Practise Out Loud, Not in Your Head
Thirty easy ways to practise out loud, not in your head, so your real voice feels ready when it matters.
Say it for real. Your mouth needs practice.
40 tips that really help
These ideas come from Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway (Susan Jeffers), The Upside of Stress (Kelly McGonigal), The 5 Second Rule (Mel Robbins), and everyday practice. Pick one tip and try it today.
Say it for real
Rehearsing silently in your head is easy because your brain fills in the gaps. Speaking aloud shows where your words actually trip, and trains your mouth as well as your mind.
Practise your next talk out loud, standing up.
The production effect
In 2010, Colin MacLeod and colleagues found that words read aloud are remembered better than words read silently. Saying your points aloud helps you remember them.
Read your key points aloud twice.
Stand up to practise
Standing, as you will in the real event, trains your breathing and posture. Sitting can feel different.
Stand when you rehearse.
Use the real volume
Practise at the volume you will actually speak. Whispering in rehearsal then speaking loudly on the day feels strange.
Speak at full voice in an empty room.
Time yourself
Practise with a timer so you know how long you take. Many speakers run faster or slower on the day.
Time your next run-through.
Record on your phone
Listening back reveals pace, fillers and strengths. Most people are kinder to themselves after hearing it.
Record a run-through and listen once.
Watch yourself on video
Watching your gestures and expressions can be uncomfortable but is highly useful. Look for strengths first.
Note three things you did well on the video.
Practise to a friend
A friendly listener makes practice realistic. Ask for one thing that worked and one suggestion.
Ask a friend for one positive and one tip.
Practise to a pet or a plant
A silent audience is still an audience. It helps you get used to speaking to someone.
Rehearse to your pet for five minutes.
Practise in the actual room
If possible, rehearse in the actual place. Familiar space reduces surprises.
Visit the room ahead of time.
Practise with the equipment
If you will use a microphone or slides, practise with them. Technical surprises raise nerves.
Test the equipment in advance.
Practise in chunks
Break your talk into short sections and practise each one. Small chunks are easier to improve.
Practise one section three times.
Practise the start and end most
A strong first and last minute give you confidence. Spend extra time on them.
Rehearse the opening and closing five times.
Practise the hard bits
Find the part you stumble over and drill it. Repetition makes the hard bit easy.
Mark and drill one tricky section.
Practise transitions
Moves between sections are where many people freeze. Plan a bridging sentence for each.
Write a bridge between each section.
Practise being interrupted
Ask a friend to interrupt. Learning to find your place again is a safety skill.
Practise restarting after an interruption.
Practise answering questions
Prepare for likely questions and say your answers aloud. Practice makes answers fluent.
Write and say three likely questions and answers.
Practise slow
Rehearse at a slower pace than you think you need. Real events speed us up.
Aim for a pace that feels slightly too slow.
Practise pauses
Mark pauses in your notes and practise them. Pauses give weight and calm.
Add three pauses to your script.
Practise breathing between sentences
Take a quiet breath at the end of each sentence in rehearsal. It builds a calm rhythm.
Breathe at every full stop in a run-through.
Practise eye contact
Look up from your notes often during practice. Pick three imaginary friendly faces in the room.
Practise looking up at the end of each point.
Practise with gestures
Natural, open hand gestures help you appear warm. Let them come naturally in practice.
Use two or three gestures in a run-through.
Practise with your outfit
Rehearse in the clothes you will wear, to check comfort and movement. It avoids surprises.
Do one practice in your event outfit.
Practise at the right time of day
If your talk is in the morning, try practising in the morning. Your voice and energy differ across the day.
Run through at the time of the event.
Practise short and often
Several short sessions beat one long exhausting one. Little and often builds fluency.
Do three ten-minute sessions.
Practise before sleep
A calm run-through before bed can consolidate memory during sleep. Do not stay up late.
Do one gentle run-through in the evening.
Practise a day before
A day-before rehearsal leaves time to fix issues and rest. Do not cram on the day.
Schedule a final rehearsal the day before.
