A system for speaking articulately

Table of Contents

I learned a system for speaking articulately

I learned a system for speaking articulately

Source: Youtube Joseph Tsar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw9-4BnvCQU&t=555s

Intro

If you want to be articulate like world-class podcasters, speakers, and leaders, I’m going to share this seven-stage journey that has taught me to speak with greater exactness and clarity. It includes understanding three problems invading your speech. The aha moment that immediately will improve your choice of words and three thinking modifications that brought a verbal freshness and intelligence to my sentences.

Problem 1: Overusing dead phrases

The first problem was my addiction to overusing dead phrases. Dead phrases are phrases and expressions that we use in such a recreational way that they have been stripped of all power in life.

30 Most Pervasive Dead Phrases

Overview: Below is a non-exhaustive record of the most common dead phrases that invade our sentences. While these phrases are not cardinal sins of language, they do prevent us from expressing our private opinions. Using the same outworn words can quickly slip the mind into a reduced state of consciousness whereby words are chosen for their ease of access and not their meaning. As Orwell said, “A speaker who uses this kind of phraseology has gone some distance toward turning himself into a machine. The appropriate noises are coming out of his larynx, but his brain is not involved as it would be if he were choosing his words for himself. If the speech he is making is one that he is accustomed to make over and over again, he may be almost unconscious of what he is saying, as one is when one utters the responses in church.” Aim to reduce the popularity of these words and expressions in your personal lexicon. You’ll often find articulate speech to be as much about unlearning words as it includes learning new ones.

Pursue that avenue
Across the board
Time will tell
At the end of the day
Deep dive
Avoid like the plague
On the same page
In this day and age
It goes without saying
On my radar
In my opinion
Me personally
Best bet
Blood, sweat, and tears
to say the least
Ins and outs
Take it to the next level
the Achilles heel
secret sauce
spill the beans
low-hanging fruit
Think outside the box
Get the ball rolling
In a nutshell
Ball in your court
In terms of
Piece of cake
Big picture
For all intents and purposes
Bite the bullet
Right off the bat
Rocket science

We use dead phrases because they save us the time and trouble of hunting for more precise words. This introduces the first of seven articulacy rules.

Rule 1: Articulacy increases when you practice conscious selection with your wordss.

If you hastily choose ready-made phrases and gum them together in your sentences, like the sections of a prefabricated Ikea table, they deaden and dull your sentence. Ultimately, you want to learn how to engineer sentences that are fresh, homemade, and excavate that richness and texture that often gets buried beneath dead phrases.

Problem 2: Small surface lexicon

The second problem holds me back was my small surface lexicon. The term lexicon refers to your personal vocabulary. Your surface lexicon are those 500 to 1500 words that your brain unconsciously and effortlessly defaults to when you compose sentences. The concert was amazing. It was a really good book. These words, you’ve heard, seen, said so often, they ooze out of your mouth. Beneath your surface lexicon is your deep lexicon. Your deep lexicon is made up of those 20,000 to 35,000 words you recognize but don’t use. We know this because you recognize most if not all words that articulate speakers use. Why is it then that you struggle to think of those same words in conversation? Because those words don’t register in your surface lexicon. This introduces the second rule of articulacy.

Rule 2: Effortless articulacy is limited to the size of your surface lexicon

Now this does not mean inflating your surface lexicon with flowery sophisticated words that articulate speakers recognize. You can use ordinary words and still be articulate. Think of your Lexicon as a box of crayons. You can easily use a wide color palette to design a vibrant picture or you can create something profound with just three colors or choose an uncommon color to substitute for a common one. The same is true with your words. You don’t always have to prostitute ordinary words down to obvious and common meanings.

Problem 3: Thought retention

The third problem eroding my speaking was thought retention. When you can’t retain a thought in your mind for longer than 10 seconds, your speech is like a kite following every new wind current never climbing high in the sky. Articulate speakers are able to hold a thought in their mind as they work to peel away the layers that lead to understanding. If you can’t grip a thought in your mind, your thinking and speaking become superficial and scrambled. This is the third rule of articulacy.

