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40 Big Words That Make an Impact In Speech and Writing

• DESCRIPTION student gives oral report in front of class with big words example list
• SOURCE SDI Productions / E+ / Getty Images / via Getty created by YourDictionary
• PERMISSION Used under Getty Images license

Whether you’re giving a rollicking good speech or writing the next great American novel, being effective comes down to using the right words. Discerning the “right” words from the “wrong” ones can be hard and often comes down to your own voice and goals, but replacing filler words with more advanced terms (what some people like to call “big words”) is a great place to start.

Big Words To Use in Conversations

Sometimes you just need a specific word to describe the mood or moment. There are times when happy or sad just don’t feel correct. Thankfully, you have a million words to boost your everyday vocabulary.

Sentence Examples Using Big Words for Conversations

Even with those large words jingling around in your head, understanding their usage can be confusing. You don’t want to confuse (or, worse, offend) your friends by misusing a word. Thankfully, reading some sentence examples can clear things up for you.

• He became more disillusioned with his dream of becoming a dog rodeo clown.
• All the adrenaline of riding the rollercoaster sent his body aquiver .
• She spent extra time on that boondoggle because it was Friday and no one else was in the office.
• As much as she disliked her mortal enemy, she had no pernicious wishes for her.
• That single bite of German chocolate cake was absolutely transcendent .
• They had an ineffable ability to immediately ease tensions and lift the mood in a room.
• Our incredibly sagacious teacher always had the right answer for all of life’s problems.
• In a most prodigious feat, she lifted the entire table above her head.
• Ever since they’d met on that fateful weekend, he had been completely besotted with her.
• The professor’s circumlocution made it nearly impossible to really learn anything from the lesson.

Big Words To Use in Speeches and Debates

When you’re giving a speech or debating , using sophisticated words can provide greater emotional resonance, add credence to your argument, or otherwise make your speaking flow more freely. Just make sure you know what the word means and how it's pronounced before you actually say it out loud.

Sentence Examples of Big Words Used in Speeches and Debates

Knowing the words and knowing how to use them are different things, so make sure you look at some sentence examples to get a good handle on proper usage.

• The two candidates have fundamentally different opinions on the price of pizza.
• Stage magic was an essential part of her upbringing.
• This cheeseburger is far superior to the one provided by the school cafeteria.
• Today, I plan to examine the role of grades in student success.
• In examining the duties involved with this role, I have determined that our system is in dangerous lack of yo-yos and hula hoops.
• Subsequently , the United States became allies with Great Britain and went on to have a long and friendly relationship.
• The townspeople subsequently ate only brownies and hot dogs for the remainder of the season.
• He gave quite the florid speech about properly applying fertilizer.
• She had an idiosyncratic way of ordering food at the restaurant.
• Despite growing up in a musical milieu , she had never learned to play a single musical instrument.

Big Words To Use in Essays and Other Academic Writing

The good news about writing is that you typically don’t have to say the words out loud, so you don’t have to worry about pronouncing words outside your purview. Still, knowing the right words will help you create the right writing flow for more effective essays .

Sentence Examples for Big Words Used in Academic Writing

As usual, building your vocabulary is all about knowing how to properly use words. You thankfully don’t have to worry about pronunciation, but checking out some sentence examples can give you a good idea of what to expect.

• These results demonstrate that rats can be trained to push a lever if the reward is compelling.
• The results unequivocally indicate that fertilizer may help plants grow, but it can also contribute to pollution.
• Cats have played a significant role in the evolution of the internet.
• Despite a plethora of options, the buffet did not have a satisfactory selection of chicken nuggets.
• This proved to be a beneficial investment of time and money, and the company created many new products during this period.
• There were some immense problems with this approach.
• As you engage with the text, you’ll learn more about the merits of olive oil.
• I found her use of mayonnaise on french fries deeply anomalous .
• The trendy jacket had become so ubiquitous on campus that I switched to a different outfit.
• She had a predilection for dogs with huge ears and squishy faces.

Big Words To Use in Creative Writing

The main difference between academic and creative writing is, well, the creativity involved. Maybe you want a certain number of syllables. Maybe you want to create a rhyme scheme or maintain assonance or consonance . Having the right words, big or small, can help you develop your creative writing abilities.  

Sentence Examples for Big Words Used in Creative Writing

With creative writing, you have a little more room to exercise your own voice and poetics. Depending on the task, you could turn an adjective into a verb or make a noun a descriptor. But it’s still worth seeing some sentence examples to get an idea of usage before plunging fully into creativity.

• The tiara she wore that night was exquisite , sparkling with gems and polished metal.
• John helped himself to an enormous serving of scalloped potatoes.
• The single french fry had a diminutive effect on their hunger.
• I glimpsed the final project of the semester and felt a cold chill run down my spine.
• The king was a benevolent leader.
• He did many despicable things in the name of science.
• The way he simply threw out the entire pizza was a truly despicable act.
• As much as we loved him, we had trouble with his querulous personality when he didn’t get his way.
• We always went to her for advice because she had such great acumen in relationship matters.
• Talking to her is always so scintillating that I feel like I become a better person after every conversation.

Why Be Common When You Can Be Remarkable?

You should use “big words” to maintain greater specificity and avoid filler words , like very or quite . A different word can help to change your tone, maintain a literary device, or help you get your message across.

At the same time, don’t force it if you don’t need to. You don’t need big words to sound smart. When you use a big word, you have a higher risk of using it incorrectly or sounding unnatural, which can lead to disingenuous writing or speaking. 

• Free Worksheets

I created these free speech and language worksheets so you can easily download and print them out to use as part of your speech therapy program.  Just scroll down the page to view the worksheets by topic.  You will find free speech therapy worksheets for articulation, vocabulary , grammar, holiday articulation and language games…and lots of other miscellaneous speech therapy creations that I love!  If you would like more information on what articulation therapy is you might like to read a post I have written called  Teaching Speech Sounds: The Process of Traditional Articulation Therapy

Parents:  If you are a mommy or a daddy (or grandma or grandpa) who wants to work with your child at home, you can use these speech therapy activity pages for extra practice.  Just choose the sound position to work on (initial, medial, or final) and click on the corresponding link to view and print the worksheets.  To help make practice more fun, you can print out two of the same page so you have pairs, cut them out, and use them to play a game of memory or go fish. You can also use them as flashcards.  You will find free speech therapy worksheets by sound and at a variety of levels; word level, phrase level and sentence levels!

Articulation Worksheets

Speech Sounds in Syllable Wheel

/th/ Sound Voiceless

/th/ Sound Voiced

Grammar Worksheets

Regular past tense.

Irregular Past Tense

Third Person Singular

Vocabulary Worksheets – Holiday and Seasonal Themed 

Fall & autumn memory game, christmas vocabulary 1, christmas vocabulary 2, summer vocabulary, summer vocabulary companion, grammar bingo games – holiday and seasonal themed, grammar bingo games.

Vocabulary BINGO Games – Holiday and Seasonal Themed

Vocabulary bingo - winter, concepts bingo - christmas, conceptual vocabulary bingo - back-to-school, conceptual vocabulary bingo - fall, conceptual vocabulary bingo - spring & easter, lemonade stand bingo - summer, 4th of july vocabulary bingo - summer.

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Free SLP  Virtual B Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable B Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

B Filterable Flashcards

B Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

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Free SLP No-prep and Printable C / K Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

C / K Filterable Flashcards

C / K Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual CH Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable CH Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

CH Filterable Flashcards

CH Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual D Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable D Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

D Filterable Flashcards

D Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual F Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable F Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

F Filterable Flashcards

F Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual G Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable G Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

G Filterable Flashcards

G Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual H Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable H Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

H Filterable Flashcards

H Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual J Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable J Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

J Filterable Flashcards

J Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual L Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable L Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

L Filterable Flashcards

L Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual L Blends Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable L Blends Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Free SLP  Virtual M Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable M Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

M Filterable Flashcards

M Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual N Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable N Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

N Filterable Flashcards

N Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual P Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable P Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

P Filterable Flashcards

P Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual R Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable R Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

R Filterable Flashcards

R Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual R Blends Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable R Blends Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Vocalic (Vowelized) R Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Vocalic (Vowelized) R Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Vocalic (Vowelized) R B Filterable Flashcards

Vocalic (Vowelized) R B Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual S Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable S Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

S Filterable Flashcards

S Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual S Blend Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable S Blend Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

S Blend Filterable Flashcards

S Blend Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual SH Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable SH Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

SH Filterable Flashcards

SH Artic Hierarchy Activities (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual T Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable T Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

T Filterable Flashcards

T Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual TH Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable TH Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

TH Filterable Flashcards

TH Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual V Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable V Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

V Filterable Flashcards

V Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual W Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable W Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

W Filterable Flashcards

W Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Y Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Y Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Y Filterable Flashcards

Y Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Z Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Z Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Z  Filterable Flashcards

Z Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Multisyllabic (2, 3, and 4 Syllable) Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Multisyllabic (2, 3, and 4 Syllable) Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Multisyllabic (2, 3, and 4 Syllable) Filterable Flashcards

Multisyllabic (2, 3, and 4 Syllable) Artic Hierarchy Activities (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual CV Virtual Word Lists.

CV Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual CVC Virtual Word Lists.

CVC Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual CVCV Virtual Word Lists.

CVCV Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Stopping Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Stopping Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Stopping Filterable Flashcards

Stopping Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Gliding Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Gliding Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Gliding Filterable Flashcards

Gliding Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Cluster Reduction Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Cluster Reduction Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Cluster Reduction Filterable Flashcards

Cluster Reduction Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Devoicing Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Devoicing Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Devoicing Filterable Flashcards

Devoicing Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Voicing Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Voicing Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Voicing Filterable Flashcards

Voicing Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Fronting Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Fronting Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Fronting Filterable Flashcards

Fronting Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Initial Consonant Deletion Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Initial Consonant Deletion Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Initial Consonant Deletion Filterable Flashcards

Initial Consonant Deletion Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Final Consonant Deletion Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Final Consonant Deletion Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Final Consonant Deletion Filterable Flashcards

Final Consonant Deletion Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Backing Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Backing Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Backing Filterable Flashcards

Backing Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Nasalization Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Nasalization Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Nasalization Filterable Flashcards

Nasalization Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free SLP  Virtual Denasalization Virtual Word Lists.

Free SLP No-prep and Printable Denasalization Word Lists (in all positions at the Word, Phrase, Sentence, and Tongue Twister levels)

Denasalization Filterable Flashcards

Denasalization Artic Hierarchy Activities  (isolation word, phrase, sentence, story levels)

Free virtual and printable words lists for practicing artic words in speech therapy!

If you are in need of no-prep, virtual, or printable free speech therapy materials, we hope you enjoy our free slp word list materials each sound and phonological process has free materials and activities to target sounds at the initial, medial, and final positions. our materials also target sounds in isolation, word, phrase, sentence, story,, and tongue twister levels in our reading passage exercises, target sounds are in a different color., privacy overview.

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List of Multisyllabic Words for Speech Therapy

Multisyllabic words are simply words that contain more than one syllable (or vowel sound). Multisyllabic words are often used in speech therapy for a variety of purposes. Commonly, in speech therapy, multisyllabic words are used to target articulation skills, but are occasionally used for word decoding or phonological awareness skills as well. This resource provides a comprehensive list of multisyllabic words, both broken down by syllable and by word type. We hope this resource will be helpful for parents and speech therapists alike who are working on multisyllabic words with their children.

What Are Multisyllabic Words?

Multisyllabic words are longer words containing at least 2 syllables. Multisyllabic words in speech therapy are very important and often a goal therapists will set for children. There are many reasons a speech therapist may work on multisyllabic words in speech therapy, such as:

• Deleting weak syllables in words (“Nana” for “Banana”)
• Deleting consonants in words (“Able” for “Table” or “Buh-er” for “Butter”)
• Articulation errors
• Difficulty with phonological processing or phonological awareness

Understanding how to correctly pronounce, combine, or decode multisyllabic words is very important. Multiple syllable words are important for speech development, word decoding, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and overall effective communication.

Why Do We Target Multisyllabic Words?

Many children have difficulty producing all the sounds and syllables in multiple syllable words. For some children, this is because of a phonological process called “weak syllable deletion”. In weak syllable deletion, a “weak” syllable in a word is omitted, for example, saying “batty” instead of “battery” or “ah-gator” for “alligator”. Other children may have difficulty producing multiple syllable words because of specific speech sounds in the words. For example, a child who says /t/ for /k/ may have difficulty producing the word “crocodile” in a way that others can understand. For many children, both of these may apply. 

List of 100+ Multisyllabic Words

The following is a comprehensive multisyllabic word list, separated by category. When working on multisyllabic words in speech therapy, it is important to remember to use words that are common and meaningful to your child. The more meaningful or common the word, the more likely the child is to generalize it to their conversational speech. This list gives many suggestions of words, but is not a complete list of all words that can be targeted for this goal.

Multisyllabic Word Lists by Word Structure

Multisyllabic words are found in all parts of speech. Depending on the age or language ability of the child, certain word forms may be more appropriate to target with your child. For example, younger children such as preschoolers do not use as many adjectives or adverbs, so it may be better to work on multisyllabic words that are nouns or verbs so targets are more meaningful. Below, you can find a list of multisyllabic words broken down by word form:

Pronouncing Multisyllabic Words

Because multisyllabic words are more complex, they can be more challenging for children with moderate to severe articulation or phonological disorders, or apraxia of speech. However, there are several techniques that are effective for helping children learn to pronounce multisyllabic words.

Touch cues can be a great way to help children identify all the syllables they hear (or should hear) in the word, and a great way for adults to give feedback on how many syllables the child is saying. Touch cues can be things like a tap on the hand, arm, or table. Sometimes, pairing touch cues with a visual cue as well, like a dot or circle to represent each syllable, can further help children with their pronunciation. 

Mouth cues can be a little trickier than touch cues, and it is beneficial to have support from a speech-language pathologist to incorporate this one into home practice. That being said, mouth cues can be very simple, such as a point to the mouth, or more complex, such as different hand signs to represent different sounds. Typically, the more complex hand cues are more beneficial for children working on multisyllabic words. This is because the different cues help children understand the different sounds they are hearing so they can reproduce them more easily. 

Word Segmentation

Word segmentation is a great strategy when you are working on words that contain prefixes or suffixes. For this, you would take the base word that the child can say more easily and then pair it with the prefix or suffix with a slight delay. For example, if you were practicing the word ‘Unhappy” you would say “Un…happy” to give the additional syllable some extra emphasis. This strategy can often be paired with others as well.

