words used in speech writing

60 Words To Describe Writing Or Speaking Styles

Writers Write creates and shares writing resources. In this post, we give you 60 words to describe writing or speaking styles .

What Is Your Writing Or Speaking Style?

“Style, in its broadest sense, is a specific way in which we create, perform, or do something. Style in literature is the way an author uses words to tell a story. It is a writer’s way of showing his or her personality on paper.

Just as a person putting together items of clothing and jewellery, and applying make-up creates a personal style, the way a person puts together word choice, sentence structure, and figurative language describes his or her literary style.

When combined, the choices they make work together to establish mood , images, and meaning. This has an effect on their audience.”

From 7 Choices That Affect A Writer’s Style

articulate – able to express your thoughts, arguments, and ideas clearly and effectively; writing or speech is clear and easy to understand
chatty – a chatty writing style is friendly and informal
circuitous – taking a long time to say what you really mean when you are talking or writing about something
clean – clean language or humour does not offend people, especially because it does not involve sex
conversational – a conversational style of writing or speaking is informal, like a private conversation
crisp – crisp speech or writing is clear and effective
declamatory – expressing feelings or opinions with great force
diffuse – using too many words and not easy to understand
discursive – including information that is not relevant to the main subject
economical – an economical way of speaking or writing does not use more words than are necessary
elliptical – suggesting what you mean rather than saying or writing it clearly
eloquent – expressing what you mean using clear and effective language
emphatic – making your meaning very clear because you have very strong feelings about a situation or subject
emphatically – very firmly and clearly
epigrammatic – expressing something such as a feeling or idea in a short and clever or funny way
epistolary – relating to the writing of letters
euphemistic – euphemistic expressions are used for talking about unpleasant or embarrassing subjects without mentioning the things themselves
flowery – flowery language or writing uses many complicated words that are intended to make it more attractive
fluent – expressing yourself in a clear and confident way, without seeming to make an effort
formal – correct or conservative in style, and suitable for official or serious situations or occasions
gossipy – a gossipy letter is lively and full of news about the writer of the letter and about other people
grandiloquent – expressed in extremely formal language in order to impress people, and often sounding silly because of this
idiomatic – expressing things in a way that sounds natural
inarticulate – not able to express clearly what you want to say; not spoken or pronounced clearly
incoherent – unable to express yourself clearly
informal – used about language or behaviour that is suitable for using with friends but not in formal situations
journalistic – similar in style to journalism
learned – a learned piece of writing shows great knowledge about a subject, especially an academic subject
literary – involving books or the activity of writing, reading, or studying books; relating to the kind of words that are used only in stories or poems, and not in normal writing or speech
lyric – using words to express feelings in the way that a song would
lyrical – having the qualities of music
ornate – using unusual words and complicated sentences
orotund – containing extremely formal and complicated language intended to impress people
parenthetical – not directly connected with what you are saying or writing
pejorative – a pejorative word, phrase etc expresses criticism or a bad opinion of someone or something
picturesque – picturesque language is unusual and interesting
pithy – a pithy statement or piece of writing is short and very effective
poetic – expressing ideas in a very sensitive way and with great beauty or imagination
polemical – using or supported by strong arguments
ponderous – ponderous writing or speech is serious and boring
portentous – trying to seem very serious and important, in order to impress people
prolix – using too many words and therefore boring
punchy – a punchy piece of writing such as a speech, report, or slogan is one that has a strong effect because it uses clear simple language and not many words
rambling – a rambling speech or piece of writing is long and confusing
readable – writing that is readable is clear and able to be read
rhetorical – relating to a style of speaking or writing that is effective or intended to influence people; written or spoken in a way that is impressive but is not honest
rhetorically – in a way that expects or wants no answer; using or relating to rhetoric
rough – a rough drawing or piece of writing is not completely finished
roundly – in a strong and clear way
sententious – expressing opinions about right and wrong behaviour in a way that is intended to impress people
sesquipedalian – using a lot of long words that most people do not understand
Shakespearean – using words in the way that is typical of Shakespeare’s writing
stylistic – relating to ways of creating effects, especially in language and literature
succinct – expressed in a very short but clear way
turgid – using language in a way that is complicated and difficult to understand
unprintable – used for describing writing or words that you think are offensive
vague – someone who is vague does not clearly or fully explain something
verbose – using more words than necessary, and therefore long and boring
well-turned – a well-turned phrase is one that is expressed well
wordy – using more words than are necessary, especially long or formal words

Source for Words: Macmillan Dictionary

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy

The 4 Main Characters As Literary Devices
7 Choices That Affect A Writer’s Style
5 Incredibly Simple Ways To Help Writers Show And Not Tell
Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language
Punctuation For Beginners
If you want to learn how to write a book, sign up for our online course .
If you want to learn how to blog, sign up for the online course.
Style , Writing Resource

4 thoughts on “60 Words To Describe Writing Or Speaking Styles”

useful thank you …

useful thank you.

Very informative. Taught me slot

Thanks a lot. Very useful.

Comments are closed.

The Ultimate List Of Tone Words

As a writer, you know how important it is to choose the right word for the meaning you’re trying to convey.

And part of that is knowing what tone words are and which one to use in a particular context.

The wrong one is like an errant note in an otherwise flawless performance. Even if it has the same dictionary definition, it just doesn’t sound right.

But where do you go to find the words with just the right tone and cadence to make the sentence flow as it should?

Welcome to our ultimate list of tone words .

175 Words to Describe Tone for Authors

Positive tone words, negative tone words, neutral tone words, final thoughts, what are tones in writing.

Tone in writing is like the voice or mood that jumps off the page when you’re reading a story or an article. For example, when listening to your favorite song notice how it can make you feel happy, sad, excited, or calm.

Tone in writing works the same way but through words. It’s the writer’s way of showing their point of view toward the subject or the audience.

Understanding tone is like being a detective for feelings and attitudes, helping you get the real vibe of what you’re reading. It makes reading more colorful and helps you connect with the written words.

Any tone words list (worth the time it takes to make it) should provide the fuller meaning of each word — i.e., not just the denotation (dictionary definition) but it’s connotations, too.

For this tone words list, you’ll see each tone word example explained with a short definition or with synonyms that have the same general tone.

woman hugging dog outdoors List Of Tone Words

All you have to do is open a thesaurus to find synonyms for a particular word to realize that some of those words do NOT have the tone you’re looking for.

Some are obviously negative. Some are positive. And the rest are more or less neutral.

Related: 111 Negative Adjectives To Describe A Person

The tone word you need for the moment is the one that evokes the right emotions and that allows your sentence to flow without speed bumps.

Positive tone words are those that evoke positive emotions.

If you hear a person described in words with a positive tone, you’re more likely to think favorably of them, even before you’ve met.

