In public speaking, when you express from a place of genuine connection with yourself and your story, most of the skills you need are already in place. That’s why you may be great when speaking one-to-one and in small groups but then lose your capacity in front of a large audience.

When you’re “home” with friends and colleagues, your volume varies according to what you are speaking about, your gestures are natural when you leave your hands free to move, your eye contact is authentic, and your body language matches what you are saying. That’s because you are coming from what’s real rather than an idea of what a speaker is supposed to do. Your assignment now is to bring that same ease to the speaking platform by making a few small adjustments in your everyday, interpersonal communications.

The tempo, or pace, of your speaking allows people to track your words and take them in. Whether you talk rapidly or slowly, the key is to vary speed. A shift in pacing can wake people up, just as a sudden silence can cause an audience to sit on the edges of their seats to hear what you will say next. Practice these four speaking tips for effective communication.

Tool #1. The Much-Maligned Period

End your sentences. This is not as easy as it sounds. Listen to yourself and you will discover just how difficult it can be. I’ve coached people who can talk about a wonderful subject for five minutes without inserting a period. By the end the audience is lost. Completing every sentence is a simple tool that will instantly improve all of your communications.

Tool #2. The Pause That Refreshes

We’ve all heard the pause for effect, contrived for the purpose of manipulating an audience’s emotional response. Yet this orator’s tool can be used as a heartfelt expression. When you are authentic, you will naturally pause to reflect or to allow the enormity of something to be absorbed by both yourself and your audience. Again, the key is variety so people stay with you. A pause signals what you most want others to consider. It is also a stunning substitute for filler words such as “and” and “so” and sounds such as “uh” and “ummm.” It is much better for an audience to perceive you as thoughtful rather than out of touch or lost.

Tool #3. Slow Down

You’ve heard speakers who naturally speak at a very fast clip. Many of us tend to talk too fast when we feel nervous, with the goal to get through this awful thing as fast as possible. Wrong! Slowing down allows the depth of feeling you have for your subject to surface.

It is crucial to slow down when you want to make a point that is central to your message. If you’re a fast talker and find yourself moving quickly through a central theme, slow down right then and there and r-e-p-e-a-t it e-v-e-r so s-l-o-w-l-y. Otherwise, it will get lost in your runaway speech pattern, to which people entrain and zone out. Until you master your pacing, your speaking will lack the punch it needs to bring your core message home.

Tool #4. Resume Speed

If you’re a slow talker, the practice of picking up your tempo is also very important. When you loll along at a snail’s pace, the audience begins daydreaming, engaging with their own mental chatter, which is much faster than the speed of the sound of your voice.

The disciplines outlined above require that you become aware of your speaking habits so you can integrate the changes you wish to make as a natural part of your expression. Begin applying these skills now to enliven your communications every day, even before you develop and deliver a presentation. Include them as you explore your stories and bring them into your daily conversation.

If the rigor implied by the word “discipline” turns you off, consider its root meaning: a “disciple unto oneself.” That’s the inner call to excellence that will support you in becoming the catalyst of the changes you most want to effect.

With appreciation for your voice in the world, Gail.

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© Gail Larsen 2009. All rights reserved. Real Speaking is a registered trademark. Permission to reprint: You may reprint this article in your own print or electronic newsletter. Please include the following statement: Reprinted from Transformational Speaking: If You Want to Change the World, Tell a Better Story (Celestial Arts/Ten Speed Press and Brilliance Audio), by Gail Larsen.

Gail Larsen is the founder of Real Speaking®, the premier presentations program for people of purpose and catalysts of change. She supports people in discovering the speech they were born to give to the audience they are destined to serve. In addition to authoring Transformational Speaking, Gail is an accomplished speaker and workshop leader who supports her audiences in navigating life’s journey of growth and change with joy and insight. Combining practical information, humor, and stimulating perspective, Gail recognizes the unique character of each audience and adapts her presentations accordingly. Drawing from a rich repertoire of knowledge, stories, expertise, poetry, and indigenous wisdom, her work is informed by her work with Real Speaking since 1991 and three years as founding partner of the JourneyWell Center for Integrative Health. To contact Gail or learn more about Real Speaking, visit http://www.realspeaking.net.

Whether you’re a teacher, training administrator, you give business speeches or appear on radio or TV, it’s crucial to look after your voice.

Think of the position this way. To arrange the content for any of your presentations, you make use of your “intellectual muscles.” To prepare for an athletic event, you work out your body’s muscles. Before a speaking presentation, you need to prepare your voice, but this is the area generally neglected!