Rule 3: The longer you engage a thought the greater depth you achieve with words

Speech as a product of inputs

These are the three thorns in our tongue that prevent us from producing articulate speech. How did we come to this? Why do we battle with these issues? One day I remember asking myself this after a particularly frustrating time of sounding juvenile and vague. I went to YouTube and researched the most articulate speakers I could find. It was then that I had an epiphany. Was my substandard speech the result of poor language inputs? I asked myself that question and wondered how much would I have to change the sources of language I exposed myself to in order to influence my speech? To understand how my language was potentially being invaded by poor language sources, I began writing down each source of language that I exposed myself to for more than 10 minutes a day. I rated each on a scale of 1 to 10, on how articulate and intelligent I considered each to be. If you want to do this for yourself you can use this worksheet that’s freely linked below. This exercise revealed that I didn’t have any language inputs higher than a five, which is approximately the level of articulacy of an average conversation. I quickly realized the fourth rule of articulacy.

Diagnosing Your Inputs Worksheet

Instructions: The worksheet is designed to help you gauge the quality of the various vocabulary influences in your life. This will make you better aware of any pressing vocabulary deficiencies. Use the empty spaces provided (on page 3) to record any instance of language you interact with for more than 10 minutes each day. This includes language absorbed through hearing (music, radio) and sight (news, tweets, books). Use the articulation key table below to rate each language input on a scale from 1 to 10 based on how well-spoken you consider each source to be.

It should be noted that the quality of a given language source will not always be constant. Not everyone speaks poorly all the time, nor do great orators always communicate with grace and eloquence. Many profound statements can be shrouded in shoddy and imprecise language. Conversely, powerful expressions delivered unenthusiastically can be stripped of their profundity. The sample sentences provided do not measure the intelligence of a thought, merely how articulate it is in composition. Don’t focus too heavily on the content of a source’s language. Your rating is simply meant to be an estimate of a source’s language average level of articulation.

If in debate between two ratings, assume the higher rating. Although the table includes samples of spoken language, use them to weigh the quality of language you also see and hear (For instance, an article you read from the New York Times would be similar to the sample sentence for #7).

Rank Description	Sample Sentence
1 - Poor	Speaker employs vulgar language, uses many filler words like commas, excessively abandons sentences, thoughts are disorderly, and relies heavily on vague words	“Things are like super f****d up right now. So much, like, sht in my life recently. Uh, I don’t know what I haveta do, you know? Like you know what I mean? I can’t like just keep my sh*t together.”
2 - Very Weak	Speaker relies heavily on filler words, uses vapid vocabulary, each sentence employs empty language, rarely creates intelligent word combinations	“Yeah, uh…that dude isn’t super…um…good at that sport. I don’t know man, I feel like he…uh…just needs more practice and stuff.”
3 - Weak	Speaker uses vague descriptors, fillers in every sentence, bland words, and over relies on pop cultural slang	“Um, I guess that’s all right. I mean, well, if…uh…you wanna call him now that would probably be a lit idea. Not gonna lie, this is really awkward.”
4 - Decent	Speaker is often uncertain with their words and frequently rephrases sentences, uses clichés, buffers speech with fillers, and employs a wide range of common words and phrases	“Uh, so, then we just got welcomed with open arms and it was amazing. The tribe kinda felt like family to us. You know, we sorta felt like we had known everyone there our entire lives.”
5 - Average	Speaker possesses moderate clarity in speech, uses repetition of words to build upon their stream of thought, and employs mostly common words	“If you allow that, if you allow the problem to persist…uh…you’re going to end up having to face it later on. You know what I mean?”
6 - Good	Speaker has a clear train of thought, utilizes a descriptive vocabulary, employs few fillers, speaks in fully formed sentences, has intention behind most sentences, and is able to show self-awareness with their speaking	“I very well may consider taking you up on that invitation. I always enjoy thrilling adventures and skydiving seems like a lot of fun. It also does sound slightly terrifying, but I’m willing to give it a go.”
7 - Very Good	Speaker’s thoughts are mature, uses precise speech, possesses a robust vocabulary, employs creative descriptions and clever uses of figurative language devices like alliteration and assonance	“They are the type of people who feel disillusioned with the economy, concerned with the ecology. They highlight issues that are very sad and difficult to contend with.”
8 - Excellent	Speaker uses words with distinct meaning, speaks with clarity and authenticity, can simplify complex ideas, and asks poignant questions to increase clarity of their communication	“As a consequence of sacrificing our philosophical and spiritual beliefs, the quest for meaning has become more paramount for the modern person. You might then ask, what particular sacrifices do I mean?”
9 - Outstanding	Speaker integrates figurative language masterfully into their speech, uses vivid and poetic imagery, speaks authentically, and understands the value of simplicity	“The eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace.”
10 - Powerful	Speaker’s sentences are profound and purposeful, words are masterfully used to sway hearts and minds, use of rhythm and repetition is remarkable, and there is depth to their rhetoric	“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”

Vocabulary Inputs: Use the spaces below to outline inputs of language in your life and rank them (1 to 10) using the articulation key above.