Visual Aids

Visual aids can take many forms! A visual aid could simply be the word written down, dots or other images to represent syllables, or visuals for the specific speech sound the child is practicing. Visual aids are best used in conjunction with other strategies, but can be very helpful for children. 

Knowing Where to Start

When working on multisyllabic words, we typically don’t recommend starting with the most complex words. Instead, we usually start with 2 syllable words, then 3 syllable, and continue working up as children master each level. Starting at the correct level is important for your child. If it is too hard for them at the start, they may lose the motivation to continue practicing. 

Games & Activities for Multisyllabic Words

If you are working on multisyllabic words in speech therapy, as a parent or SLP, some of the games and activities below may be useful for you. Engaging activities for multisyllabic words are very important to help keep childrens’ attention and make faster progress.

Coloring is an engaging activity for children of all ages. To use coloring as a multisyllabic words activity, simply choose 10-15 words appropriate for your child and either draw them or print them out. As your child colors the pictures, have them practice saying each word using all the syllables and their best speech sounds.

Drumming Syllables

Kids love to drum! On the table, on the wall, or on an actual drum (if you have one). This activity is great for building awareness of how many syllables are in words, and there are so many ways to practice it! You can say the word while drumming out the syllables and the child can imitate, you say the word and they drum the syllables, show the child a picture and have them drum the syllables, or even make up songs using the words they have been practicing.

Silly Sentences

This activity is targeted more for children who have been practicing for a while, but are having trouble using the longer words in conversation. For this game, pick 2 words from our word list and take turns making up silly sentences using both of the words. For example, if you chose the words “flamingo” and “alphabet” your sentence could be “The flamingo sang the alphabet.” You can also write them down for later practice.

Discrimination Activities

Discrimination activities are helpful for children who are just starting out, or who are moving up to words with more syllables. One way to practice this is to gather a large group of items together. The child can then sort the items based on how many syllables are in its name. So, if you got together scissors, tissue, tablet, pencil, a stuffed kangaroo, a lollipop, and a telephone, the child could sort them into 2-syllable and 3-syllable words. This can also be done without physical items using pictures or just telling the words to the child.

Reading with your child is a great activity, no matter what speech therapy goal they have. To work on multisyllabic words while reading, first identify which level your child is at (2, 3, 4, or 5 syllables). While you are reading, stop each time you come to a word at their level and practice it together. If they are older or are working on carryover, they can try and practice using it in the whole sentence.

Using Forbrain For a Better Sound Practice

Forbrain is an auditory stimulation headset that uses bone conduction, allowing your voice to reach your brain at a much faster speech. It also makes your voice more vibrant by highlighting high frequencies and attenuating low frequencies.  

Forbrain is an excellent choice for working on multisyllabic words in speech therapy because it allows immediate feedback of the word produced, including the speech sounds and number of syllables. This immediate feedback will help children learn to self-monitor, and can help them to correct their pronunciation or responses without additional prompting. Forbrain can lead to improved progress on learning to produce all sounds and syllables in multisyllabic words

For more information regarding Forbrain’s use in speech therapy, see this ASHA article.  

Final Word s

Many children have difficulty correctly producing multisyllabic words. They may have difficulty using all the syllables, pronouncing specific sounds, or both. Being able to correctly pronounce multisyllabic words is very important for children to be able to effectively communicate with others. If you have concerns about your child’s ability to pronounce words with multiple syllables, please consult with a licensed speech-language pathologist to see if speech therapy may be right for you. You can search for a speech-language pathologist in your area using this tool if you need a place to start. In the meantime, some of the resources, games, and activities mentioned in this article may be helpful for you as you work with your child at home.

Natalie Fitzgerald

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Each deck includes a teaching slide and visual to help your students better understand executive function skills before practicing! 

CLICK HERE for Boom Cards Preview.

To use Boom Cards, you must be connected to the Internet. Boom Cards play on modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge). Apps are available for modern Android, iPads, iPhones, and Kindle Fires. For security and privacy, adults must have a Boom Learning account to use and assign Boom Cards. You will be able to assign the Boom Cards you are buying with "Fast Pins," (a form of play that gives instant feedback to students for self-grading Boom Cards). For assignment options that report student progress back to you, you will need to purchase a premium account.If you are new to Boom Learning, you will be offered a free trial of our premium account.Read here for details: http://bit.ly/BoomTrial .

Wh- Questions & Short Stories

15 short stories to target wh- questions, auditory comprehension, reading comprehension, recall, and more!

Multiple levels of difficulty, including both shorter and longer paragraphs for a variety of length and detail in the stories.

✨ As featured on Boom Cards Top Premium Decks ✨

⭐ Wh- Questions in Short Stories

• 15 Paragraph Short Stories
• 6 Wh- Questions for every story
• Stories are 4-9 sentences in length
• What, where, who, when, why, and how questions for every story

BUNDLE for Wh- Questions also available in Shine Speech Activities shop , which includes short stories and sentences!

CLICK HERE for Boom Cards Preview .

*This product contains the same activities as the PDF version. If you would like the PDF version, view   Wh- Questions & Short Stories, Auditory Comprehension .

To use Boom Cards, you   must   be connected to the Internet. Boom Cards play on modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge). Apps are available for modern Android, iPads, iPhones, and Kindle Fires. For security and privacy, adults must have a Boom Learning account to use and assign Boom Cards. You will be able to assign the Boom Cards you are buying with "Fast Pins," (a form of play that gives instant feedback to students for self-grading Boom Cards). For assignment options that report student progress back to you, you will need to purchase a premium account.   If you are new to Boom Learning, you will be offered a free trial of our premium account.   Read here for details:   http://bit.ly/BoomTrial .

Sentence Comprehension & Language Comprehension

Improve sentence comprehension, language and reading comprehension, and picture comprehension with 4 activities and over 125 prompts for speech therapy or classrooms! Target comprehending, receptive language, and more.

This resource includes   4 different ways to practice sentence comprehension , including wh questions, pictures, fill in the blanks, and more. Real photos are included in this resource.

⭐️ Sentence Comprehension:

• 40 sentence comprehension task cards with 3 questions each
• 30 real photo sentence comprehension prompts
• 30 multiple choice reading comprehension activities
• 30 fill in the blank language comprehension prompts

⭐️   Targeted Skills:

• Improve sentence comprehension skills
• Increase receptive and expressive language abilities
• Expand skills for understanding sentences and pictures

Story Builders & Create A Story

Improve creative writing with these narrative and short story prompts! This set of   70 short story builders   comes with character, location, event and time learning targets.

Help your students improve their stories and increase their creative narrative skills. There is space for students to type or write their stories, as well as an organizing task for story parts. 

Your students will have all the tools they need to create unique and imaginative stories!

⭐️ Includes:

• 70 story builders
• 3 practice levels
• A combination of who (character), where (location), what (event) and when (time) story part targets
• 36 story builders that include 2 story parts
• 20 story builders that include 3 story parts
• 14 story builders that include 4 story parts
• Story parts organizing task with pictures
• Space for creative writing and narrative generation
• Instructions on each page 

⭐️ Teaching slides:

• In depth information about the 4 included story parts
• Descriptions
• Picture matching activities 

Save your time and energy, this set is NO PREP! Includes everything you need to elicit creative, engaging stories from your students.

Perfect for SLPs, teachers, or parents looking to expand language or writing in a fun and creative way!

Made with love in Austin, Texas

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TH Words for Speech Therapy (Word Lists and Activities)

Need th word lists for speech therapy? Speech pathologists looking for a quick list of initial th words and final th target words to practice during speech therapy, make sure to bookmark this post. You’ll also find some great ideas for making therapy more fun with a variety of engaging games, articulation worksheets, and speech therapy activities to help a child practice the th sound. Not only does this blog post provide a list of initial and final th words, but it also suggests a variety of strategies for teaching correct placement. SLPs will be able to have a list of words on hand to easily use in the therapy room.

This post contains affiliate links, which means we could receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended.

Correct Production of TH

The th sound is made by sticking the tongue between the upper front teeth and the bottom front teeth and blowing air. The tongue tip is just visible while making this sound. Alternatively, the tongue tip might approach the inner surface of the upper front teeth.

The th sound can be voiceless (as in think) or voiced (as in them). Voiced sounds involve the vocal cords vibrating.

The th sound is a later developing sound. Articulation therapy can assist with correct tongue placement while producing the voiceless th or voiced th sound.

Common TH Sound Errors

Sometimes, the voiceless th sound is substituted with s (sink vs think), t (tink vs think), and f (fink vs think).

The voiced th sound might be substituted with z, d, or v.

A student with an articulation disorder may have difficulty with the th’ sound. An articulation disorder can impact a child’s speech intelligibility. However, speech pathologists must be careful to determine a speech and language difference versus a disorder . It is important to note that dialectal features are not considered articulation errors (or speech errors). This is especially important to consider during the evaluation process. Learn more from this article (reference: American Speech Language Hearing Association).

References: Bauman-Waengler, J.A.  Articulatory and Phonological Impairments: A Clinical Focus . Third ed., Pearson Education Limited, 2013. 

How To Teach the TH Sound in Speech Therapy

There are several ways to try to teach the th sound in speech therapy.

Speech pathologists can try using auditory bombardment. This would allow the child to hear the target sound over and over again. Word lists are provided in this article.

Give this sound a new name. For older students, you might call it “your tongue sound”, to remind them of proper tongue placement.

Provide visual cues. Touching the throat can be a reminder of the voicing for a voiced th. Tapping near your lips or bottom teeth can remind the student of where the tip of your tongue needs to protrude.

Get in front of the mirror! Use a mirror to see if the student can fog it up while they blow air during the production of this sound.

Use your hand flattened out as a representation of the tongue, then push it forward to represent continuous airflow.

A speech-language pathologist might introduce minimal pairs to help the child see and hear the difference between the th sound and the speech sound substitution.

Provide accurate feedback. “I heard the /t/ sound instead of your tongue sound.”

Speech Sounds- Word Lists for the TH Sound

The following word lists contain words with the initial th sound, medial th sound, and final th sound. These  articulation word lists  allow the speech therapist to easily work on a target sound and speech goals in speech therapy at the word level. Or, have your student think of an extra word or two to create short phrases for practice. Quickly pull these word lists up during your speech therapy session and pair them with the game or activity of your choice. These word lists provide less complex syllable shapes to more complex multisyllabic words.

TH Word Lists for Speech Therapy

Initial voiceless th words.

Here is a list of voiceless th words in the initial position to use in speech therapy (initial position of the th sound):

• thoughtless
• thirty-three

Medial Voiceless TH Words

Here is a list of voiceless th in the medial position of words to use in speech therapy (th in the medial position of a word):

• mouth guard
• stethoscope
• 5:30 (five-thirty)

Final Voiceless TH Word List

Here is a list of voiceless th in the final position of words to use in speech therapy (th in the final position of a word):

• bubble bath

Initial Voiced TH Word List

Here is a list of voiced th words in the initial position to use in speech therapy (initial position of the th sound):

Medial Voiced TH Words

Here is a list of voiced th in the medial position of words to use in speech therapy (th in the medial position of a word):

Final Voiced TH Words

Here is a list of voiced th in the final position of words to use in speech therapy (th in the final position of a word):

Speech Therapy Activities for the TH Sound

Speech therapists often need interactive resources, articulation activities, or a fun game to work on these difficult sounds! Here are my top articulation activities to teach TH sound acquisition. These activities provide a great way to motivate your students who have speech sound disorders!

TH Articulation Picture Cards for Speech Therapy

Easily remind your student to keep the tip of the tongue between the teeth while producing the TH sound! These articulation cards are incredibly effective because they provide a  speech sound mouth placement visual cue . They are also easy to send home for at-home practice. Family members can easily review the articulation th words as a carryover activity to work on their child’s speech. These new words are practical and a great way to get started with targeting the voiced or voiceless th sound in initial, medial, and final word positions.

To assemble, print out the cards , cut them out, laminate them, and attach them using a binder ring. And as a bonus, they make fantastic speech room decor! Alyssa, SLP, reviewed, “These were not only great word lists, but also great visuals. Love that I can prep them once and hang them in my room for everyday use. Thank you!”

Voiceless TH Card Game

Do your students love playing cards in speech therapy? This card game companion is quickly going to become a hit in your speech therapy room! My students kept asking over and over to play the popular, color-coded card game. Then it hit me: I could use the colors and symbols on the cards. So now, before my student puts down a blue card during his turn, he must say the th articulation word that is listed under the blue section. If he draws a yellow card, he must say the th articulation word that is assigned to that target color. It’s fast, easy, and motivating! This activity targets initial voiceless th, medial voiceless th, and final voiceless th. Please note: The Pedi Speechie is in no way associated with the well-known card game, which is trademarked.

Playdough Articulation Activity

Sick of boring articulation drill? Why not have FUN and do a “ speech therapy manicure “? This unique activity is going to absolutely become a favorite in your speech therapy room. You’ll need some play dough colors, of course. The play dough will represent the nail polish. Next, you’ll need to pick out which target sound you’d like to address during that session. The following sounds are included in this resource: p, t, d, k, g, s blends, s, f, sh, ch, r, r blends, l, l blends, voiceless th, voiced th, z, vocalic r, and more!

Meghan L., SLP, reported, “I LOVE this resource , and so do my students! It is such a fun way to target goals, and I appreciate its function as a digital activity, printable activity, or laminated activity. Cannot recommend this resource enough!”

Articulation Tic Tac Toe

Need to work on voiced or voiceless th sounds in single words? Try these articulation tic tac toe worksheets ! They can be paired with bingo daubers or a magnetic wand and chips ! These articulation worksheets are no prep and low ink. They cover a variety of speech sounds, including some of the hardest sounds, like th, vocalic r, s, z, ch, and j. Simply choose the articulation speech sound that will be addressed during the speech therapy session. Print out the corresponding page. Say a target word while playing a game of tic tac toe! With each new word, your student will place a chip on the page or daub the circle. This game provides simple and fun ways to practice the th sound in speech therapy!

Fun Articulation Games

Here are a few games that I like to pair with my articulation worksheets and articulation cards! These games can be used for a variety of skills. I have my students practice saying a target word, then they get to take a turn at the game.