When using your voice professionally, you need to know that you can use every part of its range, depth, resonance and pitch for most effect. You additionally don’t desire to cause some injury to your voice leaving it prone to infections.

About half an hour prior to you use your voice professionally, I recommend you “warm it up” by low humming that resonates in the upper passages of your chest. Put your hand on this area to ensure you feel these vibrations. Do this low-pitched humming for at least 5 minutes.

Then go through a “clarity” voice implementation. My favourite is called “QEQR”. Screw your backtalk up and say “Q.” Now stretch the jaws broad and say “E.” Next, replicate the screwed up “Q” again. Finally get your mouth wide open and give out a large “R” sound. Repeat the entire cycle ten or so times, speeding up a little as you go. Your mouth will be tingling afterwards, as you’ve given the surrounding muscles a much wanted workout! You’ll discover afterwards that you’ll be pronouncing your words with exceptional clarity, and the QEQR exercise is essential to perform as a “warm up” ahead of a speech.

If you’re a pro broadcaster or voice over performer like me, you’ll know that having “just” a common cold can be an absolute catastrophe. I have personally lost a load of money as agencies or studios had to pick someone else for a advertisement voice or presenting job, “just” because I had a blocked nose and sounded terrible. Not funny! And no, the voice can’t be tweaked with an electronic equaliser in the studio afterwards to sound better; it can’t be done. A muffled voice can’t really be un-muffled!

Here are my tips to keep your voice in top condition for pro speaking. Being mindful with your body in general and your voice in particular is important at this point. Get heaps of slumber and don’t “burn the candle at both ends” — in other words, get early to bed and get those sleeping hours in, so that your brain can run at highest efficiency for your recording session or live performance the next day! If you cut down on sleep, your body won’t be able to shield you fully from getting infections. So no late at night night parties and certainly don’t drink too much alcohol!

Try and dodge folks who are unwell. I know this is very challenging, particularly if you have to travel on public transport. If you’ve just been near someone with a cold or someone has sneezed next to your face, then rush to the nearby washroom and wash your face scrupulously, gargle with cold water and flush your nose out. Horrible, but if you’re a professional host, you have to prevent getting a cold or any kind of respiratory infection at all costs. Be aware of infected objects around you as well; using a public telephone, for example can be really a danger point to pick up bugs for your voice!

Of course, you can build up your body to be more resilient against infections. Get and stay in the main fit; munch a balanced diet of quality foods together with lots of fruit and vegetables; and take supplements if you need them. Many professional presenters rely on Vitamin C pills, Echinacea drops or Astragalus tincture which additionally protects against breathing tracts and lung infections. A dozen drops in water every day and regular gargling will give infection protection.

But what if the worst happens, and you in reality feel a cold coming on? A few squirts of Vick’s “First Defense” or equivalent merchandise up the nasal passages can help bring to a halt a cold in its tracks if it’s caught early on. It’s basically thick gel made of plant substances that stops the infection spreading and it has a beneficial success rate. Another piece of advice is to go to the fitness center, but don’t perform too much exercise if you’re feeling a bit off colour; simply sit in the hot steam room or sauna for ten minutes and the heat may well exterminate rancid the infection; remember to breathe deeply, in through the nose, out through the mouth.

If you really HAVE to do a voice session, present an important meeting speech or present a broadcast programme with a sore throat or if you are all “bunged up,” understand my tips.

Don’t use your voice on full volume until you really have to – whisper to folks until it’s “show time”! A sore throat can be calmed by gargling with warm saline water every few hours; be vigilant it doesn’t make you sick though! There’s no point in gargling with a medicinal antiseptic, this will just inflame the throat if it’s already infected. It’s imperative to keep drinking water frequently as well as sucking lozenges; any kind that have vapours will be fine.

If your nose is blocked, a temporary relief spray like Sinex may work for you, or breathe in Olbas oil spotted on a tissue. Fill a bowl with very hot water, place a towel on top of your head and breathe in the steam deeply. Try mixing in essential oils such as menthol, eucalyptus, or tea tree oil for improved results. Your pharmacist may suggest some anti-congestion pills that can momentarily unclog you, but don’t employ these frequently.

But what if you’re absolutely desperate for your voice to sound “normal?” Depending on how blocked you are, try doing a handstand and staying there for a minute! Gravity might clean out the mucus from your passages long enough for you to blow it out before your speech or broadcast!

