Is it better to talk fast or slow?
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If you talk too fast, will people be able to understand you? Isn’t it better to speak slowly and say every syllable and every word clearly? No. Rhythmic contrast is an important characteristic in American English, and in order to get that, some words and syllables have to be fast. YouTube blocked?
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Text: In this American English pronunciation video, I’m going to respond to a question from a member of the Rachel’s English community about speaking quickly vs. slowing down. Fabio recently said that when he was in America trying to sound American: speaking quickly, linking sounds, making Flap T’s, people had a hard time understanding him. When he started speaking clearer and more slowly, he was understood perfectly. He says, do you really think it’s necessary to
speak fast and linking everything? Great question. This brings up two things that I want to talk about. The first, and maybe most important thing, is that I don’t teach that you should be speaking really fast as a general rule. I’m sure Fabio isn’t the only one confused by this. When I talk about saying words that reduce really quickly, like “because of the”, the point isn’t to speak fast. The point is to create a contrast. You must have clearly pronounced stressed syllables. You
cannot speed through those and be easy to understand. But, when you have clearly pronounced stressed syllables and quick, maybe reduced unstressed syllables, you have contrast in syllable length. And this is what’s important in American English. Not speaking fast. If every syllable is fast, you’re going to be very hard to understand. So it’s as just important to make your stressed syllables clear as it is to reduce and simplify and speed up your unstressed syllables. So,
speaking with stressed and unstressed, fully pronounced and reduced, clear and fast syllables is one of the defining characteristics of American English. It’s a stress-timed language, and I’ve made a video about that. I’ll link to it at the end and in the description below. Don’t rush everything, just create contrast. What if you have perfect sounds, but every syllable is the same length? Let’s see. Hello my name is Rachel and I live in Philadelphia. I think probably everyone could understand that. But it didn’t sound very natural, did it? Also, that was with every sound being perfect. If some of your sounds aren’t perfect, and you try to fully pronounce everything with you have no rhythmic contrast, suddenly you have multiple factors that might get in the way of being understood. So to answer Fabio’s question, I do think it’s necessary to reduce words that reduce in American English, and to link words together in a thought group, like we generally do in American English, in order to maximize your changes of being understood. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and asking that very important question. I’m going to put an on-screen link now to a video on English as a Stress-Timed Language, and a collection of videos on words that reduce. Those links will also be in the description of the video. In the final section of this video, there’s also a link to a playlist on American English in Real Life and Ben Franklin exercises. Both of those sets of videos have lots of examples of real life words that reduce and rhythmic contrast. So, in conclusion, you don’t want to just speak fast all the time. You want contrast of stressed and unstressed syllables. The stressed syllables will be longer. But those unstressed words will be very fast. That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English. Video: https://07f1c47b71c75472a3cc-b7eea9689205a6672fd1aa00be922d89.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/383%20-%20Question%20about%20speaking%20slowly%20vs.%20quickly.mp4 Do you talk too fast? In our fast-paced, hectic, and often stressful society, many people tend to have this communication problem. While speaking quickly is not necessarily an issue in and of itself, some people do so at the expense of clarity, diction, and coherency, which may seriously inhibit effective communication. Source: freepik Below are four common reasons why a person may speak too fast: 1. Some people talk fast because they’re thinking “a mile a minute” and are trying to keep up with their own thoughts. This is particularly true with many extroverts, who tend to “think as they speak” rather than “think before they speak.” 2. Some individuals speak quickly out of nervousness and anxiety—they increase their rate in order to get their communication “over with,” but at the expense of clarity and diction, resulting in mumbling or jumbled speech. This particular phenomenon may apply to introverts as well as extroverts. 3. Certain people naturally speak fast because they were socially conditioned to do so from a young age. For example, a child with rambunctious and highly vocal siblings may feel constant pressure to “speak quickly and speak right away” in order to get a word in and receive attention. 4. For those who speak English as a second or third language, if the rate of their native tongue is inherently faster than English, they may inadvertently speak English at the rate of their birth language, resulting in fast English articulation. Regardless of the reason(s), many people who speak quickly may also be communicating ineffectively. Speaking fast without taking time to slow down or pause when appropriate may have the following, undesirable effects:
How can you slow your speaking rate and sound more composed? Below are four helpful tips, with references from my books: How to Improve the Sound of Your Speaking Voice and Ten Tips for Presentation Confidence and Reducing Nervousness: 1. Monitor your own speaking rate. When you notice yourself speaking “a mile a minute,” simply pause or slow down. Say to yourself or to the listener: “I’m speaking too fast. Let me slow down.” 2. Ask for reminders. If you know speaking fast is a habit of yours, it’s perfectly okay to let people around you know so, and give them permission to tell you when you’re speaking too quickly. Say something to the effect of: “I am a fast talker. Feel free to let me know, and I’ll slow down.” 3. Use bottled water as a prop. A simple “trick” to help get around speaking too fast is to have a bottled water next to you as you speak and drink from it regularly to create natural pauses. This works in social conversations, professional meetings, as well as public speaking situations. 4. Build pauses into formal communication. If you’re delivering a stand-up presentation or speaking at a group meeting, create cues on presentation slides or in meeting notes to remind yourself to pause. One easy way to do so is simply to stop between key points and ask the listeners if they have any questions. For more tips on how to improve voice, speech, and communication, see references below. © 2019 by Preston C. Ni. All rights reserved worldwide. Copyright violations may subject the violator to legal prosecution. Is it better to speak slowly or quickly?WINNER:
According to Miller's research, when people spoke at 195 words per a minute (a speedy conversational pace) they were more persuasive than at 100 words per minute (a slower conversational pace). This result led researchers to the conclusion that fast talking was predictably better for persuasion.
Is speaking slower more attractive?Speaking slowly makes people sound more intelligent, research finds. A lower tone also makes both sexes sound more attractive.
Are fast talkers more intelligent?According to research, you sound more intelligent if you speak relatively slowly. (Think of it as the Jeff Goldblum effect.) Speaking at a measured pace makes you seem smarter--as if your words are better thought-out (even if they aren't).
Is it good to speak fast?Regardless of the reason(s), many people who speak quickly may also be communicating ineffectively. Speaking fast without taking time to slow down or pause when appropriate may have the following, undesirable effects: Higher vocal pitch with less strength and power. Lower clarity and articulation.
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