persuasive speech free

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics for Students in 2024

April 1, 2024

Do you know that moment in your favorite film, when the soundtrack begins to swell and the main character stands up and delivers a speech so rousing, so impassioned, it has the entire room either weeping or cheering by the time it concludes? What distinguishes the effectiveness of such a speech is not only the protagonist’s stellar delivery but also the compelling nature of the subject matter at hand. Choosing an effective persuasive speech topic is essential for guaranteeing that your future speech or essay is as moving as these . If this sounds like a tall order, have no fear. Below you’ll find a list of some of the best and most interesting persuasive speech topics for high school students to tackle, from the playful (“Pets for President”) to the serious (“Should We Stop AI from Replacing Human Workers?”).

And if you’re craving more inspiration, feel free to check out this list of Great Debate Topics , which can be used to generate further ideas.

What is a Good Persuasive Speech?

Before we get to the list, we must address the question on everyone’s minds: what is a persuasive speech, and what the heck makes for a good persuasive speech topic? A persuasive speech is a speech that aims to convince its listeners of a particular point of view . At the heart of each persuasive speech is a central conflict . Note: The persuasive speech stands in contrast to a simple informative speech, which is intended purely to convey information. (I.e., an informative speech topic might read: “The History of Making One’s Bed,” while a persuasive speech topic would be: “Why Making One’s Bed is a Waste of Time”—understand?)

And lest you think that persuasive speeches are simply assigned by your teachers as a particularly cruel form of torture, remember that practicing your oratory skills will benefit you in all areas of life—from job interviews, to business negotiations, to your future college career in public policy or international relations . Knowing how to use your voice to enact meaningful change is a valuable skill that can empower you to make a difference in the world.

Components of a Great Persuasive Speech Topic

The ideal persuasive speech topic will inspire the audience to action via both logical arguments and emotional appeals. As such, we can summarize the question “what makes a good persuasive speech topic?” by saying that the topic must possess the following qualities:

• Timeliness and Relevance . Great persuasive speech topics grapple with a contemporary issue that is meaningful to the listener at hand. The topic might be a current news item, or it might be a long-standing social issue. In either case, the topic should be one with real-world implications.
• Complexity . A fruitful persuasive speech topic will have many facets. Topics that are controversial, with some gray area, lend themselves to a high degree of critical thinking. They also offer the speaker an opportunity to consider and refute all counterarguments before making a compelling case for his or her own position.
• Evidence . You want to be able to back up your argument with clear evidence from reputable sources (i.e., not your best friend or dog). The more evidence and data you can gather, the more sound your position will be. In addition, your audience will be more inclined to trust you.
• Personal Connection. Do you feel passionately about the topic you’ve chosen? If not, it may be time to go back to the drawing board. This does not mean you have to support the side you choose; sometimes, arguing for the opposing side of what you personally believe can be an effective exercise in building empathy and perspective. Either way, though, the key is to select a topic that you care deeply about. Your passion will be infectious to the audience.

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should tech companies regulate the development of AI systems and automation to protect humans’ jobs?
• Should we limit screen time for children?
• Is it ethical for AI models like Dall-E to train themselves on artists’ work without the artists’ permission?
• Should the government regulate the use of personal drones?
• Is mass surveillance ethical? Does its threat to civil liberties outweigh its benefits?
• Are virtual reality experiences a valuable educational tool?
• Do the positive effects of powerful AI systems outweigh the risks?
• Do voice assistants like Siri and Alexa invade individuals’ privacy?
• Are cell phone bans in the classroom effective for improving student learning?
• Does the use of facial recognition technology in public violate individuals’ privacy?
• Should students be allowed to use ChatGPT and other AI tools for writing assignments?
• Should AI-generated art be allowed in art shows or contests?
• Who holds responsibility for accidents caused by self-driving cars: the driver or the car company?

Business and Economy

• Should we do away with the minimum wage? Why or why not?
• Is it ethical for companies to use unpaid internships as a source of labor?
• Does the gig economy benefit or harm workers?
• Is capitalism the best economic system?
• Is it ethical for companies to use sweatshops in developing countries?
• Should the government provide free healthcare for all citizens?
• Should the government regulate prices on pharmaceutical drugs?
• Should the government enact a universal base income?
• Should customers be required to tip a minimum amount in order to ensure food service workers make a living wage?
• Should someone’s tattoos or personal appearance factor into the hiring process?
• Should US workers have more vacation time?
• Is big game hunting beneficial for local communities?
• Should we legalize euthanasia?
• Is it ethical to use animals for medical research?
• Is it ethical to allow access to experimental treatments for terminally ill patients?
• Should we allow genetic engineering in humans?
• Is the death penalty obsolete?
• Should we allow the cloning of humans?
• Is it ethical to allow performance-enhancing drugs in sports?
• Should embryonic stem cell collection be allowed?
• Do frozen IVF embryos have rights?
• Should state and federal investigators be allowed to use DNA from genealogy databases?
• Should the government limit how many children a couple can have?
• Is spanking children an acceptable form of discipline?
• Should we allow parents to choose their children’s physical attributes through genetic engineering?
• Should we require parents to vaccinate their children?
• Should we require companies to give mandatory paternal and maternal leave?
• Should children be allowed to watch violent movies and video games?
• Should parents allow their teenagers to drink before they turn 21?
• Should the government provide childcare?
• Should telling your children about Santa Claus be considered lying?
• Should one parent stay home?
• Should parental consent be required for minors to receive birth control?
• Is it an invasion of privacy for parents to post photographs of their children on social media?