• Pop Up Pirate (for younger students)
• Don’t Break the Ice
• Connect Four

More Articulation Word Lists for Speech Therapists

Short on time and need a quick summary of this article? Scroll up for the th word lists. Then, try out these best- selling articulation worksheets and activities to work on the th sound:

• speech sound mouth cards for articulation
• articulation card game companion
• articulation manicure activity
• articulation tic tac toe worksheets

Don’t miss these other articulation word lists!

• S Word Lists
• L Word Lists
• F Word Lists
• K Word Lists

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Words for Speaking: 30 Speech Verbs in English (With Audio)

Speaking is amazing, don’t you think?

Words and phrases come out of our mouths — they communicate meaning, and we humans understand each other (well, sometimes)!

But there are countless different ways of speaking.

Sometimes, we express ourselves by speaking quietly, loudly, angrily, unclearly or enthusiastically.

And sometimes, we can express ourselves really well without using any words at all — just sounds.

When we describe what someone said, of course we can say, “He said …” or “She said …”

But there are so many alternatives to “say” that describe the many different WAYS of speaking.

Here are some of the most common ones.

Words for talking loudly in English

Shout / yell / scream.

Sometimes you just need to say something LOUDLY!

Maybe you’re shouting at your kids to get off the climbing frame and come inside before the storm starts.

Or perhaps you’re just one of those people who just shout a lot of the time when you speak. And that’s fine. I’ve got a friend like that. He says it’s because he’s the youngest kid in a family full of brothers and sisters — he had to shout to make sure people heard him. And he still shouts.

Yelling is a bit different. When you yell, you’re probably angry or surprised or even in pain. Yelling is a bit shorter and more “in-the-moment.”

Screaming is similar but usually higher in pitch and full of fear or pain or total fury, like when you’ve just seen a ghost or when you’ve dropped a box of bricks on your foot.

“Stop yelling at me! I’m sorry! I made a mistake, but there’s no need to shout!”

Bark / Bellow / Roar

When I hear these words, I always imagine something like this:

These verbs all feel rather masculine, and you imagine them in a deep voice.

I always think of an army general walking around the room telling people what to do.

That’s probably why we have the phrase “to bark orders at someone,” which means to tell people what to do in an authoritative, loud and aggressive way.

“I can’t stand that William guy. He’s always barking orders at everyone!”

Shriek / Squeal / Screech

Ooooohhh …. These do not sound nice.

These are the sounds of a car stopping suddenly.

Or the sound a cat makes when you tread on her tail.

Or very overexcited kids at a birthday party after eating too much sugar.

These verbs are high pitched and sometimes painful to hear.

“When I heard her shriek , I ran to the kitchen to see what it was. Turned out it was just a mouse.”

“As soon as she opened the box and saw the present, she let out a squeal of delight!”

Wailing is also high pitched, but not so full of energy.

It’s usually full of sadness or even anger.

When I think of someone wailing, I imagine someone completely devastated — very sad — after losing someone they love.

You get a lot of wailing at funerals.

“It’s such a mess!” she wailed desperately. “It’ll take ages to clear up!”

Words for speaking quietly in English

When we talk about people speaking in quiet ways, for some reason, we often use words that we also use for animals.

In a way, this is useful, because we can immediately get a feel for the sound of the word.

This is the sound that snakes make.

Sometimes you want to be both quiet AND angry.

Maybe someone in the theatre is talking and you can’t hear what Hamlet’s saying, so you hiss at them to shut up.

Or maybe you’re hanging out with Barry and Naomi when Barry starts talking about Naomi’s husband, who she split up with last week.

Then you might want to hiss this information to Barry so that Naomi doesn’t hear.

But Naomi wasn’t listening anyway — she was miles away staring into the distance.

“You’ll regret this!” he hissed , pointing his finger in my face.

To be fair, this one’s a little complicated.

Whimpering is a kind of traumatised, uncomfortable sound.

If you think of a frightened animal, you might hear it make some kind of quiet, weak sound that shows it’s in pain or unhappy.

Or if you think of a kid who’s just been told she can’t have an ice cream.

Those sounds might be whimpers.

“Please! Don’t shoot me!” he whimpered , shielding his head with his arms.

Whispering is when you speak, but you bypass your vocal cords so that your words sound like wind.

In a way, it’s like you’re speaking air.

Which is a pretty cool way to look at it.

This is a really useful way of speaking if you’re into gossiping.

“Hey! What are you whispering about? Come on! Tell us! We’ll have no secrets here!”

Words for speaking negatively in English

Ranting means to speak at length about a particular topic.

However, there’s a bit more to it than that.

Ranting is lively, full of passion and usually about something important — at least important to the person speaking.

Sometimes it’s even quite angry.

We probably see rants most commonly on social media — especially by PEOPLE WHO LOVE USING CAPS LOCK AND LOTS OF EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!!!

Ranting always sounds a little mad, whether you’re ranting about something reasonable, like the fact that there’s too much traffic in the city, or whether you’re ranting about something weird, like why the world is going to hell and it’s all because of people who like owning small, brown dogs.

“I tried to talk to George, but he just started ranting about the tax hike.”

“Did you see Jemima’s most recent Facebook rant ? All about how squirrels are trying to influence the election results with memes about Macaulay Culkin.”

Babble / Blabber / Blather / Drone / Prattle / Ramble

These words all have very similar meanings.

First of all, when someone babbles (or blabbers or blathers or drones or prattles or rambles), it means they are talking for a long time.

And probably not letting other people speak.

And, importantly, about nothing particularly interesting or important.

You know the type of person, right?

You run into a friend or someone you know.

All you do is ask, “How’s life?” and five minutes later, you’re still listening to them talking about their dog’s toilet problems.

They just ramble on about it for ages.

These verbs are often used with the preposition “on.”

That’s because “on” often means “continuously” in phrasal verbs .

So when someone “drones on,” it means they just talk for ages about nothing in particular.

“You’re meeting Aunt Thelma this evening? Oh, good luck! Have fun listening to her drone on and on about her horses.”

Groan / Grumble / Moan

These words simply mean “complain.”

There are some small differences, though.

When you groan , you probably don’t even say any words. Instead, you just complain with a sound.

When you grumble , you complain in a sort of angry or impatient way. It’s not a good way to get people to like you.

Finally, moaning is complaining, but without much direction.

You know the feeling, right?

Things are unfair, and stuff isn’t working, and it’s all making life more difficult than it should be.

We might not plan to do anything about it, but it definitely does feel good to just … complain about it.

Just to express your frustration about how unfair it all is and how you’ve been victimised and how you should be CEO by now and how you don’t get the respect you deserve and …

Well, you get the idea.

If you’re frustrated with things, maybe you just need to find a sympathetic ear and have a good moan.

“Pietor? He’s nice, but he does tend to grumble about the local kids playing football on the street.”

Words for speaking unclearly in English

Mumble / murmur / mutter.

These verbs are all very similar and describe speaking in a low and unclear way, almost like you’re speaking to yourself.

Have you ever been on the metro or the bus and seen someone in the corner just sitting and talking quietly and a little madly to themselves?

That’s mumbling (or murmuring or muttering).

What’s the difference?

Good question!

The differences are just in what type of quiet and unclear speaking you’re doing.

When someone’s mumbling , it means they’re difficult to understand. You might want to ask them to speak more clearly.

Murmuring is more neutral. It might be someone praying quietly to themselves, or you might even hear the murmur of voices behind a closed door.

Finally, muttering is usually quite passive-aggressive and has a feeling of complaining to it.

“I could hear him muttering under his breath after his mum told him off.”

How can you tell if someone’s been drinking too much booze (alcohol)?

Well, apart from the fact that they’re in the middle of trying to climb the traffic lights holding a traffic cone and wearing grass on their head, they’re also slurring — their words are all sort of sliding into each other. Like this .

This can also happen if you’re super tired.

“Get some sleep! You’re slurring your words.”

Stammer / Stutter

Th-th-th-this is wh-wh-when you try to g-g-g-get the words ou-ou-out, but it’s dif-dif-dif-difficu-… hard.

For some people, this is a speech disorder, and the person who’s doing it can’t help it.

If you’ve seen the 2010 film The King’s Speech , you’ll know what I’m talking about.

(Also you can let me know, was it good? I didn’t see it.)

This can also happen when you’re frightened or angry or really, really excited — and especially when you’re nervous.

That’s when you stammer your words.

“No … I mean, yeah … I mean no…” Wendy stammered .

Other words for speaking in English

If you drawl (or if you have a drawl), you speak in a slow way, maaakiiing the voowweeel sounds loooongeer thaan noormaal.

Some people think this sounds lazy, but I think it sounds kind of nice and relaxed.

Some regional accents, like Texan and some Australian accents, have a drawl to them.

“He was the first US President who spoke with that Texan drawl .”

“Welcome to cowboy country,” he drawled .

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

That’s my impression of a dog there.

I was growling.

If you ever go cycling around remote Bulgarian villages, then you’re probably quite familiar with this sound.

There are dogs everywhere, and sometimes they just bark.

But sometimes, before barking, they growl — they make that low, threatening, throaty sound.

And it means “stay away.”

But people can growl, too, especially if they want to be threatening.

“‘Stay away from my family!’ he growled .”

Using speaking verbs as nouns

We can use these speaking verbs in the same way we use “say.”

For example, if someone says “Get out!” loudly, we can say:

“‘Get out!’ he shouted .”

However, most of the verbs we looked at today are also used as nouns. (You might have noticed in some of the examples.)

For example, if we want to focus on the fact that he was angry when he shouted, and not the words he used, we can say:

“He gave a shout of anger.”

We can use these nouns with various verbs, usually “ give ” or “ let out .”

“She gave a shout of surprise.”

“He let out a bellow of laughter.”

“I heard a faint murmur through the door.”

There you have it: 30 alternatives to “say.”

So next time you’re describing your favourite TV show or talking about the dramatic argument you saw the other day, you’ll be able to describe it more colourfully and expressively.

Did you like this post? Then be awesome and share by clicking the blue button below.

8 thoughts on “ Words for Speaking: 30 Speech Verbs in English (With Audio) ”

Always enlighten and fun.. thank you

Great job! Thank you so much for sharing with us. My students love your drawing and teaching very much. So do I of course.

Good news: I found more than 30 verbs for “speaking”. Bad news, only four of them were in your list. That is to say “Good news I’m only 50 I still have plenty of time to learn new things, bad news I’m already 50 and still have so much learn. Thanks for your posts, they’re so interesting and useful!

Excellent. Can I print it?

Thanks Iris.

And yes — Feel free to print it! :)

Thanks so much! It was very interesting and helpful❤

Great words, shouts and barks, Gabriel. I’m already writing them down, so I can practise with them bit by bit. Thanks for the lesson!

Thank you so much for sharing with us. .It is very useful

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Initial QW - Blends

Medial qw - blends, initial w by syllables.

walking stick

water snake

wedding ring

well-mannered

windbreaker

wire cutter

wisdom teeth

washing machine

watercolors

water faucet

water skiing

West Virginia

window shopping

wishy washy

wonderfully

word processor

Medial W by Syllables

school work

chuck wagon

hardware store

one-way street

pocket watch

wishing well

covered wagon

station wagon

water wagon

weeping willow

welcome wagon

SEE ALSO:   The Best Free App for Speech Therapy

Initial W Phrases and Sentences

hot waffles

lost wallet

wash with soap

white washer

cold weather

happy wedding

strong wind

open window

pretty wings

I want waffles for breakfast.

The dog is sitting in the wagon.

They will go on a walk.

He puts the money in his wallet.

The walrus has huge tusks.

My clothes smell good after I wash them.

Put your dirty clothes in the washer.

I like your watch, is it new?

Cold water is refreshing on a hot day.

They said the weather will be cold today.

The web is between the branches.

Their wedding was today.

The wind was so strong it broke her umbrella.

They left the window open to get some fresh air.

The butterfly has orange, black, and white wings.

All we could hear was a wolf howling.

Our world is part of the solar system.

He has a worm on his finger.

Medial W Phrases and Sentences

student award

small cobweb

long driveway

Hawaii islands

busy highway

math homework

busy housework

adult jaguar

white microwave

green mouthwash

long pathway

fast raceway

tall sandwich

hard school work

green seaweed

long sidewalk

She was wide awake because she had a good night's sleep.

The award was hanging on the wall.

The cobweb is between the branches.

The car is in the driveway.

They went on vacation to Hawaii.

We will need to take the highway.

They are doing their homework.

They do housework on Saturday.

The jaguar was looking for food.

They sell kiwi at the store.

Reheat your food in the microwave.

Mouthwash makes your mouth feel fresh.

The pathway leads through the park.

They turned the corner on the raceway.

You made a tall sandwich.

Do your school work before going outside.

The seaweed washed up on the sand.

The sidewalk goes through the park.

W Reading Paragraphs

Water world.

William waited for his dad to wash the car. It was the last thing on their to-do list before they went to Water World. Water World was the biggest water park in Wyoming and they were going to go there for two days. William woke up extra early to help wash the car in hopes that he and his family would be able to leave that afternoon. He was wide awake at four in the morning; his dad, however, was not.

William ran into his parents' bedroom and said, "Get up! Get up! Let's go wash the car!"

"William it is 4 o'clock in the morning. We are not washing the car this early. You need to wait or else we will not go to Water World."

"But dad," said William.

"No buts. Why don't you go start making us some waffles and I'll be out in a minute," his dad said.

William walked out into the kitchen, still wearing his wolf pajamas. He grabbed the waffle mix, waffle maker, and some walnuts and prepared to make the waffles. He looked out the window at their family's dirty car parked in the driveway and wanted to go wash it himself.

He and his dad planned to wash the car over the weekend, but the water company had turned their water off to fix something.

He continued working on the waffles and wondered when his dad would get up and be ready to wash the car. Just then his dad raced out of the hall, unplugged the waffle maker, picked him up, and ran outside. 

"Let's get this baby washed," his dad said pointing to the car. The two of them started working and talking about all of the fun things they would do when they visited Water World.

Love to Drive

Be careful driving, called Wayne's mom. Wayne had just received his driver's license and could drive all by himself. Along with learning to drive, his parents told him to always drive in good weather, drive when he was completely awake, and to keep the windshield washed and clear. They joked with him about not driving on the sidewalk or sticking his head out of the window when driving.

