Slow Down by Ten Percent
Forty ways to slow down by ten percent, the single change that makes you sound clearer and more confident.
Nerves speed you up. A slightly slower pace makes every word land.
40 tips that really help
These ideas come from The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking (Dale Carnegie), Talk Like TED (Carmine Gallo), How to Be Heard (Julian Treasure), and The Right to Speak (Patsy Rodenburg), and everyday practice. Pick one tip and try it today.
Ten percent is all it takes
You do not need to speak like a slow-motion film. A small change is enough. If you slow down by just ten percent, about one word in every ten, most people will hear you as calmer and clearer. A small change in pace makes a big change in how you sound.
Read a short paragraph aloud at your normal speed and time it. Read it again, aiming to take ten percent longer. Thirty seconds becomes thirty-three.
Nerves speed you up
When you feel nervous, your speech gets faster, and you often do not notice. Knowing this is the first step to fixing it. Nerves push you faster, so choose slower on purpose.
Before you speak, tell yourself, ‘Slower than feels natural.’ Take one slow breath out before your first word.
Know a normal pace
It helps to know what a normal speed is. Then you can tell when you are too fast. In English, a comfortable pace is about one hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty words a minute. A normal pace is about one hundred and fifty words a minute or less.
Remember the range, one hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty words a minute. Pick one page of text and count the words on it.
Test your pace
Do not guess how fast you speak. Measure it. It takes two minutes and shows you exactly where you are. Measure your pace once, and you will always know where you stand.
Choose a page of ordinary text and count how many words are on it. Read it aloud for one minute and mark where you stop.
Record and listen
Your ears are the best coach you have. But you need to hear yourself the way others do. The easiest way is to record your voice. Hearing yourself shows you what words cannot.
Record thirty seconds of you talking about your day. Listen once without judging. Note one thing you like and one thing to improve.
Slow the first sentence
The first sentence sets the speed for everything that follows. If you start slowly, you will usually stay steady. Start slow, and the rest will follow.
Write your first sentence on a card. Practise saying it at half your normal speed, three times.
Breathe at every full stop
A quiet breath at the end of each sentence slows you down automatically. It also gives you air for the next sentence. One quiet breath at each full stop keeps you steady.
Take a short text and mark each full stop with a small tick. Read it aloud and breathe in quietly at every tick.
Stretch your vowels slightly
Giving your vowels a little more length slows your speech in a natural way. It also makes your words clearer. A little more vowel gives you a slower, clearer voice.
Say ‘slowly and clearly’ three times at your normal speed. Say it again, letting each vowel last slightly longer.
Slow down on key words
You do not have to slow down everything. You can slow down on the words that matter most. This is a powerful way to guide your listener. Slow down on the word that matters.
Write three sentences from your day on a card. Underline one key word in each.
Use the speed of a good storyteller
Good storytellers do not speak at one speed. They speed up for excitement and slow down for big moments. A calm base speed with some variety is the aim. Calm in the middle, slow at the best part.
Choose a short story from your life. Find the best moment in it.
Match the other person's pace
In a conversation, the speed of the other person is a clue. If you match it gently, they feel at ease with you. If you are much faster or slower, they may feel pushed or bored. Listen to their pace, and stay close to it.
In your next chat, listen to how fast the other person speaks. Stay close to that speed, but keep it a little calmer.
Slow down for numbers and names
Numbers, names and addresses are the easiest things for people to miss. Say them at half speed, and say them again if needed. Numbers and names get half speed.
Write down your phone number and your email address. Practise saying them slowly in small groups, with a tiny pause between each.
Slow down for instructions
When you give steps to someone, go one step at a time with a pause between. People cannot listen and do at the same speed. One step, one pause, then the next.
Think of a task you can explain in three steps. Say step one, then count to two in your head.
Slow down for bad news
Serious news needs time to land. A slower, softer pace shows that you care. Serious words need a slower, softer voice.
Plan one calm sentence that prepares the person, such as ‘I have some hard news.’ Say the news slowly and in plain words.
Slow down with strangers
People who do not know you need more time to tune in to your voice. A slightly slower pace helps everyone. A slow start helps new people hear you.
Prepare a short introduction of two or three sentences. Practise saying it slowly, with a small pause after your name.
Slow down for people with a different first language
Clear, steady speech and short sentences help far more than shouting. Pause and check understanding kindly. Slower, not louder, and always kind.
Next time you talk with someone still learning your language, slow down by about a quarter. Use short sentences, one idea at a time, and no slang.
Slow down on the phone
On a call, there is no face to help your listener. They have only your voice. A slightly slower pace gives them time to catch every word. On the phone, your voice does all the work, so give it time.
Before your next call, take a breath and sit or stand tall. Speak about ten percent slower than normal, especially your name and number.
Use a metronome in your head
Imagine a gentle beat of about two words every second. Keep your speech close to it and you will sound steady. A quiet inner beat keeps your pace calm.
Tap your foot or finger softly, about two taps a second. Read a paragraph aloud and let words fall near the beat.
Read aloud daily for five minutes
Reading a page aloud at a calm pace is like exercise for your mouth and your timing. After a week, the calm pace begins to feel natural. Five minutes of slow reading each day builds a calm voice.
Pick a book or article you like and put a bookmark in it. Each evening, read one page aloud at a calm pace.
Use punctuation as a guide
Commas, full stops and question marks tell you where to pause. Let the punctuation set your rhythm when you read. Punctuation is a free guide to a calm rhythm.
Choose a paragraph with several commas and full stops. Read it aloud and stop briefly at every comma and longer at every full stop.