Social Media

• Should social media platforms ban political ads?
• Do the benefits of social media outweigh the downsides?
• Should the government hold social media companies responsible for hate speech on their platforms?
• Is social media making us more or less social?
• Do platforms like TikTok exacerbate mental health issues in teens?
• Should the government regulate social media to protect citizens’ privacy?
• Is it right for parents to monitor their children’s social media accounts?
• Should social media companies enact a minimum user age restriction?
• Should we require social media companies to protect user data?
• Should we hold social media companies responsible for cyberbullying?
• Should schools ban the use of social media from their networks?
• Should we be allowed to record others without their consent?
• Do online crime sleuths help or hurt criminal investigations?

Education – Persuasive Speech Topics 

• Would trade schools and other forms of vocational training benefit a greater number of students than traditional institutions of higher education?
• Should colleges use standardized testing in their admissions processes?
• Is forcing students to say the Pledge a violation of their right to freedom of speech?
• Should school districts offer bilingual education programs for non-native speakers?
• Should schools do away with their physical education requirements?
• Should schools incorporate a remote learning option into their curriculum?
• Should we allow school libraries to ban certain books?
• Should we remove historical figures who owned slaves from school textbooks and other educational materials?
• Should we have mixed-level classrooms or divide students according to ability?
• Should grading on a curve be allowed?
• Should graphic novels be considered literature?
• Should all students have to take financial literacy classes before graduating?
• Should colleges pay student athletes?
• Should we ban violent contact sports like boxing and MMA?
• Should sports leagues require professional athletes to stand during the national anthem?
• Should sports teams ban players like Kyrie Irving when they spread misinformation or hate speech?
• Should high schools require their athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
• Should the Olympic committee allow transgender athletes to compete?
• Should high schools ban football due to its safety risks to players?
• Should all high school students be required to play a team sport?
• Should sports teams be mixed instead of single-gender?
• Should there be different athletic standards for men and women?
• In which renewable energy option would the US do best to invest?
• Should the US prioritize space exploration over domestic initiatives?
• Should companies with a high carbon footprint be punished?
• Should the FDA ban GMOs?
• Would the world be a safer place without nuclear weapons?
• Does AI pose a greater threat to humanity than it does the potential for advancement?
• Who holds the most responsibility for mitigating climate change: individuals or corporations?
• Should we be allowed to resurrect extinct species?
• Are cancer screening programs ethical?

Social Issues – Persuasive Speech Topics

• College education: should the government make it free for all?
• Should we provide free healthcare for undocumented immigrants?
• Is physician-assisted suicide morally justifiable?
• Does social media have a negative impact on democracy?
• Does cancel culture impede free speech?
• Does affirmative action help or hinder minority groups in the workplace?
• Should we hold public figures and celebrities to a higher standard of morality?
• Should abortion be an issue that is decided at the federal or state level?
• Should the sex offender registry be available to the public?
• Should undocumented immigrants have a path to amnesty?
• Do syringe services programs reduce or increase harmful behaviors?
• Should there be a statute of limitations?
• Should those who are convicted of a crime be required to report their criminal history on job and housing applications?

Politics and Government

• Is the Electoral College still an effective way to elect the President of the US?
• Should we allow judges to serve on the Supreme Court indefinitely?
• Should the US establish a national gun registry?
• Countries like Israel and China require all citizens to serve in the military. Is this a good or bad policy?
• Should the police force require all its officers to wear body cameras while on duty?
• Should the US invest in the development of clean meat as a sustainable protein source?
• Should the US adopt ranked-choice voting?
• Should institutions that profited from slavery provide reparations?
• Should the government return land to Native American tribes?
• Should there be term limits for representatives and senators?
• Should there be an age limit for presidential candidates?
• Should women be allowed in special forces units?

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should schools have uniforms?
• Can video games improve problem-solving skills?
• Are online classes as effective as in-person classes?
• Should companies implement a four-day work week?
• Co-ed learning versus single-sex: which is more effective?
• Should the school day start later?
• Is homework an effective teaching tool?
• Are electric cars really better for the environment?
• Should schools require all students to study a foreign language?
• Do professional athletes get paid too much money?

