We all have different voices, but listening to some people talk is a treat. Although vocal competence might seem natural, making your voice sound good is a skill just like any other. With practice and time, you can get better. Here are tips to make your voice sound good.
Be Mindful About Your Body
Your entire body is involved in generating your voice. Therefore, it is essential to be mindful of your whole body. While speaking, your diaphragm, nose, stomach, spine, and brain are involved. This means that your eating habits, posture, breathing, and psychological state can determine the quality of your voice. You can optimise your voice physically by:
- Sitting or standing up upright – Poor posture can affect your voice, causing breathing difficulties or straining your throat and larynx muscles. Try extending your neck and relaxing your shoulders to enhance your voice.
- Breathing from your diaphragm – Try breathing intensely while speaking to ensure that your vocal cords don’t strain. Also, try to breathe from your belly and not your chest or nose to ensure your diaphragm is involved in the voice generation.
- Diet – Whatever you ingest (eat or drink) impacts your voice. For example, smoking and drinking alcohol can damage your voice. Stomach acid irritates your throat, vocal cords, and oesophagus, making your voice hoarse.
Hydrate
Drink a lot of water to keep your throat and vocal cords lubricated. Drinking water has numerous benefits, and if you want to sound better, stay hydrated. If you speak for long periods, always carry a bottle of water. Eating a well-balanced diet and drinking water keeps your electrolytes up and helps build the needed energy for endurance.
Practice Timing
Since numerous things are going on in your head when speaking, it is crucial to practice timing to improve your voice. To perfect timing, take some time to figure out what you are trying to convey. The reason why you are speaking can help you determine the variation of speed and intonation.
If you are going to read or recite something you wrote, you can make the entire process easier by using the right style. Using shorter words is a recommended strategy to aim for shorter sentences you can read in one breath.
Sometimes, you can try listening to yourself talk. Do a voice memo on your phone to hear your voice later. Practice makes perfect, and recording is one of the ways you can improve your voice in the long run.
Seek Help and Feedback
If you have a problem with your speaking voice, seeking help from a voice coach is the right approach. With the help of an experienced voice coach, you can acquire actionable tips to improve your vocal ranges. Your friends and family are also great resources when looking to boost your voice.
Pronunciation ChoolCan Help You Sound Better
The best way to enhance your voice is by taking voice lessons from an experienced professional voice coach. Enrol at Pronunciation School to improve your English pronunciation, communication, and presentation skills. Get in touch with us to learn more about our customised speech training programs and confidence classes.