The Rule of Three
Thirty-two easy ways to use the rule of three, a simple pattern that makes ideas clear, memorable and easy to share.
Three is a magic number. It fits in the mind.
40 tips that really help
These ideas come from The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking (Dale Carnegie), Talk Like TED (Carmine Gallo), Made to Stick (Chip and Dan Heath), and everyday practice. Pick one tip and try it today.
Three is a magic number
Speakers and writers have used groups of three for thousands of years: “veni, vidi, vici”, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. Groups of three feel complete and are easy to remember.
Think of three famous phrases that use threes.
Why three works
Two feels like a pair, four can feel like a list, and three gives a satisfying rhythm of beginning, middle and end. Our minds like patterns, and three is the smallest pattern.
Say your next list in three.
Three points
Organise your talk into three main points. It is easy for you to remember and for listeners to follow.
Boil your talk down to three headings.
Three examples
Support a point with three short examples. The third often feels like the strongest.
Choose three examples.
Three-word phrases
“Stop, look, listen” or “Faster, simpler, cheaper”. Short triplets stick in the mind.
Create a three-word slogan for your idea.
Three steps
Give instructions in three steps. It is clear and doable. “First, plan. Second, practise. Third, perform.”
Turn your advice into three steps.
Three benefits
When selling an idea, give three benefits. More feels like a pile.
List three benefits.
Three questions
Use three questions to guide a talk: what, why, how. It makes a map.
Structure with what, why, how.
Past, present, future
A natural three: where we were, where we are, where we are going. It is a perfect story arc.
Use it to explain a project.
Beginning, middle, end
Every story has three parts. Plan each in a sentence.
Outline a story in three lines.
Problem, solution, result
A tidy three-part pitch. Name a problem, offer a solution and show the result.
Pitch an idea this way.
Situation, action, result
A good shape for interview stories. Keep each short.
Prepare three stories this way.
Tell them what you will tell them
Open with a preview, give the content, close with a summary. It is the classic three-part talk.
Add a preview and summary.
Use the rule of three for emphasis
Repeat a key word three times: “education, education, education”. Use sparingly.
Find one phrase to repeat.
Use a rising list
Order items from least to most important so the third is the strongest. The build feels satisfying.
Order your list by strength.
Use a surprise third
Two serious items and a funny or surprising third can delight. “Be bold, be kind, be home by ten.”
Try a playful third.
Use three adjectives
“Clear, calm and kind” feels complete. More adjectives dilute.
Choose three words to describe your goal.
Use three-part sentences
“We came, we saw, we learned.” Parallel structure gives rhythm.
Write one triplet sentence.
Use parallel structure
Keep items in the same form: “to plan, to practise, to perform”. Parallel forms sound neat.
Check your list for matching forms.
Use three for remembering
Tell yourself, “Three things to remember.” It helps you and your listener hold on.
Say “three things” at the start of a talk.
Use three on slides
Three bullets per slide look clean. More overwhelms.
Cut a slide to three bullets.
Use three in emails
Three short points, numbered, are easy to read.
Number three points in an email.
Use three in meetings
When asked for ideas, give three. It shows preparation.
Prepare three ideas.
Use three in interviews
Offer three strengths or three reasons. It sounds organised.
Prepare three of each.
Use three in toasts
A toast with three memories or wishes is neat.
Write a three-part toast.
Use three in storytelling
Three attempts, then success: a classic story pattern. Think of fairy tales.
Tell a story with a three-try structure.
Use three in teaching
Teach three key points per lesson. Learners remember them.
Plan a lesson with three points.
Use three in persuasion
Appeal to logic, emotion and credibility. Three pillars make a case.
Check your pitch for all three.
Do not force three
If you truly have two, say two. If five, group them. Be natural.
Check that your three are real.
Do not overuse it
Every sentence in threes sounds mechanical. Use it for key moments.
Use it three times in a talk.
Combine with pauses
Pause between items in a triplet. It gives each one weight.
Pause between your three.
Combine with tone
Make your voice rise on the first two and fall on the third. It sounds finished.
Practise the melody.
Use gestures
Count on your fingers: one, two, three. It helps the audience follow.
Use your hand to count.
Practise your list aloud
Say your three points until they flow. Rhythm matters.
Say them five times.
Cut a fourth
If you have four, drop the weakest or group two. Simplicity wins.
Cut one item.
Check with a friend
Ask a friend to recall your three points after a talk. If they can, it worked.
Test recall.
Learn from great speeches
Read famous speeches and spot the threes. They are everywhere.
Find three threes in a famous speech.
Celebrate neat structure
A clear three-part message is a gift to listeners. Enjoy it.
Note a time someone remembered your three.
Group long lists into threes
If you must share a dozen items, bundle them into three groups with a label each. Chunks of three give people handles to hold on to, instead of a stream to drown in.
Take a list of nine items and sort them into three labelled groups.
Test your three on the back of an envelope
If you cannot write your three points in a line each on a scrap of paper, they are not yet clear. Writing them small forces you to choose the words that matter most.
Write your three points on a scrap of paper in under ten words each.
Easy things to say
When you are stuck, pick one of these. They work in many everyday situations.
“There are three things to know.â€
“First, we plan.â€
“Second, we act.â€
“Third, we review.â€
“Thanks for listening.â€
“Plan, act, review.â€
Your first week
One small action a day. Each day is only a little bigger than the last.
Pick three points
Name them
Say them in order
Keep them parallel
Add one example each
Repeat at the end
Practise
Further reading
- The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking (Dale Carnegie)
- Talk Like TED (Carmine Gallo)
- Made to Stick (Chip and Dan Heath)
The tips above are written in our own words and are general guidance. The books are suggestions for further reading.
More lessons in “Speaking Clearly”
Keep going. Small steps every day make a big change.
← Previous: The Point, Reason, Example FormulaNext: Start With Why It Matters →
- Slow Down by Ten Percent
- Speak From Your Belly, Not Your Throat
- The Magic of the Pause
- End Sentences Like You Mean Them
- Warm Up Your Voice in One Minute
- Find Your Natural Volume
- Vary Your Tone to Keep Attention
- Use Words a Ten-Year-Old Would Understand
- Short Sentences Sound Confident
- Cut Jargon and Filler Words
- Lead With Your Main Point
- Say One Idea at a Time
- Replace Vague Words With Exact Ones
- Read Your Words Out Loud First
- Open Your Mouth and Speak Clearly
- Stop Mumbling in Three Steps
- Pronounce Hard Words With Confidence
- Breathe at the Right Moments
- Speak Clearly on the Phone
- Speak Clearly on Video Calls
- Handle an Accent With Pride
- The Point, Reason, Example Formula
- The Rule of Three
- Start With Why It Matters
- Tell a Short Story Instead
- Use Numbers and Pictures Wisely
- Finish With One Clear Takeaway
- Answer a Question in Thirty Seconds
- Replace Um With a Silent Pause
- What to Do When You Lose Your Thought
- Recover From a Mistake Smoothly
- Stop Over-Explaining
- Stop Apologising Before You Speak
- Practise With a Voice Recorder
- Stay Clear When You Are Nervous
- Speak Clearly When Put on the Spot
- Explain Something Complicated Simply
- Speak Clearly in an Argument
- Speak Clearly to Someone Senior
- Your Daily Clarity Habit