Input: __ Rating: __ Input: __ Rating: __

Once you have recorded the vocabulary inputs in your daily activities, see the List of Clean Verbal Signals to help offset any low ratings.

Rule 4: The quality of your speech is a product of your language environments

The Books You Read, Videos You Watch, Music you listen to, etch language patterns in your mind that unconsciously are imitated in your speech. And since most people aren’t articulate or thoughtful with their words, you’re constantly exposed to high doses of vague, vapid and often times vulgar language. Your surface lexicon is the size that it is because you encounter those 500 to 1500 words daily. When we first learn language as children, we absorb 3 to five new words every day. By adulthood it takes a deliberate effort to expose ourselves to new and creative word combinations. In fact, the battle is preventing the shrinking of our surface lexicon. Think of your surface lexicon as an expanding and contracting circle - interacting with fresh word combinations such as, when you read a book, temporarily expands the radius of that circle to usher in those new found words. If those words are not put to use, they lose their place within the circle, as its nature is to contract to include only your most actively used words. This is why great speakers read profusely. It is to keep that language heartbeat pulsing, expanding and fortifying their surface lexicon. We can begin to improve our verbal health with the first modification I made to my speaking.

The 3x5 Language Diet

This consists of three 5 minute sessions for a total of 15 minutes per day focused on enriching your language. The first 5 minutes is spent reading an article or book chapter that’s at least one level beyond your current average language input. This exercise will expose you to richer language and help you solve poor thought retention - which is a symptom of constantly fracturing your attention like we do on social media with bite-sized content. You don’t know what material to begin with, start with this list.

Readers List for Articulate Speaking

Overview: This is a non-exhaustive list of resources widely acclaimed to elevate one’s vocabulary and use of creative language. Please reach out if there are other resources you think I should include in this list. Books (non-fiction):

Elements of Eloquence by Mark Forsyth
Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
The User Illusion by Tor Norretranders
Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff
The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker

Books (fiction):

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Frankenstin by Mary Shelley
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Articles:

George Orwell - Politics and the English Language https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/politics-and-the-english-language/
Stephen Fry - Don’t Mind Your Language https://www.stephenfry.com/2008/11/dont-mind-your-language%E2%80%A6/

The second 5 minutes includes reading poetry aloud with the intent of learning Rhythm and Cadence. There’s a misnomer that articulacy is memorizing the dictionary and vomiting flowery words. It’s not.

Rule 5: Sentences sound articulate when words flow and fit into eloquent molds.

if you want to learn to effortlessly fit words together in beautiful and creative ways, your speaking Apparatus, Your Mouth, your teeth, your tongue, your jaw, need to feel what it’s like to say beautiful sentences. this is precisely why dead phrases are terribly difficult to prune from your speaking. you’re trying to resist engaging a pattern of muscles in your mouth that’s been activated a thousand times. it’s like trying to change pre-cut lines on a cardboard box. when you tear the flap, it’s expected to seamlessly follow the line and we’re trying to tear in a New Direction. recognize that you can create lines for other types of speaking. that’s what reading poetry allow accomplishes. check out this list of poems link below. I also have a pop popular poems playlist available on Spotify. the final 5 minutes is spent consciously attuned to the word choice of any podcast or Audio book you consume. ignore the content, the substance of what’s being said and visualize in your mind the words being said. this will help you understand the difference between intelligence and eloquence. intelligence is the knowledge communicated. eloquence is how pleasing and persuasive the words sound. here’s a list of brilliant speakers who in my opinion have an unrivaled command of the English language.

Poems for Cultivating Articulate Speech Created by Joseph Tsar - Updated 01/21/24

Overview: This is a non-exhaustive list of stock poems widely acclaimed for their flow and use of flavorful language. Please reach out if there are other poems you think should be included in this list.