Fun Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should we allow pets to run for public office?
• Does pineapple belong on pizza?
• Would students benefit from schools swapping out desks with more comfortable seating arrangements (i.e., bean bag chairs and couches)?
• Is procrastination the key to success?
• Should Americans adopt British accents to sound more intelligent?
• The age-old dilemma: cats or dogs?
• Should meme creators receive royalties when their memes go viral?
• Should there be a minimum drinking age for coffee?
• Are people who make their beds every day more successful than those who don’t?

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

• Is the movie ranking system an effective way to evaluate the appropriateness of films?
• Should the government place a “health tax” on junk food?
• Is it ethical to create artificial life forms that are capable of complex emotions?
• Should parents let children choose their own names?
• Creating clones of ourselves to serve as organ donors: ethical or not?
• Is it ethical to engineer humans to be better and more optimized than nature intended?
• Should we adopt a universal language to communicate with people from all countries?
• Should there be a penalty for people who don’t vote?
• Should calories be printed on menus?
• Does tourism positively or negatively impact local communities?
• When used by non-Natives, are dreamcatchers cultural appropriation?
• Should companies require their employees to specify pronouns in their signature line?
• Should commercial fishing be banned?
• Are cemeteries sustainable?
• Is it okay to change the race, culture, and/or gender of historical figures in movies or TV shows?

I’ve Chosen My Topic, Now What?

Once you’ve selected your topic, it’s time to get to work crafting your argument. Preparation for a persuasive speech or essay involves some key steps, which we’ve outlined for you below.

How to Create a Successful Persuasive Speech, Step by Step

• Research your topic. Read widely and smartly. Stick to credible sources, such as peer-reviewed articles, published books, government reports, textbooks, and news articles. The right sources and data will be necessary to help you establish your authority. As you go, take notes on the details and nuances of your topic as well as potential counterarguments. Research the counterarguments, too.
• Choose an angle. For example, if you chose the topic “Should we limit screen time for children?” your speech should come down firmly on one side of that debate. If your topic is frequently debated, such as abortion, capital punishment, gun control, social media, etc. try to find a niche angle or new research. For example, instead of “Should abortion be legal?” you might consider “Should you be able to order abortion pills online?” Another example: “Should the death penalty be banned?” might become “How long is it ethical for someone to stay on death row?” If you do some digging, even the most cliche topics have incredibly interesting and relatively unexplored sub-topics.
• Create an outline. Your outline should include an introduction with a thesis statement, a body that uses evidence to elaborate and support your position while refuting any counterarguments, and a conclusion. The conclusion will both summarize the points made earlier and serve as your final chance to persuade your audience.
• Write your speech. Use your outline to help you as well as the data you’ve collected. Remember: this is not dry writing; this writing has a point of view, and that point of view is yours . Accordingly, use anecdotes and examples to back up your argument. The essential components of this speech are logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion) . The ideal speech will use all three of these functions to engage the audience.

How to Practice and Deliver a Persuasive Speech

• Talk to yourself in the mirror, record yourself, and/or hold a practice speech for family or friends. If you’ll be using visual cues, a slide deck, or notecards, practice incorporating them seamlessly into your speech. You should practice until your speech feels very familiar, at least 5-10 times.
• Practice body language. Are you making eye contact with your audience, or looking at the ground? Crossing your arms over your chest or walking back and forth across the room? Playing with your hair, cracking your knuckles, or picking at your clothes? Practicing what to do with your body, face, and hands will help you feel more confident on speech day.
• Take it slow. It’s common to talk quickly while delivering a speech—most of us want to get it over with! However, your audience will be able to connect with you much more effectively if you speak at a moderate pace, breathe, and pause when appropriate.
• Give yourself grace. How you recover from a mistake is much more important than the mistake itself. Typically, the best approach is to good-naturedly shrug off a blip and move on. 99% of the time, your audience won’t even notice!

Good Persuasive Speech Topics—Final Thoughts

The art of persuasive speaking is a tricky one, but the tips and tricks laid out here will help you craft a compelling argument that will sway even the most dubious audience to your side. Mastering this art takes both time and practice, so don’t fret if it doesn’t come to you right away. Remember to draw upon your sources, speak with authority, and have fun. Once you have the skill of persuasive speaking down, go out there and use your voice to impact change!

Looking for some hot-button topics in college admissions? You might consider checking out the following:

• Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
• Should I Apply Test-Optional to College?
• Should I Waive My Right to See Letters of Recommendation?
• Should I Use the Common App Additional Information Section?
• High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

• 2-Year Colleges
• Application Strategies
• Best Colleges by Major
• Best Colleges by State
• Big Picture
• Career & Personality Assessment
• College Essay
• College Search/Knowledge
• College Success
• Costs & Financial Aid
• Dental School Admissions
• Extracurricular Activities
• Graduate School Admissions
• High Schools
• Law School Admissions
• Medical School Admissions
• Navigating the Admissions Process
• Online Learning
• Private High School Spotlight
• Summer Program Spotlight
• Summer Programs
• Test Prep Provider Spotlight

“Innovative and invaluable…use this book as your college lifeline.”

— Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Nationally Recognized College Expert

College Planning in Your Inbox

Join our information-packed monthly newsletter.

Free Persuasive Speech Generator

• ✅ 6 Benefits of the Tool

💬 What Is Persuasive Speech?

📍 how to write a persuasive speech, 💡 top 20 persuasive speech topics, 📝 4 world-famous persuasive speech examples, 🔗 references.

Do you have a pending persuasive speech assignment but need some push to help you do it perfectly? No worries; you can use our persuasive speech generator to create informative speeches quickly.

The free automatic AI generator is one of the best to boost your speech writing on any topic.

✅ 6 Benefits of This Persuasive Speech Generator

How can this instant generator benefit your speech-writing efforts?

Our tool has many benefits, but we focus on the 6 most important ones:

As the name suggests, a persuasive speech influences listeners’ behavior, attitudes, beliefs, and values.

In this speech, a speaker seeks a favorable response that aligns with their convictions or position on a matter.

An orator uses arguments to convince their audience to see a particular issue from their preferred perspective. Convincing arguments incorporate different elements to urge listeners to favor a speaker’s stand.

They follow a three-prong strategy incorporating:

A claim is a statement requiring support through evidence. Your speech should also include a thesis statement, your speech’s overarching idea from which other smaller ideas spring.

Informative vs. Persuasive Speech

An informative speech differs from a persuasive one in many ways.

So, how do you write a great persuasive speech that makes listeners adopt your preferred position on a matter?

Below are steps to drafting a great convincing speech.

Know Your Audience

Start by familiarizing yourself with your listeners before moving by knowing their needs, tastes, and ability to understand your desired topic.

This way, you will be better positioned to customize your speech to suit their needs and not parade your vast knowledge.

Familiarize Yourself with Your Topic

Get to know your topic to ensure it suits your audience’s needs. If you aren’t familiar with the topic, research it thoroughly to present your readers with facts.

This way, you will be better positioned to present your listeners with sufficient facts to persuade them.

Determine Your Speech’s Goal

A speech is not only about organizing facts in a logical manner; it is usually meant to persuade the audience and deliver a specific message across .

You, as a speaker, should focus on that message and find appropriate means to get it across.

Select the Best Persuasive Approach

Determine the best approach to persuade your listeners. You may lean on either ethos, logos, or pathos to achieve your desired goal. You can also use all of these approaches.

The final selection will depend on your audience.

Outline Your Key Ideas

You need to outline your best points before presenting them to your audience.

This way, you are better placed to know which argument to present first and last.

Start on a Strong Footing

You must begin your speech with a strong, attractive hook to capture your audience’s attention.

Your opening needs a catchy title that whets your audience’s appetite to listen to your speech.

Give Convincing Evidence

Your speech’s main body should include the points you want to use to convince listeners to side with your position.

Give your audience convincing examples and reasons to buy into your perspective.

Address Counter-arguments

Don’t forget to address opposing arguments because others have a right to hold contrary views and not accept your point right away.

While this may not be necessary, you can bolster your case by anticipating and discussing opposing views.

Finish with a Call to Action

Since you defined your speech’s goal, don’t forget to make a relevant call to action .

Remember, this part is like your landing pad.

Below are carefully selected persuasive speech topics to inspire you.

• Martial arts benefit the mind.
• Competitive sports have many mental benefits.
• Games have many positive social benefits.
• Make community service mandatory for college graduation.
• Traits that make up real heroes.
• Letter grades should be replaced with pass or fail .
• The real secret to success.
• Public libraries should filter internet pornography .
• Video games promote violence.
• Should abortions be illegal as a form of homicide ?
• Dirty music promotes immorality.
• Beauty pageants for children should be banned .
• Parents should spend more time with their children.
• Why junk food should cost more than healthy food .
• Tablets are better than laptops.
• Why should there be a four-day workweek ?
• Ban school uniforms.
• The internet should remain open source .
• Security cameras violate privacy.
• Vote by mail: should it be allowed ?

Below are the top four world-famous persuasive speeches to get inspiration from.

I Have a Dream by MLK

This speech embodies the black community’s search for equality. Martin Luther King voiced his opposition to the segregation against Africans when white supremacists sought to keep Africans in inferior positions using the backdoor. The leader envisioned a society where equality would replace racial discrimination.

Ain’t I A Woman by Sojourner Truth

This speech by an African woman embodied the quest for equal human rights during the season when oppression and slavery were at their peak. Truth was one of the leading advocates who fought for women’s rights in the 19th century. She delivered this speech at an 1851 Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.

