Name: _____________________________________________ Day: 1 / 2 Period: 1 / 2 Date: ___________

Public Speaking Terminology

Directions Part 1: Cut out the terms on the half sheet and place each term next to the definition that you think is the correct one. Compare your answers with a partner; if you don’t have the same answers, discuss it until you reach an agreement.

Term Definition

Fluency 1. Speaking with ease; polished; rarely stumbles through a presentation; comes

from preparation and practice.

Volume 2. The degree of loudness of sound; speaker must be heard clearly; adjusting

this is an excellent way to emphasize and de-emphasize words.

Eye contact 3. Making a visual connection with individuals in the audience; not continually

reading from papers or note cards; makes the presentation personal and gets audience’s attention.

Pacing 4. The degree of quickness with which one delivers a speech; not speaking too

quickly; taking moments to pause and allowing the audience to absorb important points.

Gesticulation 5. Act of making gestures or moving one’s body parts, usually arms, hands, legs,

as a means of expression; should be planned and practiced; helps to emphasize points that you are making in your speech.

Facial

expression

6. Communicating ideas and emotions nonverbally by contorting one’s face; helps to emphasize points that you are making in your speech.

Enunciation 7. Clearly saying the sounds and syllables in words; it is important to speak

clearly and not slur or mumble words or parts of words.

Pronunciation 8. Speaking words as they are meant to be spoken; speaking words incorrectly

reflects poorly on the speaker; preparation prevents errors in this area.

Audience 9. The people who are listening and/or viewing a presentation or speaker; it is

important to pay attention to how people are reacting to you so that you can adjust your speech or presentation accordingly.

Tone 10. The expression in one’s voice created by altering pitch (high/low); think about

an angry voice vs. a happy voice; changing the expression in one’s voice keeps the audience engaged and shows how one feels about the topic.

Diction 11. Word choice; choose vocabulary that is appropriate and understandable for

the audience.

Visual aids 12. Any visible props or components of one’s presentation (posters, charts,

graphs, demonstrations, Power Points, media clips, etc.) that are effective to use in a speech.

Directions Part Two: After reviewing the answers in class, write down each term next to the correct definition.