Independence Day of our nation. India achieved independence on August 15, 1947. It was an extremely proud moment when the national flag was unfurled at the Red Fort by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. This momentous occasion marked the end of the British rule in India. 

The British came to our nation, which was then known as, ‘Sone ki Chidiya’, for the purpose of trade. But they soon began taking advantage of the discords between people. The East India Company (EIC) took permission to carry out trade. The EIC gradually began expanding its operations and established factories in various parts of India. 

The British were successful in driving out French, Dutch and Portuguese traders out of the country. It was the Battle of Plassey (1757) which marked the successful establishment of the British rule in India. The British made Mir Jafar the puppet Nawab of Bengal in exchange for the territory of 24 parganas. 

The discriminatory policies of the British led to the Revolt of 1857. This event marked the first occasion of organised resistance against the EIC. The revolt was started by the sepoys of the EIC’s army and later spread to various cities. The revolt failed due to limited participation and lack of leadership. 

After the revolt, power was transferred from the EIC to the crown. The path to independence from the British saw various movements such as the Non-cooperation movement, Khilafat movement, Civil Disobedience movement and the Quit India movement. Behind India’s independence lies the rebellions and movements carried out by many freedom fighters. These people fought with unwavering determination to achieve freedom for all. 

Some of these brave freedom fighters were Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhagat Singh, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Rani Laxmi Bai, Mangal Pandey and countless others. 

On the eve of India’s independence, Pandit Nehru gave the famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech. I would like to take this opportunity to quote some historic lines from the speech. Pandit Nehru said, ‘’Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.’’

Also Check: Independence Day 2024: Easy and Creative Rangoli Designs For Students

As we celebrate Independence Day, let us remember our unsung heroes and their sacrifices. Let us continue to find strength in our unity and diversity. Let us all express our gratitude towards those who fought for our freedom and equality. 

Interesting Facts About Independence Day 

Here are some additional facts that you can use to add value to your speech. 

1 .Our National Anthem 'Jana Gana Mana' was composed by Rabindranath Tagore in 1911 but it was adopted as the national anthem till January 24, 1950. 

2 .National song 'Vande Mataram' was adopted on January 24, 1950.  It was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. 

3 .Mahatma Gandhi went on a hunger strike to stop the violence and bloodshed that was caused by the partition. Thus he did not participate in the Independence Day celebrations. 

4 .India was supposed to get independence on June 30, 1948. But the date was preponed in order to avoid the bloodbath. 

5 .The first Indian flag was hoisted on August 7, 1906 at Parsee Bagaan Square in then Calcutta. 

6 .The date of independence for both India and Pakistan was August 15, 1947 but Lord Mountbatten selected August 14 for the ceremony of transfer of power to Pakistan as he wanted to attend the ceremonies of both nations. 

7 .Hindi was adopted as the official language of Union of India on September 14, 1949. 

Use these engaging speeches to express pride and patriotism that you feel for your country. Happy Independence Day to all!

Also, check

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How to Improve Your English Pronunciation in 15 Steps

Learning to pronounce English words correctly can be one of the hardest parts of learning English , especially if there are sounds that your native language doesn’t have or you tend to get tripped up by tricky vowel pronunciation.

See how “way,” “weigh” and “whey”   are all said the same, while “comb,” “bomb” and “tomb” are all pronounced differently?

That’s why I have 15 tips for you, to help you pronounce even the trickiest English words correctly.

1. Learn to listen.

2. learn with the best english pronunciation dictionaries online., 3. notice how your mouth and lips move., 4. pay attention to your tongue., 5. break words down into sounds., 6. add stress to sounds and words., 7. ask yourself which dialect of english you want to learn., 8. exaggerate certain sounds (make them bigger)., 9. write out difficult words by their sounds., 10. write down what you hear., 11. practice with tongue twisters., 12. use pronunciation podcasts and videos., 13. record yourself., 14. practice with a buddy., 15. speak as much as you can..

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Before you learn how to speak, you’ll need to learn how to listen. Some sounds can be hard to tell apart when you’re listening. Did the speaker sleep or slip ? Did he hurt his chin or his shin ? If you can hear the difference, it will be easier to speak the difference.

There are many guides to get you started in learning to listen. We have some great articles here about learning to listen from movies , songs and music  and podcasts . You can also find listening exercises online, like this one from Rong-chang .

The pronunciation practice at Many Things  is really slick, especially its huge selection of lessons on  minimal pairs . Minimal pairs are pairs of words like sleep  and  slip, that are only different by one sound. You can click on each word to hear a complete sentence with each, then quiz yourself in the second box and click the correct answer.