Wayne wanted to drive everywhere. He didn't care if it was on the driveway, the highway, or the raceway. All he cared about was being behind the wheel.

"If I always had money in my wallet, I would drive all over the world," he thought. Wayne also wished the car had wings so when he came to water he needed to cross, he could simply fly over it.

He wanted to go on a trip right then, but remembered two things. He didn't have money in his wallet and he needed to exchange their new microwave at the store. It was okay though because he was driving, even if it was only to the store and back.

He rolled down the window and slowed down as he waved to the Waldens. The Waldens were close family friends. The two families watched out for each other since Wayne had been born.

"I am going to the store, would you like me to pick anything up for you while I am there?" he asked. 

"Yes, that would be great," said Mrs. Walden, "I need one kiwi, a bag of buffalo wings, and some bottled water."

"You got it. I'll be back in twenty minutes," he said. Wayne was happy that he could help and it made driving that much better. 

This list of functional words was professionally selected to be the most useful for a child or adult who has difficulty with producing the "W" sound.

We encourage you to use this list when practicing at home.

Doing home practice will help your child make much faster progress toward correct production.

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are only able to see students/clients 30-60 mins (or less) per week.

This is not enough time  for your child to overcome an articulation disorder with the "W" sound. But with high caseloads...

...it's all SLPs can do.

There's  only so much time  in the day.

Every day that your child goes without practice  it becomes more and more difficult  to correct an "W" error because he/she continues to say it incorrectly. 

SEE ALSO:   The Best Books for Speech Therapy Practice

We know life is busy , but if you're reading this you're probably someone who cares about helping their loved one as much as you can.

Practice 5-10 minutes whenever you can, but try to do it on a consistent basis (daily).

Please, please, please use this list to practice.

It will be a great benefit to you and your loved one's progress.

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R Word List Speech Therapy Materials

If your child is having trouble saying the sound R, my R Word List page can help you!

If you are a speech therapist and you need some R speech therapy materials, you have come to the right place!

Below you will find lots of free materials!

• First, there is a FREE worksheet (for non-members) and link (for members) to access new articulation materials.
• Second, there is a word list for  quick viewing .
• Next, you can sign up for a FREE newsletter and receive  A LL THE WORD LISTS in one Folder in your Google Drive.
• After that, check out a brief explanation on how to say the target sound.
• Last, there are ideas for  articulation practice that do not require flashcards or word lists. This is the most functional option and appropriate for children working on generalization.

If you need a more in-depth explanation of R and how to say:

• prevocalic R

R Worksheets and More!

We have BRAND-NEW articulation worksheets for teaching, drill practice, generalization, and language based articulation games! 

• If you are a member, log in, download, and you are ready to roll here.
• If you want to join,  sign up here. 

Just fill out the form below to grab your free worksheet!

21 free smashmats.

Sign up below to receive your free materials.

R Word List

Google Drive Word List

Sign up with your email address to receive all the word lists instantly! They will be yours now and forever!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Google Drive. I can access my word lists from any device; laptop, desktop, or phone. 

If you want a copy, fill out the form above. I put all the word lists in one folder.  Once you receive your email with the materials, make a copy of the files and they are yours to use and tweak as needed.

• If you need help saving the word lists to your Google Drive, click here:  Save Google Document
• If you LOVE Google Drive as much as I do, check out our  Speech Therapy Documentation Page. 

R Packet Using High-Frequency Words

This is MY FAVORITE NEW RESOURCE! I HONESTLY use it all the time for each articulation session and handouts for home practice.

The words chosen for speech therapy can make all the difference between a good therapy program and a great one! For the generalization phase, it is crucial to use high-frequency words!! It only makes sense to use words that the client will actually say outside of the therapy room. Right?!

For only $5, you will receive  35 pages  of materials including:

• Flashcards that can be used as Cariboo Cards too, yeah!
• Flashcard free games that can be used as home practice
• Dot sheets, smash-mats, and/or coloring pages
• Articulation warm-up sheets which can be used as a goal review sheet
• Flashcards which contain word, phrase, and sentence level practice
• Cut/paste sentence level worksheets
• Self-assessment sheets
• Parent handouts

Read more about it  here. 

Articulation Games for R

The R sound is a later developing sound, usually mastered by age 5. R is also one of the hardest sounds to master in ANY language!

Take turns with your child saying the desired words. It is important to practice  hearing and   saying  the words.

• Write - Say “write” as you take turns drawing on a piece of paper
• Race - Say “race” as you and your child run across the yard
• Ready - Say “ready” before you start your race
• Read - Say “read” as your child reads a sentence in a book
• Fork - Say “fork” during meals
• Shirt - Say “shirt” as your child helps you with the laundry
• Sorry - Say “sorry” while playing the board game, Sorry
• Car - While talking about your favorite car, say “car”
• Hair - Say “hair” while your child combs her hair
• Wear - Say “I’m wearing” while describing what clothes you are wearing

Membership Site

If you are a parent and your child

• has trouble saying multiple sounds 
• needs to work on vocabulary development
• is working on improving grammar
• is working on narrative structure
• needs to work on social skills

AND you want

• a step-by-step guide to help your child 
• ideas on how to improve all language skills at home
• functional games

Then, our  members site might be just what you need. 

If you are a professional and you want: 

• Articulation Screening Tools
• Data tracking sheets
• Templates in Google Drive for easy data tracking and graphing
• Homework sheets/parent handouts on articulation therapy
• General flashcard games
• 36 flashcards for each sound: B, D, F, G, J, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, V, Z, SH, TH, CH
• 8-10 functional games for each sound
• Language based worksheets to spice things up!
• Picture description tasks
• Short story stimuli

Our  membership might be just what you need.

Example of Vocalic R Materials

When teaching prevocalic and vocalic R, we need the right cues and teaching materials. I added the new materials to the membership site.

Animated Cue Cards

• animated cue cards for OR, AR, IRE, EAR, EAR, ER, AND RL
• Great for teaching and providing the specific feedback each child needs (not too much or too little)

Printable Cue Cards

• Printable cue cards for OR, AR, IRE, EAR, EAR, ER, AND RL
• These are great handouts and help to keep all caregivers on the same page!

Teaching Material

• visual cues for how to combine the vowel to R
• use for teaching phase and review as needed

Specific Vocalic R Warm Up

• Warm-Up for: OR, AR, IRE, EAR, EAR, ER, AND RL
• Use for goal review, anatomy review, and to "warm up" muscles
• plus get quick drill practice

Prevocalic & Vocalic R Practice

• If a child can either say the prevocalic R but not the vocalic R (and vice versa), you can use that!
• Use phonetic placement to facilitate the needed R. 
• I LOVE THESE!

New Print and No-Print Materials

• web memory game
• no-print flashcards
• print flashcards
• leveled flashcards
• Word Lists For Speech Therapy
• R Word List For Articulation Practice

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Speechy Musings

Speech therapy materials for pediatric SLPs

R Words, Lists, Materials, and Everything You Need!

Speechy Musings February 28, 2022 Leave a Comment

This post may contain Amazon affiliate ads at no cost to you. See my disclosures here for more information.

If you are in need of some /r/ words for your therapy right now, you’ve come to the right place! Just scroll down for my /r/ word lists!

If you’d like to stay and chat awhile about our very favorite little sound and learn more about some of my favorite evidence-based no-prep materials, then pull up a chair and join me!

Establish a solid R sound before you move on to R words

Sometimes I think we SLPs are in a rush to get to the good stuff and forget to spend the time on the establishment phase. We need to make sure that our kids can make a good /r/ sound in isolation and at the syllable level before we jump into words, phrases, and sentences. I know we are worried about getting stuck at sounds and want to hurry and generalize, but it’s important to give the sound level its due diligence!

If you need some help getting a good /r/ sound out of your students, make sure to check out my best /r/ tips , and even more /r/ tips !

High Frequency Words

When you’re ready to move on, I recommend using high frequency words for articulation practice. When you pick high frequency words, now your students are hearing and practicing their sound all day long!

That’s why I created my No Prep Articulation Activities Using High Frequency Words for R  product. You’ll find all the easy, no-prep worksheets and words you need to target words with /r/ at the syllable, word, phrase, sentence, and conversation level. It’s a no-nonsense packet that will get your kids in and out the door (and in and out of therapy when they master their skills quickly and efficiently!)

Make it into a game!

There are a ton of different ways you can quickly turn any targeted practice into an engaging articulation game!

Anything can turn into an articulation game when you carefully pick your targets. Play with toys and give everything an /r/ name. Is Robby the race car faster than Russel the truck? Is baby Ruby ready for her bath?

You can also play a simple game like Duck Duck Goose and turn it into articulation practice. How about Roar Roar Run? Your kids will be racking up the trials and they won’t even realize!

My R Articulation Playing Cards – Outline + Color Printable Deck for Speech Therapy are perfect for any regular card game, but now played with /r/ targeted words!

For something even more open-ended, I like to use my Mini Articulation Cards for Speech Therapy for easy targets that I can use in just about any activity, even crafts! If you like more traditional articulation targets with pictures, these are for you!

For my bigger groups, I like to set up Speech Therapy Centers for Articulation . Everybody has a fun task that encourages them to practice their sound and I get some solid focus time with each student one on one to monitor progress and give feedback.

I like to use my Articulation Menus for /r/ for Speech Therapy to both practice words and to move on to generalization tasks. Kids love to play waiter or restaurant and order silly dishes, all while practicing their /r/’s.

Another great carryover game is”Would You Rather?” You’ll get lots of conversational /r/ practice every time you even ask anybody a question!

/R/ Words Needed Stat!

But for those days when you just need some quick words and you need them now, I’ve put together a few basic /r/ word lists for you!

Initial /R/ Words

I hope that’s helpful! Good luck with those tricky /r/’s!

About the Author

Shannon is a pediatric SLP and the creator behind Speechy Musings. As an SLP, she is most passionate about language, literacy, and AAC. Outside of being an SLP, she loves hiking, camping, dogs, and travel.

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Words at Ease

6 Leadership Speech Examples

Leadership speeches have the power to inspire, motivate, and galvanize people into action.

Whether you’re addressing your team, your organization, or a wider audience, your words as a leader carry weight and have the potential to create real change.

Leadership Speech Examples

In this article, we’ll explore six powerful leadership speech examples of varying lengths, each crafted for different occasions.

You’ll find short speeches perfect for quick team huddles, medium-length speeches ideal for company meetings, and longer-form speeches suitable for conferences and major events.

Let’s jump in and see what makes each of these speeches so impactful.

Short Leadership Speech (300 words)

Good morning, everyone.

In the fast-paced world of business, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and lose sight of the bigger picture. But I want to take a moment today to remind us all of the incredible power we have as a team.

Every one of you brings unique skills, perspectives, and experiences to the table. When we harness that diversity and work together towards a common goal, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.

I’ve seen firsthand the incredible things this team is capable of when we support each other, challenge each other, and push ourselves to be better. Whether it’s hitting a tough deadline, solving a complex problem, or going above and beyond for a client, you consistently rise to the occasion.

But great teams don’t just happen by accident. They require trust, communication, and a willingness to put the needs of the group above individual interests. They require each person to bring their A-game, every single day.

So as we head into the challenges and opportunities ahead, I want you to keep in mind the power of this team. Keep in mind that you are part of something bigger than yourself. And keep in mind that together, we can face anything that comes our way.

Thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and your unwavering commitment to excellence. Let’s go out there and show the world what we’re made of.

— END OF SPEECH —

Commentary: This short motivational speech is perfect for a team huddle or kick-off meeting. It reminds the audience of their collective strength, acknowledges their hard work, and inspires them to tackle upcoming challenges with unity and determination.

Medium-Length Leadership Speech (500 words)

Good afternoon, everyone.

I want to start by saying thank you. Thank you for being here, thank you for your hard work, and thank you for your commitment to our mission. Every one of you plays a crucial role in our success, and I am incredibly grateful for all that you do.

Today, I want to talk about something that I believe is at the heart of any great organization: purpose. Purpose is what drives us, what motivates us, and what gives meaning to our work. It’s the reason we get out of bed in the morning and the reason we push ourselves to be better.

At [Company Name], our purpose is clear: [insert mission statement]. This is more than just a catchy phrase or a nice sentiment. It’s a promise we make to ourselves, to each other, and to the people we serve. It’s a reminder that what we do matters and that we have the power to make a real difference in the world.

But living up to that purpose isn’t always easy. It requires us to think big, to take risks, and to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. It requires us to be resilient when faced with setbacks and to learn from our failures as much as our successes.

Most importantly, it requires us to work together as a team. No one person, no matter how talented or dedicated, can achieve our mission alone. We need each other – to challenge us, to support us, and to remind us of why we do what we do.

So as we move forward, I want to challenge every one of you to think about your sense of purpose. What drives you? What impact do you want to have on the world? And how can you use your unique skills and passions to contribute to our collective mission?

Because when we are clear on our purpose when we are united in our resolve, and when we support each other every step of the way…there is nothing we cannot achieve.

Thank you again for all that you do. I am honored to be part of this incredible team, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.

Commentary: This medium-length speech is suitable for a company-wide meeting or event. It focuses on the importance of purpose, both at an organizational and individual level and encourages the audience to reflect on their contributions to the collective mission. The speech acknowledges challenges, emphasizes teamwork, and inspires the audience to achieve great things together.

Long Leadership Speech (700 words)

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to [Event Name]. It’s an honor to be here with all of you today.

As leaders, we often talk about the importance of vision – having a clear picture of where we want to go and what we want to achieve. And while vision is undoubtedly crucial, I believe that another quality is just as important, if not more so: courage.

Courage is what allows us to turn our vision into reality. It’s what gives us the strength to take risks, to make tough decisions, and to persevere when faced with adversity. Without courage, even the most brilliant vision will remain just that – a vision, never to be realized.

Think about the leaders throughout history who have changed the world. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela – these were not just visionaries, they were incredibly brave individuals who were willing to stand up for what they believed in, even when faced with tremendous opposition and personal risk.

While most of us may not be leading social movements or political revolutions, the need for courage in leadership is just as relevant in our spheres of influence.

As business leaders, we are faced with difficult decisions every day. Do we take a chance on a new product or market, even if it means risking failure? Do we stand up for our values, even if it means losing a client or facing criticism? Do we have difficult conversations with underperforming employees, even if it makes us uncomfortable?

