Speech Articulation

Listeners make all kinds of decisions about you by the way you speak. This is especially true when they are hearing you for the first time. It may be at a staff meeting, when greeting a new customer, while gathering marketing information over the phone, or presenting data at a conference. Listeners decide your age, intelligence, qualifications, sense of humor and more from the way you speak.

How often have you heard someone say "I only spoke to Tom for a minute, but he sounds like a nice guy" or "Phyllis called and she certainly did sound upset." Of course, we judge these qualities in part by what was said; however, we also judge by the way they were said. What are we listening to? What makes a difference to us? Naturally, ideas and information are important. Beyond that, we are listening to articulation, pronunciation and speed. Articulation is the production of individual sounds. We manipulate and position six different articulators. They are:

1. Lips
2. Teeth
3. Tongue
4. Velum (soft palate)
5. Pharyngeal wall
6. Lower jaw

Speech Articulation
Written by: Dr. Paula Borkum Becker, Senior Coaching Partner
Excerpt from: Speaking Skills for Business Careers

Copyright 2003.
The Speech Improvement Company, Inc.
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
 

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