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15 Short Memorized Speech Examples

Giving a speech feels hard and that feeling is so common that a majority of people would rather die than speak publicly. But when it is inevitable, maybe as the best man, mother of the bride, or a speech assignment for class, we turn to memorization.

Why? Because we assume that if we know and remember what to say, we won’t embarrass ourselves. Slightly effective, but it comes with its own limitations.

Here, I will show you how to memorize a speech with 15 examples worth referencing.

But first, let’s go over how to write a speech, because it doesn’t matter how well you memorize one if the content is bad.

How to Write a Speech

The anxiety that fuels the need to memorize a speech comes from either not knowing what to say or how to say it. A sure fire way to overcome that is by writing the speech.

And contrary to what you might think, it is not hard to write a good speech. If you know how to have a meaningful conversation, moving from point A to point B, you can write a speech. You just need to follow these tips.

Set the stage with an introduction

How exactly you start depends on the context of your speech. For instance, you may need to introduce yourself if your audience isn’t familiar with you. This is unnecessary if you’ve been introduced or you’re speaking among your peers.

But the main point here is about how you start your speech. The goal is to explain the what and why in a way that captures the audience’s attention.

It could be a famous quote, a shocking statement, or a rhetorical question. As long as it gets ears to perk up and eyes to focus on you.

Create and follow a structure

Now that you have their attention, it is time to hold it. As the speaker, the audience expects a path and destination from you. They want to know where the gist leads and why the point matters.

Ergo, structure.

Each paragraph in your speech must have a central point and connect with the next. Don’t try and stuff everything you know about the subject in the paragraphs. Focus on the key issues and maintain clear, logical transitions from idea to idea.

That is why it is crucial to understand the purpose of the speech. Are you trying to entertain, argue a point, inspire, or educate? The answer will inform the structure and overall tone of the speech.

Use Anecdotes to illustrate key points

When you write a speech, tailor your language and ideas to your audience. The way you speak in a school seminar is different from how you will talk at your best friend’s wedding, and there is no place where this matters more than in your anecdotes.

Countless studies have shown that our brains remember stories pretty well. That means if you want your speech to be memorable, you have to sprinkle some of them in there to illustrate your points.

That way, even if the facts and figures fly over their heads, the story will stick. And the good thing about anecdotes is, you don’t have to memorize them.

Use Transitions

No matter how great every line in your speech is, there will be moments when the audience drifts off. Use transitions to recall their attention. It signals to them that the oncoming part is worth paying attention to.

There are different ways to deploy this. It could be a rhetorical question like “Why does this matter?” followed by a pause, just long enough to create anticipation.

Other examples include “So here’s the lesson” or “In a similar fashion.”

Summarize with a call to action

Your audience won’t remember everything you say, but they are more likely to remember the last thing you said to them. That means, alongside the introduction, this is an integral part of your speech.

Summarize the speech using sentences that drive home the main point. You can do this by repeating a few key takeaways or sharing an anecdote that illustrates the point.

How to Memorize a Speech

Image by Rodnae Productions ( Pexels )

Hopefully, after reading that section, you are starting to get the idea. Once you know what to say and how to say it, you’ve cracked the first step to memorizing a speech.

The next thing is to observe a few steps, and you are well on your way to delivering a captivating speech from memory.

Rehearse the Speech

After writing the speech, try reading it out loud. The goal here is to figure out how it sounds to fix what doesn’t work.

You can add, delete, or reorder parts of the speech until it sounds compelling and natural during this phase. Like something you wouldn’t mind sitting through yourself.

This process could take a few times, so feel free to pause and come back with fresh eyes and ears. You could also try reading it to someone for a different perspective.

Memorize the main ideas

The best way to memorize a speech is to learn the main points. This is where you benefit from writing the speech. Once you understand the subject matter and the goal of the speech, your mind has a framework to follow.

Instead of trying to capture the entire speech word-for-word, you have memorized the main ideas. Enough to talk about it to an audience as if you are having a regular conversation.

There are two main benefits to this. One, it gives a natural feel to your speech. Regurgitating a speech word-for-word makes you seem like a robot. There is no warmth, and it makes your content less engaging.

Two, it makes you immune to a slip-up. When you forget a word or sentence, it has little to zero impact because you know what you are trying to say and how to say it. You have maximum flexibility.

A practical way to memorize each idea is by quizzing yourself over each paragraph. “What is it about?” “What problem is it describing?” “Why does this matter?”

Practice your delivery

Finally, a speech is only as good as its delivery. Think about the most remarkable speeches you’ve heard or seen. What made them stand out?

One thing that is for sure is it isn’t because they remembered every single word. Not that you would know. But instead how the speaker spoke, entertainingly and informatively.

It is possible to memorize this by rehearsing over and over again.

Since you are more concerned about the meaning than the syntax of your sentence, you start to get a feel of when it’s okay to make a joke, change the timing or intonation.

That is how to memorize a speech, and it all starts with focusing on the content. Now, let’s see some good examples of these tips being put to use in different scenarios.

Short Memorized Speech Examples

Short memorized speech for a college paper.

This example might not align with your definition of “short,” but it gets a whole lot right when it comes to speeches.

First, it starts with a question that piques attention, then immediately establishes what and why they are talking about it. The sentence structure is also conversational, and the author doesn’t have to memorize each word.

The rest of the speech maintains that tone, and the thought flows logically. From explaining what dreaming big is to its downsides and negative impact, all told through anecdotal lenses.

Not only is this speech easier to memorize because it is their story, but it makes it more engaging. More than what a rollout of psychological facts would have been.

Finally, the speaker ties it up in a compelling conclusion that summarizes the key point with a call to action.

Short speech for a company event

This is a much shorter speech than the previous example, but it still follows the same principles. In the introduction, the author uses the scale of time to capture the audience’s attention. With a few sentences, it transports their mind to the past and the future. Engaging!

That thought continues its logical progression in the body. The CEO (presumably) zeroes in on the implications and impact of that journey in time on members of the organization. Relatable!

Finally, they tie up the speech with a nice bow with a call back to the beginning.

Not only does this speech have the perfect length for the occasion, but it is also stirring enough to leave a lasting impression.

Short wedding speech

If you have ever attended a wedding, you are probably familiar with speeches like this. What makes them so common yet effective is how much it understands its audience.

A wedding reception is a relaxed atmosphere, which means the audience experts jokes and laughter. The author doesn’t waste time and delivers right from the beginning. Humor makes us attractive, and with that, the audience is interested in what the writer has to say.

Another thing that makes this speech good and easy to memorize is a total familiarity with the subject matter. In this case, that’s Josh. Because of that, the author can craft a structural narrative that establishes Josh’s personality and character and its relevance to the current event.

Short memorized speech for a presentation

Here is a nice example of a proper introduction if you ever have to give a speech to your peers at school, work, or any other setting. They already know who you are, which means your primary focus is to give them something to listen to.

Next, dive into the what and why it matters. Here, the writer offers both at the end of the first paragraph and in the next. In two paragraphs, the audience knows why she’s talking about her future and why it matters to the speaker and them.

The next logical question is how the speaker plans to achieve that, and they answer in the final paragraph.

Short introductory speech for a college seminar

What if you had to come up with an introductory speech for an event? Well, you still follow the same beats as other types of speeches. Establish the what and the why.

For What, this college seminar speech covers the relevance of the seminar by mentioning the dignitaries that have supported it. Without explicitly stating that it is an important event, the roster of those in attendance and the organizing team conveys that to the audience.

To answer Why, the principal plainly states the value of the seminar. The audience understands they are part of a long history, and the content is valuable enough for commercial publication.

Short Personal Introductory Speech

When you have to introduce yourself, you have a limited time to establish who you are and why you should be listened to.

Thankfully there is not much to learn in this scenario because you are the subject, and no one knows you better than you. Start with your name and your experience like this example to prove your credibility.

Since it is a personal introduction, the body of your content should be something that humanizes you. That way, you go from a name and title to a person, and in this example, a relatable one.

The good thing about this type of speech is it is fun to memorize, and you can rehearse and shape it by giving it to as many people as possible.

Short persuasive speech to students

In the game of attention that is speech writing and delivery, there are multiple paths to victory. This example deploys the rhetorical question method to command the attention of its audience.

By asking questions audience members have most likely asked themselves, the speaker has positioned himself as someone with answers. After all, if you know about these questions, then they have probably figured it out.

Furthermore, each point builds on the one before it, in the direction of a typical day. Because it follows the logical progression of their regular day, the audience has permission to insert themselves into the narrative, making them more receptive to the advice and suggestion.

Persuasive for a diverse audience

What if you are trying to write and memorize a speech for a diverse audience? First, you need to find something that unites you all. In this short excerpt from a speech, the speaker has chosen their identity as residents of Thailand.

It would be difficult for the speaker to memorize every single word in this speech. However, by crafting points around how the central purpose of the speech benefits everyone, they don’t have to.

All that needs memorizing are the broader supporting points. To provide jobs, improve the local economy. Each point is bolstered with verifiable facts, which makes it more convincing.

Short speech for an argumentative speech

If you ever find yourself having a debate, the trick to making a convincing argument is to display a complete understanding of the topic interspersed with your opinions and verifiable facts.

This example does two of those things excellently. It starts by recognizing the conflict. Phones are helpful, and they serve an essential role in modern society, but it has its downsides. Then there’s the referenced medical fact that adds credibility to the conflict.

These points are connected by transitional phrases and words like “On the other hand” and “Worryingly” that make it easy for the audience to follow the speaker’s train of thought.

Short Memorizable speech for a proposal

Found the perfect partner and want to propose? Besides the content, writing and delivering your proposal speech is no different from any other kind of speech. It is all about connecting with your audience.

That means, like this example, you need to speak in the first person a lot, i.e., lots of Is. Your key points, as shown here, should focus on how your partner makes you feel and what their presence in your life means to you.

Memorizing the main points of your proposal is especially important in this context because your speech should come from the heart. Or at least feel like it did.

Memorized acceptance speech

Suppose you’ve received an award or recorded an accomplishment that requires a speech. In that case, the majority of your content should focus on showing appreciation.

First, start by thanking the people giving you the award, then move on to thank everyone else, specifically those who contributed to the achievement.

Feel free to introduce humor into your speech, but it should be appropriate for the event and place.

As always, when you memorize this kind of speech, you should focus more on each section than on the exact words. For instance, you could thank the awarding body first, then move to your peers, then family last.

That way, even after rehearsing multiple times in front of a mirror, it still feels natural and spontaneous.

Short acceptance speech with commentary

There are occasions when you want to do more than simply thank you in your acceptance speech. In scenarios like that, find a way to connect your appreciation with your commentary, as seen in this example.

Start by appreciating the organization or people responsible for the award or accomplishment. Then use transitional phrases or a topic sentence to segue into your commentary.

The example above used “…all the effort of my entire team…” to segue into an inspiring comment. It also used an anecdote to illustrate the point further.

Finally, end with a note of thanks to close the circle.

When crafted this way, you only need to memorize the broad strokes of your speech and perhaps the connective phrase if you came up with the perfect line in your draft.

Short Goodwill speech

Above is an excerpt of the famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. You can watch and read the whole thing here .

The popular name appears at the very end of the speech, but it would have made zero sense or had little impact if it wasn’t the conclusion of logically progressive thought.

Goodwill speeches should be informative and persuasive, and this example does that brilliantly from the first paragraph. It starts by showing great respect to the city and sticks to the theme by highlighting the shared values and beliefs.

If you ever have to deliver one, focus your memorization efforts on what you have in common with your hosts and build out from there.

Short memorized speech for a funeral

Many of us will have to deliver a speech at a funeral someday. When that time comes, it is better to memorize the order of your thoughts than the exact words.

A good order starts with introducing yourself and your relationship with the deceased. Then spend the following paragraphs talking about their life and personality. This includes speaking about their accomplishments, major life events. Each talking point should connect back to the impact on you.

Finally, summarize with a final takeaway from the theme, how you want others to remember the individual, and a thank you to attendees.

Short Farewell Speech after leaving a place or position

Your farewell speech is your last time to leave an impression on your audience. This could be your colleagues, boss, or students. Whoever they are, they will determine the exact tone and style you choose in your speech.

Depending on your experience and emotional attachment to the organization, your speech could be a simple thank you. It could also be exciting stories that highlight your history and journey there.

Whatever you decide, make sure it is personal. The second half of the first paragraph and the second paragraph above is an excellent example of this.

Wrapping it Up

That makes it 15, and depending on the scenario, each one is a useful reference when crafting your speech. Remember, the first step to memorizing a speech is to write one.

It gives you a chance to organize your thoughts, deepen your understanding of the topic, and familiarize yourself with the audience. In turn, you get the confidence to deliver in a way that is both engaging and convincing.

By following these tips and examples, you too will be able to deliver a speech that makes you proud.

Tom loves to write on technology, e-commerce & internet marketing. I started my first e-commerce company in college, designing and selling t-shirts for my campus bar crawl using print-on-demand. Having successfully established multiple 6 & 7-figure e-commerce businesses (in women’s fashion and hiking gear), I think I can share a tip or 2 to help you succeed.

Ace the Presentation

How to Prepare and Deliver a Great Memorized Speech

Today we will learn a bit about how to prepare ourselves and deliver a memorized speech successfully!

Everything we need to say and pitch about is centered on only one content that usually is not new to our public (whichever is other speakers or audience).

 As the speakers in the speech, we need to have some time, days, or weeks, to prepare to perform it to an audience.

Our audience doesn’t expect us to bring notes, books, or any guide besides memory to remind the content. 

There is an implicit requirement that the speaker needs to be familiar with the content and passionate if possible, this way… it will come out naturally; That is why it is crucial to find a reason or something that we like about the content.

Related Articles:

Extemporaneous Speech or Presentation

Manuscript Speech or Presentation

The 4 Types of Speech Delivery

15 Ideas to Make a Speech Unique, Memorable, and Inspiring

 Passion comes in zero place before our two main tasks: 

• Preparation

Successful Memorized Speech Task 1: Preparation

Reading about it or having conversations with people that know about it would be great to create natural memories that we won’t easily forget.

Most times, subjects are given, so we don’t need to focus on producing content, but they’re also those times we need to be the speakers and the content like most poetry contests. 

Visual interactions associated with arguments tend to last more time on our minds, and because we are about to find a way to bond with the content, it won’t fade away that easily.  

A memorized speech is not always about saying the words precisely as they were written. To wing it without going out of the original content can be in sometimes an excellent thing. 

Because it passes the message that we own the content, and it is not a set of words that we took memorize and repeat.

Some memorized speeches will produce the content, which means looking for the information that interests us and makes us feel passionate enough to write about it; this is commonly seen in poetry contests. 

Our concern is to take on board which type of subjects our audience is concerned about, but we should also find it essential to find reasons to be passionate to create flow and openness.

They are also those memorize speeches like a sales pitch, in which our primary focus is on getting to know more about the product itself, side-effects, finding positives things, and structure the best way to launch it behind people.

The preparation stage of a memorized speech is all about three things:

• Get Familiar with the subject;
• Feel Comfortable with it;
• Develop a structure of speech outcome.

 These are the pilar of the preparation stage, and to achieve this, we need to draw actual goals, namely, transforming the which to perform a memorized speech in activities.

So imagine we are getting ready for a spelling competition, we need to engage this new goal into on our schedule, not as a task that needs to be ticked diary but as visualizing different sets it could be practiced, for example:

• Hanging around with friends making a game of rotating spell;
• Scrolling images and as we see spell the word;
• Have a playlist of our favorite relaxing songs when it is time to practice.

Because we want to imprint in our brains and make it a regular action, our memory will be tested.

We need to practice, especially when we are about / having fun, so it gets on our emotions, in front of friends or family, so having an audience on the big day won’t make us feel anxious or blocked.

A memorized speech can be prepared in 4 steps:

• Make our need to memorize an activity;
• Engage it in our daily schedule to turn into a lasting memory;
• Choose times we are having fun, so it becomes easier to do;
• Do it with people’s help from time to time so we can get used to an audience.

Successful Memorized Speech Task 2: Delivery

So here we are, the BIG DAY as arrived. What should we first? First of all, breathe. We need to make sure we have time enough to breathe slowly and be in the moment. It is scientifically proven that breathing helps our brains calm down and find solutions when facing a problem. 

When I had to perform my first memorized speech, I took plenty of time reading the content over and over again. All kinds of the way with music, without music, alone, with people, I  did everything but breathe , which was my biggest mistake.

When the time arrived, I had all in my mind until I got nervous and forgot everything I need to say before; I could not improve because I didn’t bond with content. We don’t this to happen with you never, so remember to breathe.

On the day of the delivery, we want to be relaxed and make sure our mind and spirit are in sync. The pressure of practicing too much on the day eventually will create tension between us, trying to remember what goes next and the audience. 

Having a structure is always helpful. We could start by not forgetting to interact with the audience, which means say Good Morning, smile, make eye contact, and maybe just come with a little joke.