Ode by Arthur O’Shaughnessy: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/54933/ode-
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Elliot: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/44212/the-love-song-of-j-alfred-prufrock
High Flight by John Gillespie Magee: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/157986/high-flight-627d3cfb1e9b7
The Two Trees by William Butler Yeats: https://www.poetry-archive.com/y/the_two_trees.html
Somewhere I Have Never Traveled by E.E. Cummings: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/153877/somewhere-i-have-never-travelledgladly-beyond
Antilamentation by Dorianne Laux: https://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php%3Fdate=2006%252F02%252F13.html
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46569/do-not-go-gentle-into-that-good-night
Invictus by William Henley: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51642/invictus
On Raglan Road by Patrick Kavanagh: https://allpoetry.com/On-Raglan-Road
“If” by Rudyard Kipling: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46473/if—
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise
To Autumn by John Keats: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44484/to-autumn
Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot: http://www.coldbacon.com/poems/fq.html
Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44477/ode-on-a-grecian-urn

Nounce

this 3x5 language formula invites the question how do I use the creative words and phrases I encounter to enrich my speaking? I struggled with this myself and was inspired to build the ultimate tool to accelerate articulacy. this tool is called nounce. nounce allows you to create a word Bank where you’re able to log words and phrases that you want to stitch into your surface lexicon. you can practice retrieving those words from memory and use them in creative ways as you would like to in natural conversation. nounce also has a library of popular online speakers that you can learn from. if you want to speak with the clarity of Steve Jobs, or the eloquence of Martin Luther King Jr, select a speaker and you’ll be guided through using their communication structures to develop clear answers automatically. nounce was built out of a desire to give myself and the viewers of this channel a way of efficiently practicing, producing clear and creative speech. visit nounce.ai to use this tool for free or message me on Twitter if you’d like to be part of our team in helping others Build a Better World with their words

25 Articulate and Eloquent Wordsmiths

Overview: Below is an incomplete list of speakers who are renowned for their rich vocabularies, skilled command of language, and quick wit. While there are many more articulate orators of centuries past not included on this list, it’s important to listen to the speaker’s words in the spirit in which they were intended to be received. Thus, I’ve chosen speakers of which there are plentiful video and audio recordings of their original orations available on YouTube and Spotify.

Remember, the topics are not to be the primary focus of attention when listening to these speakers. Instead, focus is on the vocabulary patterns in how these skilled communicators communicate. Take note of the words and phrases they use to get their message across, how they structure their sentences, the rhythm and intonation they characterize their words with, and their usage (or lack thereof) of pauses and silence. In no particular order, here is the list of wordsmiths:

Barack Obama
Brene Brown
Carl Sagan
Christopher Hitchens
David Foster Wallace
Frank Sinatra
JK Rowling
Jane Goodall
Jimmy Carr
John F. Kennedy
Mahatma Gandhi
Malala Yousafzai
Martin Luther King Jr
Mel Robbins
Milton Friedman
Nick Vijicic
Rod Serling
Ronald Reagan
Sadhguru
Simon Sinek
Stephen Fry
Steve Jobs
Tony Robbins
Winston Churchill
Zig Zigler

Increasing consciousness per sentence

This is the second modification will reduce your dependence on dead phrases. The reason why we aim to reduce dead phrases is not because they’re overused. It’s because they slip us into a state of mental anesthesia where we choose words without serious thought. Noises come up from our larynx, our speaking instrument. But our brain is not as involved as if we were selecting the words for ourselves. The only way to gain back full consciousness is to descend past the dead phrase and into the heart of our thought. We accomplish this by increasing the consciousness per sentence. Think of a sentence as a mold that is filled with different levels of consciousness. The longer you think, the more saturated the words and overall sentence becomes. The more familiar a word or phrase is, the less consciousness is required to use it. Think of all the phrases and words you say automatically. Because of how little thought is required to use them, they often bruise our sentence with dull colorless blocks. An articulate sentence is one where each block is vibrant and intentional. Listeners can feel this. We increase our consciousness per sentence by one being on guard against dead phrases. Look at the list of the common dead phrases that frequently invade our sentences. Secondly, before you commit to responding to a question or sharing your opinion, repeat the question or topic aloud. What do I think think about this topic? why do we do this? Because that topic, or the way it was phrased, is a new or at least an unfamiliar set of words. Hearing those words spoken aloud with your own mouth begins to warm up your conscious mind. Most of us cold start our speaking engine with a few familiar phrases that we cast out into the soundscape in an attempt to to find an opinion worth developing. Those phrases include, “I don’t know”, “I guess”, “Its just like”, “You know”, “Maybe I should”, “Right”. We’re not thinking about what we’re saying. It’s not a bad answer. It’s just not articulate. Remember, the first rule of articulacy. Articulacy increases when you practice conscious selection of your words. This is why, pausing before speaking has long been considered a hallmark of articulate speakers. They are affording conscious thought to the sentence they’re about to produce. The most unconscious part of our sentences is the beginning. The greatest communicators realize that the first few sentences, really the first few words, are where we are finding our opinion. Finding our opinion is like driving with a frosted windshield. It’s hard to see the road ahead until the windshield is defrosted. Only then do you drive straight with confidence. The quickest way to begin warming up our conscious mind is to repeat the topic or question aloud.