Replace "and then" with a full stop
Long chains of words joined by ‘and’ or ‘so’ speed you up and blur your meaning. Cut them into separate sentences, with a stop and a breath. Stop, breathe, and start a new sentence.
Think of something you want to tell someone, and say it in one long sentence. Now say it again as three short sentences, with a breath after each.
Do not confuse slow with dull
Slow and expressive is engaging. Slow and flat is boring. Keep your voice alive while you slow the pace. Slow down your speed, not your spark.
Say a sentence slowly in a flat voice and notice how dull it is. Say it again slowly, with a smile and a bit of music in your voice.
Slow your gestures too
Quick, jerky movements tend to speed up your speech. Slow, open gestures help your voice slow down with them. Slow hands help a slow voice.
Stand in front of a mirror and say a sentence with a quick, small gesture. Say it again with one slow, wide, open gesture.
Plant your feet
Standing still with your feet apart calms your body and your pace. Walking about tends to push your speech along. A steady stance helps a steady voice.
Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Feel your weight on the whole of each foot, not only the toes.
Pause before your first word
A short pause before you begin shows calm and lets you take a breath. The audience settles with you. Pause, breathe, smile, then speak.
Before your next speech or answer, stand still and count to two in your head. Take one slow breath and smile.
Cut some words
Fewer words let you speak more slowly in the same time. Edit your talk down to the essentials. Say less, and you can say it slowly.
Take your notes and time how long they take to say. Cross out one sentence in each paragraph that is not needed.
Plan fewer points
Three points at a calm pace beat seven at a rush. Respect the clock by choosing less. Fewer points give you room to slow down.
Write down everything you want to say. Circle the three most important points.
Use a visual cue
Write ‘slow’ at the top of your notes or put a small sticker where you can see it. A visible reminder works when nerves strike. A small word in sight keeps you steady.
Write SLOW in big letters on a card or sticky note. Place it where your eyes will land during your talk or call.
Ask a friend to signal
Agree a gentle signal with a friend, such as a hand slowly lowering, if you speed up. Friendly feedback helps. A kind signal from a friend helps you slow down.
Choose a friend or colleague you trust. Agree a small signal that you can see easily.
Check your speed mid-talk
Every few minutes, ask yourself, ‘Am I rushing?’ and ease down. A quick check-in works well. A quick check keeps your pace honest.
Split your talk into sections and mark the breaks. At each break, take a breath and ask, ‘Am I rushing?’
Count to one after each point
A silent ‘one’ after an important point gives the idea time to land. It slows you down and makes the point stronger. Count one, and let the point land.
Pick the three most important sentences in your talk. After each, count ‘one’ silently before you go on.
Practise with a timer
Time your practice runs and aim to finish slightly under rather than over. A calm pace and a short talk go together. A timer turns hopes into facts.
Set a timer for the length of your talk. Say it out loud from start to end without stopping.
Do not slow to a crawl
Speaking painfully slowly can sound patronising. Aim for natural, but a notch calmer. Be calm, not slow motion.
Record a minute of speech at your slowed-down pace. Play it back and ask, would I enjoy listening to this?
Watch calm speakers
Notice how admired speakers pace themselves. Many pause more than you expect. Learn pace from those who do it well.
Choose a short talk or speech that you like, five to ten minutes long. Watch it again and count the pauses, or note the speed.
Slow down your thinking too
Fast speech often follows fast thoughts. Take a breath and think one idea at a time. Think one idea, then say one idea.
Before you answer your next question, take one breath. Decide on the first sentence of your answer.
Use slow breathing before you speak
Five slow breaths before an event reset your pace. A calm body speaks at a calmer speed. Slow breaths first, then slow words.
Sit or stand comfortably and relax your shoulders. Breathe in through your nose for four counts and out through your mouth for six.
Notice the effect
After a week of slower speech, notice what changes. Real results keep you going. Notice the change, and let it keep you going.
Start a small log with the date and one line a day. Note how often you are asked to repeat yourself.
Be patient with the habit
Speed is a habit built over many years. A few weeks of practice will begin to change it. Be patient. The habit is changing.
Choose one small practice, such as reading aloud for five minutes. Do it each day for two weeks.
Celebrate calm delivery
Each time you finish a talk or call at a calmer pace, notice how it feels. That feeling is your goal. Celebrate the calm, and it will come again.
After your next talk or call, stop for ten seconds. Notice your body, and say, ‘That felt steady.’
Slow down on the way in and out
The first and last sentences are the ones people remember. Deliver both at a deliberate, unhurried pace and the rest tends to follow. Begin slowly, end slowly, and be remembered.
Write your first and last sentences on a card. Practise them at the slowest comfortable speed, five times each.
Easy things to say
When you are stuck, pick one of these. They work in many everyday situations.
“Let me say that a little more slowly.”
“Let me give that a moment to land.”
“There are three points, and the first is this.”
“Am I going too fast for you?”
“I am working on slowing down.”
“Thank you for listening so patiently.”
Your first week
One small action a day. Each day is only a little bigger than the last.
Record yourself for one minute
Count your words per minute
Read a paragraph ten percent slower
Pause after each full stop
Practise on a phone call
Ask a friend how your pace feels
Repeat on a new passage
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.
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Start freeThese lessons share general learning and everyday ideas. They are not medical or mental health advice. If you feel very anxious, low or unwell, please talk to a doctor or a qualified professional.
More lessons in “Speaking Clearly”
Keep going. Small steps every day make a big change.
Next: Speak From Your Belly, Not Your Throat →
- 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