Showing some pictures related to our content or adding some light instrumental to a poetry contest would be a good tip because it would create an open environment.

We want to choose clothes that are not very colorful so that the audience pays attention to what we have to say and not how neon green doesn’t match our curvy stance, so yes, we also need to pay attention to our body language.

The memorized speech can be delivered in 5 steps:

• Believe that we got this; after all, we have been practicing to make it a habit, something that is naturally part of us;
• Keep up the new routine we created on the preparation stage;
• Have a structure to outcome the content;
• Articulate body language with speech to make the audience open and receptive;

It is possible to perfume a memorized speech without getting stressed by planning it and engaging in our daily activities. It doesn’t have to be a speech without personality either by creating a structure that will not only outcome the content at the right time but also adding some images to make it memorable.

References and Further Reading

Social Sci LibreTextes. Methods of Speech Delivery .

SPCH PPTs Text LearAct. Speak from the Memory.

How to Make a Speech Unique, Memorable, and Inspiring

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Module 6: Organizing and Outlining Your Speech

Methods of speech delivery, learning objectives.

Identify the four types of speech delivery methods and when to use them.

There are four basic methods of speech delivery: manuscript, memorized, impromptu, and extemporaneous. We’ll look at each method and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each.

A manuscript page from President George W. Bush’s address to the nation on the day of the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

A manuscript speech is when the speaker writes down every word they will speak during the speech. When they deliver the speech, they have each word planned and in front of them on the page, much like a newscaster who reads from a teleprompter.

The advantage of using a manuscript is that the speaker has access to every word they’ve prepared in advance. There is no guesswork or memorization needed. This method comforts some speakers’ nerves as they don’t have to worry about that moment where they might freeze and forget what they’ve planned to say. They also are able to make exact quotes from their source material.

When the exact wording of an idea is crucial, speakers often read from a manuscript, for instance in communicating public statements from a company.

However, the disadvantage with a manuscript is that the speakers have MANY words in front of them on the page. This prohibits one of the most important aspects of delivery, eye contact. When many words are on the page, the speakers will find themselves looking down at those words more frequently because they will need the help. If they do look up at the audience, they often cannot find their place when the eye returns to the page. Also, when nerves come into play, speakers with manuscripts often default to reading from the page and forget that they are not making eye contact or engaging their audience. Therefore, manuscript is a very difficult delivery method and not ideal.  Above all, the speakers should remember to rehearse with the script so that they practice looking up often.

Public Speaking in History

The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, owed in large part to a momentary error made by an East German government spokesperson. At a live press conference, Günter Schabowski tried to explain new rules relaxing East Germany’s severe travel restrictions. A reporter asked, “when do these new rules go into effect?” Visibly flustered, Schabowski said, “As far as I know, it takes effect immediately, without delay.” In fact, the new visa application procedure was supposed to begin the following day, and with a lot of bureaucracy and red tape. Instead, thousands of East Berliners arrived within minutes at the border crossings, demanding to pass through immediately. The rest is history.

The outcome of this particular public-relations blunder was welcomed by the vast majority of East and West German citizens, and hastened the collapse of communism in Eastern and Central Europe. It’s probably good, then, that Schabowski ran this particular press conference extemporaneously, rather than reading from a manuscript.

You can view the transcript for “The mistake that toppled the Berlin Wall” here (opens in new window) .

A memorized speech is also fully prepared in advance and one in which the speaker does not use any notes. In the case of an occasion speech like a quick toast, a brief dedication, or a short eulogy, word-for-word memorization might make sense. Usually, though, it doesn’t involve committing each and every word to memory, Memorizing a speech isn’t like memorizing a poem where you need to remember every word exactly as written. Don’t memorize a manuscript! Work with your outline instead. Practice with the outline until you can recall the content and order of your main points without effort. Then it’s just a matter of practicing until you’re able to elaborate on your key points in a natural and seamless manner. Ideally, a memorized speech will sound like an off-the-cuff statement by someone who is a really eloquent speaker and an exceptionally organized thinker!

The advantage of a memorized speech is that the speaker can fully face their audience and make lots of eye contact. The problem with a memorized speech is that speakers may get nervous and forget the parts they’ve memorized. Without any notes to lean on, the speaker may hesitate and leave lots of dead air in the room while trying to recall what was planned. Sometimes, the speaker can’t remember or find his or her place in the speech and are forced to go get the notes or go back to the PowerPoint in some capacity to try to trigger his or her memory. This can be an embarrassing and uncomfortable moment for the speaker and the audience, and is a moment which could be easily avoided by using a different speaking method.

How to: memorize a speech

There are lots of tips out there about how to memorize speeches. Here’s one that loosely follows an ancient memorization strategy called the method of loci or “memory palace,” which uses visualizations of familiar spatial environments in order to enhance the recall of information.

You can view the transcript for “How to Memorize a Speech” here (opens in new window) .

An impromptu speech is one for which there is little to no preparation. There is often not a warning even that the person may be asked to speak. For example, your speech teacher may ask you to deliver a speech on your worst pet peeve. You may or may not be given a few minutes to organize your thoughts. What should you do? DO NOT PANIC. Even under pressure, you can create a basic speech that follows the formula of an introduction, body, and conclusion. If you have a few minutes, jot down some notes that fit into each part of the speech. (In fact, the phrase “speaking off the cuff,” which means speaking without preparation, probably refers to the idea that one would jot a few notes on one’s shirt cuff before speaking impromptu.) [1] ) An introduction should include an attention getter, introduction of the topic, speaker credibility, and forecasting of main points. The body should have two or three main points. The conclusion should have a summary, call to action, and final thought. If you can organize your thoughts into those three parts, you will sound like a polished speaker. Even if you only hit two of them, it will still help you to think about the speech in those parts. For example, if a speech is being given on a pet peeve of chewed gum being left under desks in classrooms, it might be organized like this.

• Introduction : Speaker chews gum loudly and then puts it under a desk (attention getter, demonstration). Speaker introduces themselves and the topic and why they’re qualified to speak on it (topic introduction and credibility). “I’m Katie Smith and I’ve been a student at this school for three years and witnessed this gum problem the entire time.”
• Body : Speaker states three main points of why we shouldn’t leave gum on desks: it’s rude, it makes custodians have to work harder, it affects the next student who gets nastiness on their seat (forecast of order). Speaker then discusses those three points
• Conclusion : Speaker summarizes those three points (summary, part 1 of conclusion), calls on the audience to pledge to never do this again (call to action), and gives a quote from Michael Jordan about respecting property (final thought).

While an impromptu speech can be challenging, the advantage is that it can also be thrilling as the speaker thinks off the cuff and says what they’re most passionate about in the moment. A speaker should not be afraid to use notes during an impromptu speech if they were given any time to organize their thoughts.

The disadvantage is that there is no time for preparation, so finding research to support claims such as quotes or facts cannot be included. The lack of preparation makes some speakers more nervous and they may struggle to engage the audience due to their nerves.

Extemporaneous

The last method of delivery we’ll look at is extemporaneous. When speaking extemporaneously, speakers prepare some notes in advance that help trigger their memory of what they planned to say. These notes are often placed on notecards. A 4”x6” notecard or 5”x7” size card works well. This size of notecards can be purchased at any office supply store. Speakers should determine what needs to go on each card by reading through their speech notes and giving themselves phrases to say out loud. These notes are not full sentences, but help the speakers, who turn them into a full sentence when spoken aloud. Note that if a quote is being used, listing that quote verbatim is fine.

The advantage of extemporaneous speaking is that the speakers are able to speak in a more conversational tone by letting the cards guide them, but not dictate every word they say. This method allows for the speakers to make more eye contact with the audience. The shorter note forms also prevent speakers from getting lost in their words. Numbering these cards also helps if one gets out of order. Also, these notes are not ones the teacher sees or collects. While you may be required to turn in your speech outline, your extemporaneous notecards are not seen by anyone but you. Therefore, you can also write yourself notes to speak up, slow down, emphasize a point, go to the next slide, etc.

The disadvantage to extemporaneous is the speakers may forget what else was planned to say or find a card to be out of order. This problem can be avoided through rehearsal and double-checking the note order before speaking.

Many speakers consider the extemporaneous method to be the ideal speaking method because it allows them to be prepared, keeps the audience engaged, and makes the speakers more natural in their delivery. In your public speaking class, most of your speeches will probably be delivered extemporaneously.

• As per the Oxford English Dictionary' s entry for "Off the Cuff." See an extensive discussion at Mark Liberman's Language Log here: https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4130 ↵
• Method of loci definition. Provided by : Wikipedia. Located at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_loci . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
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• How to Memorize a Speech. Authored by : Memorize Academy. Located at : https://youtu.be/rvBw__VNrsc . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
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7.2: Four Types of Speeches

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Speeches can be categorized into four broad areas depending on the amount of preparation that is undertaken and depending upon the nature of the occasion.  The four types of speeches are manuscript, memorized, extemporaneous, and impromptu.  Our aim is to acquaint you with these four different modes of delivery, to provide suggestions for when you are asked to make impromptu remarks, and then to focus most your time on the preparation, practice, and presentation of extemporaneous speeches.

Manuscript Speech

When you listen to the President deliver a State of the Union message, you listen to a well-crafted speech being read from a teleprompter. The speech has been polished by a staff of speechwriters and has been practiced many times. The President will know how to anticipate the reaction of the audience and will know when to pause for applause and when to expect laughter. This form of speaking is used when the exact words matter and when much time and energy is expended on getting everything just right. There are times when people who are not leaders of countries deliver manuscript speeches as well. They are used when people testify before Congress, when people read important statements in a public setting, or when people deliver reports at professional meetings. All call for exact words in the correct order.

While the President has access to a staff of speech writers and a teleprompter, most of us do not. If you were given this type of assignment, you would have to read your manuscript speech from printed notes. In that case, you would want to ensure that you had prepared your manuscript carefully, using large fonts so you could read it easily without burying your nose in the pages. Reading the speech does not allow you to skimp on the preparation. Practice the speech many times. This allows you to make changes, if needed, and to select the best words to communicate your exact meaning. Remember to speak clearly and naturally -strive for a conversational tone. It shouldn’t sound read -even if you are reading. Also, remember to speak slowly; there is a natural tendency to speed up when we speak in public. Delivering a speech is not a race; you do not receive bonus points for finishing early.

Unless you are specifically told by your instructor to prepare and deliver a manuscript speech, you should never write out the entire speech. Spend your time developing your outline, organizing your ideas, and determining where you can best insert your supports. Then practice using the outline while speaking.

Memorized Speech

When you were in elementary school, did you ever have to memorize a poem or a part of a speech? If you are like most students, the answer is “Yes. ” There is nothing wrong with memorization. But if you try to memorize a speech, you risk forgetting what you planned to say and coming across as completely unprepared. Memorizing your speech is even worse than reading it. All the objections that apply to the read speech also apply to the memorized speech. Spontaneity is gone. The speech can sound stilted. Often, delivery is too rapid. Concentration is on the words, not the ideas. Sometimes the speech sounds too formal, like a written essay. There is minimal feedback or other contact with the audience. And what happens if your mind goes completely blank or if an audience member interrupts? The entire presentation will likely fall apart. Memorizing a speech puts entirely too much pressure on the speaker.

That said, there are a couple of parts of the speech that you may want to have memorized -or practiced so well that you can deliver them almost as if memorized. These include:

Your introduction:  It sets the stage for the entire speech. The words should be well chosen and rehearsed. You may find that as you repeat this portion of the speech during your rehearsals you do come to memorize it word for word. If so, this is fine. After all, once you have determined the best way of saying something, why not use it? Just make sure the presentation does not sound memorized.

Your conclusion:  The summary and call to action are the final words that your audience will hear. As with the introduction, if you practice this repeatedly you will develop the best way to say what you want and you will probably have perfected this portion of the speech.

Impromptu Speech

There will come a time for all of us when we are asked to “say a few words ” without much preparation.  You haven’t prepared any notes, you haven’t practiced what you’ll say, and you’re being asked to “wing it. ” While this may seem incredibly scary, impromptu presentations are the most common type of public speaking. You’re in class and suddenly the professor wants to hear how group projects are going. You, as the leader of your group, are asked to stand and briefly discuss what the group is doing and how much you’ve completed so far. That’s an impromptu speech. You didn’t know when you headed to class that day that you’d be speaking in public, but you did it. No sweat! Or maybe you’re in a meeting at work and the boss announces that he wants you to brief everyone in the meeting on the new equipment being installed that afternoon. Again, no prior planning, no notes, you just do it. That’s impromptu speaking.

Extemporaneous Speech

The focus of most college courses in public speaking is the extemporaneous speech.  This is because this is the type of speech used most in business, education, preaching, and political affairs. Few of us will ever have a professional staff of speechwriters or ever deliver a speech with the aid of a teleprompter. But when you do have a speech or presentation to deliver, you’ll want to sound prepared, authoritative, and clear.

Simply stated, an extemporaneous speech is one where you will have time for preparation and practice but will not be expected to read from a manuscript or to have the speech memorized.  The question most students ask is, “How much time should be spent in preparation and practice? ” Perhaps Mark Twain said it best. When speaking about preparing for an impromptu speech, he noted, “It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech ” (King). While celebrated as a humorist, there is much truth in his words. To appear to be speaking off the cuff, and to do it well, you must prepare thoroughly and practice to perfection. When you speak extemporaneously, it means you’ve had ample time to prepare and research and that you have rehearsed your speech (many times) using an outline or notes to remind you of the progression of ideas you wish to present. You will follow all the normal steps outlined in the earlier chapters. Choose a topic, narrow appropriately, analyze your audience, choose your supports, and create an outline. You will know your speech so well and will amaze your audience!

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How To Deliver A Great Speech From Memory

This is the final post in a six-part series focusing on the various methods of delivering a presentation, including talking from a script , using a script with “holes, ” speaking from notes , using a teleprompter , and memorizing your talk . Many decades ago, a popular television commercial touted a recordable audio cassette which, its makers claimed, had such incredible sound quality as to make it impossible to distinguish a live performance from a recorded one. The ad left viewers with a memorable catchphrase: Is it live, or is it Memorex ?

I think of that line when watching a presenter deliver a speech they’ve remembered word-for-word: Is it live, or is it memorized ?

As that question suggests, audiences can often tell when a speaker has memorized their talk. It’s almost as if someone has pressed play on the presenter — but when the speaker forgets a word or loses their place, you can practically see the tape unspooling from their brain’s cassette. If anything interrupts their flow — a technical glitch or an audience member’s question at an unexpected moment — it can throw them into internal chaos and destroy their rhythm.

There’s another challenge when speaking from memory. If a speaker is using a large portion of their mental energy to search for the words that come next, they’re probably not paying enough attention to subtle signs from the audience that might signal confusion, annoyance, or disagreement. It can make them appear disconnected from their audience, as if they weren’t really in the same room with them. As Dale Carnegie noted in The Quick & Easy Way to Effective Speaking , “We will probably deliver [a memorized talk] in a mechanical way. Why? Because it will not come from our hearts, but from our memories.”

Many people want to memorize their talk because they believe it will make them appear more “polished.” That might be true in some cases — but memorizing a talk may have more downsides than upsides, particularly because few audiences punish a speaker who occasionally (and confidently) glances at their notes.

And yet, it’s undeniable that some speakers possess the rare talent of delivering a memorized script while sounding conversational, reacting in the moment to unexpected events, and returning seamlessly to their remembered remarks. Those presenters are indeed impressive, so it’s no surprise that many people endeavor to emulate TED-like speakers who have presented to large international audiences with great success. (It’s worth noting, however, that TED speakers typically practice their talks for many months, a gift of time most presenters don’t have.)

If you’re determined to “memorize” your talk, remember these three words: internalize, don’t memorize .

Memorizing means trying to remember every word. That’s a challenging prospect for even seasoned actors who deliver the same stage show night after night. In contrast, internalizing means that you’ve memorized the sequence of your talk and the main points you intend to address in each section.

Perhaps some of the specific words you use in your talk will be delivered exactly as you rehearsed them — particularly key takeaway points, quotes, or transitions — but internalizing your talk means that you’re so familiar with the material that you’re also able to deviate from your rehearsed script and deliver the same points with different words.

As an analogy, consider jazz music, which is known for its skilled improvisation. If you attend a jazz concert, each musician may improvise a solo at some point. Yet, despite the fact that the piece of music may never have been played that way before, the other musicians on stage will know how to accompany their improvising bandmate because they understand the underlying structure of jazz. The notes may be improvised — but the rules governing their overall choices are known to each player.

In much the same way, internalizing your talk means being able to follow a set structure — but without undue rigidity. Think of it less as “memorizing” a talk and more as delivering a talk without notes.

