Characteristics Of Good Speech!

When we analyse good speech, we discover that it posses certain characteristics, each of these characteristics makes a peculiar contribution to total impression. The characteristics are as below.

Agreeable Voice quality:
Speaker's voice should be of good quality. It should not be harsh or shrill or excessively nasal or posses of any characteristics that may arise feelings of unpleasant.

Breathiness:
It is caused by failure to bring the edges of vocal cords together and the breath escapes instead of being used in vocalization. Harshness:

It is resulted by over tension in throat and neck accompanied by whole-body tension during vocalization.

Huskiness:
Along with the problem of resonance, there is the addition of certain noise to vocal tone. Example- During cold, there can be inflammation of vocal cords, as a result, the noisy vocal tone can be found.

Nasality:
It refers to the improper use of nasal resonance. The cause can be insufficient closure of velum against the back wall of the pharynx.

Optimum pitch:
For every voice, there is an acceptable pitch level at which, the voice is found to be most effective and comfortable. The approximate median of range at which voice function easily is called optimum pitch. Since meaning are determined not only by words themselves but also the way they are uttered, it means flexible voice will carry a much wider meaning than monotonous voice.

Adequate projection:
Making the voice easily audible to all the listeners without the apparent expenditure of unnecessary effort is called projection. Inadequate projection often resulted from failure to open mouth far enough to permit the sound to be emitted with sufficient energy to carry. Good speech must be more than merely audible, it must be intelligible as well.

Adequate articulation:
For speech to be intelligible, the sound and the words must be clearly articulated. In stressed syllables the vowel should be clear and distinct, consonants should be sharp. A distinction of speech requires flexibility and agility in the organs of articulation that is tongue, jaw, lips. Furthermore, the sounds must be formed in the right position.

Correct pronunciation:
As a general rule of pronunciation indicated by any good dictionary should be acceptable. Animation:

Good speaking is characterized by certain liveliness, an animation indicative of the fact speaker is wide awake. Animation grows out of the speaker's attitude. It is indicative of keen interest, deep feeling and strong desire to share that interest. Absence of excess fear: A certain degree of tension is common to all speakers. Many of the best speakers are actually uncomfortable while coming before the audience. Preparation is the best practical aid in overcoming its effects.

Semantic Soundness:
Language whether in speech or in writing reflects meaning. These meaning generally approximately those which we ourselves have in mind when we select and use words;but many of our words don't arise such correspondence of meaning in our listeners. The associations which have been built up about the words themselves are so different that we can not be precisely certain what they mean.eg., truth, beauty.

Ease of bearing :
One's posture may be formal or informal, depending on the occasion, smoothness of movement is appropriate where smoothness suits the mood. In any event, posture should be erect, suggesting self-respect though not arrogance, alert but not rigidly tensed.