Adoring — loving ardently; worshipping; venerating
Amused — entertained or diverted; pleased
Animated — lively; full of excitement or enthusiasm; vibrant; spirited; impassioned
Appreciative — grateful or thankful; showing gratitude, approval, or pleasure
Assertive — sure of oneself; brave or fearless; self-confident; authoritative
Ardent — passionate; enthusiastic; fervent; zealous
Benevolent — kind; generous; compassionate; tolerant; well meaning
Blithe — in good spirits; of a sunny disposition; happy; cheerful
Bold — audacious or daring; assertive; fearless or seeming to be fearless
Calm — serene or tranquil; unruffled or unshaken; placid
Candid — honest or truthful; straightforward; unreserved
Celebratory — paying tribute to; glorifying; praising or honoring; making merry
Cheerful / cheery — positive or uplifting; optimistic; salutary;
Comforting — consoling; healing; warming or calming; soothing
Comic — funny/humorous ; amusing or entertaining; diverting
Compassionate — empathetic or sympathetic; nonjudgmental; quick to forgive
Contented — wanting for nothing; grateful; accepting
Curious — inquisitive or questioning; wanting to know more
Direct — straightforward; blunt; lacking in hesitation
Earnest — serious; wholehearted; sincere or showing deep sincerity or feeling
Ebullient — high-spirited; brimming with enthusiasm or excitement; exuberant
Elated — joyful or jubilant; in high spirits; happy or proud
Elevated — exalted; lofty; honored
Eloquent — beauty or fluidity of expression;
Empathetic — showing empathy; feeling the emotions of others
Enchant — cast a spell over; entrance; bewitch
Endearing — inspiring warmth or affection
Enthusiastic — excited; energetic; optimistic; bubbling over
Exhilarated — invigorated; enlivened or feeling alive; stimulated; made cheerful
Forthright — straight to the point; frank; outspoken; unambiguous; direct
Gentle — kind; considerate; tender; soft; not severe; gradual; moderate
Hilarious — amusing; uproariously funny; ridiculous or laughable
Inspirational — motivating ; energizing; reassuring; instilling hope; catalyzing
Intimate — familiar; confidential; confessional; private
Joyful — filled with gratitude; elated or exuberant; supremely happy
Laudatory — praising; extolling; recommending
Learned — educated; knowledgeable; erudite; involved in the pursuit of knowledge
Lighthearted — positive; carefree; relaxed; optimistic; in good spirits
Lively — full of life; energetic; vigorous; animated; spirited; sprightly; vivacious
Lofty — exalted in rank; elevated in tone, style, or sentiment
Loving — affectionate; showing deep concern or solicitude for someone
Modest — free from ostentation; unpretentious; showing humility
Objective — without prejudice; fair; basing judgment on facts rather than feelings
Optimistic — hopeful; cheerful; expecting good; disposed to taking a favorable view
Powerful — potent; efficacious; having or exerting great power; forceful
Reassuring — restoring hope, security, or confidence
Reflective — given to reflection , meditation, or contemplation; thoughtful
Relaxed — calm; free or relieved of tension, trouble, or anxiety
Respectful — full of or showing politeness, sympathy, or deference
Reverent — showing deep respect; holding someone or something in high esteem
Righteous — morally right or justifiable; pious; guiltless; upright
Romantic — imbued with idealism; preoccupied with love, adventure, justice, etc.
Sanguine — hopeful; cheerfully optimistic; confident of a good outcome
Scholarly — learned; educated; committed to furthering one’s education
Self-assured — having or showing self-confidence; bold or fearless; forward
Sincere — honest; truthful; not false or deceitful; free of hypocrisy; genuine
Stable — not likely to fall or give way (as a structure/support); steady
Stately — grand; imposing in size or magnificence; elegant; majestic
Straightforward — honest; straight to the point; not roundabout; direct
Sympathetic — understand what another is feeling; showing compassion
Tender — gentle; soft-hearted; compassionate; kind; delicate; young
Thoughtful — considerate of others; thinking before acting; pensive
Tolerant — open-minded; patient; charitable; sympathetic; lenient; accepting
Tranquil — calm; unruffled; unprovoked; peaceful; placid; serene
Vibrant — full of life and vigor; lively; full of vivid color; vivacious
Whimsical — playful or fun; offbeat; mischievous; quaint; capricious; fanciful
Witty — quick-witted; entertaining; amusingly clever; intelligent
Wonder — admiration; fascination; awe; curiosity; amazement; admiration

Anything described in negative tone words is likely to leave you with a bad impression, whether the thing described is a place, a book, or a group of people.

Choose your words carefully. If this is a time for honest negativity, this list will help you find the right words .

Abashed — embarrassed or ashamed; humiliated; shy
Abhorring — hating; despising; loathing; abominating; detesting
Abstruse — difficult to understand; esoteric; secret or hidden; obsolete
Absurd — laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous; senseless; illogical; untrue
Accusatory — suggesting someone (else) has done something wrong
Acerbic — biting, abrasive, cutting, or sharp; hurtful; severe
Aggressive — hostile, forceful, argumentative, contentious
Angry — irate or furious; menacing or threatening; resentful
Annoyed — irritated; agitated; provoked; disturbed; bothered
Antagonistic — argumentative or contentious; contrarian; belligerent
Anxious — focused on negative thought loops; feeling out of control
Apathetic — indifferent or lacking concern; unemotional; showing little interest
Apprehensive — worried or nervous; expecting the worst
Arrogant — conceited or self-important; overbearing; condescending
Authoritarian — domineering or bossy; insisting on complete obedience
Belligerent — bellicose or warlike; antagonistic; combative
Bewildered — baffled, confused, or flummoxed; lost
Bitter — angry; acrimonious; resentful or dwelling on past injury
Boorish — dull; pretentious; arrogant or self-absorbed
Brusque — abrupt or dismissive; rough; blunt
Callous — uncaring or unfeeling; indifferent; lacking in compassion
Caustic — making cutting or corrosive comments; intending injury
Censorious — critical or quick to judge or condemn;
Choleric — quick to anger; short-tempered; hot-blooded; irascible
Churlish — critical in a mean-spirited way; nasty; belligerent; bullying
Cliché — overused; trite; stale; unimaginative; hackneyed; commonplace
Clinical — humorless; detached; unfeeling or uncaring; aloof; cold
Complicated — unnecessarily complex; difficult to comprehend
Condescending — patronizing; talking down to those you consider beneath you
Confounded — confused; befuddled or mystified; bewildered; damned
Confused — bewildered; unable to think clearly; vague; perplexed; disoriented
Contemptuous — hateful; spiteful; quick to hold others in contempt; toxic
Contentious — argumentative or combative; quick to stir the pot
Critical — finding fault; complaining or criticizing; disapproving
Cruel — causing pain or suffering; unkind; spiteful; devoid of humane feelings
Cynical — critical of motives; quick to assume the worst; mocking or sneering
Derisive — mocking; sarcastic; dismissive or scornful; snide
Derogatory — insulting or demeaning; disrespectul; unkind
Detached — aloof or distant; uncaring; unfeeling; frigid; machine-like
Diabolic — demonic or satanic; evil or malicious;
Diffident — lacking confidence in your ability or worth; timid or shy
Disgusted — appalled; repulsed; repelled; disappointed
Disparaging — critical; scornful; dismissive; insulting
Distressing — saddening or heartbreaking; troubling; disturbing
Dogmatic — thinking in black and white; intolerant; inflexible; close-minded
Domineering — imposing your beliefs and/or authority on others; tyrannical
Dubious — questionable or having questionable motives; inclined to doubt
Egotistical — ego-centric; self-centered or self-absorbed; vain; arrogant
Enraged — furious; unhinged; infuriated; extremely angry
Evasive — cryptic or unclear; avoiding; ambiguous; elusive or evanescent
Facetious — inappropriate or impertinent; flippant or dismissive; glib; shallow
Farcical — ridiculous; absurd; mocking; humorous and highly improbable
Fatalistic — pessimistic; expecting the worst as inevitable
Fearful — frightened; afraid; terrified; paralyzed or immobilized; shy
Flippant — casual or thoughtless; glib; inconsiderate; dismissive
Foppish — dandified; pretentious; vain; excessively refined and fastidious
Foreboding — dread; strong feeling of impending doom or evil
Frivolous — unnecessary and costing more than it’s worth; silly or lacking
Frustrated — feeling thwarted in your efforts; feeling besieged or undermined
Ghoulish — delighting in the loathesome, perverse, or revolting
Grim — serious or humorless; of dark intent; macabre; depressing
Hapless — unfortunate or appearing to be doomed to perpetual bad luck
Harsh — unkind or unmerciful; unnecessarily painful; unyielding
Humble — modest; deferential; self-confident; unassuming; respectful
Inane — foolish; stupid; silly or nonsensical; vacuous; empty; insignificant
Incredulous — disbelieving; unconvinced; suspicious; questioning; skeptical
Malicious — having ill intent; mean-spirited; spiteful; vindictive
Naïve — unsuspecting; gullible or easy to deceive; unsophisticated
Narcissistic — self-admiring; pathologically self-centered
Obsequious — fawning; overly submissive or obedient; servile; groveling
Outraged — furious or extremely angered; deeply offended
Pretentious — affected; artificial; grandiose; flashy; superficial
Satirical — mocking to show a weakness; ridiculing; derisive; scornful
Sarcastic — ironic; saying the opposite of what you mean to mock or ridicule
Scathing — harsh; critical; cutting; unsparing; vicious; harmful or injurious
Sensationalistic — inaccurate; hyped up; exxagerated; provocative
Subjective — biased; prejudiced; based on emotion rather than facts
Sulking — resentful; sullen; bad-tempered; grumpy; self-pitying
Tragic — calamitous; disastrous; catastrophic; devastating
Uneasy — worried; ill at ease; edgy; nervous; unsettled
Vindictive — vengeful; spiteful; petty; unforgiving; hateful
World-weary — bored; tired; cynical; pessimistic

Sad Tone Words

Some negative tone words leave you with an impression of sadness rather than disgust or anger.

Here’s a sampling of these, most of them described using other sad tone words.

Apologetic — full of regret or remorse; repentant; acknowleding failure
Depressed — lacking in energy or buoyancy; apathetic; emotionally blunted
Despairing — hopeless; sinking without an attempt to rise; seeing only darkness
Disheartening — discouraging; depressing; demoralizing; undermining; sad
Gloomy — depressing; dreary; discouraging; sad or low-spirited; pessimistic
Grave — serious; morose or moribund; solemn; weighty; important
Hollow — lacking substance; empty; meaningless; joyless
Melancholy — sad or prone to sadness; having a gloomy outlook
Pathetic — evoking pity; marked by sorrow or sadness; pitifully inadequate
Somber — gloomy; solemn; grave; melancholy; depressing
Wretched — miserable; sorrowful; distressed or in agony; despairing

When you want a neutral tone in writing, it can be hard to find.