Finally, I know a lot of individuals don’t look after their precious delicate vocal folds by coughing too much or clearing their voice vociferously. This is really bad news for your poor throat and vocal cords, and it’s far better to learn to do the “silent cough” method. This is a way to clear the throat without violently hitting the delicate vocal folds together. The “silent cough” is done by breathing in air and blowing the air out very fast through your throat and mouth without making much sound — it’s like a large chesty “puff.” Immediately after the silent cough, you should tuck your chin down and swallow hard. Doing this often clears mucous that clings to the vocal folds or near them.

Mucus can be a big problem for many individuals and we suggest you drink eight glasses of water a day, avoiding dairy products and eating a correct balance of protein and carbohydrates. Keep fit, and your voice will reward you!

Good luck with your next presentation!

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Peter Baker is a broadcaster, writer and presentation coach, with experience on air at BBC & commercial TV & radio stations. Check out more tips and advice at http://www.presenterskills.co.uk and sign up for the newsletter!

Peter has also co-written the material on http://www.practicalstressbusters.com — a comprehensive resource offering self-help advice, written and media downloads to help people cope with stress in their lives.

One of the great myths we tell ourselves is that the voice we hear on our voicemail, answering machine, or some other type of recording equipment is not true. In fact, we tend to forget it after turning off the machine or stopping the tape. Rest assured that no matter how poor the quality of the equipment, what you hear on that recording is truer than what you hear in your head.

We do not hear ourselves as others hear us because our voice is vibrating in the solid and liquid of the brain. Our inner ear thus recognizes our voice from those vibrations. When I was a child, I would talk to my friends underwater and the sound would be muffled and garbled because it was sound traveling through a liquid – distorted sound. The way everyone else recognizes your voice, however, is due to sound traveling through air waves.

Most people believe that the pitch of their voice is deeper than it truly is. When they hear themselves on a recording, they are stunned not only because their voice is higher in pitch than they think but also because it may be whiny, nasal, throaty, hoarse, soft, loud, monotone, weak, wimpy or display a whole host of other ‘unpleasanties.’

[Note that the pitch of the voice refers to the highness or lowness of sound - not the volume which deals with loudness and softness. On your remote control for the TV, for example, you are either increasing or decreasing the volume, not the pitch.]

While my words, so far, may be disconcerting, the good news is that you have a better voice inside. Yes, you will have to break some habits and instill some new ones but it is definitely worth the effort. In the process, you will learn to breathe correctly. Don’t worry. You are in good company because the majority of the population is not breathing properly either. We are renowned for being lazy or shallow breathers which results in:

1. a thinner voice that is probably higher in pitch than it should be; and,
2. an increase in one’s stress level caused by upper chest breathing.

Once you are supporting your breath by means of your diaphragm, you will then learn to use your chest cavity to power your voice. Presently, you are using your voice box, throat, mouth and nasal cavities; however, these are only 4 of your 5 resonators. When you add your chest cavity to the picture, you will discover a richer, warmer, deeper, resonant sound. In fact, you could discover a truly magnificent speaking voice that is just waiting to come out.

You don’t have to live with the voice you hear on a recording. Discover your ‘real’ one and you will actually enjoy hearing yourself on your voicemail!

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The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic and discover the best means of sounding more mature.

Just last night, a man phoned me to ask if I could help him with his voice. My heart went out to this fellow as soon I heard him speak because he was so hoarse. In truth, he croaked like a frog when he spoke. He reassured me, however, that his throat did not hurt him and, for that, I was thankful and more than pleased for him.

Have you ever likened the sound of your voice to that of an animal? Do you squawk, squeak, bark, or bray when you speak? Maybe you bellow or chirp. Or possibly you squeal in delight or moo like a cow.

In truth, none of these descriptions are a blessing to your listeners’ ears. We are bombarded by loud noises and music, boom boxes, traffic, and the like on a daily basis. And, most unfortunately, there are a lot of voices that only add to the din of cacophony to which we are subjected.

If your husband doesn’t listen to you any more, are you sure that it isn’t the sound of your voice that is making him deaf to your words? On the other hand, what is the possibility that your wife doesn’t hear you because of your mumbling and the lack of articulation on your part?

If you expect people to listen to you, you might question if your voice is reminiscent of a barnyard animal? If so, then your listeners may not want to hear what you have to say.

If you care about the image you project, maybe you need to care about the image your speaking voice is projecting because that sound on your voicemail, which you may find embarrassing, humiliating, or altogether unbelievable, is exactly what others hear when you speak to them.