Intellectual humility

The final modification I made was is learning the secret of intellectual humility. This is the brilliant practice of using your speaking weakness to supercharge your responses. When we listen to articulate speakers, what we perceive as them being articulate is less often about the precise eloquent words and more about how they begin their sentences in a way that illustrates that they can creatively navigate challenging situations. Watch this clip from the American film director Orson Wells.

That’s a better question than I have an answer for. Honestly it is. I don’t know. I would want to think about it. I think my answer would be frivolous. And I’d like to think about it. It’s a worrisome question.

Notice in this clip, how candid Orson was about not having a great answer and requiring time to think. This is what makes articulate speakers so captivating. Their ability to be forward with their communication needs.

Rule 6: An admission of limitation is often the most articulate answer

This single realization takes some people decades to internalize. If you can admit your limitations, and be honest and forthcoming with them, you unlock a bulletproof level of confidence that most people will never possess. There are two steps that have helped me cultivate this intellectual humility. One is identifying your main communication insecurity. These are the eight common insecurities we encounter when speaking. I’ll share mine with you. I understand that I don’t think quickly and require time to process information before I compose an answer. The quality of sentence I deliver after 10 seconds of thought is far more articulate than my instantaneous answer. How do I communicate this when I speak? Once you’ve identified your insecurity, find the right combination of words that allows you to articulate that weakness. What I often say is some variation of “give me a moment to process that”. If you’re like me, you might know the weakness that you do battle with. But you lack the right words that would give you the confidence to commit to sharing that weakness. Many of us would be far more assertive in our communication if we simply had the right verbal runway for the answers that we would like to give. To help you with this, for each of those eight speaking insecurities, I’ve assembled the creative phrases and responses that world-renowned communicators have used in interviews and conversations that you can use yourself. These phrases are not intended to devolve into a dead phrase. We use them only for the purpose of having alternative ways of articulating our thoughts instead of being locked into just responding.

Phrases for Cultivating Intellectual Humility

Overview: Intellectual humility is the practice of being forward with your knowledge and speaking limitations. When you can boldly articulate your deficiencies, you defuse the worry associated with them. This allows you to better access your full intellect. Below are listed the most common speaking insecurities that prevent people from being open and assertive. The responses on the two right columns are derived from various interviews and conversations featuring world-class speakers and leaders. Begin by identifying the insecurity most applicable to your speaking and review the appropriate response.

Insecurity	Response 1	Response 2
I need more time to think	“Give me a moment to process that.” - Simon Sinek	“Do you mind if I think for a moment?” - Dr Alok Kanojia
I don’t understand the question	“I’m a terrible listener. I’m sorry, I simply don’t understand the question.” -Carl Sagan	“Could you go back two sentences and repeat that last bit?” - John F. Kennedy
I don’t know the answer	“I’m not qualified to give a good answer. What I can offer is this…” - Simon Sinek	“This is a subject that I don’t know enough about to comment on.” - Barack Obama
I’m uncomfortable with the topic	“I simply would much rather discuss something else. Perhaps we shift topics?” -Rod Serling	“I’d rather not discuss this at the present time. I haven’t fully worked out my thinking on that just yet.” - Steve Jobs
I don’t have an opinion	“I simply don’t know enough to comment on this issue. Ask me again after I’ve done my research.” - Steve Jobs	“I haven’t formed a definitive view on this matter yet.” - Martin Luther King
I’m not the right person to ask	“I’m afraid my answer wouldn’t be all that good. I suggest you ask [name] that question.” - Frank Sinatra	“This is outside my area of expertise, but let me connect you with someone who is more knowledgeable on this subject.” - T. Robbins
I disagree with the topic or question	“Well, I would like to disagree with the notion that…” - Martin Luther King	“You’re asking the wrong question. I think the right question is…” - Mohammad Ali
I’m feeling anxious with the discussion	“This topic is making me feel rather anxious at the moment. Can we come back to it at a later time?” - Stephen Fry	“I appreciate the importance of this conversation, but I’m feeling a bit anxious right now. Can we take a moment so I can gather my thoughts?” - Brene Brown

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