It doesn’t take much for us to associate words with an emotion or to feel the emotional undercurrent of a word — whether positive or negative and to whatever degree. But some neutral words remain.

Ambivalent — uncertain; having mixed feelings; undecided
Cautionary — raises awareness; gives warning; admonishing
Compliant — in conformity with rules/expectations; flexible; acquiescent
Conciliatory — meant to pacify or placate; seeking to please
Colloquial — familiar; everyday language; casual or informal
Defensive — defending or guarding a position; watchful; preventing aggression
Formal — respectful; following accepted rules/styles; preserving form/custom
Impartial — objective; not favoring either side over the other
Intense — deeply felt; concentrated; passionate; earnest; extreme
Introspective — inward-focused or turning inward; contemplative
Pensive — lost in thought; introspective or reflective; contemplative
Pragmatic — realistic; dispassionate or detached; ruled by logic; practical
Solemn — serious; not funny; in earnest; sober; reverent; grave; mirthless
Urgent — insistent; implying something must be done as soon as possible

Now that you’ve looked through our list of tones, which ones stood out for you the most? What kind of tone did those words have (positive, negative, or neutral)?

Sometimes, our moods make certain words stand out for us as more fitting or more resonant. And sometimes we just see them because we’ve used them or heard them used recently — in a way that made them stick.

I hope your life gives you plenty of reasons to use positive tone words. But some situations and contexts call for the opposite. Your current work in progress might call for plenty of the opposite.

And in certain contexts, even the neutral tone words sound more negative than otherwise. The right context can even change the tone of words that are usually considered positive.

I hope the words you use to describe yourself are kind and encouraging. And at the end of the day, may the balance of your words leave you with a smile.

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

11+ Best Phrases for Speech (with Sample) in English

Updated on
Apr 8, 2024

Phrases for Speech: In the domain of English speech , first impressions matter the most. Your opening words set the stage for the rest of your discourse, specifying the technique and pulling it to your audience. The right selection of phrases can make an effective introduction that controls attention and attraction. Therefore, in this blog, you will go through different phrases for speech that can improve your fluency while delivering any speech in English and engaging with your audience in a better way.

This Blog Includes:

Introduce yourself, hook them in, 11+ phrases for speech writing to use in between, climate change speech sample.

Read more: 15 Best Phrases Examples (with Usage)You Should Know

List of Phrases for Speech – Introduction

An opening for a speech is like saying hello and catching your audience’s attention. It helps in building an instant connection with your audience. Check the following simple phrases for speech writing to get started with:

Hello everyone!
Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone.
Hi everyone, I appreciate for coming!
My name is (Your Name) and (briefly say why you are speaking)
I am here today to convey some ideas on
Have you ever thought about
Do you know that
Visualize a world where
Today, I’d like to talk about

Also read: 50+ Examples of Phrase Preposition

Whether you use a formal or informal tone, engaging the audience through positive body language and a warm welcome is necessary. Therefore, below are some basic phrases that students can include in their speech on any particular topic.

Good morning/afternoon everyone and welcome to my presentation.
Let me begin by expressing a few words about my background.
As you can see on the screen, our topic today is…
My talk is especially relevant to those of you who…
This talk is scheduled to act as a springboard for discussion
Have you ever thought…?
Let me be clear,
That being said…
Let’s all work together to…
A little fun fact is…
On the one hand,
It is a wake-up call
Given the present scenario,

Usage of Phrases for Speech – Sample

Using phrases in speech can improve communication by adding type, clarity, and focus. Below are some ways to use phrases in speech:

Formatting your speech: Phrases help you collect your thoughts and show your audience through your notes. You can use them to introduce your topics, signal transitions, and summarize.

Examples include: “ Tomorrow they’ll discuss… “, “ Next, let’s move on to… “, “ In closing… “.

Improving transparency and flow: Phrases can smoothen the flow of your speech and make more easier for your listeners to follow your thoughts. You can use transition phrases to connect ideas and avoid abrupt endings.

Examples include: “ On the other hand… “, “ Because of this… “, and “ This further highlights… “.

Engaging your audience: Using specific phrases can capture attention, spark interest, and make your speech more impressive. Such as: “ Imagine this… “, “ The question is… “, “ What most people don’t know is… “.

Check the following sample speech to note the usage of phrases and how it up-lifts the fluency of a paragraph:

Shivani Choudhary

I'm a writer who dives deep into passion for education writing. My work is been featured on Leverage Edu Website.

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook

Connect With Us

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2025

September 2025

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

Big Words To Sound Smart

Using big words can add depth and sophistication to your writing and speech. However, it’s important to use them correctly and appropriately.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some big words that can help you sound smarter, along with tips on how to use them effectively.

Meaning : Present or appearing everywhere.
Example : “In today’s digital age, smartphones have become ubiquitous.”
Why It Sounds Smart : Using ubiquitous instead of everywhere adds sophistication and an intellectual tone.
Meaning : Happening by chance, often with a positive outcome.
Example : “Meeting her at the event was fortuitous—it led to a fantastic collaboration.”
Why It Sounds Smart : It conveys a nuanced understanding of luck and coincidence beyond just lucky .
Meaning : Fluent and persuasive in speaking or writing.
Example : “Her eloquent speech moved the entire audience.”
Why It Sounds Smart : This word conveys intelligence and the art of expression, making it sound refined and respectful.
Meaning : A difficult problem or question.
Example : “The new policy presents a conundrum for the industry.”
Why It Sounds Smart : Conundrum sounds much more intelligent than problem or issue .
Meaning : Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
Example : “The aesthetic appeal of the new design is undeniable.”
Why It Sounds Smart : Adds sophistication to discussions around beauty, design, and visual appeal.
Meaning : Lasting for a very short time.
Example : “The beauty of cherry blossoms is ephemeral.”
Why It Sounds Smart : This word reflects a poetic appreciation for fleeting beauty, making it sound profound.
Meaning : Being aware or having knowledge.
Example : “We should be cognizant of the effects of our actions.”
Why It Sounds Smart : Using cognizant rather than aware elevates the sentence, showcasing awareness with depth.
Meaning : Very talkative.
Example : “Her loquacious nature makes her great company at gatherings.”
Why It Sounds Smart : A fun yet refined way to describe someone who is talkative.
Meaning : Intended for or understood by a small, specific group.
Example : “The lecture was full of esoteric references to ancient texts.”
Why It Sounds Smart : Shows a preference for specific knowledge, highlighting intellectual depth.

Incongruous

Meaning : Not in harmony with the surroundings.
Example : “His casual attire seemed incongruous at the formal event.”
Why It Sounds Smart : This term provides a refined way to express something that doesn’t fit or match.

While using big words can be impressive, it’s important to prioritize clarity and understanding. Don’t sacrifice meaning for the sake of using complex language. Always choose the word that best conveys your message.

By using these tips and expanding your vocabulary, you can elevate your writing and speech to new heights.

Download the Words of the day

Download the Word coach App on your Android phone

Word Coach - IELTS and GRE Vocabulary Builder & word coach Quiz (10 Words a Day) application helps, you and your friends to improve English Vocabulary and help you become the smartest among your group.

New Courses Open for Enrolment! Find Out More

40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument. Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine and engineering .

Comments are closed.

Module 7: Refining your Speech

Choosing words well, learning objectives.

Explain how to use and choose words well for speeches.

A speech must be well researched, logical, and applicable to its audience. These things, alone, though will not guarantee a successful speech. In order for a speech to be well received, the great ideas, logic, and research within must be messaged well and adapted to connect with its audience. When considering how to message your speech, focusing on semantics (the study of relationships between words and how we draw meaning from those words) will help you choose the words that will be most effective in our speech.

Semantics reminds us that words no have meanings within themselves; people have meanings for words. When using and choosing the most effective words for your speech, it is helpful to consider three semantic categories.

Abstract versus Concrete Words

Abstract Language: Image not found (can you imagine why?)

Abstract words have no physical referent. They refer to intangible qualities, ideas, and concepts that we only know through our intellect, like love , success , moral , or a lot . They are very ambiguous. Because each audience member holds a different understanding of abstract words, these words work very well when appealing to or evoking emotion from a large audience. They enable each audience member to relate in their own way. They should be avoided, however, when providing instruction or other instances when detail is necessary.

Concrete Language: A red apple

Concrete words refer to tangible qualities or characteristics—things we know through our senses, like apple , rose , or laptop . If a word is concrete, then you will know which of the five senses it appeals to: sight, smell, touch, taste, or hearing. Words like purple , burnt , hot , spicy , or loud are all concrete. As you may have noticed, not all concrete words are specific. When a word conjures up different images, it isn’t very solid. Therefore, when needing to illustrate a specific idea, such as a thesis, try using a tool called the ladder of abstraction.

The ladder of abstraction moves a word from general to specific. General words, like jobs , games , or purple become a more narrow and precise descriptive word when advancing through the ladder, making it easier for the audience to visualize your words.