You probably already use a dictionary to translate English words, but online or digital dictionaries can offer many additional benefits, including pronunciation guides . These kinds of dictionaries are some of the most useful tools you can have for practicing English pronunciation. Best of all, they’re available online for free!

Here are some of the best pronunciation dictionaries you can find and use online.

• Thousands of learner friendly videos (especially beginners)
• Handpicked, organized, and annotated by FluentU's experts
• Integrated into courses for beginners

Google Translate

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You may have already used Google Translate during your English studies. Google Translate is an easy-to-use translator that also provides pronunciation guides for single words and whole sentences. As soon as you get to Google Translate’s interface, you can look up any word and it will give you a number of definitions and an audio pronunciation.

If you’re just looking for pronunciation help, type in Google search “how to say (insert word).” You will get both an audio pronunciation guide (which you can slow down) and a visual guide that shows how your mouth should move when saying the word.

It uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the English language and culture over time. You’ll learn English as it’s spoken in real life.

FluentU has a variety of engaging content from popular talk shows, nature documentaries and funny commercials, as you can see here:

FluentU makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition and useful examples.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you'll see this:

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It even reminds you when it’s time to review! Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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• Interactive subtitles: click any word to see detailed examples and explanations
• Slow down or loop the tricky parts
• Show or hide subtitles
• Review words with our powerful learning engine

Forvo is a user-generated pronunciation guide in which native speakers submit audio clips of themselves saying certain words or phrases. You can look up a word, learn its definition and listen to how different people from different places say it. There are also pronunciations for whole sentences and phrases as well!

Forvo is well-liked because real people are the ones speaking the words. You can also see how certain speakers are ranked in their pronunciations; the pronunciations with the most likes may be the ones you should focus on.

Because the audio submissions can come from all over the world, you can listen to how the same word is said in different regional accents; the importance of this will be discussed in more detail later on.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Merriam-Webster is also known as “America’s most useful and well-known dictionary.” It’s no surprise then that it’s here on this list! The dictionary offers detailed definitions and information about the words you look up, as well as clear, good-quality audio pronunciations.

You can also download the free app version of this dictionary, which comes with some special features. With the app, you can search for words by speaking them out loud into your device’s microphone—this is great for when you don’t know how to spell a word, but it’s also good speaking practice. If there are any words that interest you, you can save them into your own “favorites” list.

WordReference

• Learn words in the context of sentences
• Swipe left or right to see more examples from other videos
• Go beyond just a superficial understanding

WordReference is a helpful multilingual dictionary. It supports translations for a lot of languages, so if your native language is included, you can find a word in English by writing it out in your language, or search for English words and get translations in your language. This is very helpful when you want to make sure you’re getting the right translations.

WordReference also lets you listen to audio pronunciations in different English accents, more than many other dictionaries. Most online dictionaries may just offer one British pronunciation and one American pronunciation, but WordReference also specifies other specific accents such as Irish, Scottish, American Southern and even Jamaican. After you look up a word, you can click on the “Listen” button to pick the accent you want to hear and change the speed of the audio.

Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries

Oxford’s online dictionary, provided by the well-respected Oxford University Press, is a great resource for beginner learners. Sometimes, dictionaries can offer a lot of information that can make things confusing—Oxford’s dictionary takes out a lot of the confusion and gives you the main things you need. The definitions are written in an easy-to-understand manner and you get plenty of example sentences that show you how the word is used.

The dictionary has two pronunciation options: you can listen to the word spoken in British English or in American English. The pronunciations are done by different male and female humans (not robots!), which can be great for your listening practice.

Collins Online Dictionary

This dictionary offers most of what the other listed dictionaries have, but with some extra audio features. Once you look up a word, Collins dictionary also provides audio pronunciation of the word in its different forms (such as in past tense or participle form). There are even audio pronunciations for the example sentences that show the word in use, which can be very useful when you want to practice speaking in whole phrases.

• FluentU builds you up, so you can build sentences on your own
• Start with multiple-choice questions and advance through sentence building to producing your own output
• Go from understanding to speaking in a natural progression.

Collins dictionary provides slightly different definitions: the first “Collins” definition, the second “British English” definition and the third “American English” definition. With each definition section, you can hear either the British or American pronunciation of the word. In some cases, there may even be a video clip of a real person saying the word!

One thing to note is that the example sentence pronunciations are done by a text-to-speech robot instead of a human. However, the voice doesn’t sound too unnatural or strange, so you can still find these pronunciations helpful!

A dictionary is a study tool that you’ll always want to have around when you’re studying and practicing English. If you ever learn a new word and aren’t sure how to pronounce it, then a dictionary with audio functions can give you immediate help.