Your voice could be your greatest asset instead of a liability if you choose to do something about it. What I am talking about is what I refer to as your real voice, a sound that is powered and amplified by your chest cavity. Most people are not aware of and not using their chest as their primary sounding board, instead relying predominantly on their throat and voice box to power the voice. That is why so many people squawk, squeak, or croak when they talk.

Learn to use your chest when you speak and you will discover that you sound more like a cello or bass and less like a chicken or frog.

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The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic or watch Nancy in a brief video as she describes The Power of Your Voice.

Have you ever had a telephone conversation and the person on the other end of the line was speaking too loudly? What is your first reaction? Probably, to move the phone away from your ear. Talking too loudly is just as ineffective as speaking too softly except for one primary difference: the loud voice physically hurts your listeners’ ears.

If there is a problem with volume, I have found that it generally tends to be with those who are soft-spoken. In that case, others will often move closer, straining to hear what you are saying. What is happening, however, is that your message is being lost because your words are not being heard clearly.

Something similar is happening if you speak too loudly. People are not hearing what you are saying because their concentration is on their discomfort of listening to you. In both instances, however, whether you are too loud or too soft, your volume level is definitely affecting how your message is being heard and, to a greater extent, if it is being heard.

We have different volume levels for various situations. For everyday use of the voice, most people use what I refer to as Volume Level 1. This is the amount of sound we would use at the kitchen table, in the car, on the telephone, or even speaking to a clerk at the grocery store. Volume 1 is effortless. It is normal; it is natural.

If you have been told that your voice is too loud, learning how to decrease your volume to a normal level of sound would be in your best interest. A good way to test to see if you are too loud would be to record the voice of someone who speaks in a normal volume of sound and then record yourself. It is very important that both you and the other speaker record your voices the exact same distance from the microphone.

Play it back at a comfortable listening level, adjusting your output levels according to the volume of the other speaker – not yourself. If you speak too loudly, you will notice quite a difference in volume between you and the other individual.

While you can certainly train yourself to decrease your volume, one of the best techniques to make this change is to discover your ‘real’ voice. By allowing your chest to power your sound, instead of just your throat, mouth and nose, your volume will decrease naturally. The loud edges or angles, the stridency, will be gone and your voice will become warmer, richer, deeper, and resonant.

If the volume of your voice makes your listeners cringe, learning how to decrease your level of sound will allow your words to be heard. Ask yourself what is more important – getting your message across comfortably or having others recoil when they hear you speak?

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The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic and watch Nancy as she describes Your Volume Control.

Recently, I read an article about improving your voice in 7 days. While I do not agree with the writer’s suggestions or methodology, the truth is that you can actually find your ‘real’ voice in about 1 hour. Admittedly, your ‘real’ voice will not be a habit in only 60 minutes, but one of the fascinating results about the correct approach to voice training is that you will begin your hour with your old or habitual voice and you will end that hour with your real one. In fact, in many cases, this discovery takes only a few minutes.

What is fascinating about good voice improvement techniques is that you have a better voice inside – no matter how bad you think it is presently. Everyone has a speaking voice that is richer, warmer, and resonant. It is only a matter of locating where it is and training yourself to use it. And, in the process, you may discover a speaking voice as good as, or even better than, that of James Earl Jones, Kathleen Turner, Kate Beckinsale, Sean Connery, Demi Moore, Vin Diesel, George Clooney, Cher, or Peter Coyote.

When I first started my business, I was at a meeting in which we had to stand and introduce ourselves. After the introductions, a woman approached me and told me that voice training was the icing on the cake. I beg to differ. Your voice is the fundamental; it is the cake. A wimpy, strident, harsh, soft, monotone, breathy, high-pitched, child-like, nasal, or loud voice will not make what you are saying nearly as interesting or dynamic as one that is rich, warm, and resonant. In fact, if any of the above characteristics are typical of your speaking voice, then it is safe to say that your voice will eventually turn your listeners off.

The process of discovering your ‘real’ voice involves using your chest to power and amplify your sound. Currently, you are using only 4 of your 5 resonators. These resonators or cavities include your voice box, your throat, your mouth and your nose. If you are not using your chest, the largest of those 5 cavities, then your voice will never be able to display its true pitch nor its true breadth and depth.

One of the many benefits of finding your voice is that you will notice a surprising difference with your singing voice as well if you have the ability to sing. (This training will not make you a singer, however, if you are unable to carry a tune!) You will have more power, greater range, and a broader sound. The reason is because the basic principles of improvement for the speaking voice are the same techniques you would learn if you were to study singing.