Entertainment → Games → Video Games → Multiplayer Online Games → Fortnite→ Fortnite Battle Royale

To help audiences emotionally connect, visualize our message, and grasp our meaning, we need to sketch the big picture using abstract words and share concrete stories and examples to add color.

To Watch: Guante on concrete language

In this video, slam poet and activist Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre talks about the importance of using specific, concrete language. Guante is talking about writing spoken-word poetry, but his points about language apply equally to informative speaking. Especially when we’re speaking to inform, it can be easy to fall into broad or abstract descriptions, which can be confusing or forgettable for audiences. Specific, concrete language, however, is easier to follow and much more memorable.

You can view the transcript for “Guante: On Concrete Language, Specificity, and Turning Ideas into Poems” here (opens in new window) .

Denotative versus Connotative Meanings

Words have both denotative and connotative meanings.

The denotative meaning is the standard, dictionary-based meaning of a word. Be careful of assuming the audience will all assign the same denotative meaning to your words, though. Some words have multiple denotative meanings, such as scale . Therefore, providing context is important.

The connotative meaning is the emotional responses and personal thoughts evoked by a word. Connotations represent various social overtones, cultural implications, or emotional meanings. Different audience members may have different reactions to the same word. Therefore, careful audience analysis as well as outside perspectives will help you to match the desired reactions to your words.

Jargon versus Familiar Language

Jargon is a form of shorthand that conveys a specific meaning to the insiders who use it. For instance, within some industries, acronyms like ROI , C-suite , API , or BSB are expected to be used and understood, so when presenting within those industries, using that jargon can be efficient and effective. Though it’s fine to use this specialized vocabulary with a group of industry insiders, it can be confusing and isolating for audience members outside the field or industry. When presenting to a mixed audience where some know and expect jargon and others do not, it is helpful to define the jargon or acronym the first time it is used.

When speaking with a general audience, it’s best to use familiar language that is commonplace both to yourself and to your audience. One of the biggest mistakes novice speakers make is thinking that they have to use million-dollar words because it makes them sound smarter. Actually, million-dollar words don’t tend to function well in oral communication to begin with, so using them will probably make you uncomfortable as a speaker. Also, it may be difficult for you or the audience to understand the nuances of meaning when you use such words, so using them can increase the risk of denotative or connotative misunderstandings. Do not try to use vocabulary words to prove how smart you are—use the words that are the easiest to understand and recognize.

Candela Citations

Broken image. Provided by : Noun Project. License : CC BY: Attribution . License Terms : Noun Pro License
Apple. Authored by : Ana Santos. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
Guante: On Concrete Language, Specificity, and Turning Ideas into Poems. Authored by : GUANTE. Located at : https://youtu.be/WxB6PppNtkc . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
Choosing Words Well. Authored by : Anne Fleischer with Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

College Essay
Argumentative Essay
Expository Essay
Narrative Essay
Descriptive Essay
Scholarship Essay
Admission Essay
Reflective Essay
Nursing Essay
Economics Essay

Assignments

Term Papers
Research Papers
Case Studies
Dissertation
Presentation
Editing Help
Cheap Essay Writing
How to Order

Speech Writing

The 10 Key Steps for Perfect Speech Writing

16 min read

What is Speech Writing?

A speech is a verbal presentation given to an audience as a means to express ideas, share information, or persuade others. A speech can serve various purposes such as informing, persuading, entertaining, or inspiring the listeners.

Speech writing is the process of creating a clear and organized script for a spoken presentation. This involves planning the content, choosing the right tone, and structuring the speech so the message is communicated clearly to the audience.

Speech writers carefully choose words , phrases , and rhetorical devices to maximize the impact of the spoken words. They aim to engage, inform, persuade, or inspire the listeners. Good speech writing is a skill that requires careful planning, research, and attention to detail.

Elements of Good Speech Writing

Writing a great speech is all about getting a few things right. Let's break down what makes a speech really work:

Clear and to the Point: Make sure your message is crystal clear and focused. Know what you want to say and stick to it.
Know Your Audience: Understand who you're talking to. What do they care about? What do they already know? Customize your speech to fit their interests and level of understanding.
Start Strong: Grab your audience's attention from the get-go. Use a catchy opening line or an interesting fact to hook them in right away.
Keep it Organized: A good speech flows smoothly from one point to the next. Divide it into sections—beginning, middle, and end—and make sure each part connects logically to the next.
Stay on Topic: Don't overload your speech with too much information. Stick to your main message and use examples that support it.
End Strong: Finish your speech with a bang. Summarize your main points and leave your audience with something to think about or act on.
Practice Makes Perfect: Rehearse your speech until you're confident. Pay attention to your pace, tone, and body language to make sure you're delivering your message effectively.

Now that you know what elements make a good speech, let’s look into the steps to write one.

How to Write a Speech?

Writing a good speech that engages your audience requires careful planning and execution.

Whether you're preparing a persuasive presentation or an informative talk the following ten steps will guide you from the initial concept to the final delivery:

Step 1: Define Your Purpose and Audience

Begin by identifying the main objective of your speech. Are you looking to inform, persuade, entertain, or inspire your audience? Understanding your purpose will shape the tone, content, and structure of your speech.

Know your audience's demographics, interests, and expectations. Consider factors such as age, education, beliefs, and cultural background. Tailor your speech to resonate with your specific audience.

Step 2: Choose a Topic

Select a topic that aligns with your purpose and audience's interest . Ensure your topic is not too broad or too narrow. You should be able to cover it effectively within your allotted time.

Step 3: Research and Gather Information

Thoroughly research your chosen topic . Utilize reputable sources such as books, articles, academic journals, and trusted websites.

Take detailed notes during your research to have a wealth of information and supporting evidence for your speech.

Step 4: Create a Strong Thesis or Central Message

Your thesis statement is the core message of your speech. It should be clear, concise, and specific. It encapsulates the key idea you want to convey to your audience. This statement will guide the content and structure of your speech.

Step 5: Develop an Outline

Divide your speech into three main sections: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion . Each section serves a distinct purpose.

Outline the main points you want to cover within the body of the speech. Organize them logically, and ensure each point supports your thesis.

Step 6: Write the Introduction

Craft a compelling introduction that captures your audience's attention . Use a hook, such as a relevant quote, story, or question, to pique their interest.

Provide context to help your audience understand the topic, and introduce your thesis statement to set the direction for your speech.

Step 7: Build the Body

In this section, expand on the main points outlined earlier. Each main point should be a clear and distinct idea.

Support your points with evidence, examples, and data. Use transitions to guide your audience smoothly from one point to the next, creating a coherent flow.

Step 8: Craft a Memorable Conclusion

Summarize the key points you've made in the body of your speech. Reiterate your thesis statement to reinforce your central message .

End with a compelling closing statement that leaves a lasting impression on your audience. This can be a call to action, a thought-provoking statement, or a memorable quote.

Step 9: Edit and Revise

Review your speech for clarity , grammar , and coherence . Check for any inconsistencies or unclear language and make the necessary changes.

Step 10: Practice and Rehearse

Practice your speech multiple times to become familiar with the content and the order of your points.

Work on your delivery skills , including tone, pace, and body language. Practicing in front of a mirror or recording yourself can help you identify areas for improvement.

Bonus Step: Get Feedback

If possible, conduct a practice run in front of a small audience. This can be friends, family, or classmates.

Listen to their feedback and address any concerns or suggestions. Incorporating feedback can significantly enhance your speech.

Speech Writing Format

Creating an impactful speech requires following a structured speech format to ensure that your message is conveyed clearly and engages your audience.

Here is a standard speech writing pattern to guide you through the process:

1. Introduction:

Hook: Start the speech with a compelling hook, such as a question, quote, anecdote, or startling fact, to grab the audience's attention.
Provide Context: Give your audience a brief overview of the topic and its relevance.
Thesis Statement: Present your central message or thesis statement, which sets the direction for the speech.
Main Points: Divide the body of your speech into two to five main points or sections, each supporting your thesis statement.
Supporting Evidence: For each main point, provide supporting evidence, data, examples, or anecdotes to make your argument compelling.
Transitions: Use clear transitions between points to maintain a smooth and coherent flow throughout the speech.

3. Conclusion:

Summarize Key Points: Briefly recap the main points you've covered in the body of your speech.
Restate Thesis: Rewrite your thesis statement to reinforce your central message.
Closing Statement: End with a memorable closing statement that leaves a lasting impression, which can be a call to action, a thought-provoking idea, or a final quote.

To get started, you can check out this speech writing template:

Learn more about speech format in this insightful read to get a better understanding!

Types Of Speech Writing

There are many types of speeches , and they are combined into different categories. We will take a look at some basic types of speech writing:

Informative Speeches

Persuasive speeches, entertaining speeches, motivational speeches, special occasion speeches.