When you speak, you move your mouth. How you move your mouth affects how you pronounce a word.

The first step to correcting your mouth shape is to notice it and pay attention. There are a few ways you can check that your mouth and lips are making the correct shape:

• Use a mirror.  This is by far the simplest way to tell what your mouth is doing while you talk.
• Put a finger in front of your lips (like you’re saying “shh”). As you speak, don’t move your finger. You should feel your lips moving away from or pushing against your finger.

Watch other people and notice the shape their mouth and lips make when they talk. Try following along with your favorite TV show or movie. Can you repeat the faces and sounds that the actors are making ?

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There are guides and pictures online that will help you learn how to move your mouth. Sounds of English has some good explanations for pronouncing specific words. This guide is for people making 3D animations, but the pictures are a great start to understanding how your mouth should look when you speak.

You can also find great videos showing how to properly form the mouth and lip shapes when you’re speaking, like this one from Georgie Harding :

Feeling stiff? Loosen up your mouth and tongue and get ready to practice your speech with this fun warm-up exercise from Howcast !

The main difference between rice and lice is in your tongue. When you speak, you move your tongue to make sounds. You probably didn’t even notice that, since you do it without thinking. To improve your English pronunciation, it’s a good idea to check what your tongue is doing.

Some difficult sounds for non-native speakers to make are the letters “L” and “R,” and the sound “TH.” Pronouncing them correctly is all in the tongue!

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• To make the “L” sound , your tongue should touch the back of your front teeth and the top of your mouth, just behind your teeth. Try it now: Say the word “light.” Say it a few times. Feel where your tongue is in your mouth. Make sure it touches the top of your mouth. 
• To make the “R” sound , your tongue should not  touch the top of your mouth. Pull your tongue back to the middle of your mouth, near where it naturally rests if you weren’t saying anything. As you say the sound, your lips should be a little rounded. Try it now: Say the word “right” a few times. You should feel air blowing between your tongue and the top of your mouth as you speak. You should also feel your lips get a little rounder when you make the sound.

Check out this video about to learn how to pronounce 20 of the most commonly used words in English:

There are many other pronunciation guides on YouTube, so look around for one that helps you master the sounds of the language!

If you can’t figure out what to do with your tongue to make the right sound, try asking someone. Ask them to say a word with that sound, then tell you where they put their tongue. They’ve probably never thought about it before, either!

Words are made up of syllables, or parts. The word “syllable,” for example, has three syllables: syl-la-ble. Turning words into parts can make them easier to pronounce.

To check how many syllables a word has, place your hand flat just under your chin. Say the word slowly. Each time your chin touches your hand, that’s a syllable.

You can even write the word down in parts. Leave a space or draw a line between each syllable (every syllable should have at least one vowel: a, e, i, o, u, y). Now try saying the word. Say it slowly and pause after each syllable. Isn’t that easier?

If you’re having trouble with syllables, you can check out  How Many Syllables . This website shows you the syllables in any word you look up, and even shows you how to pronounce it.

English is a stressed language. That means some words and sounds are more important than others. You can hear this when you say a word out loud. For example, the word “introduce” is pronounced with a stress at the end, so it sounds like this: “in-tro-DUCE.”

Sometimes, where you put the stress in a word can change the word’s meaning. Say this word out loud: “present.” If you said “PREsent,” you are talking about a noun that means either “right this moment” or “a gift.” If you said “preSENT,” you are talking about a verb that means “to give or show.”

You need to remember that most two-syllable nouns are stressed on the first syllable, and most two-syllable verbs are stressed on the second syllable (like “present”).

If this all sounds too complicated, don’t worry about memorizing all these rules—the best way to learn is by listening and practicing. Remember that most native English speakers don’t know the rules, either—they just say what “sounds right.” With enough practice, you can get what sounds right, too.

This video about six common English mistakes goes over word stress in detail in the first point:

Keep watching the rest of the video for other useful tips for avoiding some of the most common English learner mistakes.

Watch this video from mmmEnglish for more information about syllable stress in English:

Sentences have stresses too; some words are more important, and are said with more clarity and strength than the rest of the sentence. Try reading this sentence aloud: “I ate some toast with butter in the morning.”

The sentence should have sounded like this (the bold words are the stressed ones): “I ate some toast with butter in the morning .” Notice how you slow down every time you get to an important word, and quickly pass over the less important ones?

Keep practicing by reading out loud, having conversations and listening well to where others place stress when they speak.

When you speak English, do you want to sound like you’re from America or England ? Australia or New Zealand ? Maybe Canada or South Africa .