Memorizing keywords can help you internalize your presentation. If your talk has three parts, for example, you might memorize the keyword trigger for each section: “Pollution, Regulation, Optimistic Future.” To make memorizing those triggers even easier, choose keywords that form a memorable acronym; in this case, the acronym would be “PROF.” If you go blank during your talk, remembering the mnemonic device of speaking like a “prof,” or a prof essor, will help you get back on track quickly.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning that talks with clear narratives or chronologies — those with a distinct beginning, middle, and end that build logically upon one another — are often the easiest presentations to deliver without notes.

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Comments (1)

In his heyday, like a jazz soloist, Billy Connolly was a master of deviating from his main theme (to tell a side story, in his case), then picking up his original tack several minutes later as though he’d never left it. (Stories within stories – when done so well – can be very engaging!) I’m a strong advocate of using acronyms to make content memorable and well-organised. In fact, to my mind, acronyms give speakers (and audiences) five benefits, which themselves spell another acronym – MOIST. (See if you can guess what the letters stand for .)

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How to memorize a speech

• James Haynes
• October 3, 2022

Table of Contents

Introduction.

You’ve just been invited to give a talk. That’s great! Whether it’s for your speaking business or just a short speech in front of one of your community groups, you may be wondering how and whether to memorize your talk. What are some tips for memorizing it? How can you keep from forgetting your lines? For answers to these questions and more, read on.

Should I memorize my speech word-for-word?

First of all, it’s important to know whether you need to memorize your speech word-for-word. Typically, if you need to stick to a script, you will be told in advance that you need to do so, and will have notes for your talk.

But suppose you’re not allowed to bring notes onto the stage, or simply feel more comfortable walking around the lectern instead of standing behind it. What can you do to remember your lines?

Remember: for a lot of speeches you’ll give, you’re not going to have a Powerpoint or similar visual aids. So how are you going to stay focused and find cues?

There are a couple of tricks you can use. One method comes from speaker Harriet Turk, who told Grant Baldwin in our  podcast on creating your talk  that writing some bullet points on a notecard can be one way to succinctly outline a talk in a way that you can rely on, even when you’re on stage and nervous.

“Bullets are easy because they trigger what it is that you’re really wanting to do,” Turk said, “Whereas if you write it out and then you memorize it, you could have stage fright, or you’ve practiced it so much that you get to a point that you’re nervous and you forget.”

But you can’t wing it. After all, professional speakers don’t just make stuff up. They don’t just write a few thoughts on a notecard and then shoot from the hip for an entire presentation. They take the time to write and carefully craft their material. Read  this super helpful post  by Josh Sundquist for his tips on writing your speech, setting your fee, and booking your first gigs.

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Methods to memorize your speech

So if you aren’t going to have a transcription of your talk on the stage (which you probably shouldn’t), and you’re not yet sure how to fit a 30-minute or even an hour-long speech on note cards, how can you store your content in your head without freezing up?

Sequential structures for memorizing your speech

One method Grant Baldwin  discusses in our podcast on how to create your talk  is to use different types of structures. For example, a sequential structure for memorizing your talk can take the main themes you want to speak about and put them in a sequential form, so that it’s easier to remember the order. Grant gives the example of a talk he gave for college audiences called “Life is a Highway,” where he talked about an imaginary road trip.

As Baldwin said, the way the talk was structured was to talk in the beginning about the past, and where the audience has been, then talk about the future, where they’re going, and to end by talking about where they are, right now. “It needs to almost happen in this certain sequence,” Baldwin said, “which also makes it easier for you to memorize because they need to go in this specific order.”

Modular structures

Another type of structure you can use to memorize your speech is a modular structure. This allows you to go in order, but it also allows you to jump around. This could be especially helpful if you’ve got a couple of main thoughts or ideas and they don’t necessarily have to go in a certain order. You can kind of mix and match them around, similar to how a band at a concert can switch songs around in their setlist.

Baldwin gives the example of topics he covered in a book talk for high school students, answering questions such as, should I go to college? how do I pay for college? What classes do I take? What do I major in? Job interviews, resumes, internships, credit cards, budgets, taxes, etc.

Similar to the sequential structure, it may be helpful for you to think of the content as telling a story, so that you don’t leave anything out. If you have five key themes, for example, that you’d like to cover, they could be five elements of a story you would like to tell. Remember: stories will keep your audience engaged and also make it easier for you to memorize your speech.

How to practice memorizing your speech

Got your outline for your talk? Decided whether to use a sequential or modular structure? Now you’re wondering, what’s next? The next step is to practice your outlined talk. If you get nervous before going on stage, this will be a game-changer. One of the best ways to minimize any nerves on stage is to practice so you know exactly where you’re going with your talk. (for more on managing nerves when you speak,  check out this episode  of The Speaker Lab podcast). In the same way that you would practice a standardized test before taking it, or your lines in a play before performing, you should practice your speech before giving it.

Step 1: Read through – aloud.

When you’re speaking live, you don’t get a second take, as  Grant Baldwin discusses in this Speaker Lab podcast on how to practice your talk.  So you can benefit from practicing your entire talk all the way through beforehand.

How do you do this? “The first thing I do,” Baldwin said, “is [to] manuscript my talk…I’m not trying to learn a manuscript verbatim, I just want to know it. I want to know where I’m going, and I wanna know what it is that I want to communicate.”

Then, Baldwin says, he can read that talk out loud, as one continuous piece. This enables him (and you as a speaker) to ask questions like, does this flow together? Does this seem smooth? Are the transitions smooth as you’re going from this point into that point? Is it really clear what this talk is about?

As you read and go through your talk, you may realize that a particular story just doesn’t work. So you can just cut it out. Going through the whole manuscript by reading it aloud can help you catch things and rewrite anything that doesn’t fit. There will be things that need work, but oftentimes you won’t catch them just by reading your talk. That’s why you ought to do this by reading your talk out loud.

Step 2: Break your talk into sections

The next step Baldwin recommends is to begin to break your talk into sections. “I start trying to basically internalize the message,” Baldwin said. “I go paragraph by paragraph, trying to internalize the message.” Again, the goal here is not to memorize it verbatim. Unlike a singer, whose audience may know all the lyrics to the song she sings, if a speaker goes out of order, it may be impossible for the audience to notice – after all, they don’t have a script!

As you internalize your talk’s message, you can break the talk into sections that you either deliver in order or out of order. But regardless of how you break it up, you should determine what the point of each section is. It may be to tell a story to illustrate some key thoughts. Practicing that section could include practicing telling the story aloud, delivering the punchline, and transitioning out of that story into the next point that you’re trying to make. This will make it easier to memorize your speech.

Each section should stack on to what you’ve already learned. So once you learn paragraph one, then you can practice paragraph two. Then you can go back and practice one and two together – again, everyone has their own technique, but oftentimes out loud is best! (Another tactic here is to record yourself and listen back to help you to not only learn the material, but to also help decide if the material works.)

Step 3: Practice the talk as a whole

Once you’ve run through the whole talk and broken it into sections, you will want to practice the talk as a whole several times. Go from point A to point Z and see how long it takes. If it’s a 30-minute talk or an hour-long talk, this may take a while, but it’s worth it.

Practice like you would perform your talk. Don’t just go through the motions. Think through your hand gestures, your voice inflections, and your stage movement. If you plan to be using a handheld mic, practice with something to mimic that so you can get used to it. Knowing what action to take next can help you stay on track as you memorize your speech.

Create a rhythm to your talk. Rhythm means creating a pace or flow to your talk that makes it easier to follow and navigate for the audience. I generally follow this rhythm when presenting: present the main point or idea…expand on that point….tell a story related to that point…make application….wash, rinse, repeat.

You might also consider practicing in front of another person (ideally someone who can stand in well for an audience member), or in front of a mirror.

Remember: you don’t spend 10 minutes on this part. Depending on the length of your talk, it will number in the hours. That’s a big commitment. But each time you speak, you’re going to get better, and the talk is going to get easier.

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All in all, knowing how to memorize your speech is a necessary skill for furthering your speaking career. Although you don’t need to remember word for word exactly what you have to say, having the entire outline and structure in your head rather than in a script will make your talk shine.

If you found this piece helpful, we have a  great podcast with Grant Baldwin on how to create your talk.  He tells us how he prepares for talks, what makes a talk good versus another talk, and what types of structures you can use to organize your content. You can listen to this  podcast on creating a talk here . Want to read more about speaking tips? Take a look at our  100 tips for motivational speaking for any speaking engagement ! Happy speaking!

• Last Updated: February 29, 2024

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How To Memorize A Speech: Proven Tips And Tricks

• Why Memorize Speeches?
• How To Memorize Speeches

Preparing for a big speech can be a nerve-wracking experience. Whether it’s the commencement speech at your graduation ceremony , a career-making presentation, or the best man speech at a wedding , preparation is the key to getting through your speech without a hiccup. 

But how do you even begin to memorize something as lengthy and detailed as an entire speech? Luckily, there are some tried and true ways to commit your speech to memory before the big day. Here’s why memorizing your speech can make it even better and eight ways to make the memorization process a total breeze.

Why is it important to memorize speeches?

Public speaking is challenging for many people, but it’s much easier when you give yourself the opportunity to plan and prepare. Memorizing your speech allows you to move from point to point without even thinking about it. This not only increases your credibility as a speaker, but it also makes it easier to connect with your audience, since you’ll be at ease instead of struggling to figure out what to say next.

How you go about memorizing your speech is important, too. You don’t want to appear robotic or get tripped up if you’ve memorized a speech perfectly from beginning to end and then happen to forget a word and lose your place. The best way to memorize a speech is to know it front to back, inside and out, and to be able to recall each piece of it, even if it were broken up and jumbled like a jigsaw puzzle. 

Sound like a big task? Don’t worry. We’ve got your back. Here’s how to memorize your speech like a pro.

How to memorize a speech

1. Get organized.

Think of your speech as a script. Decide exactly what points you’d like to make and what you’d like to say ahead of time. Ideally, your speech should have distinct sections that divide the information you’re trying to convey as well as an attention-grabbing introduction and conclusion. Make use of transition words , too, to keep your audience engaged. The more organized your speech is, the easier it will be to memorize and to create cues for yourself in case you get tripped up.

2. Write it down.

Reciting your speech out loud isn’t the only way to memorize it. You can also write it down. The practice of writing helps to encode things in the brain more deeply. Pick one section of your speech and write it word-for-word a few times during the week. The next week, pick a different section and keep the practice going. In no time, you’ll find yourself remembering lines and transitions with more ease than ever.

3. Give yourself enough time.

Memorization doesn’t happen overnight, so don’t wait until the night before or even the week before a big speech to begin the work of memorizing. For longer speeches, give yourself at least four to six weeks to get it down. For shorter speeches, two to three may suffice. Plan which parts of your speech or presentation you’ll work on each week, with the final week spent running through the entire thing from start to finish. Not only will you get the speech down completely, but you’ll also prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed.

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4. Use memory tricks.

Don’t have superhuman memory? That’s OK; most of us don’t. That’s where memory tricks come in. If you need to remember a difficult acronym, specific terms, or just where to transition from one part of your speech to another, come up with a memory device to help remind you in the moment. Here are some ideas to try:

• Make flash cards for each section of your speech.
• Use mnemonics for important terms or to recall the order of information.
• Create a song or rhyme you can refer to in your head if you get stuck.
• If it makes sense with your speech, include images or visuals to trigger your memory.

5. Practice your movements, too.

Coordinating specific movements to make during different parts of your speech can help encode it more deeply in your memory. Plus, it helps you avoid awkwardness during the real-life delivery of your speech. Decide where you’ll stand as well as when and if you’ll move to different areas while you’re talking. If you’ll be behind a podium, figure out which hand gestures make sense and won’t be distracting to your audience. All of this will help you feel more prepared and make the delivery of your speech feel like second nature.

6. Use sleep to your advantage.

Research has shown that sleep helps the human brain process and store information. You can use this as a trick to help you with memorizing your speech. Try reviewing your speech right before you go to bed some nights. The night before the big speech, do one last run-through and then make sure you get a full night’s sleep so that you feel refreshed and that your brain is functioning at its highest capacity.

7. Quiz yourself.

It’s a good idea to test yourself regularly to make sure you’re making progress on memorizing your speech. The easiest way to do this is to memorize each section of your speech separately and then test yourself over that section. As you learn more and more of the speech, you can challenge yourself to recite all of the sections you’ve learned so far. You can even pick random sections to recite out of order to make sure you really have it down. Lastly, ask a friend to read the speech while you recite it so they can catch any missed words or information.

8. Make a plan for mistakes.

Even if you prepare a lot, mistakes and forgetful moments can still happen. Rather than fretting about it, come prepared. Write good notes that you can use to cue yourself with just a glance. Plan to take a sip of water if you need to buy yourself an extra few seconds to remember the next line. Also, brainstorm some phrases you can use to talk yourself through mishaps and keep your audience engaged if you need a second to get back on track. Here are some examples:

• “I’ll refer to my notes here.”
• “Let me take a step back and gather my thoughts.”
• “To summarize what I’ve talked about up to this point, …”
• “Are there any questions about what I’ve covered so far?”

Remember: your audience doesn’t expect perfection. Relax, make eye contact, and trust in the hard work you’ve done to commit your thoughts to memory. You’ve got this!

Public speaking is a craft you can master with tips, tricks, and practice. Learn how!

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How to Memorize a Speech for a Powerful Delivery

Giving a speech doesn’t sound like a hard task, but this doesn’t mean that it’s a simple undertaking. Did you know that about 75% of the world’s population suffers from the fear of public speaking, which is commonly referred to as glossophobia? If you’re reading this, you probably do too.

So, what’s a smart way to help you handle this fear and deliver a good speech at the same time? Memorizing your speech!

Memorizing a speech and no, I don’t mean cramming, allows you to give your presentation in a way that makes you feel and seem confident while also connecting with your audience . There’s a catch though, you need to memorize your speech in a way that makes it seem like you didn’t memorize it.

This will ensure that the speech feels and sounds natural as you present it, even though you may have practiced it a few hundred times. Memorizing a speech also prevents you from avoiding eye contact with your audience while you keep looking down at your notes, which makes you seem unprepared and unengaged.

How to Memorize a Speech

Below, we look at a few steps that could help you memorize and give your speech.

1. Be Prepared

I cannot stress this enough: being prepared is the best way to ensure that you give a good speech/presentation.

This basically means that you should do your research and have the material that you’ll be talking about at your fingertips and in your head.

This may seem obvious but for those who may think it unnecessary, I’d highly advise you against skipping this step.

Learning more about your topic of discussion could prevent you from being blindsided if an audience member were to ask you a question, in addition to helping eliminate fears of worry or nervousness that may stem from the fact that you don’t know your topic well enough.

You can never go wrong with actual knowledge and solid research about your subject!

You might also like:  How to Prepare for a Speech

2. Draw up a speech outline

After you’ve learnt more about your subject, you can move onto your speech outline . It may seem like a good idea to have your speech memorized word for word but trust me, it isn’t. Not only will it sound rehearsed but you’ll also have a hard time returning to your original flow if someone were to ask you a question or interrupt you.

Writing down your speech outline allows you to outline your main points, which makes it easier for you to memorize or internalize them.

Your outline doesn’t have to be something long, it can be anywhere between a single word to a few short phrases that remind you of what you’d like to talk about. 

This also affords you the freedom of being able to say something you just thought of that would be a good addition to your presentation while giving your speech.

Let’s be flexible people!

3. Mental images for the win

Well, this point gives the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” a whole new meaning.

It is common knowledge that the mind remembers pictures easier than it does words, so a good way to remember your main points would be to attach them to a mental image in your mind that you feel conveys a similar message.

The image doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but yourself, given that it’s going to be in your head anyway.

4. Ever heard of a Mind Palace?

You’ve probably heard at least one fairytale about a king and queen living in a palace, which should hint at the fact that a palace is a house in which people live, a very big house at that.

This means that a mind palace is basically a big house for storing information inside your head, so don’t let the phrase scare you.

A good way to remember your main points would be to select different pieces of furniture in your office or home and assign numbers to each of them, depending on the number of your main points.

This will make it easier to recall key points.

5. Now, visualize!

After you’ve assigned mental images to each key point, you need to focus on associating each image with a piece of furniture, incorporating how you think it would smell or the sounds it would make.

Say for example item #1 is a mahogany grandfather clock whose dings reverberate throughout the whole house every time the clock strikes 12.

Doing this for every point, with different furniture items, makes it easier for you to memorize your main points, because you’ll be seeing these furniture images.

The more vivid the image is, the easier it will be to recall it. When you do begin to give your speech, think about your mind palace and mentally begin a walk through your home.

When you see the mahogany grandfather clock, you’ll remember a point you associated the mental image to, which allows you to breeze through your speech without difficulty.

Here's a video talking about the mind/memory palace in more detail:

6. Practice and review

Reviewing these images over and over in your mind makes it easier for you to remember them.

Additionally, you can try practicing your speech using the points from your mental images at least once from memory, which allows you to make adjustments, however minor, to something you feel could be better.

Once you have mastered this technique, giving a speech without notes, even one that lasts for hours, will not be a problem for you.