Now, let's explore each type in more detail:

An informative speech aims to educate or provide information to the audience. These speeches typically focus on facts, data, and explanations.

Examples: Informative speeches can cover a wide range of topics, such as scientific discoveries, historical events, technological advancements, or explanations of complex concepts.

A persuasive speech aims to convince the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take a specific action. These speeches often employ persuasive techniques and emotional appeals.

Examples: Persuasive speeches can address issues like climate change, social justice, political candidates, or consumer choices, urging the audience to support a particular stance or take action.

Entertaining speeches are designed to amuse and entertain the audience. They often include humor, anecdotes, and storytelling.

Examples: Stand-up comedy routines, humorous storytelling, and funny anecdotes are examples of entertaining speeches.

Motivational speeches are meant to motivate and uplift the audience. They often incorporate personal stories, motivational quotes, and themes of resilience and hope.

Examples: Speeches by notable figures like Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" address social change. Others like commencement speeches inspire graduates to embrace the future.

Special occasion speeches are delivered during specific events or celebrations. These speeches can include toasts, eulogies, wedding speeches, and more.

Examples: A eulogy at a funeral, a wedding toast, or a commencement address at a graduation ceremony are all examples of special occasion speeches.

Speech Writing Topics

The topic is the first and foremost thing that you need to write a speech. Here are some amazing speech-writing topic ideas to help you get started.

Persuasive Speech Topics

The impact of climate change on our future
Social media and mental health: is it time for regulation?
The importance of vaccination in preventing disease outbreaks
The ethics of artificial intelligence and privacy
The benefits of renewable energy for a sustainable future

Find more persuasive speech topics in our extensive list.

Demonstration Speech Topics

How to create a delicious and healthy smoothie bowl
DIY home renovation: painting techniques and tips
The art of crafting homemade natural soap
Mastering Yoga: a guided sun salutation sequence
Gardening for beginners: planting your first vegetable garden

Impromptu Speech Topics

If I could travel anywhere in the world right now, I would go to...
The most influential person in my life and why.
What superpower I wish I had and how I'd use it.
A book that changed my perspective on life.
The best piece of advice I've ever received and how it impacted me.

For more inspiring topics check out our impromptu speech topics blog!

Entertaining Speech Topics

The art of dad jokes: Making people laugh with cheesy humor.
Embarrassing moments at family gatherings: A humorous take.
Hilarious autocorrect fails in text messaging.
The funny side of pets and their quirky behaviors.
Epic food mishaps in the kitchen: Tales of culinary disasters.

Check out our blog for more entertaining speech topics !

Informative Speech Topics

The science behind Covid-19 vaccines
Exploring the history and impact of the internet
The art of sustainable gardening and urban farming
Understanding cryptocurrency and blockchain technology
The wonders of space exploration: mars missions and beyond

Find more interesting topics for informative speeches to get inspired.

Motivational Speech Topics

“I’m proud of you my son” someday, my dad will say this to me
Positive thinking boosts your self-confidence.
It is perfectly fine for a boy to cry.
Same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt a child
I will make my parents proud

Looking for more inspirational speech topics? Read our motivational speech topics blog to get inspired!

Speech Writing Examples

When it comes to learning the art of speech writing practical guidance is important. To show effective speech writing techniques and structure, here are some short speech writing examples for students.

These speech writing samples will help you understand how to craft compelling speeches that resonate with your audience.

Example#2

Here is another example of speech writing class 11:

For additional samples, read through our speech examples blog!

Speech Writing Tips

Follow these tips for writing a speech that not only informs but also inspires and persuades.

Audience Analysis: Before you start, conduct a thorough audience analysis. Understand their interests, knowledge, and expectations.
Engaging Speech: Craft an engaging speech that captures your audience's attention from the start. Use rhetorical questions or captivating anecdotes.
Short Sentences: Keep your sentences concise and easy to follow. Short sentences are more impactful.
Connect with the Audience: Make your audience feel involved. Use relatable examples and stories to establish a connection.
Great Speech Structure: Organize your speech with a clear structure, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Rhetorical Questions: Utilize rhetorical questions to stimulate thought and engagement.
Memorable Sentence Structures: Create memorable sentence structures that stick in their memory and the audience remembers the key message.
Public Speaking: Remember that public speaking requires practice, so rehearse your speech multiple times to boost confidence and delivery.

Moving towards the end , for effective communication, speech writing is a skill that can empower you to inform, persuade, and inspire your audience. This comprehensive guide has walked you through the essential steps, outlines, and examples to help you craft a compelling and memorable speech.

If you think you are good at speaking but not so good at writing and this thing bothers you a lot, then there is no harm in getting some help. We at MyPerfectWords.com can save you from embarrassment by helping you write an outstanding speech.

With our custom essay writing help, you'll buy speech that not only communicates your message effectively but also grabs your audience's attention.

So request ' just do my essay ' today and get solution to all your writing worries!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good sentence starter for a speech.

In speech writing starting lines play a crucial role. You can start your speech with the following:

Thought provoking question: "Have you ever wondered what it takes to change the world?"
A powerful quote: "As Nelson Mandela once said, 'It always seems impossible until it's done.'"
A surprising fact: "Did you know that every minute, over 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube?"
An engaging story: "Let me tell you about a young girl who defied all odds to achieve her dreams."

What are the 10 principles of speech writing?

Clarity: Make sure your message is clear and easily understandable.
Purpose: Define the main objective of your speech and stick to it.
Audience Awareness: Understand your audience's demographics, interests, and expectations.
Structure: Organize your speech into introduction, body, and conclusion.
Content Relevance: Choose topics and information that are relevant and meaningful to your audience.
Engagement: Use storytelling, humor, and rhetorical devices to keep your audience interested.
Authenticity: Speak sincerely to establish trust and connection with your audience.
Language: Use simple and concise language appropriate for your audience.
Impact: Deliver a memorable message that leaves a lasting impression.
Practice: Rehearse your speech multiple times for smooth delivery and confidence.

Write Essay Within 60 Seconds!

Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

Struggling With Your Paper?

Get a custom paper written at

With a FREE Turnitin report, and a 100% money-back guarantee

LIMITED TIME ONLY!

Keep reading

OFFER EXPIRES SOON!

How to Build Vocabulary You Can Actually Use in Speech and Writing?

Published on Aug 25, 2019

This post comes from my experience of adding more than 8,000 words and phrases to my vocabulary in a way that I can actually use them on the fly in my speech and writing. Some words, especially those that I haven’t used for long time, may elude me, but overall the recall & use works quite well.

That’s why you build vocabulary, right? To use in speech and writing. There are no prizes for building list of words you can’t use. (The ultimate goal of vocabulary-building is to use words in verbal communication where you’ve to come up with an appropriate word in split second. It’s not to say that it’s easy to come up with words while writing, but in writing you can at least afford to think.)

This post also adopts couple of best practices such as

Spaced repetition,
Deliberate Practice,
Begin with end in mind, and
Build on what you already know

In this post, you’ll learn how you too can build such vocabulary, the one you can actually use. However, be warned. It’s not easy. It requires consistent work. But the rewards are more than worth the squeeze.

Since building such vocabulary is one of the most challenging aspects of English Language, you’ll stand out in crowd when you use precise words and, the best part, you can use this sub-skill till you’re in this world, long after you retire professionally. (Doesn’t this sound so much better when weighed against today’s reality where most professional skills get outdated in just few years?)

You may have grossly overestimated the size of your vocabulary

Once your understand the difference between active and passive vocabulary, you’ll realize that size of your vocabulary isn’t what you think it to be.

Active vs. Passive vocabulary

Words that you can use in speech and writing constitute your active vocabulary (also called functional vocabulary). You, of course, understand these words while reading and listening as well. Think of words such as eat , sell , drink , see , and cook .

But how about words such as munch , outsmart , salvage , savagery , and skinny ? Do you use these words regularly while speaking and writing? Unlikely. Do you understand meaning of these words while reading and listening? Highly likely. Such words constitute your passive vocabulary (also called recognition vocabulary). You can understand these words while reading and listening, but you can’t use them while speaking and writing.

Your active vocabulary is a tiny subset of your passive vocabulary:

(While the proportion of the two inner circles – active and passive vocabulary – bears some resemblance to reality, the outer rectangle is not proportionate because of paucity of space. In reality, the outer rectangle is much bigger, representing hundreds of thousands of words.)

Note : Feel free to use the above and other images in the post, using the link of this post for reference/attribution.

Many mistakenly believe that they’ve strong vocabulary because they can understand most words when reading and listening. But the real magic, the real use of vocabulary is when you use words in speech and writing. If you evaluate your vocabulary against this yardstick – active vs. passive – your confidence in your vocabulary will be shaken.

Why build vocabulary – a small exercise?

You would be all too aware of cases where people frequently pause while speaking because they can’t think of words for what they want to say. We can easily spot such extreme cases.

