How to Stop Mumbling and Speak Clearly

wikihow.com/Stop-Mumbling-and-Speak-Clearly

Being told that you mumble can be frustrating, especially if you’re trying your best to
speak up. Since mumbling makes it hard for people to hear you, improving your speech
will help you communicate better and share your thoughts. You can overcome mumbling
and speak more clearly by doing voice exercises, improving your speech, and dealing with
nervousness. Additionally, you can get support to help you improve if you need it.

Method 1

Improving Your Speech

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Practice deep breathing to help you produce a strong voice. Your breathing
affects your speech, so deep breathing can help you stop mumbling and speak
clearly. Do breathing exercises every day to help you strengthen your voice. Here are
some deep breathing exercises you can try:[1]
Exhale all of the air from your lungs, then inhale deeply until your lungs are
totally full. Do this 3 or 4 times a day to help you breathe better.
Exhale until your lungs are empty, then take 5 quick gasps of air to fill your
lungs. Gasping engages your diaphragm, so it will help you learn to breathe
more deeply.
Do big “ha ha ha” laughs to help you inhale and exhale deeply.
Press your lips together and laugh through your nose to help you control your
breath.
Lie down, place a book over your abdomen, and relax. Then, breathe in deeply
so that the book rises. When you exhale, the book should fall.

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Talk slower so you can improve your clarity. Talking too quickly makes it
hard for people to understand you and may cause you to mumble. Fortunately,
slowing down can help you fix this problem. To help you slow down, take more
breaths as you speak. Additionally, make sure you’re saying every syllable of each
word.[2]
Try not to worry about speaking too slowly. It may feel like you’re talking
really slowly, but you’re probably speaking at a normal speed.

Over-enunciate and slow down. Read a passage from a poem or a difficult

tongue twister and speak slowly and clearly while you exaggerate your enunciation.
You're more understood while speaking in public when you over enunciate while
practicing.

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Maintain good posture while you’re speaking. In addition to helping you feel
more confident, good posture keeps your airways open so that you can speak more
clearly. While standing or sitting, keep your back straight and your shoulders rolled
back. Additionally, tilt your chin up so that you’re looking straight forward.[3]
Try not to hunch forward, even when you’re sitting down. It’s okay to lean, but
keep your back straight so that you can breathe easily.

Method 2

Doing Voice Exercises

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Yawn and hum while opening and closing your mouth. First, yawn to
loosen up your jaw. As you finish your yawn, say “ho-hum” and extend the “hum.”
Continue to make a humming sound as you open and close your mouth. Then, close
your mouth and shift your jaw from side-to-side.[4]
Do this exercise every day while you’re working to improve your speech.
This can relax the muscles around your mouth and jaw so you can
communicate more clearly.

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Sing to work your vocal muscles. Singing develops your vocal muscles and
improves your volume, which can help you stop mumbling. Sing along to your
favorite songs or sing them a capella. If you don’t want to sing in front of people, do
it in the shower, the car, or your room.[5]
Sing every day to help yourself improve.
If you turn the music up loud, people won’t be able to hear you sing.
Joining a choir can be a big help because it will get you in the practice of
singing.
Tip: Try singing the word “ah” at different volumes and pitches. This can help you
develop your range so that it’s easier for people to understand you.

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Read aloud to yourself to practice speaking. Pick a book, magazine, or article

to read. Then, read out loud for at least 10 minutes. As you read, take your time and
say each word loudly and clearly. Repeat the exercise every day to help you get
better at speaking.[6]
Try recording yourself reading so you can listen to how you sound.
Additionally, this will help you see your progress as you continue the exercise.

Our Expert Agrees: Use your phone or a tape recorder to record and then listen
to yourself. Listening to yourself lets you hear how you come across. Then, you can
practice your sound, tone, and pitch.

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Practice enunciating each syllable of a word. Syllables are the sounds in a

word, and it’s important that you pronounce all of them so people understand you.
If this is hard for you, practicing on your own can help. Watch yourself in the mirror
as you speak. Make sure your mouth is moving with each syllable. If it isn’t, start the
word over and try again.[7]
For instance, the word “done” has 1 syllable, while the word “aha” has two
syllables (ah-ha).
If you’re unsure about a word’s syllables, look up the word online or in a
dictionary. This will show you the breakdown of the syllables.