This is not to mean that you can’t use other visual aids to guide you through your process like PowerPoint. If you have resources that’ll allow you to interact with your audience while presenting and still engage with them, use them as you see fit.

Here are a few additional tips that you may find helpful:

7. Try to relax

Before your presentation, you may feel jittery, which is completely normal. To help with this, you can try relaxing.

The more relaxed you feel after you’ve memorized your speech and right before you present it, the more effectively you’ll be able to deliver the said speech, in a calm and confident manner.

So, what technique can you use to help you relax before you give your speech?

Box Breathing

This is a breathing technique that can help you stay calm in situations that make you feel like you’re under a lot of pressure.

All you need to do is inhale to a count of 5, hold your breath in for a count of 5, exhale to a count of 5 and hold your breath out for a count of 5 then repeat as necessary.

8. Be prepared to make mistakes

Every person who has given a speech has probably stumbled over their words at least once. If you do end up making a mistake, chances are you’re probably the only one who has noticed, so try to maintain your composure and move on.

Paying attention to the mistake only draws your audience’s attention to it, which may make you lose your place or feel flustered, which could cause you to lose your composure even more.

We all know that it is human to err, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you do end up making a mistake or two. Instead, relax and pick up from where you left off.

9. Pay attention to your body

Just like any other machine, your body needs to be well cared for and properly maintained to achieve optimal performance.

Therefore, on the morning of your presentation, you should ensure that you avoid drinks that may make your hands shake, like coffee or foods that may affect your digestion.

Instead, try to drink tea and water to stay hydrated and make sure that you’re well rested on the night before your presentation.

Pro Tip: Exercise has been found to be good for nerves so you could try exercising on the morning of your presentation - ensure you stretch first though!

10. Do table reads

Giving your speech in front of friends or family before you do so on stage will allow you to receive insights on anything you may have overlooked.

Table reads also allow you to listen to yourself speak and note any changes that need to be made, while also giving you the chance to improve your audibility and eloquence.

Additionally, it allows you to get more comfortable with giving your speech or presentation before you finally have to get on stage and do it in front of unfamiliar faces.

If you have no one to read to, you can do a table read by yourself. Using your smartphone camera, record yourself giving your speech.

This allows you to hear your speech objectively and externally and if you want, also allows you to share your script with other people who may provide you with additional insights.

If you’d prefer to not memorize your main points using mental images, you could try to memorize:

• Specific details of your main points, could be dates or names
• Acronyms and key words that relate to your key points
• Any quote that you deem appropriate to your presentation

Note: Starting your memorization process early allows you to become more confident in your topic of presentation as D-Day approaches.

Conclusion: On Memorizing Your Presentation

Giving a speech to an audience at seminars, conferences or meetings can sometimes be frightening. However, you shouldn’t allow fear to paralyze you. Instead, remind yourself that you are knowledgeable about your topic of presentation or that you wrote your speech, so you know what you’re talking about.

Furthermore, remaining calm while giving your speech also allows you to take your time while presenting, which makes it easier for you to interact with your audience, ensuring they understand the main points of your speech.

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14.1 Four Methods of Delivery

Learning objectives.

• Differentiate among the four methods of speech delivery.
• Understand when to use each of the four methods of speech delivery.

Maryland GovPics – House of Ruth Luncheon – CC BY 2.0.

The easiest approach to speech delivery is not always the best. Substantial work goes into the careful preparation of an interesting and ethical message, so it is understandable that students may have the impulse to avoid “messing it up” by simply reading it word for word. But students who do this miss out on one of the major reasons for studying public speaking: to learn ways to “connect” with one’s audience and to increase one’s confidence in doing so. You already know how to read, and you already know how to talk. But public speaking is neither reading nor talking.

Speaking in public has more formality than talking. During a speech, you should present yourself professionally. This doesn’t mean you must wear a suit or “dress up” (unless your instructor asks you to), but it does mean making yourself presentable by being well groomed and wearing clean, appropriate clothes. It also means being prepared to use language correctly and appropriately for the audience and the topic, to make eye contact with your audience, and to look like you know your topic very well.

While speaking has more formality than talking, it has less formality than reading. Speaking allows for meaningful pauses, eye contact, small changes in word order, and vocal emphasis. Reading is a more or less exact replication of words on paper without the use of any nonverbal interpretation. Speaking, as you will realize if you think about excellent speakers you have seen and heard, provides a more animated message.

The next sections introduce four methods of delivery that can help you balance between too much and too little formality when giving a public speech.

Impromptu Speaking

Impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advance preparation. Impromptu speeches often occur when someone is asked to “say a few words” or give a toast on a special occasion. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “Hi, my name is Steve, and I’m a volunteer with the Homes for the Brave program.” Another example of impromptu speaking occurs when you answer a question such as, “What did you think of the documentary?”

The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it’s spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context. The disadvantage is that the speaker is given little or no time to contemplate the central theme of his or her message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow.

Here is a step-by-step guide that may be useful if you are called upon to give an impromptu speech in public.

• Take a moment to collect your thoughts and plan the main point you want to make.
• Thank the person for inviting you to speak.
• Deliver your message, making your main point as briefly as you can while still covering it adequately and at a pace your listeners can follow.
• Thank the person again for the opportunity to speak.
• Stop talking.

As you can see, impromptu speeches are generally most successful when they are brief and focus on a single point.

Extemporaneous Speaking

Extemporaneous speaking is the presentation of a carefully planned and rehearsed speech, spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes. By using notes rather than a full manuscript, the extemporaneous speaker can establish and maintain eye contact with the audience and assess how well they are understanding the speech as it progresses. The opportunity to assess is also an opportunity to restate more clearly any idea or concept that the audience seems to have trouble grasping.

For instance, suppose you are speaking about workplace safety and you use the term “sleep deprivation.” If you notice your audience’s eyes glazing over, this might not be a result of their own sleep deprivation, but rather an indication of their uncertainty about what you mean. If this happens, you can add a short explanation; for example, “sleep deprivation is sleep loss serious enough to threaten one’s cognition, hand-to-eye coordination, judgment, and emotional health.” You might also (or instead) provide a concrete example to illustrate the idea. Then you can resume your message, having clarified an important concept.

Speaking extemporaneously has some advantages. It promotes the likelihood that you, the speaker, will be perceived as knowledgeable and credible. In addition, your audience is likely to pay better attention to the message because it is engaging both verbally and nonverbally. The disadvantage of extemporaneous speaking is that it requires a great deal of preparation for both the verbal and the nonverbal components of the speech. Adequate preparation cannot be achieved the day before you’re scheduled to speak.

Because extemporaneous speaking is the style used in the great majority of public speaking situations, most of the information in this chapter is targeted to this kind of speaking.

Speaking from a Manuscript

Manuscript speaking is the word-for-word iteration of a written message. In a manuscript speech, the speaker maintains his or her attention on the printed page except when using visual aids.

The advantage to reading from a manuscript is the exact repetition of original words. As we mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, in some circumstances this can be extremely important. For example, reading a statement about your organization’s legal responsibilities to customers may require that the original words be exact. In reading one word at a time, in order, the only errors would typically be mispronunciation of a word or stumbling over complex sentence structure.

However, there are costs involved in manuscript speaking. First, it’s typically an uninteresting way to present. Unless the speaker has rehearsed the reading as a complete performance animated with vocal expression and gestures (as poets do in a poetry slam and actors do in a reader’s theater), the presentation tends to be dull. Keeping one’s eyes glued to the script precludes eye contact with the audience. For this kind of “straight” manuscript speech to hold audience attention, the audience must be already interested in the message before the delivery begins.

It is worth noting that professional speakers, actors, news reporters, and politicians often read from an autocue device, such as a TelePrompTer, especially when appearing on television, where eye contact with the camera is crucial. With practice, a speaker can achieve a conversational tone and give the impression of speaking extemporaneously while using an autocue device. However, success in this medium depends on two factors: (1) the speaker is already an accomplished public speaker who has learned to use a conversational tone while delivering a prepared script, and (2) the speech is written in a style that sounds conversational.

Speaking from Memory

Memorized speaking is the rote recitation of a written message that the speaker has committed to memory. Actors, of course, recite from memory whenever they perform from a script in a stage play, television program, or movie scene. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message needs to be exact and the speaker doesn’t want to be confined by notes.

The advantage to memorization is that it enables the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the speech. Being free of notes means that you can move freely around the stage and use your hands to make gestures. If your speech uses visual aids, this freedom is even more of an advantage. However, there are some real and potential costs. First, unless you also plan and memorize every vocal cue (the subtle but meaningful variations in speech delivery, which can include the use of pitch, tone, volume, and pace), gesture, and facial expression, your presentation will be flat and uninteresting, and even the most fascinating topic will suffer. You might end up speaking in a monotone or a sing-song repetitive delivery pattern. You might also present your speech in a rapid “machine-gun” style that fails to emphasize the most important points. Second, if you lose your place and start trying to ad lib, the contrast in your style of delivery will alert your audience that something is wrong. More frighteningly, if you go completely blank during the presentation, it will be extremely difficult to find your place and keep going.

Key Takeaways

• There are four main kinds of speech delivery: impromptu, extemporaneous, manuscript, and memorized.
• Impromptu speaking involves delivering a message on the spur of the moment, as when someone is asked to “say a few words.”
• Extemporaneous speaking consists of delivering a speech in a conversational fashion using notes. This is the style most speeches call for.
• Manuscript speaking consists of reading a fully scripted speech. It is useful when a message needs to be delivered in precise words.
• Memorized speaking consists of reciting a scripted speech from memory. Memorization allows the speaker to be free of notes.
• Find a short newspaper story. Read it out loud to a classroom partner. Then, using only one notecard, tell the classroom partner in your own words what the story said. Listen to your partner’s observations about the differences in your delivery.
• In a group of four or five students, ask each student to give a one-minute impromptu speech answering the question, “What is the most important personal quality for academic success?”
• Watch the evening news. Observe the differences between news anchors using a TelePrompTer and interviewees who are using no notes of any kind. What differences do you observe?

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Memorable 2-Minute Speeches: How to Write & Deliver (With Examples)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Topics , Speech Writing

Giving memorable 2-minute speeches are tricker than giving 2-minute speeches. 

Speeches are an effective way to share your understanding, opinion, or perspective on a topic. It doesn’t matter if your speech is for 2 minutes, 10 minutes, or 50 minutes, the main essence of any speech is to reach the audience .

2-minute speeches are quite effective if presented in a well-structured manner. In fact, giving 2-minute speeches can also help you improve your public speaking skills. And that is the reason why schools ask the students to give 2-minute speeches for every assignment!

Now we understand you might have tons of questions when it comes to 2-minute speeches, but fret not, we’ve got you covered. Read till the end of the blog to get a more comprehensive idea about 2-minute speeches. 

Also, check out our video here if you want a very short glimpse of the article:

Is a 2-minute speech too short?

2-minute speeches come under the category of short speeches. So ideally 2 minute speeches are short speeches . But when we say is it too short? Then the answer will be subjective. 

For instance, If you are to present your research findings then a 2-minute speech would not do justice to years of your work. But at the same time if you are giving a self-introduction then 2 minute speeches are more than enough!

How long is a 2-minute speech?

To understand how long 2-minute speeches should be, you need to understand your pace of speaking which is the number of words spoken per minute.   An average person usually speaks about 130-150 words per minute . So for 2-minute speeches, 260-300 words should be sufficient. 

When it comes to the number of pages for a 2-minute speech, then your speech can be half to one page long . It all depends on the font size that you use!

Similarly, the number of sentences that would make up a 2-minute speech can vary depending on the font size that you use or your handwriting.

Writing 2-minute speeches

1. choose a topic.

The very first step in writing your speech is to know what you want to talk about, which is your topic !

You can either come up with the topic yourself or you can search for a broad topic on the internet and then narrow it down as per your liking. 

So if for example, you are writing a 2-minute speech on unity as strength , you may want to focus on a particular instance wherein unity shown by people worked as their strength and helped them achieve a goal, like a freedom struggle.  

2. Decide on your takeaway

 If you are wondering what takeaways are, then they are your answer to the question “why are you presenting this particular topic to the audience?”

For some the answer could be, to educate, give another perspective on a widely studied topic, or even awaken the audience to take action . 

In 2 minute speeches, the clock ticks faster so you should ideally focus on only 1 takeaway . 

Once you have figured out why you want to present the topic to your audience or listeners, you can then move to the next stage of research. 

3. Research for your speech

When you begin researching for 2 minutes speeches, you don’t have to get into tons of details . The idea is to give the audience enough information to understand your topic within a short time.

For starters, you can browse your topic on Google , YouTube , Instagram , and other social media channels. You might also want to research some facts or statistics related to your topic as it increases the credibility of your speech.

4. Structure your speech

There are 3 things to be kept in mind while structuring your speech. They are ethos, pathos, and logos. 

Ethos means credibility . It is concerned with giving the audience a reason to believe in you. So, if your speech is about the impact of gaming on violent behavior, mentioning that you are a psychologist would add credibility to your speech. 

Pathos is related to emotions . The idea is to connect with the listeners through emotions. And the easiest way to do that is through stories !

In the example above, you can share a story of a client who developed violent behavior patterns after spending a considerable amount of time on gaming and how they are doing now.

Logos means logic . Adding logical elements like facts, statistics, and quotes by famous personalities helps drive your main idea forward in a more rational sense. 

Again, taking the example of the impact of gaming on violent behavior, logos could include a sentence like:

School shootings have increased from 11 in 2009 to 93 in 2021. It is a staggering number and when you take a deeper look into it, you’ll find that a considerable number of these shooters were addicted to gaming.

Editing is something we believe is a very crucial part of giving a memorable 2-minute speech. Why?

Because 2-minute speeches aren’t only about what you say but also about what you choose not to say. 

Editing also helps you focus on your topic more clearly rather than drifting or diversifying your topic.

Delivering 2-minute Speeches

1. establish your takeaway.

Since you had already decided on your takeaway while writing the speech, you are well aware of it. But does your audience have any idea yet? No!

While they might infer why you are presenting the particular topic after listening to your speech, you cannot leave it to that. 

Establish your takeaway right at the beginning of your speech , so that the audience also understands what they can expect from your speech. 

2. How to begin a 2 minute Speech (Simple beginning)

This might come as a shocker, especially because we are always told to begin with a Bang! 

For 2-minute speeches, if you end up spending a lot of your time on the beginning, you will have to shorten the main content of your speech. 

Starting in a simple and direct manner suits best in such cases. 

A few ways in which you can begin your 2-minute speeches are given below:

If you are to introduce yourself, you can begin simply by saying your name. “Good afternoon everyone, I am Xyz…”

You can also use ethos, pathos, and logos to begin your 2-minute speeches. 

“Mumbai is known for 2 things gateway of India and potholes. Being someone who has lost a close friend of mine due to the careless work done towards these potholes , I’m here to address the issue we so conveniently drive over”

“About a year ago, in this very month of July, it was raining heavily in Mumbai. I remember this because there happened to be a friend of mine who was supposed to meet me for a meeting, we had that day, but he didn’t make it. The reason? Heavily flooded roads covered with potholes that he couldn’t see. A tragic accident or a convenient murder?”

“In 2018, Mumbai alone witnessed 522 accidents caused by potholes”

3. Emphasize

Repeating or rather stressing certain words gives rhythm to your speech. It also helps in easy learning and increases the chance of easy recall among the audience. 

4. How to End a 2 Minute Speech

When it comes to 2-minute speeches, your conclusion or closing lines are very important. The reason is that your audience will mostly remember the last part of your speech better than the rest . 

Make sure to restate the takeaway and main crux of your speech . You can also end your speech by quoting some famous personalities . In many speeches, the speaker asks the audience to take action or to think about a question that they leave the audience with. 

So, we now know how your phone helps you socialize but keeps you away from the same people physically. We have been living in this virtual world for quite some time now. The least you can do is to keep your technology aside especially when you are with people you care about. An hour without your phone won’t hurt, will it?

Impromptu 2-minute speeches

Impromptu speeches are ones where you are given the topic on the spot with little to no time to prepare for the speech. In such cases, you barely have any time to go about carrying out thorough research and structuring your speech. 

Rather you can keep a few frameworks in your mind and then structure the speech accordingly on the spot. This is the most convenient way of delivering effective impromptu 2-minute speeches. 

A few frameworks that you can use for your 2-minute impromptu speeches are:

1. PREP model

PREP stands for Point, Reason, Example, and Point . This essentially means that you begin by talking about something, then give a reason that justifies that point. You then follow it with an example to back your point and end by repeating the point to reach your audience in a structured manner.

2. WWW model 

No, WWW doesn’t stand for World Wide Web. Rather it means answering 3 questions, 

• Who are you?
• What do you do?
• Where are you going from here?

WWW works best when you have to give an impromptu introduction of yourself . 

An example of using the WWW model to introduce yourself is given below. 

