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Confidence / Speaking Clearly / Lesson 09

LESSON 09 Â· SPEAKING CLEARLY

Short Sentences Sound Confident

Thirty-two easy ways to use short sentences, because short and clear always sounds confident.

Short sentences sound strong. Long ones sound lost.

40 tipsEasy things to say7-day plan

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.

TIP 1

Short sentences sound strong

Short sentences give listeners time to take in each idea. They also sound decisive. Long, winding sentences can feel uncertain.

TRY THIS
Rewrite one long sentence as two short ones.

TIP 2

Aim for one idea per sentence

If a sentence carries two ideas, split it. Each sentence is a single step in your listener’s journey.

TRY THIS
Mark sentences that contain two ideas.

TIP 3

Readability research agrees

Studies of readability consistently find that shorter sentences are easier to understand and remember. Spoken language benefits even more because listeners cannot re-read.

TRY THIS
Read a paragraph aloud and notice where you run out of breath.

TIP 4

Breathe at the full stop

A full stop is a breath. If a sentence is too long to say in one breath, it is too long.

TRY THIS
Count the words in your longest sentence.

TIP 5

Use the "and" test

If you have used “and” three times, you probably have three sentences. Break at each one.

TRY THIS
Split a sentence at each “and”.

TIP 6

Use the "which" test

Chains of “which” and “that” make clauses stack up. Replace with a full stop.

TRY THIS
Cut one “which” and start a new sentence.

TIP 7

Put the subject first

“The team finished the report” is easy. “Having finished the report, the team…” makes people wait. Start with who and what.

TRY THIS
Rewrite a sentence to begin with the subject.

TIP 8

Put the verb early

Listeners hold the subject in mind until the verb arrives. An early verb relieves them.

TRY THIS
Move the verb up in one sentence.

TIP 9

Keep clauses to one

One main idea and at most one extra clause. Piling clauses confuses.

TRY THIS
Remove an extra clause.

TIP 10

Vary length

Mix short sentences with a medium one. A rhythm of short, short, medium sounds natural and lively.

TRY THIS
Write three sentences with different lengths.

TIP 11

Use a very short sentence for emphasis

“We lost.” “It worked.” “I was wrong.” A four-word sentence after a longer one lands with force.

TRY THIS
Add one very short sentence to your talk.

TIP 12

Read your script aloud

You will hear where sentences are too long. Your breath is a better judge than your eye.

TRY THIS
Read aloud and mark where you gasp.

TIP 13

Cut filler openers

“The thing is that” and “It has to be said that” delay your point. Start with the point.

TRY THIS
Delete one filler opener.

TIP 14

Cut hedges

“I just kind of wanted to say” shrinks your message. Say “I want to say”.

TRY THIS
Rewrite a hedged sentence plainly.

TIP 15

Cut repeats

If you said it, do not say it again in different words. Say it once well.

TRY THIS
Remove a repeated idea.

TIP 16

Replace "in order to" with "to"

Short phrases are cleaner. “To” beats “in order to”.

TRY THIS
Shorten one phrase.

TIP 17

Replace "due to the fact that" with "because"

Short connectors are clear. “Because” is perfect.

TRY THIS
Swap long connectors for short ones.

TIP 18

Use bullet-style speech

Say “First, the cost. Second, the time. Third, the risk.” Fragments are fine in speech if they are clear.

TRY THIS
Present three points in short phrases.

TIP 19

Avoid long lists in one sentence

A list of seven items in one breath overwhelms. Group and pause.

TRY THIS
Split lists into groups of three.

TIP 20

Avoid nested brackets

Asides within asides lose people. Put side thoughts in their own sentence.

TRY THIS
Move one aside into its own sentence.

TIP 21

Write for the ear

Spoken language is simpler than written language. Use contractions and short words.

TRY THIS
Say “do not” as “don’t” in speech.

TIP 22

Use contractions

“I’m”, “we’ll” and “it’s” sound natural. Stiff full forms slow you down.

TRY THIS
Read your script with contractions.

TIP 23

Avoid "that" overload

Sometimes “that” can be dropped: “I think it will work”. Fewer small words, cleaner flow.

TRY THIS
Remove one unnecessary “that”.

TIP 24

Start sentences differently

Variety stops monotony. Begin some with the subject and some with a short phrase.

TRY THIS
Rewrite three openings.

TIP 25

Link ideas with short words

“But”, “so” and “because” are clean connectors. Avoid “moreover” and “notwithstanding”.

TRY THIS
Use “but” and “so” in your next talk.

TIP 26

Check your emails

Short sentences make emails easier to read too. Break paragraphs into short lines.

TRY THIS
Edit your next email for short sentences.

TIP 27

Check your presentations

Keep slide text short and speak in short sentences. Both help.

TRY THIS
Trim one slide to six words.

TIP 28

Check your interview answers

Clear, short sentences sound confident. Practise stating your point in two sentences.

TRY THIS
Write a two-sentence answer.

TIP 29

Check your phone calls

On calls, short sentences are vital. Listeners cannot see your face.

TRY THIS
Use short sentences on your next call.

TIP 30

Check your toasts

A toast works best in short, warm lines. Keep it to a minute.

TRY THIS
Write a toast in six short sentences.

TIP 31

Check your apologies

“I am sorry. I should have told you.” Short and sincere beats a long speech.

TRY THIS
Write an apology in two short sentences.

TIP 32

Check your requests

“Could you send the file by Friday?” is better than a long preamble. Be direct and kind.

TRY THIS
Make one request in a single short sentence.

TIP 33

Check your feedback

Short, clear feedback is easier to hear. “I liked the opening. The middle was long.”

TRY THIS
Give feedback in short sentences.

TIP 34

Check your stories

Stories gain pace with short sentences. Use them in action scenes.

TRY THIS
Tell one story with short sentences.

TIP 35

Do not chop to the point of rudeness

Too many clipped sentences can sound abrupt. Add warmth with tone and softeners.

TRY THIS
Keep a friendly tone with short sentences.

TIP 36

Practise a sentence diet

For a day, try to speak in sentences under fifteen words. It is an interesting experiment.

TRY THIS
Try the fifteen-word challenge.

TIP 37

Be patient with the habit

Rewiring sentence length takes time. Keep going.

TRY THIS
Practise a little every day.

TIP 38

Celebrate crisp speech

When people nod and respond clearly, you know it works. Enjoy it.

TRY THIS
Note one compliment on your clarity.

TIP 39

Edit by ear in the car

Playing back a recording of your talk on a drive shows you where sentences sprawl, because you cannot skim speech. Anything you lose track of, your listeners will too.

TRY THIS
Play a recording while driving and note where your attention wanders.

TIP 40

Try the telegram trick

Imagine each word costs you money. Which words would you keep? The exercise strips sentences to their strongest core, which you can then relax into natural speech.

TRY THIS
Cut one sentence to its five most important words.

Easy things to say

When you are stuck, pick one of these. They work in many everyday situations.

SAY

â€œHere is my point.â€

STOP

â€œThat is all.â€

PAUSE

â€œLet me think.â€

ASK

â€œDoes that make sense?â€

THANK

â€œThank you for listening.â€

â€œThat is the plan.â€

Your first week

One small action a day. Each day is only a little bigger than the last.

DAY 1
Write one idea

DAY 2
Cut it short

DAY 3
Say it

DAY 4
Pause

DAY 5
Add the next idea

DAY 6
Check clarity

DAY 7
Practise

More lessons in “Speaking Clearly”

Keep going. Small steps every day make a big change.

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