CONTROL of VOCAL NONVERBALS Vocal nonverbals send clear messages to receivers. When sending messages, it is crucial to be ever mindful of vocal nonverbals & the role they play in the communication process.

VOLUME The measure of how loud or soft your voice is Should be your FIRST concern as a sender; if people can’t hear you, what’s the point? Vary volume to show emphasis or emotion. Intensity: how much air you release with each word. Can be increased by releasing more air Can convey emotions in situations where volume cannot be loud

Tips: Vary volume and intensity to emphasize key words or phrases Use these vocal tools appropriately (Example: Don’t yell if it doesn’t match your message, that is contradicting)

RATE how quickly or slowly you speak different rates communicate different emotions RAPID: anger, confusion, impatience SLOW: caution, fatigue, hopelessness, insincerity Pauses: the silences you skillfully add between words, phrases, & sentences add drama and emphasis to your speech. Framing: pausing slightly before and after a word or phrase to add emphasis & meaning.

Pitch Pitch: the highness or lowness of your voice. Inflection: changing the pitch of your voice monotony: using one tone; a lack of inflection up-talker: a sender who ends phrases or sentences in an upward inflection, like they’re always asking a question

Tone A quality or character of sound A particular way of sounding of the voice as expressive of some meaning, feeling, spirit Stress of voice on a syllable of a word An accent peculiar to a person, people, region

Inflection can change the meaning of your words… I can’t believe you said that.

ARTICULATION how clearly and precisely you speak synonyms: enunciation, pronunciation Common articulation problems: dropping word endings…going becomes goin’ running words together…kinda, sorta, wanna substituting sounds…pen becomes pin, -ing becomes –een (walkeen, talkeen, runneen, playeen) adding sounds…library becomes liberry

IMPROVING ARTICULATION Always speak with your head up & do not cover your mouth. Make sure the receiver(s) can see your face. Open your mouth wide when you speak & extra wide if giving a speech! Rehearse your speeches aloud to ensure that you know how to properly pronounce EVERY word. Practice unfamiliar or problem words repeatedly so you don’t mispronounce or struggle to pronounce difficult words.

HOW DO YOU SAY… Athlete Escape Especially Just Nuclear Often Particular Probably Supposedly Triathlon Veteran Wash IMPROPER Ath-uh-leet Excape Expecially Jis, jus, dis Nuke-u-lur OfTen Paticular Probly, prolly Supposably Tri-ath-uh-lon Vetran Warsh PROPER Ath-leet Ess-cape Ess-specially Just Noo-clee-ur Ofen (silent t) Par-tic-yew-lur Pra-bub-lee Suh-po-sed-lee Tri-ath-lon Vet-uh-run Wash

HOW DO YOU SAY… Salmon Wasn’t Both Mirror Granted Theatre Obvious Can’t Any Gestures Et Cetera Get/Ten/Pen IMPROPER SaLmon Wuddin Bolth, Bof Mira, Mir Granite Thee-ATE-ur Ovious Caint Inny Guesstures Ex Cetera Git/Tin/Pin PROPER Sam-un (silent L) Wus-unt Both Meer-ur Grant-ed THEE-ut-ur OBvious Cant Any Jest-yurs Et Cetera Get/Ten/Pen