These are the moments that test our courage as leaders. And it’s in these moments that we have the greatest opportunity to lead by example and to inspire others to be brave as well.

But courage doesn’t always look like grand gestures or bold proclamations. Sometimes, the most courageous thing a leader can do is to admit when they’re wrong, to ask for help when they need it, or to show vulnerability in front of their team.

These acts of courage, however small they may seem, have the power to build trust, foster connection, and create a culture where everyone feels empowered to take risks and learn from their mistakes.

Of course, being a courageous leader is easier said than done. Fear, doubt, and the desire to play it safe can be powerful forces holding us back. But I believe that every one of us has the capacity for courage within us – it’s just a matter of tapping into it.

So how do we cultivate courage in our leadership? Here are a few ideas:

• Clarify your values and let them guide your decisions. When you’re clear on what you stand for, it’s easier to act with integrity even when it’s hard.
• Surround yourself with people who challenge you and push you out of your comfort zone. Courage is often contagious, so seek out brave mentors and colleagues.
• Practice self-compassion. Beating yourself up over failures or missteps will only make you more risk-averse. Instead, treat yourself with kindness and learn from your experiences.
• Take small, incremental steps. You don’t need to revolutionize your entire organization overnight. Focus on being a little braver each day, and those small acts of courage will compound over time.

As I look out at this room full of leaders, I am inspired by the collective courage and potential that exists here. Each of you has the power to make a profound difference – in your organizations, your communities, and the world at large.

So let us all commit, here and now, to leading with courage. To take bold action in service of our visions. To support and inspire each other to be brave. Because it is only through courage that we can truly transform ourselves, our organizations, and our society for the better.

Commentary: This longer leadership speech, suitable for a conference or leadership event, delves into the crucial role of courage in leadership. With historical examples, thought-provoking questions, and practical advice, it inspires the audience to tap into their bravery and lead with integrity. The speech acknowledges the challenges of courageous leadership while offering a compelling call to action.

Long Leadership Speech (800 words)

Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.

It is my privilege to stand before you today as we celebrate the remarkable achievements of our organization over the past year. As I reflect on all that we have accomplished together, I am struck not just by the tangible results – the record-breaking sales, the groundbreaking innovations, the impactful initiatives – but by the intangible qualities that have made these successes possible.

Qualities like resilience when faced with unprecedented challenges. Like creativity in finding solutions where others saw only obstacles. Like unity in working towards a common goal, despite our diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

These are the qualities that define us as an organization. They are the secret ingredients in our recipe for success, the driving forces behind our ability to not just weather storms, but to emerge from them stronger, wiser, and more determined than ever.

And make no mistake, this past year has brought its fair share of storms. A global pandemic that upended the way we work and live. The economic uncertainty that tested our financial resilience. Social and political turbulence that challenged our values and our resolve.

When faced with these challenges, it would have been easy to hunker down, to play it safe, to focus solely on survival. But that is not who we are. Instead, we saw opportunity where others saw only crisis. We adapted, we innovated, we grew. We proved that our commitment to excellence, to each other, and the greater good is unshakeable.

I want to take a moment to recognize some of the specific ways this commitment has manifested over the past year:

• Our rapid pivot to remote work, allowed us to continue serving our clients seamlessly while prioritizing the health and safety of our employees.
• Our development of [product/initiative], not only met a critical market need but also advanced our mission of [insert mission].
• Our unwavering support for our communities through [CSR initiatives], even as we navigated our challenges.

These are just a few examples among many. In every department, at every level, and across every geography, I have witnessed countless acts of leadership, ingenuity, and compassion. You have shown that our strength lies not in the absence of adversity, but in our response to it.

But even as we celebrate these triumphs, we know that our work is far from over. The world around us continues to change at a dizzying pace, presenting new challenges and opportunities at every turn. To continue thriving in this environment, we must not just adapt to change, but lead it.

This means continuing to invest in our people, their skills, their well-being, and their growth. It means fostering a culture of continuous learning, where we not only welcome new ideas but actively seek them out. It means being unafraid to question the status quo, to experiment, to fail fast, and to learn faster.

Above all, it means never losing sight of our north star – our purpose, our values, and our commitment to making a positive impact on the world. Because it is this sense of purpose that will guide us through whatever challenges lie ahead, and that will continue to inspire us to be better tomorrow than we are today.

So as we step into a new year, a new chapter, I invite every one of you to recommit to this purpose. To bring your whole selves to the work, your passion, your creativity, your unique perspectives. To support and challenge each other, to push beyond what is comfortable, and to aim not just for success, but for significance.

Together, there is no limit to what we can achieve. Together, we will not just navigate the future, but shape it. Together, we will continue to prove that [Company Name] is not just a business, but a force for good in the world.

Thank you for your dedication, your resilience, and your unwavering commitment to our shared mission. I am honored to lead this incredible organization, and I am excited to see what heights we will reach together in the year ahead.

Here’s to the future, and to creating it together. Cheers!

Commentary: This speech, appropriate for an annual company meeting or celebration, reflects on the challenges and triumphs of the past year while casting an inspiring vision for the future. It highlights specific organizational achievements, acknowledges the contributions of the team, and emphasizes the importance of purpose, adaptability, and continuous learning. The speech strikes a balance between celebration and forward-thinking, leaving the audience energized for the year ahead.

Lengthy Leadership Speech (1000 words)

Friends, colleagues, partners – thank you for being here today. It is an honor to stand before you as we mark this important milestone in our company’s history.

Today, as we cut the ribbon on our new global headquarters, we are not just celebrating a building. We are celebrating a vision – a vision of a company that started small, with just a handful of people and a big idea, and grew into a global force for innovation and progress.

I want to take you back to where it all began. [Number] years ago, in a tiny office not far from here, a group of us sat around a table and dared to dream. We dreamed of creating a company that would not just make a profit, but make a difference. A company that would be a leader not just in our industry, but in our communities. A company that would be known not just for what we do, but for who we are and what we stand for.

Over the years, that dream has faced its share of challenges. There were times when growth seemed impossible, when setbacks felt insurmountable when the easier path would have been to compromise our values or abandon our vision.

But we persevered. We persevered because we believed in our dreams, and more importantly, we believed in each other. We knew that the strength of our company lay not in any one individual, but in the collective power of our team.

And what a team it is. As I look out at all of you today, I see more than just employees or colleagues. I see a family. I see people who have poured their hearts and souls into this company, who have challenged us to be better, who have picked us up when we stumbled, and celebrated with us when we succeeded.

It is because of you that we stand here today. It is because of your hard work, your dedication, and your unwavering commitment to our mission that we have been able to turn that initial dream into a reality.

And what a reality it is. Today, our company spans continents and touches lives in ways we never could have imagined in those early days. Our products and services are helping to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from [example] to [example]. Our brand is synonymous with innovation, quality, and integrity.

But even as we have grown in size and scale, we have never lost sight of what made us who we are. We have never forgotten our roots, our values, our commitment to making a positive impact in all that we do.

This new headquarters is a testament to that commitment. It is not just a beautiful building – though it certainly is that. It is a manifestation of our values, a physical embodiment of who we are and who we aspire to be.

From the sustainable materials used in its construction to the inclusive design that welcomes people of all abilities, this building reflects our dedication to environmental and social responsibility. From the collaborative workspaces that encourage teamwork and innovation to the community spaces that welcome our neighbors and partners, it reflects our belief in the power of connection and collaboration.

From the artwork on the walls that celebrates our diversity to the very layout that puts our customers and our mission at the center of all we do, this building reflects our unwavering focus on the people we serve and the difference we seek to make.

As we look to the future, I know that this building will be more than just a workspace. It will be a hub of innovation, a place where the brightest minds come together to tackle the toughest challenges. It will be a gathering place for our community, a space where we can connect with and learn from those around us. It will be a symbol of our commitment to growth – not just financial growth, but growth in our impact, our influence, and our ability to drive positive change.

But most of all, it will be a reminder. A reminder of how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go. A reminder that our strength lies in our unity, our diversity, and our shared sense of purpose. A reminder that, together, there is no limit to what we can achieve.

So as we cut this ribbon today, let us recommit ourselves to the vision that brought us here. Let us continue to dream big, to push boundaries, to challenge the status quo. Let us continue to put our people, our customers, and our communities at the heart of all we do.

And let us never forget that, while this building may be a milestone, it is not the end of our journey. It is simply the beginning of a new chapter – a chapter that we will write together, with the same passion, resilience, and ingenuity that has brought us to this moment.

Thank you all for being part of this incredible story. I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds.

Commentary: This speech, fitting for a significant corporate event such as the opening of a new headquarters, interweaves the company’s history, values, and vision with the symbolism of the new building. It acknowledges the challenges the company has faced, celebrates the contributions of the team, and positions the new headquarters as an embodiment of the company’s mission and a launching pad for future impact. The speech is both reflective and forward-looking, using storytelling to create an emotional connection with the audience while reinforcing key corporate messages.

Distinguished guests, dear friends, and esteemed colleagues,

It is my great honor to stand before you today as we celebrate the incredible journey of our organization and look toward the bright future that lies ahead.

When I think about the history of [Organization Name], I am struck by the remarkable vision, unwavering dedication, and sheer audacity of our founders. At a time when [industry/field] was dominated by the status quo, they dared to envision a different way – a way that prioritized innovation, integrity, and impact above all else.

From those humble beginnings, we have grown into an organization that spans [number] countries, employs [number] people, and touches the lives of [number] individuals every single day. We have become a leader in our field, known not just for the quality of our products and services, but for the values we embody and the difference we make in the world.

But our success has not come easily, nor has it come without sacrifice. Along the way, we have faced countless challenges – economic downturns, industry disruptions, and internal growing pains. There have been times when the future seemed uncertain and when the problems we faced seemed insurmountable.

But in those moments, we did what we have always done. We came together. We leaned on the strength of our team, the resilience of our culture, and the clarity of our purpose. We innovated, we adapted, we persevered.

And time and time again, we emerged stronger. We emerged wiser. We emerged more committed than ever to our mission of [mission statement].

That mission has been the guiding light steering our organization through every stage of our growth. It has informed every decision we’ve made, every risk we’ve taken, every opportunity we’ve pursued. It has been the unifying force that has brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives and forged them into a team capable of extraordinary things.

And what a team it is. As I look out at all of you today, I am struck by the incredible talent, passion, and humanity in this room. You are the lifeblood of this organization. You are the reason we have been able to achieve so much, and you are the key to unlocking the potential that still lies ahead.

Make no mistake, our work is far from over. The challenges we face as a society – from [issue] to [issue] – are complex, multifaceted, and deeply entrenched. Solving them will require the very best of what we have to offer as individuals and as an organization.

It will require us to be bold in our thinking, nimble in our approach, and steadfast in our commitment. It will require us to leverage the power of technology while never losing sight of the human element at the heart of all we do. It will require us to collaborate across boundaries, to learn from diverse perspectives, to embrace the discomfort of growth and change.

In short, it will require us to embody the very values that have brought us to this moment – innovation, integrity, inclusion, and impact.

These are not just words on a page for us. They are the principles that guide us, the standards to which we hold ourselves accountable, and the foundation upon which we will build the future of this organization and the communities we serve.

As we look to that future, I am filled with a profound sense of hope and possibility. I see an organization that is not just a leader, but a catalyst for change. An organization that sets the standard for what it means to do well by doing good. An organization that attracts the best and brightest minds, and empowers them to bring their whole selves to the work of shaping a better world.

I see an organization that is unafraid to tackle the toughest problems, to have difficult conversations, and to be a force for progress in a world that desperately needs it. An organization that measures its success not just in profits or market share, but in the lives touched, the communities transformed, and the world bettered.

This is the [Organization Name] I see. This is the [Organization Name] we are building together. And this is the [Organization Name] that, with your continued passion, dedication, and leadership, will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible and create a future that surpasses our wildest dreams.

So today, as we celebrate all that we have achieved, let us also recommit ourselves to the work ahead. Let us dare to envision a world where [vision statement], and let us have the courage to make that vision a reality.

Together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. Together, we will continue to prove that business can be a powerful force for good in the world. Together, we will create a legacy that will endure long after we are gone.

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. Thank you for your hard work, your heart, and your unwavering commitment to our shared purpose.

Here’s to the future – and to creating it together.

Commentary: This speech, suitable for a major organizational anniversary or milestone, takes the audience on a journey through the organization’s past, present, and future. It celebrates the organization’s growth and impact, acknowledges the challenges overcome, and emphasizes the critical role of the team’s talent and dedication. The speech then pivots to the future, painting an inspiring vision of the organization as a catalyst for change and rallying the audience around the work ahead. Throughout, it reinforces key organizational values and uses inclusive language to create a sense of shared purpose and possibility.

These six leadership speech examples demonstrate the power of words to inspire, motivate, and unite people around a common vision.

Whether you’re delivering a short pep talk to your team or a lengthy keynote to a large audience, the key is to speak from the heart, connect with your listeners, and tap into the values and purpose that drive your organization.

Remember, as a leader, your words can shape thoughts, ignite passion, and galvanize action.

Use them wisely, boldly, and authentically, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming the kind of leader that people are proud to follow.

So the next time you step up to the podium, take a deep breath, draw on the courage within you, and let your leadership voice shine through.

Your audience – and your organization – will be all the better for it.

200+ ER Words Speech Therapy {Initial, Medial, & Final!}

Do you have a speech therapy student working on the er sound? Then this blog post is just what you need! It has over 200 er words for speech therapy that will help strengthen your child or student’s /er/ sound. 

ER Words Speech Therapy

As Speech-language pathologists, we are always on the lookout for speech therapy word lists organized by word positions. 

That’s exactly why I’ve gone ahead and organized a list for you to use in therapy. Hopefully making your life a little simpler.

Correct Position

In the English language, the r sound is one of the most difficult sounds as well as one of the last sounds to develop. There are two different ways a speech therapist can teach tongue placement for r remediation. 