Hello everyone, I am Arsh M, a fashion designer, and advocate of sustainability. During my college years, I was astonished by the amount of cloth waste produced each day. Upon researching, I realized that the fashion industry happens to be one of the biggest polluters in the world. This motivated me to work towards bringing more sustainable styling choices for everyone. That is when I began my venture in Sustainaesthetic. We are a completely sustainable and animal cruelty-free brand that aims to provide you with diverse sustainable styling options at a very affordable rate so that saving the planet doesn’t hurt your pockets!

3. Pointer Format

As the name suggests, the pointer format involves dividing your content into 3-5 points . This will make it easier for you to talk about each point for a couple of seconds before moving to the next. At the same time, it sounds very structured and may be easy to recall. 

An example of a pointer format is a speech given the by CEO of Pepsico Indra Nooyi . 

Famous 2-minute speeches

1. indra nooyi.

The speech given by Pepsico’s CEO is well-written and spoken . She begins by appreciating India, her home country, and then moves on to briefly talk about her 3 life lessons. Diving her speech into such crisp segments with an introduction, 3 pointers and finally, a conclusion, makes the speech very comprehensive and structured . 

2. Denzel Washington

The speech given by Denzel Washington is one of the most motivating speeches of all time . It is because of the way he calmly delivers the speech by taking required pauses to stress the important lines. 

2-minute speeches from movies

Speeches in movies usually bring out the emotion of awe, inspiration, or sympathy . We will look at two such 2-minute inspirational speeches from movies.

1. Any Given Sunday 

The scene on any given day is worth noting for its storytelling approach . Al Pacino begins his speech with brutal honesty when he says “ We are in hell gentlemen.” 

He then goes on to talk about how the game is very similar to everyone’s life and emphasizes being at the right place at the right time. 

“One second early or one second late, you miss a catch,” he says. In the latter half of his speech, he increases his voice as if trying to reach his player’s very core, in an attempt to motivate them to do their level best in the game.

2. Coach Carter 

This speech scene of Coach Carter is unlike other traditional scenes where the coach inspires his students. Rather, one of the students gives a very short speech that moves not only his teammates but also his teacher. 

It can also be counted as a very effective thank you speech!

Monologues happen to be yet another powerful tool used in 2-minute speeches from movies. Monologues are long dialogues given by a single character. Let’s take a look at some of the most striking monologues given in movies

2-minute dramatic monologue for male

When it comes to dramatic monologues for males, the dialogue is often very inspiring or tries to instill the right amount of motivation among the team players or the soldiers. Let us take a look at 2 such dramatic monologues given by male characters in movies that had an amazing impact on their audience.

1. V for Vendetta

V for vendetta isn’t only an amazing movie, but this monologue by V is out of the ordinary. In the scene, V introduces himself to a woman whom he had just saved. 

He uses alliteration by introducing himself with words that start with V. Check out the exact dialogue to get a clearer idea about the monologue.

V oila! In v iew, a humble v audevillian v eteran is cast v icariously as both v ictim and v illain by the v icissitudes of fate. This v isage, no mere v eneer of v anity, is a v estige of v ox populi, now v acant, v anished. However, this v alorous v isitation of a bygone v exation stands v ivified and had v owed to v anquish these v enal and v irulent v ermin v anguarding v ice and v ouchsafing the v iolently v icarious and v iolation of v olition…. You may call me V.

2. Wolf of Wallstreet

Who hasn’t heard of this amazing movie, wolf of wall street? One thing that we will observe when it comes to this movie is that the main lead had amazing public speaking skills . He had the power to persuade his listeners and encourage them to chip in at their level best for the growth of the organization. 

In one such speech, he talks about how he isn’t leaving them and that he is here to stay. 

The use of dramatic suspense followed by his change in tone and voice is something worth noting.

2-minute dramatic monologue for female

When it comes to dramatic monologues given by female characters in movies, 2 of these scenes come into our minds. The scenes are both beautifully written and executed by the actors.

1. Devil Wears Prada

In the movie Devil Wears Prada, the monologue is given by Meryl Streep who plays the role of Miranda Priestly. The speech is worth noting as she dramatically explains how even a small difference between two pieces of clothing to a lay person is a big difference for the fashion moguls as it is their opportunity to create millions!

Her passion for the industry is quite evident from the 2-minute speech. Further, the way her character picks up the pace when she talks about the reality of the fashion industry brings out her annoyance at the assistant and acts as a way of showing authority through words.

The movie 300 features a small scene where the queen requests the councilmen to send more men to war, to help not only her husband but also all the others who are already a part of it. 

We see the use of ethos in the speech when the queen says the following statement:

I come to you as a mother. I come to you as a wife. I come to you as a spartan woman.

Examples of 2-minute speeches

If you are looking for some examples for your next 2-minute speech or 2-minute speeches to memorize, check out the ones given below!

How to introduce yourself in 2 minutes?

When you have to introduce yourself in 2-minutes, it is better to follow a simple structure of past, and present. 

An example of introducing yourself as a fresher for a job interview has been given below

Good afternoon, I am Arya Rose. I recently graduated from ABC college, majoring in Analytics. Growing up I had always found immense interest in math and had also won Olympiads at the school level. During my under graduation, I had taken up a course in tools for Data Analysis which made me realize my inclination toward analytics. It also encouraged me to pursue my major in the field of analytics. 

Being an active member of my college, I made sure to participate in and represent my college across various events and intercollegiate festivals. I also had the chance to be a part of Hackin which is ABC’s elite Hackathon team. With the Team, we stood 2nd at Hackified, a hackathon organized by QPR college.  

I was further able to put my theoretical knowledge to use by interning with this amazing organization called ANAlysis. The internship spanned over 3 months and I was able to gain an in-depth understanding of software like R and Python. 

I now look forward to gaining more practical experience in the field by working and growing with your esteemed organization. 

2 minute thank you speech

There are a few things that you must keep in your mind while you are giving a thank you speech. 

• Acknowledge the people around you
• Thank them 
• Introduce yourself or why you are giving this speech. 
• Individually thank every person required.
• Add some inspiring or heartfelt closing marks

An example of a 2-minute thank you speech for an event is given below. 

I’d like to first thank every one of you present here, for joining us to make this event an absolute success. To those of you who might not know, I am Shiya M, the editor of the XYZ club and the coordinator of this amazing open mic event “Mehar.” Mehar means blessing in Punjabi, and there is a reason behind it.

On my very first day at XYZ, I was stunned to see the company ritual. Before leaving we were to recall one blessing that we received that day from our colleagues. As unusual as it felt, it was beyond measure one of the most beautiful rituals I had come across. You see in this fast-moving world, we tend to focus a lot on our busy schedule for the things we don’t have. And in all that chaos, we forget to take a look at the n number of blessings showered our way.

So, we wanted to provide a platform where you could do that, even if it was for a couple of hours. 

I’d like to thank Ms. T, founder of XYZ, and her immense support and encouragement throughout, Arya and Daven for working closely with all the participants and audience members, ensuring that all your needs were met. I’d also like to thank Mr. Ajay for the technical support provided to him and how can we not thank Jay for being our lead guitarist, tuning in the vibe of this small room as per each participant’s requirement, Jay thank you!

Thank you to all the participants for presenting such beautifully written pieces, we enjoyed them all. A great round of applause for our participants!

Last, I’d like to thank our dear audience for being patient and for motivating all our speakers today you have been the most amazing audience we have ever seen!

Thank you again all of you, it was a great pleasure interacting with every one of you. 

meher rakhi!

Humorous 2-minute speeches

If you are trying to understand how to add humor to your speech and make it more fun as well as casual, check out the 2-minute speech example given below.

2-minute humorous speech by bridesmaid

“Hello everyone, first of all, I’d like to begin quite humbly by thanking everyone present for gathering here to celebrate the union of this beautiful couple Jess and Jim. 

Now if you know jess, you know me. Because I pretty much tag along with her everywhere. Just like those lice in your hair, can’t leave her alone!

At 5, I had taken up responsibility. It was to protect this absolutely beautiful soul. But as we grew up, it turned out that she was the one who protected me. What the turn tables!

Jess, I’m grateful every day to have such an amazing sister like you in my life who motivates me to do better and talk to “decent” guys..pst they are just not my type!

You’ve been my mom at times, waiting at the door every time I’d get late which makes me wonder if mom outsourced her strictness to you? And if yes, why not me? I was the broke kid!

 I’m going to miss those small things you know? How you told me it was chocolate powder when it was coffee, how I never won a game I played with you because you never played it fair, and oh how you never missed complimenting my outfit when I was wearing your clothes!

But seriously, I’m going to miss you tons. I hope you get your fairytale happily ever after! To Jess and Jim!

if you have been asking yourself which topic is best for a 2-minute speech? what are some good topics to speak on? or what should I do for my school speech?

Here is a list of various topics you can choose from!

Common topics for 2-minute speeches

• Environment
• Domestic Violence
• Women’s Day
• Teachers’ Day
• Importance of Cleanliness

2-minute speech topics for students

• Failure: A blessing in disguise
• The best attitude to have is gratitude
• Is there value in homework?
• Impact of technology on mental health
• The authenticity of online degrees
• The future is sustainability
• Social media detox
• Blended learning and its benefits
• Residential programs and their benefits
• New education policy
• Value of time
• Importance of education
• Discipline and its importance.
• 2-minute speech on any freedom fighter
• Ban on school uniforms

2-minute speech topics for adults

• Work-life balance for remote employees
• Fields that can turn completely virtual
• Slow living: beyond the hustle
• Impact of diet on mental health
• Unhealthy patterns that cost you in your 40s
• Advice to an 18-year-old
• How colors affect people
• Consistency over motivation
• Future of automobile
• Metaverse: the new shopping hub
• The power of fake news
• Ban on animal testing
• Adopt, don’t shop!
• Social media diet fads or eating disorders?
• Can money buy happiness?

Final words

2-minute speeches are short, crisp speeches that help in conveying your ideas or opinions to the people effectively. As the time is short, focusing too much on the opening lines or in-depth research will steal your time. Instead, focus on a takeaway and chip in extra efforts to give a memorable conclusion.

At the end of the day, there are no strict rules that you must follow for 2-minute speeches, and hence you are open to writing it and delivering it the way that suits best for you.

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• 4 modes of speech delivery

4 modes of speech delivery | an overview 

Which speech delivery technique is best.

By:  Susan Dugdale  

There are 4 modes (methods) or ways to deliver a speech: to read it from a manuscript word by word, to completely memorize it, as an impromptu, and to give it extemporaneously.

How do you know which mode will be most effective?

The answer depends on how much time you have available, the type of speech you’re giving and, your audience.

Let’s briefly outline each method and their advantages and disadvantages.

What's on this page

An overview of the 4 modes of speech delivery, the pros (advantages) and cons (disadvantages) of each, plus links to examples and further resources.

• extemporaneous

1. Manuscript

One of the most common ways to deliver a speech is to use a manuscript: a word by word document of everything you plan to say from beginning to end. This ensures, when you read it out loud, what you say is exactly what you intend, without deviation.

What is the best way to write a manuscript speech?

As with any type of speech, the best way to start is not with the words but with considering your topic, your audience, how much time you have to speak and the purpose of your speech.

Once you have those clear, then you are ready to begin planning a speech outline: an overview of all the material you want to cover. 

When the outline is completed you’ll use that to write your manuscript.

Click the link for more about the process of preparing a speech outline , with examples. (The page also has a free printable blank speech outline for you to download and use)

And for more about writing a speech, in particular writing oral language, words to be spoken aloud, please see how to write a speech . You’ll find a useful guide covering the principal characteristics of spoken speech. (It is very different from writing an essay!) 

Who regularly delivers a manuscript speech?

Newsreaders, TV personalities, politicians, business leaders and the President! Anybody whose speech is going to be closely scrutinized will use either a manuscript or its electronic equivalent, a teleprompter. These are speeches where the content is significant, perhaps life changing, where facts and figures must be 100% accurate, and where the tone of the language used is important.

What distinguishes a good delivery of a manuscript speech from a poor one, is practice. Some of the greatest public speakers in the world ‘read’ their speeches with so much skill they sound as if they are making up what they’re saying on the spot. The speech comes across as being completely spontaneous and is delivered flawlessly. 

Great public speakers who 'read' their speeches

A famous example is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Winston Churchill. Throughout World War Two (1939-1945) his extraordinary speeches inspired the people he led to persevere in their fight to keep the Nazis out of England in spite of the odds being stacked against them.

To find out more read Winston Churchill's Way With Words - an excellent NPR article, with audio, on how he crafted his speeches. 

And another more recent example is America’s ex-President Barack Obama. 

American Rhetoric has audio and text (pdf) links to his speeches spanning 2002 - 2014. Four are included in a list of 49 of the most important speeches in 21st century America . These are:

• 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address
• Commencement Address at Knox College (2005)
• A More Perfect Union (2008)
• Speech at the 'Together We Thrive: Tucson and America' Memorial (2011)

How to deliver a manuscript speech

Print your speech out single sided. Make sure each page is numbered clearly. Use an easily read font like Arial, black ink, and size the font and space the lines so that the text may be read at a glance.

Use a lectern  adjusted for your height  to put your manuscript on. As you finish reading each page turn it over face down and move it to your left. That will help stop you from getting muddled.

Aim for at least one read through aloud before you deliver it.

The more you can practice the better your delivery will be. 

How to read aloud well

Reading aloud well is a skill. Some people are very good at it, and some are ghastly, largely because they’ve had no practice. (And sadly, many who regularly read their speech scripts don’t realize how bad they are to listen to because nobody has told them. Their presentations have been endured, rather than enjoyed for years!)

If you have to regularly read your speeches here’s how to read a speech effectively: 4 good ways to improve how you read aloud . It will help a great deal!

The pros (advantages) for a manuscript speech

The major advantage of using a script is that it ensures the speaker will deliver the right message, the one that’s been prepared, without errors. This is particularly important when presenting complex subject matter.  

Another is that when there's not enough time to rehearse or prepare thoroughly, reading may be the only real option available. Without the safety of a script you may forget large chunks of information, or misremember important material. The script keeps you on track.

A third reason could be that the mere presence of the script is reassuring for nervous or anxious speakers. Even if they do not actually need it, because they’ve prepared well, the script is calming. If they suddenly blank out, they’ll be alright, as they have the script to refer to.

And a fourth is that you can easily back track, return to a point you made several pages earlier, if you need to.

The cons (disadvantages) of manuscript speeches

The main disadvantages of using a manuscript are:

• being anchored to one place . If you are using a full script you need to remain in front of the lectern, or teleprompter in order to read it. You can not move freely as you deliver your speech.
• lack of eye contact with your audience because you need to keep your eyes on your words. When there is very little or no eye contact between a speaker and their audience, the audience switches off because they feel ignored, shut out.  The ability to look at the audience while using notes or a teleprompter helps your audience to listen better, retain more of what they hear, and feel as if they’ve gained more value from your speech. Click the link for more about the importance of using eye contact [including 5 fun activities to teach students how to use eye contact well]
• Using language that doesn’t flow easily when you say it aloud . There are major differences between writing intended for oral language - something to be spoken aloud, and writing something that is intended to be read, like a newspaper article or an essay. For more please see how to write a speech . You’ll find an infographic on the characteristics of spoken language.   Whenever possible, always read your manuscript aloud before you deliver it. It’s much nicer to find typos, missing words, vital information omissions and other glitches (such as words you are not sure how to pronounce correctly), by yourself rather than in public. Another useful thing to do is to run your manuscript through a grammar checker . It may pick up errors you've overlooked.

2. Memorized speech

A memorized speech is one delivered completely from memory. That means: no notes at all. There is just you: the speaker, the speech you recall, word for word, and your audience.

Why choose to memorize a speech?

There are three likely reasons. 

• You want the illusion of a ‘natural’ conversation between yourself and your audience. The presence of a lectern with your manuscript on it, a teleprompter, or a set of cue cards in your hand makes that impossible.
• You want to be able to ‘play’ freely with your delivery: to be able to move, to gesture, as you see fit rather than be tethered to notes.
• You want to make completely sure the words you have written are faithfully delivered to the audience, without any changes at all. That can be vital in comedy.

What type of speech is enhanced through memorization?

A personal speech, for example one sharing childhood stories, a very carefully scripted humorous speech where you absolutely must get the words in the right order for them to work, or an inspirational one prepared especially to move and motivate a particular audience. All of these can be more effective delivered without notes.

There are also declamation speeches . These are in a special category of their own. They are memorized recitations of known speeches: a task set by teachers to have their pupil's fully experience the power of carefully crafted, well delivered oratorical language.    

What type of speeches are NOT suited to memorization?

• Any presentation or speech covering critical information that people will use to make important, and often life-altering, decisions. For instance, a detailed weather report cannot be inaccurate. The information outlining the state government’s strategy for combating poverty, declining employment rates, and climate change needs to be presented in a way the audience can easily follow and be factually correct. Missing bits out or getting them wrong creates confusion.
• Presentations which include large amounts of data : for example, a roundup of a company’s annual performance figures would be very difficult to accurately memorize, as well as being very difficult for an audience to listen to and retain.   
• Lengthy presentations - speeches running over 10 or more minutes in time.     