I Am Prepared to Die by Nelson Mandela

This Nelson Mandela speech echoes the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa. Mandela risked his life to fight state-sponsored discrimination against Africans. Mandela was prepared to die for this just cause.

The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

This famous speech by the son of a Kenyan student who made it to become a US President shows the power of transformational hope. The speech is based on Obama’s focus on patriotic optimism and determination as change catalysts. This speech catapulted him into the limelight and led to his popular election as America’s first black and youngest president.

❓ Persuasive Speech Generator FAQ

Updated: Oct 25th, 2023

• What Is Persuasive Speech? (Plus 10 Tips for Creating One)
• Persuasive Speaking
• 100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students
• How to Write a Persuasive Speech: 13 Steps (with Pictures)
• Persuasive Speech Types & Features
• Persuasive Speaking – Speak Out, Call In
• Free Essays
• Writing Tools
• Lit. Guides
• Donate a Paper
• Referencing Guides
• Free Textbooks
• Tongue Twisters
• Job Openings
• Expert Application
• Video Contest
• Writing Scholarship
• Discount Codes
• IvyPanda Shop
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Cookies Policy
• Copyright Principles
• DMCA Request
• Service Notice

This free AI-powered persuasive speech generator will quickly create a sample speech for you. All you need to do is add the necessary details so that the result matches your requirements. Moreover, on this page, you’ll learn what a persuasive speech is and how to write one quickly.

My Speech Class

Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

How to Write an Outline for a Persuasive Speech, with Examples

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Persuasive speeches are one of the three most used speeches in our daily lives. Persuasive speech is used when presenters decide to convince their presentation or ideas to their listeners. A compelling speech aims to persuade the listener to believe in a particular point of view. One of the most iconic examples is Martin Luther King’s ‘I had a dream’ speech on the 28th of August 1963.

In this article:

What is Persuasive Speech?

Here are some steps to follow:, persuasive speech outline, final thoughts.

Persuasive speech is a written and delivered essay to convince people of the speaker’s viewpoint or ideas. Persuasive speaking is the type of speaking people engage in the most. This type of speech has a broad spectrum, from arguing about politics to talking about what to have for dinner. Persuasive speaking is highly connected to the audience, as in a sense, the speaker has to meet the audience halfway.

Persuasive Speech Preparation

Persuasive speech preparation doesn’t have to be difficult, as long as you select your topic wisely and prepare thoroughly.

1. Select a Topic and Angle

Come up with a controversial topic that will spark a heated debate, regardless of your position. This could be about anything. Choose a topic that you are passionate about. Select a particular angle to focus on to ensure that your topic isn’t too broad. Research the topic thoroughly, focussing on key facts, arguments for and against your angle, and background.

2. Define Your Persuasive Goal

Once you have chosen your topic, it’s time to decide what your goal is to persuade the audience. Are you trying to persuade them in favor of a certain position or issue? Are you hoping that they change their behavior or an opinion due to your speech? Do you want them to decide to purchase something or donate money to a cause? Knowing your goal will help you make wise decisions about approaching writing and presenting your speech.

3. Analyze the Audience

Understanding your audience’s perspective is critical anytime that you are writing a speech. This is even more important when it comes to a persuasive speech because not only are you wanting to get the audience to listen to you, but you are also hoping for them to take a particular action in response to your speech. First, consider who is in the audience. Consider how the audience members are likely to perceive the topic you are speaking on to better relate to them on the subject. Grasp the obstacles audience members face or have regarding the topic so you can build appropriate persuasive arguments to overcome these obstacles.

Can We Write Your Speech?

Get your audience blown away with help from a professional speechwriter. Free proofreading and copy-editing included.

4. Build an Effective Persuasive Argument

Once you have a clear goal, you are knowledgeable about the topic and, have insights regarding your audience, you will be ready to build an effective persuasive argument to deliver in the form of a persuasive speech. 

Start by deciding what persuasive techniques are likely to help you persuade your audience. Would an emotional and psychological appeal to your audience help persuade them? Is there a good way to sway the audience with logic and reason? Is it possible that a bandwagon appeal might be effective?

5. Outline Your Speech

Once you know which persuasive strategies are most likely to be effective, your next step is to create a keyword outline to organize your main points and structure your persuasive speech for maximum impact on the audience.

Start strong, letting your audience know what your topic is, why it matters and, what you hope to achieve at the end of your speech. List your main points, thoroughly covering each point, being sure to build the argument for your position and overcome opposing perspectives. Conclude your speech by appealing to your audience to act in a way that will prove that you persuaded them successfully. Motivation is a big part of persuasion.

6. Deliver a Winning Speech

Select appropriate visual aids to share with your audiences, such as graphs, photos, or illustrations. Practice until you can deliver your speech confidently. Maintain eye contact, project your voice and, avoid using filler words or any form of vocal interference. Let your passion for the subject shine through. Your enthusiasm may be what sways the audience. 