Imagine finding your ‘real’ voice in a matter of 60 minutes or less and discovering a sound that you never knew was in there. All it takes is correct placement and the desire to learn.

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The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic or watch Nancy in a brief video as she describes The Power of Your Speaking Voice.

In addressing an audience, be it to 4 people or 400, one factor will remain the same: the format of your presentation. You will still have an opening, a development, and a closing. However, there are major differences in your delivery as well as your contact with your audience which is dependent on the size of your group.

You will need more volume if you are speaking to a large audience. While this may seem like a no-brainer, many people are not good at judging whether they are being heard well or not. If those in the back of the room are straining to hear your words, they will eventually stop listening. And, when they stop listening, your message is lost.

While speakers often test their volume output before the engagement begins, speaking to an empty room versus a filled room are two different animals. A room filled with people is noisier than an empty room even if those in attendance are quiet. Therefore, you must compensate when you choose your volume level, allowing for an increase in volume dependent on the number of seats filled in the room as well as the noise level of the room. Air conditioning vents and white noise both create additional sound. So, too, does sneezing, coughing, and the shuffling of papers.

You will need to physically scan the room, acknowledging your audience with a wider sweep of your body, your head, and your eyes. Pay particular attention to those on your far right and far left because these two extreme sides are often missed by speakers.

With a small audience it is easy to make eye contact with each individual but in addressing a larger group, making eye contact is only possible by focusing on different areas of your audience. When that happens, each person within that one specific realm will think you are looking directly at him/her.

When using visual/audio aids, make sure that they can be seen or heard by all. If you are playing audio, for example, can those in the back hear the words or music? If using video, on the other hand, a 21-inch TV monitor is not going to be appropriate. You will need an overhead projector with a large screen. If you like to use a white board or poster board, can your words to read by those in the last row?

While a dynamic delivery is the goal of everyone in public speaking, if you cannot be seen or heard or your visual aids are not readable, then you are losing half the battle. Part of the secret of good public speaking is to be confident that what you say and what you do is comfortably seen and heard by everyone in the room, not just those lucky few in the front row.

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The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. To see how voice training can improve your life, both professionally and personally, Click Here. Visit The Voice Lady’s blog and watch a brief video as she describes Dynamic Public Speaking.

The human voice can be seen as a mirror which reflects a speaker’s attitudes and feelings. An extremely weak voice may indicate a weak or timid personality. When someone is seriously ill their voice shows that. If they are happy the person’s voice normally corresponds. When they feel other emotions their voice will usually respond also.

A truly effective public speaker is too busy communicating their ideas, feelings and earnestly they don’t think about his voice as a speaker. However, they can form good vocal habits in private practice that will help them when they are speaking in public.

The essentials of a good speaking voice required for effective speaking are:

1. Voice projection
Everyone in the back row should be able to easily hear the speaker. To achieve this, the mouth needs to open wide enough and the lips move so that the tones come out freely. Speak twice as loud as you normally would in personal conversation.

2. Vary in pitch and inflection
Your tones should vary in pitch and inflection to naturally reflect the thoughts and feelings you are expressing. This will give freedom from the monotony that the sameness of tone induces. By thoroughly feeling the ideas and by letting those feelings show a speaker puts variety into their tones.

3. A good average rate
A good average rate should be set at the rate that is comfortable for the speaker’s temperament, the audience and the nature of the speech. Too slow and you will encourage the audience’s attention to wander. Too fast and the audience can’t keep up and they will not get the full meaning of the speech.

4. Vary rate
Although a speaker should have a good average rate of speaking, a good speaker will vary the rate of delivery when the ideas or information being discussed call for a change. But, do not vary the speed of delivery mechanically but naturally in keeping with the idea being expressed.

5. Emphasize Key Words
The key words in a sentence need more force than the other words. The emphasis involves increased vocal force as well as more spirit.

6. Good diction
The words should be spoken clearly, but not spoken too precisely or exacting because the words themselves become the focus and not the content of the speech. Nor is loose careless speech useful, it may lead the audience to the conclusion that you are lazy.

By recording a speech and listening carefully to it will reveal any monotonous speaking and any other vocal bad habits such as ums and ahs. A speaker can invite other listeners to feedback on their speech delivery, too. Then the speaker should get busy and practice putting more vocal color into their voice, being sure he speaks in a conversational tone.

