Do you trip over your words? This is one reason people fear or avoid public speaking. It doesn’t have to be that way. Everyone stumbles now and then. Here are seven ways to stop tripping over your words.
1. Tongue twisters - You wouldn’t start exercising without a warm-up. The same is true for public speaking. Get your articulators ready with a series of tongue twisters: (Try saying them with a pencil between your teeth).
She sells seashells by the seashore.
Rubber baby buggy bumpers.
Peter Piper picked a peck of picked peppers
Betty Botter bought some butter
Vocal Drills-Do lip trills. It will sound like brrr… as you vibrate your lips.
Say these syllables rapidly. puh tuh kuh, puh tuh kuh , puh tuh kuh
2. Memorize - Presenters may trip over their words because they’re not sure what they’re going to say. By memorizing a script the words will be ready when you are.
3. Self Edit - Should you mispronounce a word or phrase, stop and correct yourself in the moment. Do this with confidence not with an apology.
4. Keep Going - Another option is to continue speaking. If you get stuck on a word, don’t stay stuck. Go on to the next point. Or ask the audience to help you out. Ask, “What’s the word I’m looking for?” Then thank them. It will humanize you.
5. Pause before the word - Difficult or multisyllabic words can be a real challenge especially if you’re not speaking in your native tongue. Speakers may swallow the syllables. The remedy is to rehearse the word several times. Write it out phonetically if it’s a proper name and pause for a beat before you come to the word. When you rehearse, count out the number of syllables on your fingers.
6. Visualize the words - Before pronouncing a word, see it in your mind’s eye. Actually visualize the word as if you’re spelling it in the air during rehearsal. Highlight it in your notes, use larger font or bold it. Write it out in syllables.
7. Swap them out for simple words - Rather than anxiously anticipating that challenging word, use a substitute. Why use a longer word when a simple one will do?