Topic: What topic are you trying to persuade your audience on?

Specific Purpose:  

Central idea:

• Attention grabber – This is potentially the most crucial line. If the audience doesn’t like the opening line, they might be less inclined to listen to the rest of your speech.
• Thesis – This statement is used to inform the audience of the speaker’s mindset and try to get the audience to see the issue their way.
• Qualifications – Tell the audience why you are qualified to speak about the topic to persuade them.

After the introductory portion of the speech is over, the speaker starts presenting reasons to the audience to provide support for the statement. After each reason, the speaker will list examples to provide a factual argument to sway listeners’ opinions.

• Example 1 – Support for the reason given above.
• Example 2 – Support for the reason given above.

The most important part of a persuasive speech is the conclusion, second to the introduction and thesis statement. This is where the speaker must sum up and tie all of their arguments into an organized and solid point.

• Summary: Briefly remind the listeners why they should agree with your position.
• Memorable ending/ Audience challenge: End your speech with a powerful closing thought or recommend a course of action.
• Thank the audience for listening.

Persuasive Speech Outline Examples

Topic: Walking frequently can improve both your mental and physical health.

Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience to start walking to improve their health.

Central idea: Regular walking can improve your mental and physical health.

Life has become all about convenience and ease lately. We have dishwashers, so we don’t have to wash dishes by hand with electric scooters, so we don’t have to paddle while riding. I mean, isn’t it ridiculous?

Today’s luxuries have been welcomed by the masses. They have also been accused of turning us into passive, lethargic sloths. As a reformed sloth, I know how easy it can be to slip into the convenience of things and not want to move off the couch. I want to persuade you to start walking.

Americans lead a passive lifestyle at the expense of their own health.

• This means that we spend approximately 40% of our leisure time in front of the TV.
• Ironically, it is also reported that Americans don’t like many of the shows that they watch.
• Today’s studies indicate that people were experiencing higher bouts of depression than in the 18th and 19th centuries, when work and life were considered problematic.
• The article reports that 12.6% of Americans suffer from anxiety, and 9.5% suffer from severe depression.
• Present the opposition’s claim and refute an argument.
• Nutritionist Phyllis Hall stated that we tend to eat foods high in fat, which produces high levels of cholesterol in our blood, which leads to plaque build-up in our arteries.
• While modifying our diet can help us decrease our risk for heart disease, studies have indicated that people who don’t exercise are at an even greater risk.

In closing, I urge you to start walking more. Walking is a simple, easy activity. Park further away from stores and walk. Walk instead of driving to your nearest convenience store. Take 20 minutes and enjoy a walk around your neighborhood. Hide the TV remote, move off the couch and, walk. Do it for your heart.

Thank you for listening!

Topic: Less screen time can improve your sleep.

Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience to stop using their screens two hours before bed.

Central idea: Ceasing electronics before bed will help you achieve better sleep.

Who doesn’t love to sleep? I don’t think I have ever met anyone who doesn’t like getting a good night’s sleep. Sleep is essential for our bodies to rest and repair themselves.

I love sleeping and, there is no way that I would be able to miss out on a good night’s sleep.

As someone who has had trouble sleeping due to taking my phone into bed with me and laying in bed while entertaining myself on my phone till I fall asleep, I can say that it’s not the healthiest habit, and we should do whatever we can to change it.

• Our natural blue light source is the sun.
• Bluelight is designed to keep us awake.
• Bluelight makes our brain waves more active.
• We find it harder to sleep when our brain waves are more active.
• Having a good night’s rest will improve your mood.
• Being fully rested will increase your productivity.

Using electronics before bed will stimulate your brainwaves and make it more difficult for you to sleep. Bluelight tricks our brains into a false sense of daytime and, in turn, makes it more difficult for us to sleep. So, put down those screens if you love your sleep!

Thank the audience for listening

A persuasive speech is used to convince the audience of the speaker standing on a certain subject. To have a successful persuasive speech, doing the proper planning and executing your speech with confidence will help persuade the audience of your standing on the topic you chose. Persuasive speeches are used every day in the world around us, from planning what’s for dinner to arguing about politics. It is one of the most widely used forms of speech and, with proper planning and execution, you can sway any audience.

How to Write the Most Informative Essay

How to Craft a Masterful Outline of Speech

Leave a Comment

I accept the Privacy Policy

Reach out to us for sponsorship opportunities

Vivamus integer non suscipit taciti mus etiam at primis tempor sagittis euismod libero facilisi.

© 2024 My Speech Class

Persuasive Speeches — Types, Topics, and Examples

What is a persuasive speech?

In a persuasive speech, the speaker aims to convince the audience to accept a particular perspective on a person, place, object, idea, etc. The speaker strives to cause the audience to accept the point of view presented in the speech.