Practise a warm-up
Before the event, hum, stretch and say your first sentence a few times. A vocal warm-up helps.
Do a two-minute vocal warm-up.
Practise with feedback
Ask someone to note moments they felt interested and moments they were lost. Specific feedback helps.
Ask for two moments of each kind.
Practise kind self-review
After each practice, say three things that went well. Positive review builds confidence.
Say three good things aloud.
Practise without notes once
Try a run-through without notes to find your key points. Then put notes back for safety.
Try one note-free run.
Practise with distraction
Practise with a bit of background noise. It trains focus.
Rehearse with the radio on low.
Practise with a small audience first
Start with one friend, then two, then a small group. Grow gradually.
Plan an audience ladder.
Practise in front of strangers
If you can, join a speaking club or a class. Strangers are a good practice audience.
Visit a local speaking group.
Practise phone calls aloud
Say your opening and main points aloud before important calls. Even a minute helps.
Say your call opening aloud before dialling.
Practise conversations
For hard conversations, practise aloud with a friend or alone. It helps you find kind words.
Rehearse a tough chat aloud once.
Keep practice playful
Make practice fun with different voices or silly settings. Joy reduces tension.
Practise your speech as a bedtime story.
Know when to stop
Over-rehearsing can make you stiff and tired. Stop when you feel prepared.
Decide your finish line for practice.
Trust your practice
On the day, remember that you have done the work. Trust is part of confidence.
Say, “I have practised, I am ready.”
Practise the nervous version
Practise once while deliberately feeling a little nervous: do a few jumping jacks first so your heart is pounding, then speak. Learning that you can talk with a racing heart takes away its terror.
Do twenty jumping jacks and then say your opening aloud.
Easy things to say
When you are stuck, pick one of these. They work in many everyday situations.
“I will say it out loud.”
“Let me time it.”
“I will record this run.”
“One thing to improve.”
“Let me go again.”
“That felt smoother.”
Your first week
One small action a day. Each day is only a little bigger than the last.
Find a space
Say it aloud
Time it
Record it
Fix one thing
Repeat
Rest
Further reading
- Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway (Susan Jeffers)
- The Upside of Stress (Kelly McGonigal)
- The 5 Second Rule (Mel Robbins)
The tips above are written in our own words and are general guidance. The books are suggestions for further reading.
More lessons in “Overcoming Nervousness”
Keep going. Small steps every day make a big change.
← Previous: Write Your First Sentence DownNext: The Ten-Minute Pre-Event Ritual →
- Nerves Are Energy in Disguise
- What Happens in Your Body When You Panic
- Fear Rises, Peaks and Falls
- Everyone Gets Nervous, Even the Best
- Name Your Nerve Triggers
- Nerves vs Real Danger
- Why Avoiding Makes It Worse
- The Long-Exhale Breath
- Five Slow Breaths Before Anything
- Shake It Out: Release Tension
- Cool Water, Calm Mind
- Ground Yourself With Your Five Senses
- Relax Your Jaw and Shoulders
- The Sixty-Second Reset
- Say "I Am Excited" Instead of "I Am Nervous"
- Replace What-If With What-Then
- The Worst-Case, Likely-Case Exercise
- Stop Predicting Failure
- A Calm Phrase to Repeat
- Picture It Going Well
- Plan for the Slip, Then Let It Go
- Write Your First Sentence Down
- Practise Out Loud, Not in Your Head
- The Ten-Minute Pre-Event Ritual
- Sleep, Water and Food Before Big Days
- Check Your Space and Tools
- Use a Cue Card, Not a Script
- Arrive Early and Settle In
- Before an Important Phone Call
- Before a Job Interview
- Before a Presentation
- Before Meeting Someone New
- Before a Hard Conversation
- Before Speaking in a Meeting
- Daily Habits That Lower Anxiety
- Move Your Body to Burn Off Nerves
- Limit Caffeine and Doom-Scrolling
- Keep a Courage Log
- Reward Yourself for Facing Fear
- When to Ask for Professional Help