Every day there are numerous opportunities to practice public speaking, because ordinary conversation is very much like public speaking. Why not make every conversation more vital and interesting by improving your speaking voice. The improvement in your speaking voice, will improve the effectiveness of your communication in conversation, meetings, etc, as well as your public speaking.

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Did you know there is a correlation between physical fitness and vocal health? Vocal sound begins with a complex and dynamic interaction of various muscles in the vocal tract. A good exercise program increases cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength, flexibility and coordination. These benefits (especially endurance and flexibility) contribute to more efficient use of energy during speaking and singing by reducing tension and increasing airflow for breathing. But you still might be experiencing hoarseness if you don’t take care of other factors that can create vocal problems.

Vocal hoarseness occurs for a variety of reasons. Here are 16 examples with explanations of vocal abuse that may cause hoarseness or vocal fatigue:

Coughing/Throat clearing — When you cough or clear your throat, you are slamming your vocal cords together very hard. Doing this enough times will create swollen cords and the vocal sound will be different. There is a method for coughing and throat clearing that isn’t hard on the cords that is especially effective for people who clear their throats or cough out of habit.

Excessive speaking during an upper respiratory infection — Since we are talking about coughing and throat clearing, it is highly likely that you are experiencing a cold. If so, it could mean that there is excessive mucous drainage which adds to the irritation of the vocal cords. This is a good time to take a rest from your speaking. Your vocal cords will thank you!

Grunting (as in weight lifting) — If you lift weights on a regular basis, you may be abusing your vocal cords. Weight-lifters slam their vocal cords together for the resistance needed to lift heavy weights and then grunt at the same time. This activity, repeated over time, may damage the vocal cords because the slamming together of the cords can cause a callous to build up, thus changing the mass of the vocal cords. This may result in a change in pitch and/or create vocal hoarseness.

Prolonged speaking — If you speak nonstop in addition to abusing your cords in another way (like speaking with excess tension or speaking at a high pitch), your voice will tire and even go away completely.

Talking in noisy environments — We all tend to speak louder in noisy environments and frequently speak at a higher pitch when talking loudly. This combination hurts the vocal cords.

Talking with excessive tension — Imagine holding a tight fist all day. What do you think your hand will feel like at the end of the day? Tired? Sore? This is what happens to your voice when too much tension is present.

Smoking cigarettes/marijuana — This one should be obvious…the smoke that passes through the vocal cords on their way to your lungs is extremely drying to the entire vocal tract. If you smoke, quit!

Speaking/singing in smoky environments — Second hand smoke has been shown to hurt people almost as much as taking puffs yourself. If you have to speak or sing in smoky environments, be sure to drink plenty of water.

Drinking alcohol — Alcohol is dehydrating and will rob you of your fluids. See the next point on drinking water.

Not drinking enough water — Most experts recommend 8-10 glasses to stay well hydrated and keep your vocal performance edge!

Inadequate breath support — Good breath support is essential when it comes to voice projection and maintaining good vocal health. Make sure you are using diaphragmatic support and not shallow breathing. Poor breathing technique is a common problem among speakers.

Reverse phonation — To do this you must be speaking while inhaling. Think of gasping or certain types of sighing or even heavy sleeping. Some kids may talk like this for fun too! There may be an occupation that may use reverse phonation such as a clown. But, it isn’t a good practice over the long term.

Abusive laughter — Too high of a pitch, laughing with reverse phonation, or too loudly are the things that people can do wrong while laughing.

Yelling/Excessive habitual loudness — Yelling, like throat clearing and coughing, slams the vocal cords together. Too often we also talk at a higher pitch when we get louder. This combination is hard on the vocal cords and over time, will result in hoarseness. Speaking too loudly over time will also hurt your vocal cords.

Inappropriate high/low pitch — If you speak with a pitch that is too high or too low from the optimal place in your pitch range, you will experience hoarseness. Often times, individuals try to produce and maintain a pitch that is too low for their pitch range.

Hard glottal attacks — The habit of building up pressure below the vocal cords and releasing the air abruptly on words that begin with vowels is called hard glottal attacks. Say “I” sharply and forcefully and then say “I” with a silent “h” in front of the “I.” Listen to the difference between these two sounds. When the vocal cords are chronically brought together forcibly, the result is hoarseness.

If you are hoarse and still not sure why, schedule an appointment with a physician or an Ears, Nose and Throat Specialist to find out if there is a physical problem.

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Copyright (c) 2008 Lynda Stucky. If you need assistance identifying or eliminating a vocally abusive behavior, seek help from a professional!