First, let’s review the two different variations of the right place for tongue movements for producing the r sound:

• Retroflexed R

Both ways are very similar and vary in mid-tongue and tongue tip placements:

• Teeth: The /r/ sound is made by having a slight gap between the teeth.
• Lips: Lips should be in a neutral position and not rounded. (A rounded lip shape might lead to a /w/ in place of an /r/ sound, such as “wed” for the word “red”.
• Sides of the Tongue: Be sure to place the sides of the tongue against the upper side of your teeth to allow for the passage of air to go down the center of the tongue.
• Retroflexed R: Have the mid-tongue somewhat tense but not bunched up. Then place the tip of the tongue pointing up just past the alveolar ridge.
• Bunched R: Have the mid-tongue bunched up near the roof of the mouth. Then place the tip of the tongue pointing down or straight.
• Air: Then blow a skinny stream of air over the center of your tongue (you do not want the air to come out the sides of the tongue).
• Voice: The r sound is also a voiced sound so your voice box or vocal cords should vibrate. You can tell that their voice is turned on by touching your voice box on your neck and feeling it vibrate.

Types of R Sounds

• Prevocalic R Words – is when the r sound comes before a vowel sound, such as an initial r word “red”. 
• Vocalic R Words – s when the r sound comes after a vowel sound, such as: or, ar, er, ear, ire, air.

Target Words

Here’s a list of er articulation sounds for you to use in therapy or for at home practice to work on your student or child’s new skill.

• For Example: earth, herb, earthquake, earn, herbal, turkey, shirt, camera, thermos, burn, farmer, officer, dollar, mother, older, teacher

See full list of words, phrases, and sentences below.

Be sure to grab my one page freebie of er sounds below. Simply scroll to the bottom of this post and grab your free copy!

Use the links below to help navigate this post:

• ER Words Overview
• Flash Cards – Initial ER (word, phrase, sentence, + question)
• Word Level – Initial ER
• Flash Cards – Medial ER (word, phrase, sentence, + question)
• Word Level – Medial ER
• Flash Cards – Final ER (word, phrase, sentence, + question)
• Word Level – Final ER
• Phrase Level – Initial ER
• Phrase Level – Medial ER
• Phrase Level – Final ER
• Sentence Level – Initial ER
• Sentence Level Medial ER
• Sentence Level Final ER
• Additional ER Word Resources

R Word List

Here’s an r word list for you to use in therapy or at home practice to work on your student or child’s speech.

See full list of 1220+ R words at the word level, phrase level, and sentence level here.

Word Positions: ER Words Speech Therapy  

Initial position of words.

The initial position of the er sound is at the beginning of a word. For example, “earn” or “earth”.

Medial Position of Words

Some words have the er sound in the medial position of a word, such as “circle”, “dirt”, and “turtle”.

Final Positions of Words

The final positions of words are when the target sound is at the end of a word or the final syllable. For example, “tiger” or “ladder”.

Need Different Sounds?

You won’t want to miss out on my complete growing list of all my articulation word lists !

ER Words at Word Level

Some ways to practice include having your child or student say each er word one by one as they go through a list. 

Using a dot marker can also be a fun way to practice having your child put a dot under each er sound. 

In addition, I’ve compiled an easy-to-download one page overview of er sounds below. Simply scroll down to the bottom of this post and download your free copy.

Practice in Flash Card Mode Right Here from Your Computer!

Initial ER Words Speech Therapy

• 1 Syllable:   earth, earn, Earl, herb, urge, earned, irk
• 2 Syllable:  urban, earthquake, urgent, early, urchin, Ernie, Erma, earlier, earnest, earnings, earthling, earthy, earner, earthworm, Irving
• 3 Syllable:  earliest

Back to Top

Medial ER Words Speech Therapy

• 1 Syllable:  berg, fern, herd, nerd, verb, germ, perm, term, bird, dirt, thirst, firm, skirt, turn, church, burn, hurt, surf, turf, curb, yurt, burp
• 2 Syllable:  Peru, sherpa, thirty, squirrel, flirty, circle, plural, blurry, scurry, flurry
• 3 Syllable:  energy, internal, internet, interest, leadership, wilderness, Anderson, conference, powerful, generous, difference, waterman, allergic, cleverness, bitterness, beverage, coverage, Doberman, offering, referral, property, wonderland, tolerant, thunderstorm, admiring, disturbing, alluring, figurine, security
• 4 Syllable:  Cinderella, vulnerable, measurable
• 5 Syllable: alliteration, university, acceleration

Final ER Words Speech Therapy

• 1 Syllable:  her, ever, badger, player, layer
• 2 Syllable:  silver, water, over, amber, father, tiger, monster, river, after, sister, power, teacher, anger, mother, winter, other, under, better, wonder, number, lover, never, ginger, beaver, paper, pepper, Tyler, hunter, summer, fever, clever, flower, booger, peter, lobster, daughter, later, super, Denver, whisper, liver, quarter, thunder, soldier, meter, murder, soccer, matter, panther, order, ember, finger, shiver, brother, dinner, counter, weather, tender, driver, corner, center, tower, cider, master, chamber, glitter, leader, parker, stranger, offer, reindeer, hyper, baker, giver, litter, dumpster, otter, cover, filter, further, younger, helper, butter, closer, sweater, feather, supper, toddler, clover
• 3 Syllable:  forever, Jupiter, together, November, remember, computer, October, anteater, hamburger, character, December, disaster, receiver, discover, register, sunflower, perimeter
• 4 Syllable:  helicopter

SEE ALSO: 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy

Short sentences or phrases.

When working on the er sound production, it’s important to work on short phrases once your child or student has mastered the sound at the word level at or near 80% or higher accuracy.

Here is a list of er word phrases to try:

Initial ER Words Speech Therapy in Phrases

Medial ER Words Speech Therapy in Phrases

Final ER Words Speech Therapy in Phrases

Sentence Level: ER Words Speech Therapy

The next step after working at the word and phrase levels is to work on the er sound at the sentence level.

For example, you could give your child or student a list of sentences to read aloud while they work on their er sound. 

Another idea would be to give your child or student pictures with their er sound in them and then have them create a sentence about those pictures.

Below is a list of sentences to use with your child or students.

Initial ER Words Speech Therapy in Sentences

Medial ER Words Speech Therapy in Sentences

Final ER Words Speech Therapy in Sentences

ER Words Speech Therapy Ideas

Below I’ve outlined some er freebies along with some other speech therapy activities that can be used to make your speech therapy sessions planning a breeze this year. 

Boom cards are a fun and engaging way to strengthen your child or student’s articulation skills.

Here are a few favorite boom cards to work on the er sound: 

• Boom Cards er sound Snowball Fight by Badger State Therapy is an interactive boom cards set that prompts students to throw snowballs as they practice vocalic ‘er’ sounds.
• R Controlled Vowels Boom Cards – FREE Digital Phonics Activity is a great set of boom cards to practice ‘er’ sounds in all positions.

SEE ALSO: Free Articulation Games for Speech Therapy

Digital downloads.

Are you a speech therapist looking for er words to practice with your clients? 

Here are a couple of fun worksheets that you can use in your therapy room to work on the er sound.

• R Speech Therapy Activities | I Spy Game by Speech Therapy Store – If you’re looking for an amazing freebie then you’re in the right spot. I’ve created a fun and engaging I Spy activity that any student is sure to love!
• Unstressed “ER” True or False Sentences: Articulation Exercise by Teach Speech now is a fun 3 page true or false game to help students practice the target er sound.
• Stressed “ER” Rhyming Rows: Articulation Exercise by Teach Speech Now is an interactive er articulation activity that is good for all age ranges.

Older Students

Finding appropriate articulation resources for older students can be difficult to find. Here are a few appropriate resources for your older students. 

• R Sound Articulation Lists by Speech Therapy Store – Grab my one page freebie of initial r words, medial r, and final r sounds with real-life photos perfect for older students working on the word, phrase, and sentence levels.
• Articulation for Older Students – Color By Number /vocalic er/ FREEBIE by Cardigan Speech is a fun and interactive color by code activity designed for older students to practice er articulation.
• FREE Vocalic ER: FOOD and PEOPLE. Articulation at the Word and Sentence level. By Pronunciation with Lily is an amazing freebie created for 2nd-12th graders to practice er articulation within the food and people categories. 

SEE ALSO: 279+ Free Speech Therapy Digital Materials

Language skills.

Do you have students who are also working on their language therapy? If so, why not work on their therapy goals while you also work on their er sound?

Check out these ideas below:

• FREE Fall Vocalic ER Articulation Four-In-A-Row Game by the Speech Shop Creations is a really fun and interactive print and go board game to help students practice using er. 
• /ER/ Articulation Nonfiction Text {Freebie} by SLP Happy Hour is a great text for students to practice multiple er articulation targets.
• Randy’s Car — a Story for Articulation Practice by Clarity Speech and Language is a great story to practice the difference between ‘ar’ and ‘er’ sounds. 

Activity Book

Are you looking for a fun activity book to use while you work on your student’s er sound? Here are a few of my favorite no prep activity books!

• Back to School FREEBIE: Vocalic ER Articulation Color by Number by S’more Speech Stuff is a great set of coloring pages to practice ER articulation. These pages are great for ages K-5th.
• Articulation Bingo- Unstressed er Summer words by Speech Please is an interactive Bingo game that is print and go! Students will practice er/ir/ur sounds.
• Articulation Cards for Stressed /er/ by Speech Please is a clear set of cards to practice er articulation. The TPT listing has some creative ideas on how to use these cards as a game or fun activity.

Correct Production – Effective R Therapy

Do you have a student who is having a difficult time producing the correct sound? 

If so, here are a handful of different types of speech therapy exercises to help your speech students in the process of articulation therapy produce the tricky r sound. You can even grab a tongue depressor to use as a tactile cue.

• Teach Tongue and Mouth Anatomy: Start by teaching the parts of the tongue and mouth that will help with cueing for articulation placement. Grab the R Sound Freebie – Anatomy of Tongue and Mouth for Speech Therapy by Speechy Things.
• Phonemic Awareness, Auditory Discrimination, & Articulation: Practice targeting all three skills with this free trial of Locate! Discriminate! Articulate! – /r/: FREE TRIAL VERSION by OTTeR Speech.
• Phonemic Awareness: Have your students start by identifying where they hear the r sound in a word. Use this Phonemic Awareness – R Freebie by michjco to get started.
• Perception Training: Start with R Perception Training by having the student identify the difference between the correct R sound and the incorrect R sound. Grab the R Sound Perception Training FREEBIE: Early R Speech Therapy Activities from Speechy Things.
• Vocalic R Visual Cues: Have students working on the vocalic R? Grad this free Vocalic R Visual – Free / English Only worksheet from The Spanish Speechie.
• Minimal Pairs: Use minimal pairs to work on the r sound. Have your students identify the /r/ vs. the /w/ sound with the Free r/w Minimal Pairs Hide & Seek Speech – School Theme – Boom Cards & PPT by Little Speech Shop.

In Conclusion: Speech Therapy R Sound Activities

We hope you have found this article helpful for working on your child or student’s er sound. 

Be sure to grab your free er sound pages below. 

The pages come in initial, medial, and final sound positions perfect for sending home, using for special education, or using in private practice.

Grab Your Free ER Word List with Pictures Here!

Simply enter your name and email to have this free ER Words list with pictures emailed directly to your inbox! If you want all 3 (initial, medial, and final) be sure to sign up for each one you want!

Grab our Initial ER Words List!

Grab our medial er words list, grab our final er words list, want even more speech therapy r sound activities.

• 1,220+ R Words Speech Therapy {Interactive Flashcards!}
• 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy
• 261+ Free Ideas for Digital Therapy
• 917+ Best Free Boom Cards for Speech Therapy
• 11 Free Articulation Games for Speech Therapy

Want the Best of the Bests?

Be sure to check out our most popular posts below!

• Best IEP Resources
• 71+ Free Social Problem-Solving Scenarios
• 430+ Free Multisyllabic Words List Activity Bundle
• 432+ Free Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives Bank
• 279+ Free Speech Therapy Digital Materials
• 179+ Free Speech Therapy Wh-Questions Printable

15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

Powerful speech opening lines set the tone and mood of your speech. It’s what grips the audience to want to know more about the rest of your talk.

The first few seconds are critical. It’s when you have maximum attention of the audience. And you must capitalize on that!

Instead of starting off with something plain and obvious such as a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good Morning’, there’s so much more you can do for a powerful speech opening (here’s a great article we wrote a while ago on how you should NOT start your speech ).

To help you with this, I’ve compiled some of my favourite openings from various speakers. These speakers have gone on to deliver TED talks , win international Toastmaster competitions or are just noteworthy people who have mastered the art of communication.

After each speaker’s opening line, I have added how you can include their style of opening into your own speech. Understanding how these great speakers do it will certainly give you an idea to create your own speech opening line which will grip the audience from the outset!

Alright! Let’s dive into the 15 powerful speech openings…

Note: Want to take your communications skills to the next level? Book a complimentary consultation with one of our expert communication coaches. We’ll look under the hood of your hurdles and pick two to three growth opportunities so you can speak with impact!

1. Ric Elias

Opening: “Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3,000 ft. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. It sounds scary. Well I had a unique seat that day. I was sitting in 1D.”

How to use the power of imagination to open your speech?

Putting your audience in a state of imagination can work extremely well to captivate them for the remainder of your talk.

It really helps to bring your audience in a certain mood that preps them for what’s about to come next. Speakers have used this with high effectiveness by transporting their audience into an imaginary land to help prove their point.

When Ric Elias opened his speech, the detail he used (3000 ft, sound of the engine going clack-clack-clack) made me feel that I too was in the plane. He was trying to make the audience experience what he was feeling – and, at least in my opinion, he did.

When using the imagination opening for speeches, the key is – detail. While we want the audience to wander into imagination, we want them to wander off to the image that we want to create for them. So, detail out your scenario if you’re going to use this technique.

Make your audience feel like they too are in the same circumstance as you were when you were in that particular situation.

2. Barack Obama

Opening: “You can’t say it, but you know it’s true.”

3. Seth MacFarlane

Opening: “There’s nowhere I would rather be on a day like this than around all this electoral equipment.” (It was raining)

How to use humour to open your speech?

When you use humour in a manner that suits your personality, it can set you up for a great speech. Why? Because getting a laugh in the first 30 seconds or so is a great way to quickly get the audience to like you.

And when they like you, they are much more likely to listen to and believe in your ideas.

