Mumbling is when you don’t speak clearly or loudly enough, and it can be difficult for whomever you are speaking to, to hear your words and understand what you are saying. It’s a common issue that can make you appear less confident and authoritative, or cause communication issues at work and in social situations.
No one wants this, so read this blog to find out how to enunciate better, stop mumbling, articulate better and speak more clearly in all areas of life - both in the workspace and at home.
When a person mumbles, it can seem as though they don’t want to be heard, that they are in some way apologising for speaking. Or worse, that they are ashamed of what they are saying. And we never want that to happen!
Communicating is about sending your breath, your unique voice and your ideas into the world and letting them claim their rightful space. But don't be too hard on yourself if you mumble. Instead, decide here and now that when you speak, you’ll speak to be heard, and speak with confidence - because you believe in what you're saying.
Here are five great tips on how to enunciate better to help you stop mumbling and speak with clarity and confidence:
1. The power of intention
Set your eyes on whatever is three metres in front of you right now - whether it’s a wall, a chair or a tree. Now try and send your words crisply and clearly over to it. You can practice in your bedroom, and you'll find that just by sending your intention a little further, you'll crisp up those sounds in no time.
2. Train your mouth muscles
One tool to speak more clearly is to train your mouth muscles so that you enunciate better. It takes some practice, but this simple exercise will help your muscles get into gear and work a little harder for you. Put the knuckle of your thumb in your mouth and bite down gently. Then, using any reading material you have, read out loud and speak as clearly as you can. Do this for at least a minute a day and you'll notice straight away after doing it how much clearer you sound.
Team this up with improving your vocal charisma and your speech will be much clearer and more engaging.
3. Practise tongue twisters
A lot of mumbling is about not having enough muscular energy inside the mouth, which results in sloppy consonants. This exercise involves practising tongue twisters – focusing not on saying them quickly, but clearly. If you make the consonants pop, sizzle and snap, mumbling will soon be a thing of the past.
4. Warm up your tongue
Take time for a daily tongue warm up. Your tongue is mainly muscle and is responsible for articulating the sounds you make. Therefore, if it's lazy, it needs to do the tongue-equivalent of 20 press-ups!
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Swish your tongue clockwise around your mouth in front of your teeth, five times one way and five times the other way.
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Now push it against your finger and push back with your finger. This little battle will strengthen your tongue no end.
Read this blog for how to warm up your voice like a professional.
5. Use a mantra to boost your confidence
Find a mantra for propelling your voice forward. It may be a single line, like “Because I deserve to be heard”. Whatever it is, use it to bolster your confidence when speaking and have it to hand in situations that make you mumble, and say it to yourself before you speak.
Select which exercises work best for you - or try all of them - then say goodbye to mumbling, and hello to proper enunciation and more effective communication. Good luck and enjoy!
If you think your accent may be muddling your speech and making it hard to be understood, our bespoke 1:1 Accent Softening course is perfect for you. To get started, book a free 15-minute Discovery Call to discuss your challenges, goals and budget with our Client Success team.
