Is How You Speak Distracting People from What You Say?
When your listeners pay more attention to your speech patterns than your content, they’re not hearing you
Uptalk. Vocal fries. T-glottalization. Excessive buzzwords and slang. Incorrect pronunciation. Mumbling. Repeated words. Filler sounds. Incoherent sentences.
If your speech habits include any of the above, your ability to communicate is likely compromised.
And if you can’t communicate effectively, it doesn’t matter how smart you are, you’ll be at a disadvantage professionally and personally.
You may not even be aware that you’re doing things that distract your listeners. Or you may do some things deliberately because your favorite influencers are doing them. (Please, just stop!)
The best way to tell is to record some of your conversations so you can listen to how you speak and spot those annoying, distracting speech habits that include:
Uptalk. Also known as upspeak and high rising intonation, this is when you end a statement with a rising inflection so that it sounds like a question. “I’m going to the store” (statement) sounds like “I’m going to the store?” (question). It can make you sound less credible, less confident, and less authoritative.