Obama effortlessly uses his opening line to entice laughter among the audience. He brilliantly used the setting (the context of Trump becoming President) and said a line that completely matched his style of speaking.

Saying a joke without really saying a joke and getting people to laugh requires you to be completely comfortable in your own skin. And that’s not easy for many people (me being one of them).

If the joke doesn’t land as expected, it could lead to a rocky start.

Keep in mind the following when attempting to deliver a funny introduction:

• Know your audience: Make sure your audience gets the context of the joke (if it’s an inside joke among the members you’re speaking to, that’s even better!). You can read this article we wrote where we give you tips on how you can actually get to know your audience better to ensure maximum impact with your speech openings
• The joke should suit your natural personality. Don’t make it look forced or it won’t elicit the desired response
• Test the opening out on a few people who match your real audience. Analyze their response and tweak the joke accordingly if necessary
• Starting your speech with humour means your setting the tone of your speech. It would make sense to have a few more jokes sprinkled around the rest of the speech as well as the audience might be expecting the same from you

4. Mohammed Qahtani

Opening: Puts a cigarette on his lips, lights a lighter, stops just before lighting the cigarette. Looks at audience, “What?”

5. Darren Tay

Opening: Puts a white pair of briefs over his pants.

How to use props to begin your speech?

The reason props work so well in a talk is because in most cases the audience is not expecting anything more than just talking. So when a speaker pulls out an object that is unusual, everyone’s attention goes right to it.

It makes you wonder why that prop is being used in this particular speech.

The key word here is unusual . To grip the audience’s attention at the beginning of the speech, the prop being used should be something that the audience would never expect. Otherwise, it just becomes something that is common. And common = boring!

What Mohammed Qahtani and Darren Tay did superbly well in their talks was that they used props that nobody expected them to.

By pulling out a cigarette and lighter or a white pair of underwear, the audience can’t help but be gripped by what the speaker is about to do next. And that makes for a powerful speech opening.

6. Simon Sinek

Opening: “How do you explain when things don’t go as we assume? Or better, how do you explain when others are able to achieve things that seem to defy all of the assumptions?”

7. Julian Treasure

Opening: “The human voice. It’s the instrument we all play. It’s the most powerful sound in the world. Probably the only one that can start a war or say “I love you.” And yet many people have the experience that when they speak people don’t listen to them. Why is that? How can we speak powerfully to make change in the world?”

How to use questions to open a speech?

I use this method often. Starting off with a question is the simplest way to start your speech in a manner that immediately engages the audience.

But we should keep our questions compelling as opposed to something that is fairly obvious.

I’ve heard many speakers start their speeches with questions like “How many of us want to be successful?”

No one is going to say ‘no’ to that and frankly, I just feel silly raising my hand at such questions.

Simon Sinek and Jullian Treasure used questions in a manner that really made the audience think and make them curious to find out what the answer to that question is.

What Jullian Treasure did even better was the use of a few statements which built up to his question. This made the question even more compelling and set the theme for what the rest of his talk would be about.

So think of what question you can ask in your speech that will:

• Set the theme for the remainder of your speech
• Not be something that is fairly obvious
• Be compelling enough so that the audience will actually want to know what the answer to that question will be

8. Aaron Beverley

Opening: Long pause (after an absurdly long introduction of a 57-word speech title). “Be honest. You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

How to use silence for speech openings?

The reason this speech opening stands out is because of the fact that the title itself is 57 words long. The audience was already hilariously intrigued by what was going to come next.

But what’s so gripping here is the way Aaron holds the crowd’s suspense by…doing nothing. For about 10 to 12 seconds he did nothing but stand and look at the audience. Everyone quietened down. He then broke this silence by a humorous remark that brought the audience laughing down again.

When going on to open your speech, besides focusing on building a killer opening sentence, how about just being silent?

It’s important to keep in mind that the point of having a strong opening is so that the audience’s attention is all on you and are intrigued enough to want to listen to the rest of your speech.

Silence is a great way to do that. When you get on the stage, just pause for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) and just look at the crowd. Let the audience and yourself settle in to the fact that the spotlight is now on you.

I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something about starting the speech off with a pure pause that just makes the beginning so much more powerful. It adds credibility to you as a speaker as well, making you look more comfortable and confident on stage. 

If you want to know more about the power of pausing in public speaking , check out this post we wrote. It will give you a deeper insight into the importance of pausing and how you can harness it for your own speeches. You can also check out this video to know more about Pausing for Public Speaking:

9. Dan Pink

Opening: “I need to make a confession at the outset here. Little over 20 years ago, I did something that I regret. Something that I’m not particularly proud of. Something that in many ways I wish no one would ever know but that here I feel kind of obliged to reveal.”

10. Kelly McGonigal

Opening: “I have a confession to make. But first I want you to make a little confession to me.”

How to use a build-up to open your speech?

When there are so many amazing ways to start a speech and grip an audience from the outset, why would you ever choose to begin your speech with a ‘Good morning?’.

That’s what I love about build-ups. They set the mood for something awesome that’s about to come in that the audience will feel like they just have to know about.

Instead of starting a speech as it is, see if you can add some build-up to your beginning itself. For instance, in Kelly McGonigal’s speech, she could have started off with the question of stress itself (which she eventually moves on to in her speech). It’s not a bad way to start the speech.

But by adding the statement of “I have a confession to make” and then not revealing the confession for a little bit, the audience is gripped to know what she’s about to do next and find out what indeed is her confession.

11. Tim Urban

Opening: “So in college, I was a government major. Which means that I had to write a lot of papers. Now when a normal student writes a paper, they might spread the work out a little like this.”

12. Scott Dinsmore

Opening: “8 years ago, I got the worst career advice of my life.”

How to use storytelling as a speech opening?

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.” Steve Jobs

Storytelling is the foundation of good speeches. Starting your speech with a story is a great way to grip the audience’s attention. It makes them yearn to want to know how the rest of the story is going to pan out.

Tim Urban starts off his speech with a story dating back to his college days. His use of slides is masterful and something we all can learn from. But while his story sounds simple, it does the job of intriguing the audience to want to know more.

As soon as I heard the opening lines, I thought to myself “If normal students write their paper in a certain manner, how does Tim write his papers?”

Combine such a simple yet intriguing opening with comedic slides, and you’ve got yourself a pretty gripping speech.

Scott Dismore’s statement has a similar impact. However, just a side note, Scott Dismore actually started his speech with “Wow, what an honour.”

I would advise to not start your talk with something such as that. It’s way too common and does not do the job an opening must, which is to grip your audience and set the tone for what’s coming.

13. Larry Smith

Opening: “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.”

14. Jane McGonigal

Opening: “You will live 7.5 minutes longer than you would have otherwise, just because you watched this talk.”

How to use provocative statements to start your speech?

Making a provocative statement creates a keen desire among the audience to want to know more about what you have to say. It immediately brings everyone into attention.

Larry Smith did just that by making his opening statement surprising, lightly humorous, and above all – fearful. These elements lead to an opening statement which creates so much curiosity among the audience that they need to know how your speech pans out.

This one time, I remember seeing a speaker start a speech with, “Last week, my best friend committed suicide.” The entire crowd was gripped. Everyone could feel the tension in the room.

They were just waiting for the speaker to continue to know where this speech will go.

That’s what a hard-hitting statement does, it intrigues your audience so much that they can’t wait to hear more! Just a tip, if you do start off with a provocative, hard-hitting statement, make sure you pause for a moment after saying it.

Silence after an impactful statement will allow your message to really sink in with the audience.

Related article: 5 Ways to Grab Your Audience’s Attention When You’re Losing it!

15. Ramona J Smith

Opening: In a boxing stance, “Life would sometimes feel like a fight. The punches, jabs and hooks will come in the form of challenges, obstacles and failures. Yet if you stay in the ring and learn from those past fights, at the end of each round, you’ll be still standing.”

How to use your full body to grip the audience at the beginning of your speech?

In a talk, the audience is expecting you to do just that – talk. But when you enter the stage and start putting your full body into use in a way that the audience does not expect, it grabs their attention.

Body language is critical when it comes to public speaking. Hand gestures, stage movement, facial expressions are all things that need to be paid attention to while you’re speaking on stage. But that’s not I’m talking about here.

Here, I’m referring to a unique use of the body that grips the audience, like how Ramona did. By using her body to get into a boxing stance, imitating punches, jabs and hooks with her arms while talking – that’s what got the audience’s attention.

The reason I say this is so powerful is because if you take Ramona’s speech and remove the body usage from her opening, the entire magic of the opening falls flat.

While the content is definitely strong, without those movements, she would not have captured the audience’s attention as beautifully as she did with the use of her body.

So if you have a speech opening that seems slightly dull, see if you can add some body movement to it.

If your speech starts with a story of someone running, actually act out the running. If your speech starts with a story of someone reading, actually act out the reading.

It will make your speech opening that much more impactful.

Related article: 5 Body Language Tips to Command the Stage

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Final Words

So there it is! 15 speech openings from some of my favourite speeches. Hopefully, these will act as a guide for you to create your own opening which is super impactful and sets you off on the path to becoming a powerful public speaker!

But remember, while a speech opening is super important, it’s just part of an overall structure.

If you’re serious about not just creating a great speech opening but to improve your public speaking at an overall level, I would highly recommend you to check out this course: Acumen Presents: Chris Anderson on Public Speaking on Udemy. Not only does it have specific lectures on starting and ending a speech, but it also offers an in-depth guide into all the nuances of public speaking. 

Being the founder of TED Talks, Chris Anderson provides numerous examples of the best TED speakers to give us a very practical way of overcoming stage fear and delivering a speech that people will remember. His course has helped me personally and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn public speaking. 

No one is ever “done” learning public speaking. It’s a continuous process and you can always get better. Keep learning, keep conquering and keep being awesome!

Lastly, if you want to know how you should NOT open your speech, we’ve got a video for you:

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13 Speeches in English for Listening and Speaking Practice

Giving a speech in front of a whole room of people can be pretty scary. Especially if you are giving a speech in English as a non-native speaker.

But you can learn from the best.

You can watch videos of famous, effective speeches in English to learn how to do it the right way .

In this post we will share 13 amazing speeches in English that you can use to become a more confident speaker yourself.

1. Speech on Kindness by a 10-year-old Girl

2. “the effects of lying” by georgia haukom, 3. “education for all” by cameron allen, 4. gender equality speech by emma watson, 5. “rocky balboa speech” by sylvester stallone, 6. 2008 presidential acceptance speech by president barack obama, 7. “this is water” speech by david foster wallace, 8. “the great dictator speech” by charlie chaplin, 9. 2018 golden globe speech by oprah winfrey, 10. “i have a dream” speech by martin luther king jr., 11. “the gettysburg address” by abraham lincoln, 12. “britain does owe reparations” by shashi tharoor, 13. mark antony’s speech by william shakespeare.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Level: Beginner

Do you think people should be kind to one another? This speaker sure does. And she knows how to convince you of the same.

This is a perfect informative speech for beginner English learners . The speaker is a child who is able to speak fluently but with simple words . She also uses her gestures and facial expressions to communicate her emotions with the audience.

This speech is perfect for listening practice . However, learners should be aware that her pauses are not perfect. Learners should focus more on her words and the content of the speech than her intonation or pacing while practicing.

Even though the speaker is a student in the fourth grade, her speech is one of the most interactive speeches I have seen. She starts with a game and is able to make her main point through the game itself.

English learners will enjoy her speech especially because the vocabulary she uses is simple and can be easily learned. But it does not feel like a beginner wrote this speech because she uses her words so well.

If you want to learn the art of making basic arguments while speaking, you should watch this speech. She is able to convince her audience because she is able to connect with them through games and stories.

She also uses scientific studies to back up (support) her main points.

Level: Intermediate

This is a short and simple speech about why everyone in the world should get an education. Because the speaker is a child, the speech does not have complex words or sentence structures.

This is also a classic example of an informative speech. The speaker presents the main argument and the facts simply and clearly . She also gives the basic definitions of important terms in the speech itself.

This speech is perfect for English listening and speaking practice because it is so short but also full of useful information. It is also a good example of the standard American English accent .

Emma Watson is a famous English actress who is best known for her role in the “Harry Potter” movie series as Hermione. She is also a United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador .

In this speech, she is trying to both inform and convince the audience  of why men should support feminism. Feminism is a movement that asks for equal rights and opportunities for women.

She mixes her formal tone with personal stories to do this. The speech is also a good example of British English .

This is a speech taken from the movie “Rocky Balboa.”  In this scene, Rocky, played by Sylvester Stallone, is talking to his son.

His speech is a classic example of a motivational speech . In these kinds of speeches, a person tries to inspire someone else, especially when the listener feels hopeless or is full of shame.

The basic message of the speech is that no matter how strong a person is, he or she will always face difficulties. And even though the message does not sound positive, Stallone’s way of speaking still makes it inspiring.

Stallone is able to communicate his message with love, even though he is criticizing his son and telling him difficult facts about the world. Generally, this is called “tough love” in English.

Listeners should also notice how he uses gestures to make his point .

Compare this speech with the Oprah Winfrey and Martin Luther King speeches (later in this list). All of them inspire their audiences but have really different tones. Stallone’s speech is the most informal and personal while Martin Luther King’s speech is the most formal and written for a large audience. All these speeches are in American English.

Barack Obama was the first African American elected as president by U.S. citizens. He gave this speech after he won the election.

English learners can discover a lot from his speech. Obama talks about the most important issues Americans were facing back then and are still important to them. He also uses a kind of American English that is easy to understand . His speech is mainly about the values that he and Americans stand for.

Obama’s accent is a mixture of standard American English and the way of speaking commonly popular in African American communities. He is an expert in using pauses so that the audience can follow his words without breaking his rhythm.

As the speech is longer than most others on this list, you may want to listen to it in parts rather than beginning-to-end.

Level: Advanced

This speech is a perfect example of the mixture of casual and formal English . David Foster Wallace was an award-winning American writer who wrote about the culture of the U.S.

In this speech, he talks about the value of an education in liberal arts (general academic subjects, as opposed to technical/professional training). He believes that this kind of education teaches you how to think and think about others.

This is a good example of American English. Be aware that in some parts of the speech he also uses swear words (rude/offensive words) to create an emotional impact on the audience. This is very close to how people generally communicate with one another in daily life.

