Ways You Can Hide Your Nerves When Giving a Speech
4) STRETCH YOUR VOWELS
When speakers get nervous, they often compress their sounds. Think of that commercial where you put all those clothes in a bag, suck out all the air, and cram it all in one small carry-on-size suitcase.
Nervous speakers compress their sounds, which becomes more clipped. Staccato sounds, scratchy sounds, mumbling sounds all make it difficult for the audience to understand what you’re saying–especially if you are on a conference call or video chat.
In this instance, the worst thing you can do is to focus on articulation. When you focus on articulation, you concentrate on consonants. But consonants clip sounds even more, so your speaking becomes compressed and choppy.
The key is to focus on stretching out your vowels, slurring your sounds together. By focusing on stretching out your vowels, you’ll sound sharp and clear. You’ll project confidence outward even though you may be quivering inside.