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Recite tongue twisters to help you articulate better. You can say your tongue
twisters anywhere, but it’s best to watch yourself in the mirror. Say the tongue
twister from beginning to end, making sure you say each syllable. Start slowly and
increase how fast you say them as you repeat the tongue twisters.[8]
If you trip over a word, don’t worry about it. Just start the phrase over and try
again.
Here are some example tongue twisters:

Betty bought a bit of butter, but she found the butter bitter. So Betty bought a bit of
better butter to make the bitter butter better.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Sallie sells sea shells on the sea shore.

Red leather, yellow leather.

Method 3

Relieving Your Nerves

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Practice before you give a speech so you’re less nervous. It’s totally normal
to feel nervous about public speaking, but practicing can help you feel more
confident. Plan out what you want to say beforehand, then give your speech in front
of a mirror. Repeat your speech several times to help you feel more confident.[9]
If you can, film yourself giving your speech so you can evaluate yourself and
make improvements.
Ask someone who is honest but kind to listen to your speech and tell you how
you can improve.
Variation: Practice can also help you deal with mumbling in your daily
interactions. For instance, prepare for classroom lectures by answering your
homework questions out loud. Similarly, prepare to speak up at work meetings by
stating your thoughts about recent work projects aloud to yourself or by making
notes about what you want to say.

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Be confident as you speak instead of worrying about mistakes. While

mistakes can feel really embarrassing, everyone makes mistakes from time to time.
When it comes to speaking, most people make some sort of mistake on a daily basis.
Usually, no one will notice these mistakes, so don’t worry about it. Instead, keep
your head high, |make eye contact with the audience, and share your thoughts.[10]
If people do notice when you make a mistake, they’ll usually be very
supportive of you. Try to remember that most people are rooting for you, so
there’s no need to worry.

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Do relaxation exercises to calm down before you speak. When you start to
feel nervous, calm yourself down so that you can think and speak clearly. Pick 1 or 2
go-to relaxation techniques that help you feel calm, then do them whenever you
start to get overwhelmed. Here are some exercises you might try:[11]
Visualize yourself being successful.
Count your breaths.
Imagine your happy place.
Smell a scent that relaxes you.
Rub a soft texture to help you feel comforted.
Do some light stretching before you speak.

Method 4

Getting Support

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Tell people what you want them to do when you’re not speaking clearly.
Worrying about what others are thinking can make it harder for you to improve your
speech. In fact, it might even trigger your mumbling or other speech problems that
you’re having. To prevent this, tell your family members, friends, teachers, or
coworkers what you need them to do to help you improve.[12]
In some cases, you might want them to tell you when they’re having trouble
understanding you. You may even have them give you a non-verbal signal, like
touching their ear or their lips.
However, sometimes you might just want them to let you finish your thought
or restate a word that tripped you up. Tell them, “Don’t pronounce words for
me,” or “Don’t try to guess what I’m trying to say. I’ll repeat myself if I need
to.”

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Work with a speech coach if you’re not making progress on your own.
You’ll likely be able to stop mumbling and improve your clarity by doing voice
exercises, improving your speech, and calming your nerves. However, this might not
work for everyone. If you’re still having trouble, a speech coach can help. They’ll
help you identify what’s causing your mumbling and other speech problems so you
can do targeted exercises to improve your speech.[13]
Your doctor can refer you to a speech therapist or you can look for one online.
If you’re still in school, you may be able to attend speech therapy there. In
some cases, it’ll even be free.

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Attend a support group for extra help with a speech disorder. If you feel
frustrated or upset about your speech problems, going to a support group can help.
This allows you to talk about your struggles with people who understand, and you
can get advice from people who’ve dealt with similar issues. Look for a support
group online or ask your doctor to help you find one.[14]
If you can’t find a support group, you could try talking to people in online
forums.

Tips
If you start to feel anxious before you speak, take a few deep breaths to calm yourself
down. It might seem like it’s taking forever for you to respond, but it’ll actually take
just a few seconds.

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