The success of a persuasive speech often relies on the speaker’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos is the speaker’s credibility. Audiences are more likely to accept an argument if they find the speaker trustworthy. To establish credibility during a persuasive speech, speakers can do the following:

Use familiar language.

Select examples that connect to the specific audience.

Utilize credible and well-known sources.

Logically structure the speech in an audience-friendly way.

Use appropriate eye contact, volume, pacing, and inflection.

Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions. Speakers who create an emotional bond with their audience are typically more convincing. Tapping into the audience’s emotions can be accomplished through the following:

Select evidence that can elicit an emotional response.

Use emotionally-charged words. (The city has a problem … vs. The city has a disease …)

Incorporate analogies and metaphors that connect to a specific emotion to draw a parallel between the reference and topic.

Utilize vivid imagery and sensory words, allowing the audience to visualize the information.

Employ an appropriate tone, inflection, and pace to reflect the emotion.

Logos appeals to the audience’s logic by offering supporting evidence. Speakers can improve their logical appeal in the following ways:

Use comprehensive evidence the audience can understand.

Confirm the evidence logically supports the argument’s claims and stems from credible sources.

Ensure that evidence is specific and avoid any vague or questionable information.

Types of persuasive speeches

The three main types of persuasive speeches are factual, value, and policy.

A factual persuasive speech focuses solely on factual information to prove the existence or absence of something through substantial proof. This is the only type of persuasive speech that exclusively uses objective information rather than subjective. As such, the argument does not rely on the speaker’s interpretation of the information. Essentially, a factual persuasive speech includes historical controversy, a question of current existence, or a prediction:

Historical controversy concerns whether an event happened or whether an object actually existed.

Questions of current existence involve the knowledge that something is currently happening.

Predictions incorporate the analysis of patterns to convince the audience that an event will happen again.

A value persuasive speech concerns the morality of a certain topic. Speakers incorporate facts within these speeches; however, the speaker’s interpretation of those facts creates the argument. These speeches are highly subjective, so the argument cannot be proven to be absolutely true or false.

A policy persuasive speech centers around the speaker’s support or rejection of a public policy, rule, or law. Much like a value speech, speakers provide evidence supporting their viewpoint; however, they provide subjective conclusions based on the facts they provide.

How to write a persuasive speech

Incorporate the following steps when writing a persuasive speech:

Step 1 – Identify the type of persuasive speech (factual, value, or policy) that will help accomplish the goal of the presentation.

Step 2 – Select a good persuasive speech topic to accomplish the goal and choose a position .

Step 3 – Locate credible and reliable sources and identify evidence in support of the topic/position. Revisit Step 2 if there is a lack of relevant resources.

Step 4 – Identify the audience and understand their baseline attitude about the topic.

Step 5 – When constructing an introduction , keep the following questions in mind:

What’s the topic of the speech?

What’s the occasion?

Who’s the audience?

What’s the purpose of the speech?

Step 6 – Utilize the evidence within the previously identified sources to construct the body of the speech. Keeping the audience in mind, determine which pieces of evidence can best help develop the argument. Discuss each point in detail, allowing the audience to understand how the facts support the perspective.

Step 7 – Addressing counterarguments can help speakers build their credibility, as it highlights their breadth of knowledge.

Step 8 – Conclude the speech with an overview of the central purpose and how the main ideas identified in the body support the overall argument.

Persuasive speech outline

One of the best ways to prepare a great persuasive speech is by using an outline. When structuring an outline, include an introduction, body, and conclusion:

Introduction

Attention Grabbers

Ask a question that allows the audience to respond in a non-verbal way; ask a rhetorical question that makes the audience think of the topic without requiring a response.

Incorporate a well-known quote that introduces the topic. Using the words of a celebrated individual gives credibility and authority to the information in the speech.

Offer a startling statement or information about the topic, typically done using data or statistics.

Provide a brief anecdote or story that relates to the topic.

Starting a speech with a humorous statement often makes the audience more comfortable with the speaker.

Provide information on how the selected topic may impact the audience .

Include any background information pertinent to the topic that the audience needs to know to understand the speech in its entirety.

Give the thesis statement in connection to the main topic and identify the main ideas that will help accomplish the central purpose.

Identify evidence

Summarize its meaning

Explain how it helps prove the support/main claim

Evidence 3 (Continue as needed)

Support 3 (Continue as needed)

Restate thesis

Review main supports

Concluding statement

Give the audience a call to action to do something specific.

Identify the overall importan ce of the topic and position.

Persuasive speech topics

The following table identifies some common or interesting persuasive speech topics for high school and college students:

Persuasive speech examples

The following list identifies some of history’s most famous persuasive speeches:

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You”

Lyndon B. Johnson: “We Shall Overcome”

Marc Antony: “Friends, Romans, Countrymen…” in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Ronald Reagan: “Tear Down this Wall”

Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Improve your practice.

