Avoid These Common Speech Mistakes
| Instead of…. | Try... |
|---|---|
| “So, my topic is/ I’ve been asked to speak a bit about…” | Grabbing the listener’s attention, telling a story, or using another kind of hook to get their interest. |
| “I would like to start with a story/ a funny joke.” | Just start telling your story or your joke. |
| “Sorry/ excuse me if I seem nervous/ I’m not good at public speaking.” | Taking a moment, if you get nervous or start having technical problems. Nerves are generally not as visible as you think. |
| “Talk about,” used repeatedly or monotonously. (i.e. “First, I’ll talk about competition. Then, I’ll talk about Darwin. Then, I’ll talk about Finches.”) | Mixing up your language or using different words and phrases. Any phrase used repeatedly in this way is going to grate on your audience's ears. |
| “Bear with me.” | Running through your presentation beforehand, using the same technology, so that you don’t get caught off guard. |
| “Sorry, let me rephrase.” | Using language simple enough or reorganizing your presentation so that you don’t have to rephrase. You want them to be with you the entire time. |
| “The next slide shows/ moving right along…” | Finding more organic transitions in your presentation, rather than having to force it. |
| “I know this slide is really busy,” | Making your slides as clean as possible and circle the parts you want your audience to notice in red. Point to those and explain. |
| “I think I’ve bored you enough/ I didn’t have enough time/ That’s all I have.” | Leaving your audience with memorable last thoughts on your presentation. These examples of poorly planned out conclusions leave your audience without a sense of closure. |
| “Um/uh/you know.” | Taking a moment to collect your thoughts, instead of using filler words. Your audience won’t notice the pause, but you will sound much more put together. |
Contact
Office / Department Name
Oral Communication Center
Contact Name
Amy Gaffney
Oral Communication Center Director
