Consistent vocal exercise can dramatically transform the clarity of your everyday speech. When I personally committed to the exercises I’ve outlined below, the quality of my voice completely changed in just a few months!
If you’re serious about wanting to speak more confidently and clearly let me walk you through three powerful exercises I still use myself to this day.
Vocal Exercise 1: Over-Articulate with a Book
The biggest issue most people face is mumbling. It happens because you’re not moving your mouth enough (in other words, you’re being lazy with your lips and tongue.)
Here’s what to do.
Grab any book. Set a timer for 3 to 4 minutes. Read the passage out loud, but this time, overdo your mouth movements. Stretch your lips. Use your tongue. Over ex-ag-ger-ate every syllable.
It will feel weird but that’s exactly why it works.
When you over-articulate during practice, your daily speech becomes clearer and more deliberate. The muscles in your face, lips, and tongue get stronger allowing you to shape the sound of your voice and speak with clarity in your everyday speech.
Vocal Exercise 2: Get “Volume for Free” with the Soft Palate
A lot of students tell me, “Vinh, every time I try to speak louder, I lose my voice.” That’s because they’re pushing volume from their throat.
Volume should never feel forced and you shouldn’t have to strain to project your voice.
To fix this, you need to understand something called the soft palate. It’s the part of your mouth behind the hard ridge behind your upper teeth (slide your thumb along the roof of your mouth you’ll feel it).
When you keep the soft palate open, your voice resonates properly. You get more volume without working harder. I call this volume for free.
Try this:
- Start by making a yawning type sound. Feel that lift in the back of your mouth? That’s your soft palate rising.
- Now say “ahhhhhhhhhh” as if you’re yawning while speaking. You’ll notice it sounds open, rich, and resonant.
- Do it ten times. Just “yawn… ahhh.” You’ll feel the difference.
The more aware you become of the soft palate, the easier it is to control your vocal power and volume. You’ll stop speaking from your throat, and start speaking from your whole body.
Vocal Exercise 3: Lip Trills for Breath Control
This one’s simple, but it builds incredible breath awareness.
Take a deep breath in and do a lip trill (like a vibrating horse sound) for as long as you can. Hold one pitch. Go until you run out of air.
Once that becomes easy, try doing it to music. Choose your favourite song and trill along to the melody.
This exercise relaxes your vocal cords, improves breath control, and gets your voice warmed up fast. It’s also a fun way to discover where your breath needs work.
Key Takeaway
When your soft palate is open, your lips are active, and your breath is controlled, your voice becomes more than just sound. It becomes a tool of influence.
You’re no longer whispering words into the wind, you’re speaking with confidence and clarity from a place of control, energy, and confidence.