So, this speech is better for learning casual English even though it is a speech given at a university.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU_rn1xzItk

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Charlie Chaplin is generally known for his gestures and facial expressions. In this movie, he proves that he can use speech as well to inspire and entertain the viewers.

The movie “The Great Dictator” is a satire about the rise of authoritarian governments in Europe. The word “authoritarian” means a person or a government that believes in controlling others and does not believe in freedom.

In this speech, Charlie Chaplin copies Adolf Hitler , but his message is exactly the opposite of Hitler’s ideas.

The interesting thing about the speech is how Chaplin uses short sentences for the most impact . There is also a lot of repetition that makes it easy for the audience to follow the speech.

Chaplin uses the tone, rhythm and pitch of his voice to make the speech interesting instead of using varied words. Chaplin’s speech can be categorized as inspirational or motivational. It does not use formal words but neither is it casual or informal.

Oprah Winfrey is an American talk show host and actor who is known around the world for her interviews. In the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, she was awarded the Cecil B. deMille award .

Her speech at the award show is about many different topics related to American society. She is the first African American woman to be awarded the prize . She talks about how watching an African American celebrity get another big entertainment award many years ago changed her life.

She also talks about sexual assault and the search for justice in American society. The MeToo movement is the main subject of the speech.

Even though the speech is in formal English , Oprah is able to make it emotional and personal .

Learners should focus on how she uses chunking in her sentences . Chunking is the technique of grouping words (called chunks) in a sentence with a slight pause between every chunk. It also helps with intonation and the rhythm of speaking.

This is one of the most well-known speeches of the last century . Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the civil rights movement in the U.S. The movement demanded that people of different races should be treated equally. This speech summarized the main vision of the movement using metaphors and repetition .

The speech begins by referring to the “Emancipation Proclamation.”  The proclamation (official announcement) was an order by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 that freed many slaves in the U.S. Martin Luther King talks about this because most of the slaves were African Americans and it was their first step towards freedom.

Advanced learners can learn about the history and cultural conflicts of America through this speech. It is also a perfect example of the use of formal English to convince other people .

Some of the words used in this speech are no longer common in American English. “Negro” is often regarded as an insult and learners should use words like “African American” instead.

This speech, delivered by the 16th president of the U.S. (Abraham Lincoln, whom we just discussed above) is considered to be one of the best speeches in English .

Lincoln delivered this in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where many soldiers had died fighting a civil war. It was fought between Americans who wanted to ban slavery and people who did not. Lincoln was there to dedicate a graveyard to the soldiers.

In this speech, Lincoln reminds the people why this was an important war. He mentions that the U.S. was created on the values of liberty and equality. And this civil war was a test of whether a nation based on these values can last for long or not.

He honors the soldiers by saying that they have already “consecrated” the land for the people of America. (“To consecrate” means to make something sacred or holy.) He reminds the audience that they have to make sure that the idea of America as a nation of freedom continues so that the efforts of these soldiers are not wasted.

This is a very short speech . Learners can easily listen to it multiple times in a practice session. But only advanced learners can understand it since it has several difficult words in it. For instance, “score” is an outdated term used for the number 20. And when he mentions the word “fathers” in the first line he is actually referring to the leaders who had founded the country of America.

Even though Shashi Tharoor is not a native English speaker, his English is so fluent that he sounds like one. Learners from India will instantly recognize him because he is famous there for his English skills.

In this video, he is giving a speech as a part of a debate at Oxford University . He lists out arguments that support the idea that the U.K. should give reparations to its colonies. “Reparations” are payments to a country or community for some harm done to them. A colony is a region or a country that is controlled by another country by force.

Britain had a large number of colonies throughout the world between the 16th and 20th centuries. In this speech, Tharoor tries to convince his audience that the U.K. should give something for the damage they did to the countries they had colonized.

This is one of the finest examples of a formal speech in today’s English . Learners who want to go into academics can learn how to organize their arguments with evidence.

The speech is also great for vocabulary practice . Plus, Tharoor has deep knowledge of both the national history of the U.K. and the colonial history of India. Apart from the content of the speech, his way of speaking is also impressive and is similar to formal British English .

This speech is part of a play called “Julius Caesar”  written by William Shakespeare. The play is based on the life and murder of Caesar who was a leader of the Roman Empire. The speech is considered to be one of the finest pieces of English literature .

It is also one of the best examples of the use of rhetoric (the art of speaking and persuasion).

Mark Antony makes this speech after Caesar is killed by other leaders of the Roman Empire. Antony was a close friend of Caesar’s and here he tries to remind the people of Rome that Caesar was actually a good man. He has to convince the people that his murderers like Brutus are actually criminals. But he has to do so without directly blaming the murderers.

Advanced learners should know this speech mainly because of its cultural value.

Many words in this speech have been replaced by other words in today’s English. “Hath” is the older form of “has” or “had.” “Thou” has also been replaced by the word “you.”

So rather than memorizing the vocabulary, learners should focus on how Damian Lewis delivers the speech instead. The intonation, tone, pitch and rhythm is similar to the formal English used today. He is also good at conveying emotions through pauses and expressions.

If you keep watching videos of native speakers talking, you’ll get used to hearing how different people talk in English. After watching these speeches, you could look for more speeches or interviews on YouTube. 

A video-based immersion program can give you even more native speech to work with. FluentU , for example, features news clips and inspiring talks among its English language videos.

The best way to learn the art of speaking is to first copy great speakers. Try to speak the same words in a style that is natural and comfortable to you. These speeches in English are the perfect material to master it!

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Full Transcript of Kamala Harris’s Democratic Convention Speech

The vice president’s remarks lasted roughly 35 minutes on the final night of the convention in Chicago.

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By The New York Times

• Aug. 23, 2024

This is a transcript of Vice President Kamala Harris’s speech on Thursday night in which she formally accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency.

OK, let’s get to business. Let’s get to business. All right.

So, let me start by thanking my most incredible husband, Doug. For being an incredible partner to me, an incredible father to Cole and Ella, and happy anniversary, Dougie. I love you so very much.

To our president, Joe Biden. When I think about the path that we have traveled together, Joe, I am filled with gratitude. Your record is extraordinary, as history will show, and your character is inspiring. And Doug and I love you and Jill, and are forever thankful to you both.

And to Coach Tim Walz. You are going to be an incredible vice president. And to the delegates and everyone who has put your faith in our campaign, your support is humbling.

So, America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was, no doubt, unexpected. But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys. So, my mother, our mother, Shyamala Harris, had one of her own. And I miss her every day, and especially right now. And I know she’s looking down smiling. I know that.

So, my mother was 19 when she crossed the world alone, traveling from India to California with an unshakable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer.

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14 Famous Speeches by Women to Inspire and Motivate You

Rev › Blog › Transcription Blog › 14 Famous Speeches by Women to Inspire and Motivate You

Throughout history, women have reshaped society through the power of words. From Elizabeth I to Amanda Gorman, women’s voices have resonated through the centuries, pointing to potent truths and nudging humanity toward higher ground.

Today, it’s easier than ever to find transcripts and recordings of these transformative words — Rev’s transcript library has a wealth of them on file. If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some of the most famous speeches by women to get you started on your search.

1. Sojourner Truth — “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Sojourner Truth’s famous pre-Civil War speech “ Ain’t I a Woman? ” has cemented its place in U.S. history for a reason. An historic statement on both abolition and women’s rights, her comments at the Women’s Rights Convention of 1851 in Akron, Ohio, came after she escaped slavery. She may have ended with “old Sojourner ain’t got nothing more to say,” but her words still resonate in every call for equality for women and Black Americans today.

2. Malala Yousafzi — Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance

Malala Yousafzi was only 17 when she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, making her the youngest-ever recipient of the award. Her activism for every child to receive an education has been especially transformative for young girls in Pakistan.

“Let this be the last time that a girl or a boy spends their childhood in a factory,” she urged in her 2014 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech . “Let this be the last time that a girl is forced into early child marriage.”

Her vision hasn’t yet come true, and that means her words are still as important as ever.

3. Michelle Obama — On the Importance of Educating Girls and Gender Equality

In the summer of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, former First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at the 2020 Girl Up Leadership Summit , adding her voice to the calls for equal access to education for girls and young women. As it became obvious that the pandemic would only exacerbate injustices, Obama’s words were pointed and clear:

“When we give girls the chance to learn, we give them the opportunity to fulfill their potential, build healthier families, and contribute to their country’s economies for generations to come.”

4. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie — “We Should All Be Feminists”

Just a year before the Black Lives Matter movement called for specific language about Black equality, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie did the same for women’s rights. In her 2012 TedTalk “ We Should All Be Feminists ,” the Nigerian author exhorted listeners to speak clearly about the struggles of women, in particular, not just humans in general.

Her words were influential enough at the time, but they were soon immortalized when Beyoncé sampled them in her 2013 song, “Flawless.”

5. Hillary Clinton — “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights”

Early in her tenure as First Lady, Hillary Clinton gave one of the most famous female speeches — and an enduring statement on women’s rights. Speaking at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, she spoke out against worldwide injustices toward women, defying pressures to tone down her language.

“Now it is the time to act on behalf of women everywhere,” she declared. “If we take bold steps to better the lives of women, we will be taking bold steps to better the lives of children and families too.”

6. Emma Watson — HeForShe Campaign

She may have worked her way into pop culture as Hermoine Granger in the Harry Potter films, but Emma Watson proved with this speech she would do much more with her fame.

Speaking at the 2014 launch of the United Nations’ HeForShe Campaign , the actress and activist gave an impassioned plea for equal rights, urging men to join the fight on behalf of every woman. A decade later, her words have earned their rightful place among the most important calls for gender equality.

7. Susan B. Anthony — “On Women’s Right to Vote”

This far removed, it’s easy to forget how prolonged the struggle for women’s suffrage was. A right that seems obvious today only came to fruition after countless courageous women spoke out and called for change. Susan B. Anthony’s speech “ On Women’s Right to Vote ,” which she delivered many times when campaigning for women’s right to vote in the late 19th century, paved the way for the 19th Amendment decades before it was ratified.

Anthony’s most famous line is still often quoted today, and could apply to many other Civil Rights movements: “It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.”

8. Emmeline Pankhurst — “Freedom or Death”

The battle for voting rights was equally alive across the pond in the early 20th century. There, activists like Emmeline Pankhurst led the way. But in 1913, she spoke in the U.S. at Harvard University, imploring women to raise their voices as often and as loudly as possible. The only way to make change happen was to force those in power to choose between giving the powerless “ freedom or death .”

Women would vote for the first time in the U.K. just five years later, followed by U.S. women the next year.

9. Amanda Gorman — “The Hill We Climb”

Perhaps the most famous speech by a woman in the past few years, Amanda Gorman’s poem The Hill We Climb during President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021 is particularly memorable for its timing. Just a few weeks after an attempted insurrection and only a year into a deadly pandemic, America was dazed, weary, and uncertain.

Into that moment, Gorman’s voice reverberated with hope:

The loss we carry, a sea we must wade We’ve braved the belly of the beast We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace And the norms and notions of what just is Isn’t always just-ice And yet the dawn is ours

10. Maya Angelou — “On the Pulse of the Morning”

Before Amanda Gorman, there was Maya Angelou — the first Black woman to read a poem at a U.S. presidential inauguration. Her rhythmic, stately delivery at the Clinton inauguration in 1993 is now legendary. More than a poem, it riveted the crowd like a sermon, bringing together Biblical imagery, the spirit of jazz and blues, and Clinton’s uniquely Southern appeal.

In perhaps its most famous lines, “ On the Pulse of the Morning ” hearkened back to Martin Luther King, Jr .:

Lift up your eyes upon This day breaking for you. Give birth again To the dream.

11. Severn Suzuki — Speech to the UN Earth Summit in Rio

It’s not often that a 12-year-old captures the attention of a room full of politicians. Yet, Severn Suzuki’s speech to the United Nations earned her the title of “The Girl Who Silenced the World for Five Minutes.”

Speaking for the Environmental Children’s Organization (ECO) in 1992, a young Suzuki highlighted the devastation humans were causing to the planet in no uncertain terms. She took the mantle that far too many adults had forsaken, calling for harmony between words and action in the fight against climate change.

12. Greta Thunberg — UN Speech on Climate Change

Over 25 years later, a 16-year-old Great Thurnberg followed in Suzuki’s footsteps, speaking at the Climate Action Summit in 2019. With her chilling opening lines, “We’ll be watching you,” she vowed that a whole new generation of climate activists would hold those in power to account.

“People are suffering,” she went on. “People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!”

13. Brené Brown — “The Power of Vulnerability”

“ The Power of Vulnerability ” is the 2010 Houston Ted Talk that catapulted Brené Brown to popularity as a leading advocate for a different kind of leadership. In her view, instead of hiding weaknesses and shoring up power, leaders should embrace the power of openness and vulnerability.

As Brown put it, “We just need you to be authentic and real and say, ‘We’re sorry. We’ll fix it.’” That call to authenticity and responsibility still speaks to leaders of all stripes today.

14. Elizabeth I — The Tilbury Speech

When England faced the Spanish Armada in 1588, the outlook was grim. Many thought this small island nation didn’t stand a chance against the powerful forces of Spain, and an invasion seemed imminent. But Queen Elizabeth I gave a speech that set a different tone, paving the way for victory in the battle — and in the long-term war.

“I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman,” she said, “but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm.”

What Is the Most Famous Speech About Women’s Rights?

Sojourner Truth’s legendary “Ain’t I a Woman” speech stands out among the most famous historical speeches by women, given its context amid the rising tensions around slavery and growing discontent about the state of women’s rights in the U.S. Truth’s unique story as a former slave who rose to such prominence added immense weight to her words, and she laid the foundation not only for abolition but the women’s suffrage movement that followed.

Of course, there are countless women’s rights speeches on record, and each has had a powerful impact in its own right. Deciding on the most famous one depends largely on individual opinion and historical context.

Capture the Words of Famous Women Speakers To Come

These are just a few of the most famous speeches by women — and many others have inspired millions throughout history. Now, thanks to the power of automated transcription , it’s easier than ever to preserve these historic moments and pass them on to future generations. Tools like Rev’s AI transcription software can produce incredibly accurate speech-to-text renditions of memorable speeches, preserving every word to inspire millions more for decades to come.

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