What we fail to spot, however, are less extreme, far more common cases where people don’t pause, but they use imprecise words and long-winding explanations to drive their message.

The bridge was destroyed (or broken) by the flooded river.

The bridge was washed away by the flooded river.

Although both convey the message, the second sentence stands out because of use of precise phrase.

What word(s) best describe what’s happening in the picture below?

Image source

Not the best response.

A better word is ‘emptied’. Even ‘dumped’ is great.

A crisp description of the above action would be: “The dumper emptied (or dumped) the stones on the roadside.”

What about this?

‘Took out grapes’.

‘Plucked grapes’ is far better.

If you notice, these words – wash away , empty , dump , and pluck – are simple. We can easily understand them while reading and listening, but rarely use them (with the possible exception of empty ) in speech or writing. Remember, active vs. passive vocabulary?

If you use such precise words in your communication you’ll stand out in crowd.

Little wonder, studies point to a correlation between strength of vocabulary and professional success. Earl Nightingale, a renowned self-help expert and author, in his 20-year study of college graduates found :

Without a single exception, those who had scored highest on the vocabulary test given in college, were in the top income group, while those who had scored the lowest were in the bottom income group.

He also refers to a study by Johnson O’Connor, an American educator and researcher, who gave vocabulary tests to executive and supervisory personnel in 39 large manufacturing companies. According to this study:

Presidents and vice presidents averaged 236 out of a possible 272 points; managers averaged 168; superintendents, 140; foremen, 114; floor bosses, 86. In virtually every case, vocabulary correlated with executive level and income.

Though there are plenty of studies linking professional success with fluency in English overall, I haven’t come across any study linking professional success with any individual component – grammar and pronunciation, for example – of English language other than vocabulary.

You can make professional success a motivation to improve your active vocabulary.

Let’s dive into the tactics now.

How to build vocabulary you can use in speech and writing?

(In the spirit of the topic of this section, I’ve highlighted words that I’ve shifted from my passive to active vocabulary in red font . I’ve done this for only this section, lest the red font become too distracting.)

Almost all of us build vocabulary through the following two-step process:

Step 1 : We come across new words while reading and listening. Meanings of many of these words get registered in our brains – sometimes vaguely, sometimes precisely – through the context in which we see these words. John Rupert Firth, a leading figure in British linguistics during the 1950s, rightly said , “You shall know a word by the company it keeps.”

Many of these words then figure repeatedly in our reading and listening and gradually, as if by osmosis , they start taking roots in our passive vocabulary.

Step 2 : We start using some of these words in our speech and writing. (They are, as discussed earlier, just a small fraction of our passive vocabulary.) By and large, we stay in our comfort zones, making do with this limited set of words.

Little wonder, we add to our vocabulary in trickle . In his book Word Power Made Easy , Norman Lewis laments the tortoise-like rate of vocabulary-building among adults:

Educational testing indicates that children of ten who have grown up in families in which English is the native language have recognition [passive] vocabularies of over twenty thousand words. And that these same ten-year-olds have been learning new words at a rate of many hundreds a year since the age of four . In astonishing contrast, studies show that adults who are no longer attending school increase their vocabularies at a pace slower than twenty-five to fifty words annually .

Adults improve passive vocabulary at an astonishingly meagre rate of 25-50 words a year. The chain to acquire active vocabulary is getting broken at the first step itself – failure to read or listen enough (see Step 1 we just covered). Most are not even reaching the second step, which is far tougher than the first. Following statistic from National Spoken English Skills Report by Aspiring Minds (sample of more than 30,000 students from 500+ colleges in India) bears this point:

State of vocabulary among college students

Only 33 percent know such simple words! They’re not getting enough inputs.

Such vocabulary-acquisition can be schematically represented as:

Limited inputs = Small Active Vocabulary

The problem here is at both the steps of vocabulary acquisition:

Not enough inputs (represented by funnel filled only little) and
Not enough exploration and use of words to convert inputs into active vocabulary (represented by few drops coming out of the funnel)

Here is what you can do to dramatically improve your active vocabulary:

1. Get more inputs (reading and listening)

That’s a no-brainer. The more you read,

the more new words you come across and
the more earlier-seen words get reinforced

If you’ve to prioritize between reading and listening purely from the perspective of building vocabulary, go for more reading, because it’s easier to read and mark words on paper or screen. Note that listening will be a more helpful input when you’re working on your speaking skills .

So develop the habit to read something 30-60 minutes every day. It has benefits far beyond just vocabulary-building .

If you increase your inputs, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs but no other steps result in larger active vocabulary.

2. Gather words from your passive vocabulary for deeper exploration

The reading and listening you do, over months and years, increase the size of your passive vocabulary. There are plenty of words, almost inexhaustible, sitting underutilized in your passive vocabulary. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could move many of them to your active vocabulary? That would be easier too because you don’t have to learn them from scratch. You already understand their meaning and usage, at least to some extent. That’s like plucking – to use the word we’ve already overused – low hanging fruits.

While reading and listening, note down words that you’re already familiar with, but you don’t use them (that is they’re part of your passive vocabulary). We covered few examples of such words earlier in the post – pluck , dump , salvage , munch , etc. If you’re like most, your passive vocabulary is already large, waiting for you to shift some of it to your active vocabulary. You can also note down completely unfamiliar words, but only in exceptional cases.

To put what I said in the previous paragraph in more concrete terms, you may ask following two questions to decide which words to note down for further exploration:

Do you understand the meaning of the word from the context of your reading or listening?
Do you use this word while speaking and writing?

If the answer is ‘yes’ to the first question and ‘no’ to the second, you can note down the word.

3. Explore the words in an online dictionary

Time to go a step further than seeing words in context while reading.

You need to explore each word (you’ve noted) further in a dictionary. Know its precise meaning(s). Listen to pronunciation and speak it out loud, first individually and then as part of sentences. (If you’re interested in the topic of pronunciation, refer to the post on pronunciation .) And, equally important, see few sentences where the word has been used.

Preferably, note down the meaning(s) and few example sentences so that you can practice spaced repetition and retain them for long. Those who do not know what spaced repetition is, it is the best way to retain things in your long-term memory . There are number of options these days to note words and other details about them – note-taking apps and good-old word document. I’ve been copying-pasting on word document and taking printouts. For details on how I practiced spaced repetition, refer to my experience of adding more than 8,000 words to my vocabulary.

But why go through the drudgery of noting down – and going through, probably multiple times – example sentences? Why not just construct sentences straight after knowing the meaning of the word?

Blachowicz, Fisher, Ogle, and Watts-Taffe, in their paper , point out the yawning gap between knowing the meaning of words and using them in sentences:

Research suggests that students are able to select correct definitions for unknown words from a dictionary, but they have difficulty then using these words in production tasks such as writing sentences using the new words.

If only it was easy. It’s even more difficult in verbal communication where, unlike in writing, you don’t have the luxury of pausing and recalling appropriate words.

That’s why you need to focus on example sentences.

Majority of those who refer dictionary, however, restrict themselves to meaning of the word. Few bother to check example sentences. But they’re at least as much important as meaning of the word, because they teach you how to use words in sentences, and sentences are the building blocks of speech and writing.

If you regularly explore words in a dictionary, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs + Exploration in a dictionary = Larger Active Vocabulary

More inputs combined with exploration of words result in even larger active vocabulary.

After you absorb the meaning and example sentences of a word, it enters a virtuous cycle of consolidation. The next time you read or listen the word, you’ll take note of it and its use more actively , which will further reinforce it in your memory. In contrast, if you didn’t interact with the word in-depth, it’ll pass unnoticed, like thousands do every day. That’s cascading effect.

Participate in a short survey

If you’re a learner or teacher of English language, you can help improve website’s content for the visitors through a short survey.

4. Use them

To quote Maxwell Nurnberg and Morris Rosenblum from their book All About Words :

In vocabulary building, the problem is not so much finding new words or even finding out what they mean. The problem is to remember them, to fix them permanently in your mind. For you can see that if you are merely introduced to words, you will forget them as quickly as you forget the names of people you are casually introduced to at a crowded party – unless you meet them again or unless you spend some time with them.

This is the crux. Use it or lose it.

Without using, the words will slowly slip away from your memory.

Without using the words few times, you won’t feel confident using them in situations that matter.

If you use the words you explored in dictionary, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs + Exploration + Use = Largest Active Vocabulary

More inputs combined with exploration of words and use of them result in the largest active vocabulary.

Here is a comparison of the four ways in which people acquire active vocabulary:

The big question though is how to use the words you’re exploring. Here are few exercises to accomplish this most important step in vocabulary-building process.

Vocabulary exercises: how to use words you’re learning

You can practice these vocabulary activities for 10-odd minutes every day, preferably during the time you waste such as commuting or waiting, to shift more and more words you’ve noted down to your active vocabulary. I’ve used these activities extensively, with strong results to boot.