Choosing your dialect of English is one of the first decisions to make on your English-learning journey. Not only it will determine much of the vocabulary you learn but will also drastically affect your pronunciation.

The two most common types of English for ESL students are probably American English and British English .

Choosing which type will affect how you pronounce sounds. For example, in America, the “r” sound at the end of a word is much harsher.

And when a “t” appears in the middle of a word, Americans often pronounce it as a “d,” while the British pronounce it as a hard “t.” Think of words like “water,” “whatever” or “lighter.”

Once you’ve chosen which dialect of English you want to take on, base your studying methods and tools on that decision.

Watching movies and TV shows are fantastic ways to learn English and pick up accents. I particularly love watching TV series, because you have hours of content, and you learn to understand characters’ accents over time.

If you’re looking for a British TV show, I recommend “The Crown,” a drama about Queen Elizabeth II. I also love “The Great British Baking Show.” This reality show is lighthearted and fun to watch, and you’ll pick up modern slang.

How about English shows? “Friends” is a classic option for learning English, and many Americans will love to talk about it with you. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is a sitcom that’s currently on the air that centers around cops (policemen and women) in New York City.

Check out this video breaking down a scene from “Friends” where Monica and Chandler discuss what to do with their extra bedroom to learn how to pronounce commonly used words in American English:

If you want to learn British English, LearnEnglish Sounds Right will provide an English pronunciation guide for people wanting to attain a British accent, and you can download it for your iOS or Android device .

As you can see, your choice of dialect will affect every other decision you make regarding English pronunciation!

Depending on your native language and which dialect of English you’re studying, you may find certain sounds to be difficult. Actually, I think every ESL student I’ve met who is learning American English struggles with the American “r” sound!

So how do you master a tricky sound like this?

Believe it or not, exaggerating these sounds will likely make it easier for native speakers to understand you. You may think you sound corny because you aren’t used to making these sounds. But for a native speaker, you’ll sound way more authentic than a foreigner who is shy about these sounds.

Exaggerate. Exaggerate the sound until you feel ridiculous. Exaggerate until you’re sure it’s so over the top that people are going to make fun of you.

What’s the goal? Eventually, you will be so used to the shape your mouth makes that you won’t be conscious of exaggerating, and you won’t be thinking of English pronunciation rules as you speak. And that’s when you know you’re on the path to fluency.

Having trouble with certain words? Try writing them out.

No, not just the word. Try writing it out phonetically (by its sounds instead of its spelling) .

Let’s say you’re struggling with the word pizza. Write it out phonetically: piːtsə.

When you look at the phonics, you can see that the double-z is pronounced like a “ts.”

Try making flashcards. Write the word on one side, then spell it out phonetically on the other side. If it helps, you can highlight the letters on each side that you’re testing yourself on. (This can be especially useful for visual learners!)

Writing things out phonetically can be difficult, especially if it’s in your second language. If you need help, visit EasyPronunciation.com . Type in the word or sentence you need help with, and the website will transcribe it phonetically for you. (Bonus—it lets you choose between American and British English!)

Want to master English pronunciation? Sit down and listen. Listen to someone speak and write down what they are saying.

You might be thinking, “Hey, I’m here to practice English speaking , not listening!”

However, listening is an excellent way to improve English pronunciation.

In my high school French classes, we had to take dictation (write what the teacher said) every week. The teacher spoke for 20 minutes, and we had to write down exactly what she said. Trying to decipher her accent and write down what we heard made me understand French spelling and pronunciation better.

Don’t have an English teacher who wants to talk aloud for 20 minutes at your disposal? There are plenty of ways to find a resource !

EnglishClub is a great dictation website, regardless of your learning level. Choose from elementary, intermediate or advanced dictation.

You’ll listen to the dictation once at normal speed. Then a second time at a slowed-down speed so you can write it down. Listen for a third time at a normal speed. Then check your answer.

YouTube also has many options to practice your listening and writing skills. Get started with Speak English with Vanessa’s Dr. Seuss dictation video :

You can also watch a scene from a TV show or movie and write down what you hear. If you’re watching on a service that provides subtitles, play the scene again with subtitles to check your work.

If you recognize difficult sounds when you hear them, it’s likely that you’ll learn how to say them.

When speaking English, do you sometimes struggle with similar sounds (like “sh” and “ch,” “t” and “th” or the short and long “e” sounds)? Don’t worry—you’re not the only one.

Tongue twisters can be a fun (but tricky!) way to practice differentiating between two sounds. They’re  poems that can be hard to recite because a lot of the sounds are similar.

In English-speaking countries, people say them just because it’s funny when you mess up and sound silly. And it’s satisfying when you finally master the poem!

