Have you ever realized that you needed to work on bad speaking habits? I noticed this early on in my twenties and began working to fix it. While I still do not speak perfectly, I do make an effort to do the best I can to avoid bad speaking habits. When you fall into bad speaking habits, you do not sound as eloquent as you could if you worked on them. Here is how to fix bad speaking habits.
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1. Correct Your Grammar
One of the first things that I tried to work on in fixing my bad speaking habits was my grammar. I suspect my grammar will never be perfect but I have done my best to correct what I could. It is a learning process and it takes some time. Having correct grammar makes you sound more educated and well-spoken. It is personal preference for everyone to decide if they want to take the time to work on it.
2. Watch for Fillers
As I have worked on my bad speaking habits, I tried to cut down on the amount of fillers that I used. Fillers are words and sounds such as “umm”, “like” and the phrase “and stuff.” They generally get thrown in to your speech when you are nervous or not paying close attention to what you are saying. For me personally, this was one of the most difficult bad speaking habits to break. I still have to watch myself on this one.
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3. Record Yourself
One of my college professors taught us the value of recording ourselves before we gave a speech. It is amazing how different you sound on tape than you sound to your own ears. It does not take long for you to spot the errors in your speaking patterns. Once you hear yourself speak, you are much more aware of how you speak in the future. It made me much more careful in my speaking and gave me a desire to work on my bad speaking habits.
4. Watch Your Slang
Slang is generally harmless and exists in practically every area of the world. It isn’t one of the worst speaking habits but it isn’t necessarily a good one. Try to cut down on the amount of slang that you use. Just like these other habits, it can be broken with time and practice. It also helps when you are around individuals who do not use slang often.
5. Be Alert for Pronunciation Errors
If you have speaking errors, you more than likely have writing errors. We tend to write how we speak. For this reason, it is important to watch your punctuation errors in your writing. Punctuation can be confusing but it is also something we can learn about. Try to read up on some basic rules of punctuation if there is something you are confused about.
6. Tweak Your Accent
Accents can be really cute to listen to. But they can also get you made fun of, especially if you move or travel out of town. If you have a really strong accent, you may want to consider working on it. If correcting this on your own proves too difficult, search out some help with it. The Internet has many resources on anything you want to search for.
7. Cut out Cursing
Cursing is an individual decision but it does not improve your speech. Your speaking habits are better off if you give up cursing. However, if you do decide to keep cursing in your vocabulary, it is best to use caution who you speak this way in front of. It is never a good idea to use this sort of language in your job or other situations where you should be respectful. It is a habit that isn’t too difficult to break if you decide that you want to.
A lot of us could benefit from working on our bad speaking habits. What is the speaking habit or habits that you have worked to overcome? I would love to hear from you.
Comments
Heather: For the love of all that is holy-- stop using the word "like"!!! it makes you sound ill- educated and as though your entire existence is nothing but a never ending string of metaphors.
Dr: awesome article!
Kimianna: I'm keeping my Texas accent. Michiganders love it and I'm very articulate. But a little southern charm ain't never hurt nobody... Lol
Hazel: I have a Essex- London accent
Hazel: My parents are from Yorkshire so they are always telling me to speak better
Hazel: I also pronounce some words with a yorshire accent
Ricka: Very informative. Thank you!
Rachel: I have been aware for a while now that I need to improve my speaking habits. And these tips help. But I curse a lot and it is not cute. When I can't pronounce something I tend to ask someone around me for help.
Hazel: My accent is a strange mix
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