How to memorize a speech

If you decide to memorize your entire speech, the very first thing you’ll need is lots of time to practice. This is critical. Do not be tempted to minimize how much is required.

To safely commit it to memory you have to go over and over your speech until you can easily say it out loud without hesitation, deviation or repetition. This can take weeks of regular daily practice, particularly if you’ve not done it before. If you haven’t got that time available to you, opt for an extemporized delivery. (See the notes on extemporaneous speeches below.)

Review your speech outline

Having made the decision to memorize, the next thing you need to do is carefully review your speech outline. 

These are questions you’ll want to consider: 

• Are the major points in the right order? Do you have supporting examples for each of them? Are the transitions between each of the points clear? Is there a memorable conclusion? Does the opening or introduction work as a hook to pull the audience in?
• Does the speech have a clear purpose? Does it meet it? Has it been tailored for its intended audience? 

(Click the link for more about preparing a useful speech outline . You’ll find step by step guidelines, examples, and a free printable blank outline template to use.) 

Repeat your speech out loud, a lot!

Once you are satisfied with your outline, it’s time to begin the process of committing it to memory.

This starts with saying your speech out loud multiple times while using your outline. As you do you’ll be listening for bits you need to change in some way. Perhaps the words you’re using aren’t quite right for your audience. Maybe it doesn’t flow as well as you thought it did and you’ll want to swap pieces around. Or it’s too long and needs pruning. 

It’s a repetitive process: make a change. Try it out. If it’s good, keep it and move on to the next section. Repeat until you’ve worked through the entire speech.

An additional tip is for every significant change you make, make a new document, (eg. myspeech v1, myspeech v2, myspeech v3…) or at least track the changes. That way if you decide you want to revert to an earlier version you can. I’ve got at least 10 versions of some of the speeches I’ve written!

The next step is to begin working without the outline. 

The 'see, walk, and talk' method

The method I use is the same one I use as an actor to learn play lines. 

I call it ‘see, walk and talk’. It's a 3 part approach. Each is essential. 

The seeing part is visualization: seeing the words on the page. Seeing the order they come in, and anything else that distinguishes them from the rest. Is it a heading? Is it a number? Is it highlighted? 

The second part is walking. Walking helps a great deal and is an ancient  technique for  memorizing   now backed by science. *

If it’s fine, I walk outside and as I walk, I talk (the third part), repeating out loud  the section I'm trying to recall over and over until I get it right.

If the weather is bad, then I walk inside, around and around a room, or on a treadmill which works just as well.

*   Schmidt-Kassow M, Zink N, Mock J, et al. Treadmill walking during vocabulary encoding improves verbal long-term memory. Behav Brain Funct. 2014;10:24. Published 2014 Jul 12. doi:10.1186/1744-9081-10-24 ) 

'See, walk, talk' in action

Start with the body of your speech, the main points. Your goal is to remember each one, in their correct order.

There are three steps in this process.

• Look at your outline. If it helps highlight the main points, and number them. Take a mental photograph of it.
• Put the outline behind your back. Walk and say out loud as many of the main points you can in their correct order.
• When you find yourself struggling to recall, stop. Look at your outline. Take another mental photo. Put the outline behind your back, and start over again. Walk and talk. 

Repeat until you can run through the entire sequence of main points, and the transitions between them, without hesitation.

Add the subpoints to the main points

The next step is to add the fine points - the subpoints (additional material) and examples to your main points.

Go back to the first main point. Take a mental snapshot of the subpoints and examples. Note carefully the order they come in, and any specialist vocabulary or phrase you wanted to use.

Now walk and talk. Repeat the sequence until you have it as you want it. Then go back to the beginning and repeat the first main point, its supporting material and then the subsequent main points.

Your next part to memorize is the second main point's supporting material. Once you have that down, you go back to the beginning to run the first main point, its sub points, then the second point and its sub points.  Then you are ready to do the third main point in exactly the same way.

Add the conclusion and the beginning

Once you have completed memorizing the body of your speech, add the conclusion and the beginning.   

The pattern is simple. You add a piece, then go back and repeat it all through from the beginning. Each repetition etches it more deeply into your memory.

Please note : you are not working on delivery as you say it out loud. This is purely routine repetition. There is no need for pausing, emphasis, or changes in volume and pace. Think of it as a vanilla performance - plain.  At this stage the bulk of your energy needs to go into remembering, not expression. 

Sort out and memorize the delivery

Delivery is how you say your speech, not what you say.

Once you have the content (what you are saying) reliably remembered, you are free to work on your vocal delivery: how you are going to say it.

Which parts need to be said more slowly? Which parts need to be highlighted through strategic pausing? What can be spoken quickly? Are there bits that need to be treated as asides? Are there ‘voices’ to take on? Perhaps an angry voice? Or a wheedling, whining voice?

How you say your speech directly affects how your audience receives it. If you deliver it like a monotone robot - one speed, one tone, one pitch, one volume, people’s ears will switch off even if the content is interesting to them. Delivery can make all the difference between listening and not listening.

To be effective, your delivery needs to fit both the content and the audience’s needs.

As with memorizing the content, getting the delivery how you want it requires experimentation and then repetition to ensure you’ve got it safely embedded.

Working with a recorder is useful to actually hear what your voice is doing, rather what you think it’s doing. There’s often a very big difference. You’ll hear if you’re going too quickly, pausing too long, not pausing long enough, mispronouncing words, gabbling, or using the same inflection pattern over and over again.

Find out more about the vocal aspects of speech delivery . 

Use a mirror, a video and a test audience

It’s also useful to either work in front of a mirror or video yourself. That will show you where you need to modify your body language. Do you stand straight? Do you gesture appropriately? 

Rinse, and repeat until you feel happy with what you’re doing. And then practice in front of a select test audience, whom you know will give you honest useful feedback. Incorporate what you want from the suggestions you’re given and practice again. And now you should be ready to deliver your speech!

Pros of memorizing your speech

A memorized speech is generally more engaging. If delivered well it creates the illusion of having a conversation with your audience because you are speaking directly to them and you are able to make eye contact freely, as well as move how, and where you want. This creates a more intimate and personal connection.

Cons of memorizing your speech

There are three major disadvantages to memorizing a speech. The biggest is the risk of forgetting something, especially with a longer speech. This can lead to panic which leads to scrabbling around trying to pick up the threads to start again. That can rapidly become a downward spiral which compromises the whole presentation.

Secondly, using a memorized speech can constrain or limit the ideas you express because everything is prepared in advance. It leaves little room for spontaneity: content adjustments and additions made in response to a particular audience’s needs.

And thirdly, a memorized speech can be incredibly boring if the speaker has not worked on delivery. It has a canned quality, lacking immediacy and vitality. It sounds like a switch got flicked on and out it comes: blah, blah, blah … irrespective of the audience.

3. Impromptu

An impromptu speech is, as its name suggests, a speech made without prior planning, organization or rehearsal.

Although it may be based on a brief outline or written prompt, the speaker will often have little or no opportunity for detailed or extensive preparation.

While making an impromptu speech involves little immediate preparation it require significant amounts of prior practice to give one well.

An effective impromptu speech is structured, (beginning, middle, end), and meets the needs of those listening to it. To give a good one requires versatility and flexibility: the ability to adapt and respond easily and appropriately to the unexpected.

The speaker needs to understand how to quickly choose the best format, how to decide on the main points to cover, how to order them, and how to open and close the speech.

And lastly, impromptu speaking requires confidence, and trust in oneself.  

When should an impromptu speech be delivered?

There are many social or work settings where making an impromptu speech is expected, and if done well, very much appreciated.

At a family get together the person who is asked to say a few words to welcome everyone, or make the toast is giving an impromptu speech. At a meeting to discuss current work issues, a sales manager may be asked to outline areas of challenge without prior warning. The response they give is an impromptu speech.

The ability to summon up succinct, structured remarks is highly valued in all areas of life. 

How do you prepare for an impromptu speech?

The essential preparation for impromptu speaking begins out of the spotlight, long before being asked to speak.

For comprehensive step by step guidelines covering how to gain the necessary skills please see:  strategies and templates to succeed at impromptu speaking .

You’ll find tips to get you started, 7 different structural templates to use, suggestions for keeping any nervousness under control, and links to 100s of impromptu speaking topics to use for practice.

Pros of impromptu speeches

The advantages definitely outweigh any disadvantages. 

Although some people have a natural gift for being able to talk freely and spontaneously, it can be learned. It’s a skill, like riding a bike. (But better!) When you’re beginning you fall off a few times, and graze your knees. If you get back on and keep pedaling eventually you stay upright.

Get better at impromptu speaking and you’ll find it will open many doors, leading to a richer and fuller life.  

Don’t settle for silence when you can learn to speak up for yourself, and others.

If you're reluctant to attempt it and put yourself out there, please read this article:  Speaking in business may be your most important skill .

The cons of impromptu speaking

In some contexts and on some subjects it would be unwise to attempt delivering an impromptu speech.

For instance, when asked for an evaluation of business risks associated with Covid-19, or to comment on possible correlations between socio-economic status and educational achievement in the USA, speaking without consulting a broad cross-section of informed specialists would be ill-advised. 

Each situation needs careful consideration. Are you able to talk knowledgeably on the topic you’ve been given? Are you entitled to talk about it?

If you can not speak on the subject being asked of you, say so politely. You can offer to come back with a full response at a later date. Or you can hand the question on to someone who can answer it. Knowing your limits is very useful for maintaining credibility!

Another possible downside is succumbing to fear. It could be fear of finding yourself with nothing to say, of drying up under pressure, or of muddling material in some way. The only really useful antidote to nervousness/fear is practice. Lots, and lots of it. It does get better! 

4. Extemporaneous speaking

An extemporaneous speech is one where the speaker combines the use of notes or cue cards with improvisation. It’s a mix of carefully scripted and sequenced material and impromptu speaking.  

How do you deliver an extemporaneous speech?

An extemporaneous delivery is naturally flowing and conversational. The points to be made will have been carefully outlined. They will be in the correct order, along with their supporting ideas and examples but the exact wording is made up as you go along.

If you give the same speech to different audiences, the words you use may change because every audience responds differently. The result is a speech that is fresh each time it is delivered, because while you are speaking, you are in the moment, speaking off-the-cuff and from the heart. The text is neither memorized, or being read word for word.

Like the first three modes of delivery, this too needs practice, in order to become good at it. 

You’ll need to practice:

• speaking to time to avoid either going on too long or being too brief
• making effective transitions - finding the bridging words to link one main point to the next, or to link one segment of your speech to the following one. For instance the introduction to the body of the speech,  or the body of the speech to the conclusion.
• openings and conclusions.

For more information here's a very useful 'how to' article from The Dept. of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh on oral discourse and extemporaneous delivery .  

The advantages of extemporaneous speeches

An extemporaneous speech is more spontaneous and therefore natural compared to either a manuscript or memorized speech.  The speaker is free to tailor the presentation to the audience, rather than sticking to a set speech. That could include responding to any questions or objections he receives. 

Disadvantages of extemporaneous speeches

There are three main drawbacks to extemporaneous speaking.

The first is becoming stranded; tongue tied and silent because you don't know how to get from one point on your outline or cue cards to the next.  When that happens, the delivery becomes stilted, a stop-start presentation, which in turn can make the speaker feel anxious, which makes recovering the flow more difficult.

A second drawback is misreading the audience, and delivering the speech using either language, (word choices), or humor they find hard to understand or accept.

As an example, a speech littered with ‘corporate speak’ is not going to win me over. I don’t want to hear about ‘core competencies’, ‘going forwards’ , ‘ducks in a row’ or anything ‘scalable’ at all!

And a third is exceeding the time allowance you’d been given. Because you are fleshing it out from your cue cards or outline as you go along it is easy to lose track of time. The cumulative effect of an additional example or two and further comments, quickly soaks it up, leaving you scrambling to finish properly.  

If you are a first time presenter, probably the safer option is to learn how to read a manuscript speech well and gradually build the skills required to give an extemporaneous speech.

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When To Memorize A Speech

Memorizing a speech creates many challenges--having a memory block, sounding mechanical in delivery, and lacking rapport with the audience, to name a few. Besides, memorizing a speech simply takes too much time. Thus I recommend: do not memorize a speech!

However, as is the case with most general rules, there are exceptions. That is true about memorization connected to a speech. There are certain parts of a speech that will make you more effective if they are memorized.

Memorize the opening lines of your presentation. This will get you off to a good start. Your language will be specific and concrete to insure that the audience will listen to you. When you get off to a good start, your nervousness lessens and you are on your way to a successful presentation.

Memorize a joke or humorous story you are going to tell. Reading a joke to an audience just does not work. You need to be able to interact with the audience nonverbally as you tell something you hope they think is funny. What you can do with a short piece of material such as a joke is to memorize it and then practice it until it does not sound memorized.

In a persuasive speech, memorize the move to action step. You should know exactly what you want your audience to do as a result of your presentation. In fact, end with "What I want you to do as a result of my presentation is…." Know those words by heart. You will have confidence in your conclusion and will make eye contact with your audience as you deliver this final line.

Sometimes you should memorize transitions. If you have an abrupt change of direction in the middle of your presentation, you might choose to memorize the transition leading to your next point. Thus the audience will receive proper direction and not be confused. For example, in a speech on oral style, I might say, "We must realize that words don’t mean--only people who use them." Each word counts; I would memorize it.

Only under rare circumstances do I recommend memorizing any part of a speech; the above suggestions, however, should make you aware of possibilities for enhancing your effectiveness as a speaker.

Continue reading here: Special Speeches

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Readers' Questions

How to memorize presentations?

There are several strategies you can use to help you memorize presentations: Understand the material: Make sure you have a good grasp of the content you're presenting. Understand the main points, supporting details, and any important facts or figures. This will make the information easier to remember. Break it down: Divide your presentation into smaller sections and memorize each section separately. Practice one section at a time until you feel confident, and then move on to the next section. This will prevent overwhelming yourself with too much information at once. Use visual aids and notes: Create visual aids, such as slides, charts, or diagrams, to help you remember key points. You can also create cue cards or note cards with important information or reminders. Just be careful not to rely too heavily on your visual aids or notes during the actual presentation. Practice, practice, practice: The more you rehearse your presentation, the better you will remember it. Practice with a timer to ensure you stay within your allotted time. Try practicing in front of a mirror, recording yourself, or presenting to a small audience to simulate the real situation. Use mnemonic devices: Mnemonic devices can help you remember important points or sequences in your presentation. For example, you can create acronyms, memorable phrases, or visual imagery associated with certain information. Engage multiple senses: Engaging multiple senses can improve memory retention. Try reading your presentation aloud while also listening to it or recording it. Additionally, consider adding physical gestures or movements that align with certain points or transitions. Utilize repetition and visualization: Repeat your presentation multiple times to reinforce the information in your memory. As you repeat, visualize yourself giving the presentation confidently and successfully. Visualization can help your brain establish a stronger connection with the material. Find a connection: Look for personal connections or associations between the content and your own experiences or interests. Finding meaningful connections will help you remember the information more easily. Be confident and relaxed: Confidence and relaxation can significantly improve your memory and recall. Take deep breaths, exhibit positive body language, and trust in your preparation. Nervousness can negatively impact your memory, so try to stay calm and composed. Adapt to your learning style: Everyone has different learning styles, so find techniques that work best for you. Whether it's writing, speaking, or visualizing, adapt your presentation memorization technique to suit your individual learning preferences. Remember, while memorization is important, it's also crucial to understand the content and be able to deliver it naturally and confidently.

When you are writing a speech to be memorized, you should?

follow several key steps to ensure that you can effectively deliver your speech without relying on notes. Here are some important guidelines to consider: Understand your audience: Analyze the demographics, interests, and preferences of your audience to tailor your speech accordingly. Consider their level of knowledge on the topic and what they hope to gain from your presentation. Identify the purpose: Clearly define the purpose of your speech. Are you informing, inspiring, persuading, or entertaining your audience? Keep this in mind throughout the speechwriting process. Structure your speech: Develop a clear and logical structure for your speech, including an introduction, main body, and conclusion. Divide the main body into key points or sections to help guide your memorization process. Use effective language: Craft your speech using simple and concise language. Utilize rhetorical techniques, such as repetition, alliteration, and parallelism, to make your speech memorable and engaging. Add personal anecdotes and stories: Incorporate relevant stories or personal experiences that relate to your topic to make your speech more relatable and memorable. Practice extensively: Memorization requires practice, so make sure to rehearse your speech repeatedly. Start by taking one section at a time and recite it until you can confidently recall it without mistakes. As you become more comfortable, gradually piece the sections together until you can deliver the entire speech fluently. Visualize and gesture: As you practice, visualize the content of your speech to aid in recall. Consider incorporating hand gestures and body movements that enhance your message and make your delivery more engaging. Pay attention to delivery: While memorizing your speech, also focus on your delivery techniques. Work on your posture, eye contact, vocal variety, and pacing to ensure a dynamic and impactful delivery. Record and review: Record yourself reciting your speech and review the recording to identify areas that need improvement. Pay attention to any places where you stumble or lose clarity, and refine those sections before finalizing your memorization. Seek feedback: Ask trusted individuals to listen to your speech and provide constructive feedback. Their input can help you identify areas that require improvement or clarification. Remember, memorizing a speech takes time and dedication. It is crucial to start early, practice regularly, and be patient with yourself. By following these steps, you can deliver a polished and memorable speech without relying on notes.