Here are a few examples of popular, effective English tongue twisters—this one’s great for practicing the “s” and “sh” sounds:

She sells seashells by the seashore.

That’s a very famous tongue twister. But once you’ve got that down, try adding on a few less well-known lines:

The shells she sells are sea-shells, I’m sure. For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore Then I’m sure she sells sea-shore shells.

Alright, now let’s try one to practice the “cl” and “cr” sounds:

How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?

And now one for the “sh” and “ch” sounds:

If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?

Want to practice different sounds with tongue twisters? Take a look at this list .

You can also hear some tongue twisters spoken by a native English speaker on Rachel’s English (and see that even native speakers can have trouble mastering these tricky twisters!):

There are some excellent video and audio guides on English pronunciations that you can use to improve. The English Language Club has videos that show how to make different sounds in English. Rachel’s English has friendly videos on how to speak and pronounce American English in everyday conversations.

If you like podcasts better, Pronuncian has over 200 audio files that help with everything from pronunciation to stress and pitch (how you raise and lower your voice while you speak).

If none of these are what you’re looking for, there are many more to choose from. Find the one that’s right for you.

One way to tell if all your practice is working is to record yourself with a camera. Use a camera and don’t just a sound recorder because it’s important to see how you speak, not only hear it.

You don’t need to download any special software to record yourself; most computers and mobile devices have built-in video recorders. You can use PhotoBooth on a Mac or  Movie Moments on a Windows computer. The specific programs change with time (the Movie Moments program, for instance, might not be available anymore by the time you read this) but as long as a computer has a camera, you should be able to record videos with it . Your phone or mobile device also has a video capturing app, usually as part of the camera app.

Compare your recording to someone else saying the same words or sounds. Find a video of your favorite part from a movie. Choose one or two sentences and record yourself trying to match the stress, tone and pronunciation of the video. Then you can compare the two, see what you did differently and try again.

Ask a friend or watch a video to check. If your pronunciation doesn’t sound the same, ask yourself some questions: Are you moving your mouth the right way? Is your tongue in the right place? Are you stressing the right part of the word? Use everything you’ve learned in this article so far!

As always, “Practice makes perfect!” And it’s easier to practice with a friend. Find someone to practice pronunciation with, either  in person  or through online communities like Language Exchange  or InterPals .

Practicing with a buddy (friend) will give you a chance to try everything you learned, and learn new things from each other. Plus, it’s fun!

If you don’t speak often, you can become nervous when it’s finally time to open your mouth and say something in English.

It’s like playing basketball. You might be good at running, dribbling and passing, but never shoot the ball.

When it’s time to play and you get a chance to shoot, it would be hard. You could even become so nervous by doing something new in front of other people that your nerves paralyze you.

It’s the same with speaking English. Not only do you need English pronunciation practice, but you need to get over your nerves so that you feel comfortable speaking in front of others. Nerves can lead to a lot of mistakes, especially regarding pronunciation.

Try making a rule for yourself: You must speak English to yourself at home. To start, try just narrating what you’re doing when you’re cooking dinner or getting ready for bed.

Promise yourself that you’re going to speak aloud for at least a few minutes per day.

Pronunciation is as important to learning English as vocabulary and grammar. Thanks to these 15 tips, you’ll soon be on your way to pronouncing English like a native.

And remember: practice makes perfect!

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Nobel Laureate Tapped to Lead Interim Government in Bangladesh

The new government was being formed a day after Bangladesh’s longtime leader, facing fierce protests, fled the country.

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By Saif Hasnat Shayeza Walid and Anupreeta Das

Saif Hasnat and Shayeza Walid reported from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The president of Bangladesh on Tuesday appointed Muhammad Yunus , a pioneer in microfinance and a Nobel laureate, to oversee an interim government, accommodating demands by protesters and offering a reprieve for a country scarred by violence.

The plans for a new government were announced a day after Bangladesh’s authoritarian leader, Sheikh Hasina, resigned and fled the country amid a popular uprising.

Word of the Yunus appointment came from the main coordinator of the protests, Nahid Islam, who was among a group of people who met with President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Tuesday. Military officials also attended the meeting, though Mr. Yunus did not.

With the Bangladeshi Parliament dissolved, Mr. Yunus, 84, is expected to lead a temporary government for an uncertain period of time.

“We are forming a government in an extraordinary situation,” said Asif Nazrul, a law professor at the University of Dhaka who was also present at the meeting with the president. “The tenure of the government is yet to be finalized,” Mr. Nazrul said.

The other members of the interim government will be announced within the next few days, meeting attendees said.

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