1. Form sentences and speak them out during your reviews

When you review the list of words you’ve compiled, take a word as cue without looking at its meaning and examples, recall its meaning, and, most importantly, speak out 4-5 sentences using the word. It’s nothing but a flashcard in work. If you follow spaced repetition diligently, you’ll go through this process at least few times. I recommend reading my experience of building vocabulary (linked earlier) to know how I did this part.

Why speaking out, though? (If the surroundings don’t permit, it can be whisper as well.)

Speaking out the word as part of few sentences will serve the additional purpose of making your vocal cords accustomed to new words and phrases.

2. Create thematic webs

When reviewing, take a word and think of other words related to that word. Web of words on a particular theme, in short, and hence the name ‘thematic web’. These are five of many, many thematic webs I’ve actually come up in my reviews:

(Note: Name of the theme is in bold. Second, where there are multiple words, I’ve underlined the main word.)

If I come across the word ‘gourmet’ in my review, I’ll also quickly recall all the words related with food: tea strainer, kitchen cabinet, sink, dish cloth, wipe dishes, rinse utensils, immerse beans in water, simmer, steam, gourmet food, sprinkle salt, spread butter, smear butter, sauté, toss vegetables, and garnish the sweet dish

Similarly, for other themes:

Prognosis, recuperate, frail, pass away, resting place, supplemental air, excruciating pain, and salubrious

C. Showing off

Showy, gaudy, extravaganza, over the top, ostentatious, and grandstanding

D. Crowd behavior

Restive, expectant, hysteria, swoon, resounding welcome, rapturous, jeer, and cheer

E. Rainfall

Deluge, cats and dogs, downpour, cloudburst, heavens opened, started pouring , submerged, embankment, inundate, waterlogged, soaked to the skin, take shelter, run for a cover, torrent, and thunderbolt

(If you notice, words in a particular theme are much wider in sweep than just synonyms.)

It takes me under a minute to complete dozen-odd words in a theme. However, in the beginning, when you’re still adding to your active vocabulary in tons, you’ll struggle to go beyond 2-3 simple words when thinking out such thematic lists. That’s absolutely fine.

Why thematic web, though?

Because that’s how we recall words when speaking or writing. (If you flip through Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, a popular book on improving vocabulary, you’ll realize that each of its chapters represents a particular idea, something similar to a theme.) Besides, building a web also quickly jogs you through many more words.

3. Describe what you see around

In a commute or other time-waster, look around and speak softly an apt word in a split second for whatever you see. Few examples:

If you see grass on the roadside, you can say verdant or luxurious .
If you see a vehicle stopping by the roadside, you can say pull over .
If you see a vehicle speeding away from other vehicles, you can say pull away .
If you see a person carrying a load on the road side, you can say lug and pavement .

Key is to come up with these words in a flash. Go for speed, not accuracy. (After all, you’ll have similar reaction time when speaking.) If you can’t think of an appropriate word for what you see instantaneously – and there will be plenty in the beginning – skip it.

This vocabulary exercise also serves an unintended, though important, objective of curbing the tendency to first think in the native language and then translating into English as you speak. This happens because the spontaneity in coming up with words forces you to think directly in English.

Last, this exercise also helps you assess your current level of vocabulary (for spoken English). If you struggle to come up with words for too many things/ situations, you’ve job on your hands.

4. Describe what one person or object is doing

Another vocabulary exercise you can practice during time-wasters is to focus on a single person and describe her/ his actions, as they unfold, for few minutes. An example:

He is skimming Facebook on his phone. OK, he is done with it. Now, he is taking out his earphones. He has plugged them into his phone, and now he is watching some video. He is watching and watching. There is something funny there in that video, which makes him giggle . Simultaneously, he is adjusting the bag slung across his shoulder.

The underlined words are few of the new additions to my active vocabulary I used on the fly when focusing on this person.

Feel free to improvise and modify this process to suit your unique conditions, keeping in mind the fundamentals such as spaced repetition, utilizing the time you waste, and putting what you’re learning to use.

To end this section, I must point out that you need to build habit to perform these exercises for few minutes at certain time(s) of the day. They’re effective when done regularly.

Why I learnt English vocabulary this way?

For few reasons:

1. I worked backwards from the end result to prepare for real-world situations

David H. Freedman learnt Italian using Duolingo , a popular language-learning app, for more than 70 hours in the buildup to his trip to Italy. A week before they were to leave for Rome, his wife put him to test. She asked how would he ask for his way from Rome airport to the downtown. And how would he order in a restaurant?

David failed miserably.

He had become a master of multiple-choice questions in Italian, which had little bearing on the real situations he would face.

We make this mistake all the time. We don’t start from the end goal and work backwards to design our lessons and exercises accordingly. David’s goal wasn’t to pass a vocabulary test. It was to strike conversation socially.

Coming back to the topic of vocabulary, learning meanings and examples of words in significant volume is a challenge. But a much bigger challenge is to recall an apt word in split second while speaking. (That’s the holy grail of any vocabulary-building exercise, and that’s the end goal we want to achieve.)

The exercises I described earlier in the post follow the same path – backwards from the end.

2. I used proven scientific methods to increase effectiveness

Looking at just a word and recalling its meaning and coming up with rapid-fire examples where that word can be used introduced elements of deliberate practice, the fastest way to build neural connection and hence any skill. (See the exercises we covered.) For the uninitiated, deliberate practice is the way top performers in any field practice .

Another proven method I used was spaced repetition.

3. I built on what I already knew to progress faster

Covering mainly passive vocabulary has made sure that I’m building on what I already know, which makes for faster progress.

Don’t ignore these when building vocabulary

Keep in mind following while building vocabulary:

1. Use of fancy words in communication make you look dumb, not smart

Don’t pick fancy words to add to your vocabulary. Use of such words doesn’t make you look smart. It makes your communication incomprehensible and it shows lack of empathy for the listeners. So avoid learning words such as soliloquy and twerking . The more the word is used in common parlance, the better it is.

An example of how fancy words can make a piece of writing bad is this review of movie , which is littered with plenty of fancy words such as caper , overlong , tomfoolery , hectoring , and cockney . For the same reason, Shashi Tharoor’s Word of the Week is not a good idea . Don’t add such words to your vocabulary.

2. Verbs are more important than nouns and adjectives

Verbs describe action, tell us what to do. They’re clearer. Let me explain this through an example.

In his book Start with Why , Simon Sinek articulates why verbs are more effective than nouns:

For values or guiding principles to be truly effective they have to be verbs. It’s not ‘integrity’, it’s ‘always do the right thing’. It’s not ‘innovation’, it’s ‘look at the problem from a different angle’. Articulating our values as verbs gives us a clear idea… we have a clear idea of how to act in any situation.

‘Always do the right thing’ is better than ‘integrity’ and ‘look at the problem from a different angle’ is better than ‘innovation’ because the former, a verb, in each case is clearer.

The same (importance of verb) is emphasized by L. Dee Fink in his book Creating Significant Learning Experiences in the context of defining learning goals for college students.

Moreover, most people’s vocabulary is particularly poor in verbs. Remember, the verbs from the three examples at the beginning of the post – wash away , dump , and pluck ? How many use them? And they’re simple.

3. Don’t ignore simple verbs

You wouldn’t bother to note down words such as slip , give , and move because you think you know them inside out, after all you’ve been using them regularly for ages.

I also thought so… until I explored few of them.

I found that majority of simple words have few common usages we rarely use. Use of simple words for such common usages will stand your communication skills out.

An example:

a. To slide suddenly or involuntarily as on a smooth surface: She slipped on the icy ground .

b. To slide out from grasp, etc.: The soap slipped from my hand .

c. To move or start gradually from a place or position: His hat slipped over his eyes .

d. To pass without having been acted upon or used: to let an opportunity slip .

e. To pass quickly (often followed by away or by): The years slipped by .

f. To move or go quietly, cautiously, or unobtrusively: to slip out of a room .

Most use the word in the meaning (a) and (b), but if you use the word for meaning (c) to (f) – which BTW is common – you’ll impress people.

Another example:

a. Without the physical presence of people in control: an unmanned spacecraft .

b. Hovering near the unmanned iPod resting on the side bar, stands a short, blond man.

c. Political leaders are vocal about the benefits they expect to see from unmanned aircraft.

Most use the word unmanned with a moving object such as an aircraft or a drone, but how about using it with an iPod (see (b) above).

4. Don’t ignore phrasal verbs. Get at least common idioms. Proverbs… maybe

4.1 phrasal verbs.

Phrasal verbs are verbs made from combining a main verb and an adverb or preposition or both. For example, here are few phrasal verbs of verb give :

We use phrasal verbs aplenty:

I went to the airport to see my friend off .

He could see through my carefully-crafted ruse.

I took off my coat.

The new captain took over the reins of the company on June 25.