How to memorize a presentation in one night?

Memorizing a presentation in just one night can be challenging, but with determination and the right techniques, it can be done. Here are some tips to help you memorize your presentation quickly: Understand the material: Begin by thoroughly understanding the content of your presentation. Ensure that you have a clear understanding of the main points, key arguments, and supporting examples or evidence. Break it down: Divide your presentation into smaller sections. This will make it easier to memorize and focus on each part individually. Use visuals or diagrams: Create diagrams or visuals that summarize the main points of your presentation. Visual aids can be effective memory triggers as they engage both your visual and verbal memory. Use note cards or a script: Write down the main points or keywords of each section of your presentation on separate note cards. Alternatively, you can prepare a script and highlight the important sections you want to remember. Practice out loud: Read through your presentation out loud multiple times. The act of speaking the words aloud can help you familiarize yourself with the flow and structure of your presentation, making it easier to recall. Repetition and rehearsal: Repeat each section of your presentation several times while looking at your notes. Gradually reduce your reliance on the notes and aim to rehearse without them. Practice until you feel comfortable presenting without referring to your notes. Use mnemonic techniques: Mnemonic devices, such as acronyms, association, or visualization, can help aid your memory. Create mental associations or visual images that connect to the key points of your presentation. Take breaks: Take short breaks between study sessions to allow your mind to process and retain information. Use this time to relax, take a walk, or engage in activities that help you de-stress. Get a good night's sleep: While it may be tempting to stay up all night cramming, sleep is essential for memory consolidation. Make sure to get a good night's sleep before your presentation to improve your ability to recall the information. Visualize success: Visualize yourself giving the presentation confidently and flawlessly. Positive visualization can help boost your confidence and reduce anxiety, making it easier to recall the information during the actual presentation. Remember, while memorization is important, focus on understanding the material and delivering your presentation with clarity and confidence.

How to memorize a presentation fast?

Here are some tips to help you memorize a presentation quickly: Break it down into smaller parts: Divide your presentation into smaller sections or key points that are easier to remember. This will make the task more manageable and less overwhelming. Understand the content: Make sure you thoroughly comprehend the material and are familiar with the structure of your presentation. When you understand the content, it becomes easier to remember and recall. Create an outline or cue cards: Create a concise outline or cue cards with bullet points or keywords that represent the main ideas or key points of your presentation. You can refer to these during your presentation to keep you on track and jog your memory. Visualize the content: Form mental images or associations regarding the information you want to present. Linking visuals or stories to your content can improve recall and make it easier to remember key points. Practice repeatedly: Practice your presentation multiple times, ideally in front of a mirror, friends, or family. The more you practice, the more familiar you become with the material and the easier it is to remember. Use mnemonic devices: Mnemonics are memory aids that help you remember information by associating it with familiar words, phrases, or imagery. For example, you can create an acronym or acrostic to remember a list of important points. Utilize active learning techniques: Engaging actively with the information can enhance memorization. Consider discussing the content with a study partner, teaching it to someone else, or recording yourself reciting the presentation and listening to it later. Use visualization techniques: Close your eyes and imagine yourself giving the presentation confidently and flawlessly. Visualizing a successful presentation can boost your confidence and help you remember the material more effectively. Engage different senses: Incorporate visuals, diagrams, or props that correspond to your presentation. Engaging multiple senses can help reinforce memory and recall. Take breaks: Regularly take short breaks during your study sessions to give your brain time to process and consolidate the information. This approach helps combat fatigue and keeps your focus sharp. Remember, each person has their own preferred memorization techniques, so experiment with different strategies to find the ones that work best for you.

How to memorize speeches fast?

Memorizing speeches quickly requires effective techniques and consistent practice. Here are some tips to help you memorize speeches fast: Break it down: Divide your speech into smaller sections or key points. Focus on memorizing one section at a time before moving on to the next. Understand the content: Try to comprehend the ideas and concepts behind your speech. When you understand the material, it becomes easier to memorize and recall. Create associations: Associate each point or section of your speech with something memorable or relatable. Use visual imagery, metaphors, or personal connections to make the content stick in your mind. Use mnemonic devices: Mnemonics, such as acronyms, rhymes, or word associations, can help encode information more easily in your memory. Create mnemonic devices for difficult or key parts of the speech. Repeat, repeat, repeat: Practice reciting your speech repeatedly. Start by reading it out loud, then gradually reduce your reliance on the written text. Repeat it again and again until you can deliver it flawlessly. Practice with cues: Practice the speech using notecards or bullet points that serve as cues instead of relying on a written script. Gradually decrease the use of cues until you can recite the entire speech without any assistance. Record yourself: Record yourself reciting the speech, then listen to the recording repeatedly. This helps reinforce the content and allows you to identify areas that need improvement. Utilize visualization: Imagine yourself delivering the speech in vivid detail. Visualize the setting, audience, and your confident delivery. This mental rehearsal can enhance your memory and overall performance. Practice in different environments: To develop better recall, practice delivering the speech in various locations. This helps separate it from a specific setting and makes it easier to remember in different contexts. Get active: Physical movement helps reinforce memory. Consider practicing your speech while walking around, using gestures, or pacing back and forth. This adds a kinesthetic element to the learning process. Remember, the key to fast memorization is consistent and focused practice. Start well in advance of your speech to allow ample time for repetition and refinement.

How to memorize long speeches?

Understand the content: Read through the speech thoroughly and make sure you understand the main ideas and key points. Break it down into smaller sections or paragraphs to make it more manageable. Highlight key phrases or keywords: Identify important phrases or keywords that capture the essence of each section. Highlight or underline them to help you remember the main points. Visualize the speech: Create mental images or associations for each section of the speech. Imagine yourself giving the speech in vivid detail, including gestures and facial expressions. Visual cues can help trigger your memory during the actual presentation. Use mnemonic devices: Create acronyms, rhymes, or phrases that represent the key points or sections. These can serve as memory aids when recalling the speech. Practice, practice, practice: Repeat the speech aloud multiple times, gradually reducing your reliance on notes or prompts. Try recording yourself and listening to the recording to identify areas where you stumble or forget. Focus on those sections during your practice sessions. Break it into chunks: Divide the speech into smaller chunks or sections and focus on memorizing each one separately. Once you are confident with a particular chunk, move on to the next one. Then, practice connecting these chunks until you can smoothly transition from one to another. Utilize different study techniques: Experiment with different study techniques such as writing out the speech from memory, creating flashcards, or teaching the speech to someone else. Engaging with the material in different ways can reinforce your memory. Formulate a story or narrative: Turn the speech into a story or narrative that flows logically. By creating a coherent structure, it becomes easier to remember the speech as a whole. Use visualization techniques: Associate specific parts of the speech with particular locations or objects. Place certain phrases or concepts in familiar surroundings to help trigger your memory when delivering the speech. Engage with the audience: During the speech, interact with the audience and make eye contact. This can help you stay focused and create a natural flow. Audience engagement can also distract your mind from worrying about forgetting the next part of the speech. Remember, everyone has their own preferred techniques for memorization, so experiment with different approaches and find what works best for you.

How to memorize a speech in one night?

Memorizing a speech in one night can be challenging, but it is possible with focused effort and some effective techniques. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you memorize a speech quickly: Understand the speech: Start by thoroughly understanding the content and structure of your speech. Break it down into sections or key points to make it easier to remember. Read the speech aloud: Read the entire speech aloud several times to familiarize yourself with the content. Reading out loud can help you establish a natural flow and rhythm. Identify key phrases or keywords: Highlight or underline key phrases, keywords, or important points that you want to emphasize. These will act as anchors to help you remember the structure and flow of the speech. Chunk the information: Divide the speech into smaller sections or chunks. This will make it easier to focus on memorizing smaller parts at a time, rather than trying to remember the entire speech at once. Visualize the speech: Create visual associations for each section of your speech. You can mentally link specific keywords or phrases with vivid images or scenes in your mind. This technique, called visualization, helps in recalling information more easily. Repeat and repeat: Start with the first section of your speech. Read it aloud a few times until you feel comfortable with the content. Then, try reciting it without looking at the script. Repeat this process for each section of the speech, gradually adding new sections to the ones you've already memorized. Use mnemonic devices: Mnemonic devices are memory techniques that can help you remember information more effectively. You can use acronyms, rhymes, or associations to connect difficult or complex parts of your speech with something that is easier to remember. Practice with a friend or in front of a mirror: Once you have the sections memorized individually, practice reciting the entire speech in front of a friend or using a mirror. This will allow you to check your progress, identify any areas that need improvement, and gain confidence. Rehearse before bed: Before going to sleep, rehearse the speech one last time. Studies have shown that memories are consolidated during sleep, so reviewing your speech before bed can help enhance retention. Get a good night's rest: Getting enough sleep is crucial for memory formation and retention. Make sure to prioritize a good night's sleep to ensure that your brain is well-rested and ready to recall your speech the next day. Remember, everyone's memorization process may be slightly different, so adapt these steps to fit your own learning style. Good luck with your speech!

Which part(s) of your speech should be memorized?

There is no hard and fast rule about which parts of a speech should be memorized, as it largely depends on the individual and the context of the speech. However, it is generally recommended to memorize at least the opening and closing of your speech, as these are the parts that make the strongest impression on the audience. Additionally, any important statistics, quotes, or key points that you want to emphasize can also be memorized to ensure accuracy and clarity. Ultimately, the goal is to strike a balance between being well-prepared and still maintaining a natural, conversational delivery.

How to memorize a speech fast and easily?

Memorizing a speech quickly and easily requires some effective techniques and strategies. Here are a few methods that can help you memorize your speech efficiently: Break it down: Divide your speech into smaller sections or key points. Practice memorizing one section at a time before moving to the next. This allows you to focus on smaller chunks of information, making it easier to remember. Use visualization techniques: Visualize each part of your speech as a vivid image or a scene. Associate specific words or ideas with corresponding visual cues. The more distinct and memorable the images, the easier it will be to recall the information. Create an outline or keypoints: Rather than trying to remember the entire speech word for word, create an outline with the main points or keywords. This allows for flexibility in your delivery while still ensuring you cover all the necessary information. Utilize mnemonic devices: Use mnemonic devices such as acronyms, rhymes, or rhythm to help you remember the speech. These devices can make the information more memorable and aid in recall during the presentation. Practice, practice, practice: Repetition is key to memorization. Practice your speech multiple times, ideally out loud. This helps reinforce the information in your mind and familiarizes you with the flow and structure of the speech. Customize your learning style: Understand your preferred learning style—whether you are more visual, auditory, or tactile—and incorporate techniques that align with it. For example, visual learners can create visual aids or mind maps, auditory learners can record and listen to their speech, and tactile learners can write out their speech multiple times. Use physical movement: Incorporate gestures and movements into your speech to help trigger your memory. Associating specific movements with certain parts of your speech can serve as a helpful memory aid during delivery. Rehearse with a partner or in front of a mirror: Practicing your speech with someone else not only adds an element of accountability but also helps you receive feedback and become more comfortable with your delivery. Alternatively, rehearsing in front of a mirror allows you to observe your facial expressions, body language, and overall presentation. Remember, everyone learns and memorizes differently. Experiment with these techniques and identify what works best for you. Additionally, allow yourself enough time to practice and internalize the material, as last-minute cramming may not yield the most effective results.

How to memorize a speech in 10 minutes?

Memorizing a speech in just 10 minutes can be a challenging task, but it's not impossible. Here's a method you can follow to help you memorize your speech quickly: Read the speech aloud: Start by reading the speech out loud at a normal pace, paying attention to the flow and structure of the content. This helps you become familiar with the content and understand the natural rhythm of the speech. Break it down into key points: Identify the main ideas or key points in your speech. These could be the overall message or the important arguments you want to present. Jot them down separately on a piece of paper as bullet points. Create visual associations: Visualize each key point as vividly as possible. Try to connect them with images or concepts that are already familiar to you. This technique leverages the power of visualization, making it easier to recall the information. Build a mental structure: Organize your key points in a logical sequence that makes sense to you. You can try to mentally create a flowchart, linking the points together. This helps you establish a mental framework for remembering and delivering your speech. Practice repetition: Start reciting your speech, focusing on one key point at a time. Repeat each point multiple times until you feel comfortable with it, then move on to the next one. Keep rehearsing until you have gone through all the key points several times. Chunking technique: Break the speech into smaller chunks or sections, and try to remember each section individually. Once you've memorized one section, move on to the next. Gradually, start combining the sections together until you can recite the whole speech without any aids or pauses. Use mnemonic devices: Mnemonic devices are memory techniques that help you recall complex information. For example, you could create acronyms or rhymes to remember specific parts of your speech. Practice in front of a mirror: Stand in front of a mirror and deliver your speech. Visualize yourself confidently presenting the content. This helps you gain confidence and reinforce your memory, as you can observe your body language and facial expressions. Time yourself: Gradually work on reducing the time it takes you to recite the speech. Aim to recite it within the time limit you need to deliver it. This adds an element of pressure that simulates the actual speech situation. Keep calm and breathe: Before delivering your speech, take a deep breath, relax, and trust in your memory. Believe in yourself and your preparation. Nervousness can often hinder your memory recall, so try to stay calm and focused. Remember, this accelerated memorization technique is a temporary solution and is not meant for long-term retention. Given more time, it is always advisable to invest in a more thorough understanding and practice of your speech.

Which part(s) of your speech should you memorize?

You should consider memorizing the following parts of your speech: Introduction: Memorize the opening lines and the key points you want to make to capture the audience's attention and set the tone for your speech. Key Points or Main Arguments: Memorize the main arguments or key points you want to convey. These are the essential ideas that support your speech's purpose or main message. Transitions: Memorize the transitions or signposts that connect different parts of your speech. These help guide your audience through your speech and create a coherent flow. Conclusion: Memorize the closing lines and the key takeaways you want your audience to remember. Summarize your main points and end your speech with a strong conclusion. While it's important to memorize these parts, it is equally crucial to maintain a natural and conversational delivery. Avoid sounding overly rehearsed and allow room for improvisation and adaptation to the audience's reactions.

How long does it take to memorize a 5 minute speech?

The amount of time it takes to memorize a 5 minute speech depends on the individual, their understanding of the material, and the method they are using to memorize. Generally, it could take anywhere from two to four weeks to memorize a 5 minute speech.

How to memorize a speech fast?

Practice! The more familiar you become with your speech, the easier it will be to remember. Break down your speech into chunks. Then, practice each chunk several times before moving onto the next one. Create associations. Associations help your brain recall information. For example, associate a key point of your speech with a memorable image or phrase. Create a practice schedule and try to stick to it. Allocating specific times to practice and committing to them will help you to stay focused and motivated. Spend time visualizing the whole speech in your head. Picture yourself delivering the speech, complete with your gestures and inflections. Record and listen back to yourself. This will help you pick up any mistakes and you can then focus on improving those areas. Recite your speech aloud and/or use flashcards. Repetition helps your brain to remember the material. Use mnemonic devices and/or rhymes to help you recall the points in your speech. Get a good night’s sleep before your speech. Your brain needs rest in order to process the information. Finally, just before delivering the speech, take a few deep breaths to relax and focus your mind.

How long does it take to memorize a speech?

It depends on the length of the speech and the person's memory capacity. Generally, it can take anywhere from a few hours to many days or even weeks to memorize a speech.

How to memorize a speech in a day?

Break up the speech into manageable chunks. Divide the speech into logical and manageable sections, such as topics or key points. Memorize the introduction. A good introduction sets the tone for the rest of the speech, so practice it until you know it well. Practice one section at a time. Studying a large chunk of the speech all at once will be overwhelming. Instead, focus on one block of text at a time. Connect information with images. To help it stick in your memory, practice connecting facts and figures to images or stories. Focus on key points. For a speech that covers a lot of material, focus on the main points to help you remember the rest. Read the speech aloud. You may find that you learn the speech better if you read it out loud. Visualize success. Spend some time visualizing yourself giving a great rendition of the speech. Take breaks. In order to stay focused, it’s important to take breaks throughout the day. Record yourself. You may find that recording yourself saying the speech is a helpful tool to review and practice what you’ve memorized. Reward yourself. Don’t forget to reward yourself for all the hard work you’re doing. Treat yourself to something nice after a successful run-through.

