Breath and pace
Voice runs on breath. Low, steady breathing gives you power and calm, and a deliberate pace gives listeners time to understand.
Key ideas
- Shallow chest breathing produces a thin, rushed voice.
- Pauses are not gaps; they let meaning land.
- Most nervous speakers go too fast; slowing slightly sounds confident.
Step by step
- 1
Breathe in through the nose, letting the lower ribs and belly expand.
- 2
Speak on the out-breath and stop before you run out of air.
- 3
Pause at every full stop and before key points.
- 4
Record one minute and aim for a steady, unhurried pace.
Example
A presenter who rushed his updates adds a one-second pause after each key number. His team stops asking him to repeat figures.
Your drill
Read a paragraph aloud, breathing low before each sentence and pausing at every full stop. Record it and compare with your normal reading.
Common mistakes
- Taking a huge breath and holding tension in the shoulders.
- Filling every pause with sound.
Check yourself
What does a pause before a key point achieve?
Show the answer
It signals importance and gives the listener time to absorb the point.
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