So, don’t ignore them.

Unfortunately, you can’t predict the meaning of a phrasal verb from the main verb. For example, it’s hard to guess the meaning of take over or take off from take . You’ve to learn each phrasal verb separately.

What about idioms?

Compared to phrasal verbs, idioms are relatively less used, but it’s good to know the common ones. To continue the example of word give , here are few idioms derived from it:

Give and take

Give or take

Give ground

Give rise to

Want a list of common idioms? It’s here: List of 200 common idioms .

4.3 Proverbs

Proverbs are popular sayings that provide nuggets of wisdom. Example: A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

Compared to phrasal verbs and idioms, they’re much less used in common conversation and therefore you can do without them.

For the motivated, here is a list of common proverbs: List of 200 common proverbs .

5. Steal phrases, words, and even sentences you like

If you like phrases and sentences you come across, add them to your list for future use. I do it all the time and have built a decent repository of phrases and sentences. Few examples (underlined part is the key phrase):

The bondholders faced the prospect of losing their trousers .

The economy behaved more like a rollercoaster than a balloon . [Whereas rollercoaster refers to an up and down movement, balloon refers to a continuous expansion. Doesn’t such a short phrase express such a profound meaning?]

Throw enough spaghetti against the wall and some of it sticks .

You need blue collar work ethic to succeed in this industry.

He runs fast. Not quite .

Time to give up scalpel . Bring in hammer .

Note that you would usually not find such phrases in a dictionary, because dictionaries are limited to words, phrasal verbs, idioms, and maybe proverbs.

6. Commonly-used nouns

One of my goals while building vocabulary has been to learn what to call commonly-used objects (or nouns) that most struggle to put a word to.

To give an example, what would you call the following?

Answer: Tea strainer.

You would sound far more impressive when you say, “My tea strainer has turned blackish because of months of filtering tea.”

Than when you say, “The implement that filters tea has turned blackish because of months of filtering tea.”

What do you say?

More examples:

Saucer (We use it every day, but call it ‘plate’.)

Straight/ wavy/ curly hair

Corner shop

I’ll end with a brief reference to the UIDAI project that is providing unique biometric ID to every Indian. This project, launched in 2009, has so far issued a unique ID (popularly called Aadhaar card) to more than 1.1 billion people. The project faced many teething problems and has been a one big grind for the implementers. But once this massive data of billion + people was collected, so many obstinate, long-standing problems are being eased using this data, which otherwise would’ve been difficult to pull off. It has enabled faster delivery of scores of government and private services, checked duplication on many fronts, and brought in more transparency in financial and other transactions, denting parallel economy. There are many more. And many more are being conceived on top of this data.

At some level, vocabulary is somewhat similar. It’ll take effort, but once you’ve sizable active vocabulary, it’ll strengthen arguably the most challenging and the most impressive part of your communication. And because it takes some doing, it’s not easy for others to catch up.

Anil is the person behind this website. He writes on most aspects of English Language Skills. More about him here:

Such a comprehensive guide. Awesome…

I am using the note app and inbuilt dictionary of iPhone. I have accumulated over 1400 words in 1 year. Will definitely implement ideas from this blog.

Krishna, thanks. If you’re building vocabulary for using, then make sure you work it accordingly.

Building solid vocabulary is my new year’s resolution and you’ve perfectly captured the issues I’ve been facing, with emphasis on passive vocabulary building. So many vocab apps are multiple choice and thereby useless for this reason. Thanks so much for the exercises! I plan to put them to use!

It was everything that I need to boost my active vocabulary. Thank you so much for sharing all these precious pieces of information.

Anil sir, I am quiet satisfied the way you laid out everything possible that one needs to know from A-Z. Also, thanks for assuring me from your experience that applying this will work.

This post definitely blew me away…. I am impressed! Thank you so much for sharing such valuable information. It was exactly what I needed!

Amazing post! While reading this post, I am thinking about the person who developed this. I wanna give a big hug and thank you so much.

Comments are closed.

IMAGES

Speech Writing Outline and Format for Students
FREE 20+ Speech Writing Samples & Templates in PDF
100+ Useful Words and Phrases to Write a Great Essay
60+ Rhetorical Devices with Examples • 7ESL
Common Figures of Speech
25 Important Figures of Speech with Easy Examples • 7ESL

VIDEO

English Vocabulary Words with Meaning
English speaking
Speech writing format l Speech writing in english l speech writing l speech writing class 9/10/11/12
Text To Speech 🍀Count Of Words 🤪
How to use notes effectively when giving a speech #shorts #publicspeakingtips
Symbols in English

COMMENTS

40 Big Words That Make an Impact In Speech and Writing
Big Words To Use in Speeches and Debates. When you’re giving a speech or debating, using sophisticated words can provide greater emotional resonance, add credence to your argument, or otherwise make your speaking flow more freely. Just make sure you know what the word means and how it's pronounced before you actually say it out loud. Advertisement.
60 Words To Describe Writing Or Speaking Styles - Writers Write
From 7 Choices That Affect A Writer’s Style. 60 Words To Describe Writing Or Speaking Styles. articulate – able to express your thoughts, arguments, and ideas clearly and effectively; writing or speech is clear and easy to understand. chatty – a chatty writing style is friendly and informal.
175 Tone Words: The Ultimate List To Describe Author's Tone
The tone word you need for the moment is the one that evokes the right emotions and that allows your sentence to flow without speed bumps. Use our ultimate list of 175 tone words.
11+ Best Phrases for Speech (with Sample) in English
You can use transition phrases to connect ideas and avoid abrupt endings. Examples include: “ On the other hand…. “, “ Because of this… “, and “ This further highlights…. “. Engaging your audience: Using specific phrases can capture attention, spark interest, and make your speech more impressive.
Big Words To Sound Smart - Word Coach
Big Words To Sound Smart. Using big words can add depth and sophistication to your writing and speech. However, it’s important to use them correctly and appropriately. In this blog post, we’ll explore some big words that can help you sound smarter, along with tips on how to use them effectively. Ubiquitous. Meaning: Present or appearing ...
40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays
Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.
How to Write an Impactful Speech: A Step-by-Step Guide
Write a winning speech by following this step-by-step guide, including tips and suggestions for writing a speech that resonates with your intended audience.
Choosing Words Well | Public Speaking - Lumen Learning
Learning Objectives. Explain how to use and choose words well for speeches. A speech must be well researched, logical, and applicable to its audience. These things, alone, though will not guarantee a successful speech.
Speech Writing | Steps, Types, Topics and Examples
How to Write a Speech? 4. Speech Writing Format. 5. Types Of Speech Writing. 6. Speech Writing Topics. 7. Speech Writing Examples. 8. Speech Writing Tips. What is Speech Writing? A speech is a verbal presentation given to an audience as a means to express ideas, share information, or persuade others.
How to Build Vocabulary You Can Actually Use in Speech and ...
Words that you can use in speech and writing constitute your active vocabulary (also called functional vocabulary). You, of course, understand these words while reading and listening as well. Think of words such as eat, sell, drink, see, and cook. But how about words such as munch, outsmart, salvage, savagery, and skinny?

60 Words To Describe Writing Or Speaking Styles

What Is Your Writing Or Speaking Style?

4 thoughts on “60 Words To Describe Writing Or Speaking Styles”

The Ultimate List Of Tone Words

175 Words to Describe Tone for Authors

Sad Tone Words

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

11+ Best Phrases for Speech (with Sample) in English

This Blog Includes:

List of Phrases for Speech – Introduction

Usage of Phrases for Speech – Sample

Shivani Choudhary

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Connect With Us

Need help with?

Country Preference

Which English test are you planning to take?

When are you planning to take the exam?

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

What is your budget to study abroad?

Big Words To Sound Smart

Incongruous

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Download the Word coach App on your Android phone

General explaining

1. In order to

2. In other words

3. To put it another way

4. That is to say

5. To that end

Adding additional information to support a point

6. Moreover

7. Furthermore

8. What’s more

9. Likewise

10. Similarly

11. Another key thing to remember

12. As well as

13. Not only… but also

14. Coupled with

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

17. However

18. On the other hand

19. Having said that

20. By contrast/in comparison

21. Then again

22. That said

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

24. Despite this

25. With this in mind

26. Provided that

27. In view of/in light of

28. Nonetheless

29. Nevertheless

30. Notwithstanding

Giving examples

31. For instance

32. To give an illustration

Signifying importance

33. Significantly

34. Notably

35. Importantly

Summarising

36. In conclusion

37. Above all

38. Persuasive

39. Compelling

40. All things considered

Module 7: Refining your Speech

Abstract versus Concrete Words

To Watch: Guante on concrete language

Denotative versus Connotative Meanings

Jargon versus Familiar Language

Candela Citations

The 10 Key Steps for Perfect Speech Writing

What is Speech Writing?

Elements of Good Speech Writing