3.2 Methods of Speech Delivery

Impromptu Speaking

Impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advance preparation. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “Hi, my name is Steve, and I’m a volunteer with the Homes for the Brave program.” Another example of impromptu speaking occurs when you answer a question such as, “What did you think of the movie?” Your response has not been preplanned, and you are constructing your arguments and points as you speak. Even worse, you might find yourself going into a meeting and your boss says, “I want you to talk about the last stage of the project. . . “ and you have no warning.

The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it’s spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context. The disadvantage is that the speaker is given little or no time to contemplate the central theme of his or her message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow.

Here is a step-by-step guide that may be useful if you are called upon to give an impromptu speech in public:

• Take a moment to collect your thoughts and plan the main point or points you want to make.
• Thank the person for inviting you to speak. Do not make comments about being unprepared, called upon at the last moment, on the spot, or uneasy. No one wants to hear that and it will embarrass others and yourself.
• Deliver your message, making your main point as briefly as you can while still covering it adequately and at a pace your listeners can follow.
• Stay on track. Answer the question or prompt as given; resist the temptation to go elsewhere.
• If you can, use a structure, using numbers if possible: “Two main reasons . . .” or “Three parts of our plan. . .” or “Two side effects of this drug. . .” Past, present, and future or East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast are common structures.
• Thank the person again for the opportunity to speak.
• Stop talking (it is easy to “ramble on” when you don’t have something prepared). If in front of an audience, don’t keep talking as you move back to your seat.

Impromptu speeches are generally most successful when they are brief and focus on a single point.

Manuscript Speaking

Manuscript speaking is the word-for-word iteration of a written message. In a manuscript speech, the speaker maintains his or her attention on the printed page except when using visual aids. The advantage to reading from a manuscript is the exact repetition of original words. In some circumstances this can be extremely important. For example, reading a statement about your organization’s legal responsibilities to customers may require that the original words be exact. In reading one word at a time, in order, the only errors would typically be mispronunciation of a word or stumbling over complex sentence structure. A manuscript speech may also be appropriate at a more formal affair (like a funeral), when your speech must be said exactly as written in order to convey the proper emotion or decorum the situation deserves.

However, there are costs involved in manuscript speaking. First, it’s typically an uninteresting way to present. Unless the speaker has rehearsed the reading as a complete performance animated with vocal expression and gestures (well-known authors often do this for book readings), the presentation tends to be dull. Keeping one’s eyes glued to the script prevents eye contact with the audience. For this kind of “straight” manuscript speech to hold audience attention, the audience must be already interested in the message and speaker before the delivery begins.

It is worth noting that professional speakers, actors, news reporters, and politicians often read from an autocue device, such as a TelePrompTer, especially when appearing on television, where eye contact with the camera is crucial. With practice, a speaker can achieve a conversational tone and give the impression of speaking extemporaneously and maintaining eye contact while using an autocue device. However, success in this medium depends on two factors: (1) the speaker is already an accomplished public speaker who has learned to use a conversational tone while delivering a prepared script, and (2) the speech is written in a style that sounds conversational and in spoken rather than written, edited English, for example, with shorter sentences and clearer transitions.

For the purposes of your public speaking class, you will not be encouraged to read your speech. Instead, you will be asked to give an extemporaneous presentation.

Extemporaneous Speaking

Extemporaneous speaking is the presentation of a carefully planned and rehearsed speech, spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes. By using notes rather than a full manuscript, the extemporaneous speaker can establish and maintain eye contact with the audience and assess how well they are understanding the speech as it progresses. And since you will be graded (to some degree) on establishing and maintaining eye contact with your audience, extemporaneous speaking can be extremely beneficial in that regard. Without all the words on the page to read, you have little choice but to look up and make eye contact with your audience. In some cases, your instructor will require you to prepare strong preparation and speaking (notes) outlines as a foundation for your speech; this topic is addressed in Chapter 6.

Speaking extemporaneously has some advantages. It promotes the likelihood that you, the speaker, will be perceived as knowledgeable and credible since you know the speech well enough that you don’t need to read it. In addition, your audience is likely to pay better attention to the message because it is engaging both verbally and nonverbally. It also allows flexibility; you are working from the strong foundation of an outline, but if you need to delete, add, or rephrase something at the last minute or to adapt to your audience, you can do so. The outline also helps you be aware of main ideas vs. subordinate ones.

The disadvantage of extemporaneous speaking is that it in some cases it does not allow for the verbal and the nonverbal preparation that are almost always required for a good speech. Adequate preparation cannot be achieved the day before you’re scheduled to speak, so be aware that if you want to present a credibly delivered speech, you will need to practice many times. Because extemporaneous speaking is the style used in the great majority of public speaking situations, most of the information in the subsequent sections of this chapter is targeted toward this kind of speaking.

Memorized Speaking

Memorized speaking is the rote recitation of a written message that the speaker has committed to memory. Actors, of course, recite from memory whenever they perform from a script. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message needs to be exact and the speaker doesn’t want to be confined by notes.

The advantage to memorization is that it enables the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the speech. Being free of notes means that you can move freely around the stage and use your hands to make gestures. If your speech uses visual aids, this freedom is even more of an advantage.

However, there are some real and potential costs. First, unless you also plan and memorize every vocal cue (the subtle but meaningful variations in speech delivery, which can include the use of pitch, tone, volume, and pace), gesture, and facial expression, your presentation will be flat and uninteresting, and even the most fascinating topic will suffer. You might end up speaking in a monotone or a sing-song repetitive delivery pattern. You might also present your speech in a rapid “machine-gun” style that fails to emphasize the most important points.

Second, if you lose your place and start trying to ad lib, the contrast in your style of delivery will alert your audience that something is wrong. If you go completely blank during the presentation, it will be extremely difficult to find your place and keep going. Obviously, memorizing a typical seven-minute classroom speech takes a great deal of time and effort, and if you aren’t used to memorizing, it is very difficult to pull off. Realistically, you probably will not have the time necessary to give a completely memorized speech. However, if you practice adequately, you will approach the feeling of memorized while still being extemporaneous.

As we said earlier, for the purposes of this class you will use extemporaneous speaking. Many professional speakers who are paid to make speeches use this approach because, while they may largely know what they want to say, they usually make changes and adjustments based on the audience or event. This approach also incorporates most of the benefits of memorized speaking (knowing what you want to say; being very thoroughly rehearsed) and manuscript speaking (having some words in front of you to refer to) without the inherent pitfalls those approaches bring with them.

the presentation of a short message without advance preparation

the word-for-word iteration of a written message

the presentation of a carefully planned and rehearsed speech, spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes

the rote recitation of a written message that the speaker has committed to memory

the subtle but meaningful variations in speech delivery, which can include the use of pitch, tone, volume, and pace

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Chapter 32: Methods of Speech Delivery

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

• Distinguish between four methods of speech delivery: the impromptu speech, the manuscript speech, the memorized speech, and the extemporaneous speech
• List the advantages and disadvantages of the four types of speeches
• Explain why an extemporaneous is the preferred delivery style when using rhetorical theory

Key Terms and Concepts

• extemporaneous

We have established that presentations involve much more than the transfer of information. Sure, you could treat a presentation as an opportunity to simply read a report you’ve written out loud to a group, but you would fail to both engage your audience and make a connection with them. In other words, you would leave them wondering exactly why they had to listen to your presentation instead of reading  it at their leisure.

The Four Methods of Speech Delivery

One of the ways to ensure that you engage your audience effectively is by carefully considering how best to deliver your speech. Each of you has sat in a class, presentation, or meeting where you didn’t feel interested in the information the presenter was sharing. Part of the reason for your disengagement likely originated in the presenter’s method of speech delivery .

For our purposes, there are four different methods—or types—of speech delivery used in technical communication:

• Extemporaneous

Exercise #1: The Four Methods of Speech Delivery

What comes to mind when you think about the four methods of speech delivery? How do you think they are different from one another? Have you given a speech using any of these methods before?

Watch the video below for a brief overview of each one. After you are finished, answer the questions below:

• Which method are you most comfortable with? Why?
• Which method are you the least comfortable with? Why?
• Which method do you think is the best for connecting with your audience?  Why?

The public speaking section of this course will require you to deliver a speech using an extemporaneous style, but let’s take a look at how all four differ in approach:

Impromptu Speeches

Impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advanced preparation. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “ Hi, my name is Shawnda, and I’m a student at the University of Saskatchewan .”

Another example of impromptu speaking occurs when you answer a question such as, “What did you think of the movie?” Your response has not been pre-planned, and you are constructing your arguments and points as you speak. Even worse, you might find yourself going into a meeting when your boss announces to you, “I want you to talk about the last stage of the project” with no warning.

The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it’s spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context. The  disadvantage is that the speaker is giv en little or no time to contemplate the central theme of their message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow.

Here is a step-by-step guide that may be useful if you are called upon to give an impromptu speech in public:

• Take a moment to collect your thoughts and plan the main point that you want to make (like a mini thesis statement).
• Thank the person for inviting you to speak. Do not make comments about being unprepared, called upon at the last moment, on the spot, or uneasy. In other words, try to avoid being self-deprecating!
• Deliver your message, making your main point as briefly as you can while still covering it adequately and at a pace your listeners can follow.
• If you can use a structure, use numbers if possible: “Two main reasons. . .” or “Three parts of our plan. . .” or “Two side effects of this drug. . .” Past, present, and future or East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast are pre-fab structures.
• Thank the person again for the opportunity to speak.
• Stop talking. It is easy to “ramble on” when you don’t have something prepared. If in front of an audience, don’t keep talking as you move back to your seat.

Impromptu speeches are generally most successful when they are brief and focus on a single point.

We recommend practicing your impromptu speaking regularly. Do you want to work on reducing your vocalized pauses in a formal setting? Great! You can begin that process by being conscious of your vocalized fillers during informal conversations and settings.

Exercise #2: Impromptu Speech Example

Below are two examples of an impromptu speech. In the first video, a teacher is demonstrating an impromptu speech to his students on the topic of strawberries. He quickly jots down some notes before presenting.

What works in his speech? What could be improved?

Link to Original Video: tinyurl.com/impromptuteacher

In the above example, the teacher did an okay job, considering how little time he had to prepare.

In this next example, you will see just how badly an impromptu speech can go. It is a video of a best man speech at a wedding. Keep in mind that the speaker is the groom’s brother.

Is there anything that he does well? What are some problems with his speech?

Link to Original Video: tinyurl.com/badimpromptubestman

Manuscript Speeches

Manuscript  speaking is the word-for-word iteration of a written message. In a manuscript speech, the speaker maintains their attention on the printed page except when using presentation aids.

The advantage to reading from a manuscript is the exact repetition of original words. This can be extremely important in some circumstances. For example, reading a statement about your organization’s legal responsibilities to customers may require that the original words be exact. In reading one word at a time, in order, the only errors would typically be the mispronunciation of a word or stumbling over complex sentence structure. A manuscript speech may also be appropriate at a more formal affair (like a funeral), when your speech must be said exactly as written in order to convey the proper emotion the situation deserves.

However, there are costs involved in manuscript speaking. First, it’s typically an uninteresting way to present. Unless the speaker has rehearsed the reading as a complete performance animated with vocal expression and gestures (well-known authors often do this for book readings), the presentation tends to be dull. Keeping one’s eyes glued to the script prevents eye contact with the audience.

For this kind of “straight” manuscript speech to hold audience attention, the audience must be already interested in the message and speaker before the delivery begins. Finally, because the full notes are required, speakers often require a lectern to place their notes, restricting movement and the ability to engage with the audience. Without something to place the notes on, speakers have to manage full-page speaking notes, and that can be distracting.

It is worth noting that professional speakers, actors, news reporters, and politicians often read from an autocue device such as a teleprompter. This device is especially common when these people appear on television where eye contact with the camera is crucial. With practice, a speaker can achieve a conversational tone and give the impression of speaking extemporaneously and maintaining eye contact while using an autocue device.

However, success in this medium depends on two factors:

• the speaker is already an accomplished public speaker who has learned to use a conversational tone while delivering a prepared script, and
• the speech is written in a style that sounds conversational.

Exercise #3: Manuscript Speech Example

Below is a video that shows an example of a manuscript speech. In the video, US Presidential Historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin, gives a speech about different US presidents.

What works in her speech? What could be improved?

Link to Original Video: tinyurl.com/goodwindepauw

Here’s a video that shows the dangers of relying on a manuscript for your speech:

Michael Bay heavily relied on his manuscript , so when he suddenly lost access to it, he was left feeling embarrassed and had to hastily leave the stage. As a result, he experienced face loss .

Link to original video: https://tinyurl.com/MBayManuscript

Memorized Speeches

Memorized  speaking is reciting a written message that the speaker has committed to memory. Actors, of course, recite from memory whenever they perform from a script in a stage play, television program, or movie. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message needs to be exact and the speaker doesn’t want to be confined by notes.

The advantage to memorization is that it enables the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the speech. Being free of notes means that you can move freely around the stage and use your hands to make gestures. If your speech uses presentation aids, this freedom is even more of an advantage.

Memorization, however, can be tricky. First, if you lose your place and start trying to ad lib, the contrast in your style of delivery will alert your audience that something is wrong. If you go completely blank during the presentation, it will be extremely difficult to find your place and keep going. Obviously, memorizing a typical seven-minute classroom speech takes a great deal of time and effort, and if you aren’t used to memorizing, it is very difficult to pull off.

Exercise #4: Memorized Speech Example

Below is a video that shows an example of a memorized speech. In the video, former Louisiana governor, Bobby Jindal, responds to Barack Obama’s State of the Union address back in 2009.

Extemporaneous Speeches

Extemporaneous speaking is the presentation of a carefully planned and rehearsed speech, spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes.

Speaking extemporaneously has some advantages. It promotes the likelihood that you, the speaker, will be perceived as knowledgeable and credible since you know the speech well enough that you don’t need to read it. In addition, your audience is likely to pay better attention to the message because it is engaging both verbally and nonverbally.

By using notes rather than a full manuscript (or everything that you’re going to say), the extemporaneous speaker can establish and maintain eye contact with the audience and assess how well they are understanding the speech as it progresses. It also allows flexibility; you are working from the strong foundation of an outline, but if you need to delete, add, or rephrase something at the last minute or to adapt to your audience, you can do so. The outline also helps you be aware of main ideas vs. subordinate ones.

Compared to the other three types of speech delivery, an extemporaneous style is the best for engaging your audience and making yourself sound like a natural speaker.

The video below provides some tips on how to deliver a speech using this method:

Link to Original Video:  tinyurl.com/deliverextempres

The slide below provides a brief overview of tips for preparing your extemporaneous presentation:

Exercise# 5: Extemporaneous Speech Example

Below is a video that shows an example of an extemporaneous speech. In the video, a former University of Saskatchewan student tries to persuade her peers to spend more solo time outside.

Link to Original Video: tinyurl.com/rcm401speech

Key Takeaways

• When designing any speech, it’s important to consider how you will deliver that speech. In technical communication, there are four different types of speech delivery, each with their advantages and disadvantages. They are: impromptu , manuscript , memorized , and extemporaneous .
• An impromptu  speech can take many forms such as a toast at a wedding, being asked to give a project update at a meeting, or even simply meeting someone for the first time. While this type of speech can be spontaneous and responsive, the speaker generally has little to no warning that they will need to speak.
• A  manuscript speech is completely written out and read word for word.  It is often a good style when you want to nail the specific wording and do not want to make an error. However, this type of speech is not very persuasive because it does not take advantage of the immediacy of public speaking. It also completely removes audience relation from the process.
• A  memorized  speech is when a speaker commits an entire speech to memory. This style also harms relation with the audience because the speaker is more focused on remembering the text of the speech rather than communicating with the audience. Additionally, if you lose your place and need to ad lib, it may be obvious to your audience.
• An extemporaneous speech is done in a natural, conversational speaking style. While it is carefully planned, it is never completely written out like a manuscript.  It is also not read or memorized . Instead, an outline is used to help guide the speaker. As a result, more attention can be paid to the audience, allowing the speaker to better connect with them and make adjustments as necessary. This is the style we want you to use for your presentation assignment in RCM 200.

Attributions

This chapter is adapted from “ Communication for Business Professionals ” by eCampusOntario (on Open Library ). It is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

This chapter is also adapted from “ Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy ” by Meggie Mapes (on Pressbooks ). It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

a speech delivery method where a short message is presented without advanced preparation

a speech delivery method where a message is read word-for-word off a written page or autocue device

a speech delivery method where a message is presented after being committed to memory by the speaker

a speech delivery method where the presentation is carefully planned and rehearsed, but spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes

the experience of feeling judged, or feeling that people do not recognize us as we perceive ourselves to be

Effective Professional Communication: A Rhetorical Approach Copyright © 2021 by Rebekah Bennetch; Corey Owen; and Zachary Keesey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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