Quiet! My Ears Can’t Take It!

Speaking too loudly is often a sign of hearing loss. If you find that people are wincing when you speak or shushing you on a regular basis, you should consider seeing a doctor. The solution may be as simple as having your ears cleaned out.

Slow Down! It's Not the Grand Prix.

Close to 70 percent of the respondents in the Gallup Poll couldn't stand it when people spoke too fast. Asking someone to constantly repeat what she said is not fun. You may find people snapping at you because they are frustrated by not being able to understand what you are saying. To slow down your speech is to draw out your vowel sounds for approximately one second.

Swallow Already!

If you are listening intensely to someone, you might forget to swallow, and therefore you will drool. Another casualty of not swallowing is ugly spittle that builds up in the corners of your mouth. Both of these conditions gross people out, so it is important to be conscious or mindful of swallowing your saliva on a consistent basis.
Swallow whenever you take in a sip of air before you begin speaking. Sipping water on a consistent basis (especially when your mouth is dry) can often remind you to swallow. Mints are also effective in helping you to swallow on a regular basis, so don't leave home without them.

Say It—Don't Spray It!

Have you ever talked to someone and felt that you needed a raincoat? He spit and sprayed his saliva all over you. If you yourself do this, help is on the way. This may be a casualty of not swallowing your saliva on a consistent basis or having over-active salivary glands. They might also bear down hard on the back portion of your tongue muscles, which in turn press on the salivary gland, thereby causing your saliva to squirt out. You might also do this because of ill-fitting dentures, wearing braces, or having new crowns. In any case, relax your tongue muscles each time you speak. Swallow your excess saliva after you finish speaking, and make yourself take another breath before you continue speaking.

Vowel Control

Vowels are the meat of your speech. They are produced by selectively changing the size and shape of the oral cavity. Here is a spoken exercise to help you with your vowel pronunciation.
• beet bit bet bat bought but
• boast boot ee ih eh ah aw uh o oo

Kicking Key Consonants

Lisping children may be adorable. But as we discussed in the last chapter, studies have shown that people perceive adults who lisp their s or r sounds (with the exception of a regional or foreign dialect) as not being very bright.
Adult lispers are often made fun of. Those who lisp tend to be perceived as weaker and less intelligent than those who don’t lisp. As I have seen throughout the years in my private practice, this can affect one’s social and business standing.
Some lisping is due to ill-fitting crowns, dentures, braces or other dental appliances, missing teeth, spaces between the teeth, or the position of the jaw. Other causes of lisping are significant underbites or overbites. If this applies to you, consult an orthodontist immediately. On the other hand, lisping may be due to poor tongue placement. To make a proper s sound, place the tip of your tongue against your lower teeth, slightly open your jaw, and push out the hissing air. To make a proper r sound, curl the tip of your tongue all the way back to the roof of your mouth.
Consonants are produced by the positions of the tongue, lips, teeth, and the back of the throat. The following exercises will help improve your consonant pronunciation. Repeat them in rapid succession in the order listed here:

• Lips: pa pa pa ba ba ba ma ma ma wa wa wa
• Lower lip against teeth: fa fa fa va va va
• Tongue between teeth: the the the thin thin thin
• Tongue tip against back of upper teeth: ta ta ta na na na da da da la la la
• Tongue tip against back of lower teeth: sa sa sa za za za
• Tongue tip against roof of mouth: cha cha cha sha sha sha ja ja ja ra ra ra
• Tongue tip against back of throat: ka ka ka ga ga ga ung ung ung

Tasting Your Sounds

Too many of us slur our words, mumble, and mispronounce our sounds, such as leaving the “ings” off words (such as with “coming” or “going”).
As a result, we are often misunderstood or end up making those listening to us feel uncomfortable. The Gallup Poll verified this: over 63 percent of people found these characteristics annoying.