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***Is Pacing the Same as Speed in Public Speaking?
Regarding color, pacing does not refer to how fast or slow you speak overall, but rather to the quickening of the voice or the drawing out of the voice in certain areas of your presentation. Most people employ pacing in their everyday speech, but at the lectern, they often have only one speed: presto!
Again, I am not talking about your speed here but the ability to vary your pacing within a sentence. This component of color makes your delivery much more interesting for your listeners. A constant speed without pacing, on the other hand, can become sing-song in your delivery which is one of the best ways to put your audience to sleep. The constant repetition of sound without change is boring and can even be hypnotic.
It was a hot, humid, muggy day. In most cases, this sentence will be paced slower than, He was attacking me with a knife! The sheer fact that there is an exclamation point after the latter adds to the urgency, whereas the first sentence denotes a slow, heavy feeling.
Read the following sentences out loud. Where the words are in bold, speed up. If the words are underlined, slow down. Those words which have no marks should be read in your normal speed.
In this exercise I offer suggestions as to how to read the material. However, there are many, many ways to vary your reading. In the case of the 3rd sentence, for example, you could have slowed down on the word graceful and hastened your speed with the snap of a twig. The possibilities are endless. Remember, there is no one correct way.
The beauty of color is that there is no right or wrong aside from no color which is boring. Allow yourself to express yourself. Your audience will thank you!
The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic and watch Nancy as she describes The Power of Your Speaking Voice.
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