Enhance your soft skills with a range of award-winning courses.

75 Persuasive Speech Topics and Ideas

October 4, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

To write a captivating and persuasive speech you must first decide on a topic that will engage, inform and also persuade the audience. We have discussed how to choose a topic and we have provided a list of speech ideas covering a wide range of categories.

What is persuasive speech?

The aim of a persuasive speech is to inform, educate and convince or motivate an audience to do something. You are essentially trying to sway the audience to adopt your own viewpoint.

The best persuasive speech topics are thought-provoking, daring and have a clear opinion. You should speak about something you are knowledgeable about and can argue your opinion for, as well as objectively discuss counter-arguments.

How to choose a topic for your speech

It’s not easy picking a topic for your speech as there are many options so consider the following factors when deciding.

Familiarity

Topics that you’re familiar with will make it easier to prepare for the speech.

It’s best if you decide on a topic in which you have a genuine interest in because you’ll be doing lots of research on it and if it’s something you enjoy the process will be significantly easier and more enjoyable. The audience will also see this enthusiasm when you’re presenting which will make the speech more persuasive.

The audience’s interest

The audience must care about the topic. You don’t want to lose their attention so choose something you think they’ll be interested in hearing about.

Consider choosing a topic that allows you to be more descriptive because this allows the audience to visualize which consequently helps persuade them.

Not overdone

When people have heard about a topic repeatedly they’re less likely to listen to you as it doesn’t interest them anymore. Avoid cliché or overdone topics as it’s difficult to maintain your audience’s attention because they feel like they’ve heard it all before.

An exception to this would be if you had new viewpoints or new facts to share. If this is the case then ensure you clarify early in your speech that you have unique views or information on the topic.

Emotional topics

Emotions are motivators so the audience is more likely to be persuaded and act on your requests if you present an emotional topic.

People like hearing about issues that affect them or their community, country etc. They find these topics more relatable which means they find them more interesting. Look at local issues and news to discover these topics.

Desired outcome

What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? Use this as a guide to choosing your topic, for example, maybe you want people to recycle more so you present a speech on the effect of microplastics in the ocean.

Persuasive speech topics

Lots of timely persuasive topics can be found using social media, the radio, TV and newspapers. We have compiled a list of 75 persuasive speech topic ideas covering a wide range of categories.

Some of the topics also fall into other categories and we have posed the topics as questions so they can be easily adapted into statements to suit your own viewpoint.

• Should pets be adopted rather than bought from a breeder?
• Should wild animals be tamed?
• Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like monkeys?
• Should all zoos and aquariums be closed?

Arts/Culture

• Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Should automobile drivers be required to take a test every three years?
• Are sports cars dangerous?
• Should bicycles share the roads with cars?
• Should bicycle riders be required by law to always wear helmets?

Business and economy

• Do introverts make great leaders?
• Does owning a business leave you feeling isolated?
• What is to blame for the rise in energy prices?
• Does hiring cheaper foreign employees hurt the economy?
• Should interns be paid for their work?
• Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
• Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
• Should boys and girls should be taught in separate classrooms?
• Should schools include meditation breaks during the day?
• Should students be allowed to have their mobile phones with them during school?
• Should teachers have to pass a test every decade to renew their certifications?
• Should online teaching be given equal importance as the regular form of teaching?
• Is higher education over-rated?
• What are the best ways to stop bullying?
• Should people with more than one DUI lose their drivers’ licenses?
• Should prostitution be legalised?
• Should guns be illegal in the US?
• Should cannabis be legalised for medical reasons?
• Is equality a myth?
• Does what is “right” and “wrong” change from generation to generation?
• Is there never a good enough reason to declare war?
• Should governments tax sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Has cosmetic surgery risen to a level that exceeds good sense?
• Is the fast-food industry legally accountable for obesity?
• Should school cafeterias only offer healthy food options?
• Is acupuncture a valid medical technique?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Does consuming meat affect health?
• Is dieting a good way to lose weight?

Law and politics

• Should voting be made compulsory?
• Should the President (or similar position) be allowed to serve more than two terms?
• Would poverty reduce by fixing housing?
• Should drug addicts be sent for treatment in hospitals instead of prisons?
• Would it be fair for the government to detain suspected terrorists without proper trial?
• Is torture acceptable when used for national security?
• Should celebrities who break the law receive stiffer penalties?
• Should the government completely ban all cigarettes and tobacco products
• Is it wrong for the media to promote a certain beauty standard?
• Is the media responsible for the moral degradation of teenagers?
• Should advertising be aimed at children?
• Has freedom of press gone too far?
• Should prayer be allowed in public schools?
• Does religion have a place in government?
• How do cults differ from religion?

Science and the environment

• Should recycling be mandatory?
• Should genetically modified foods be sold in supermarkets?
• Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
• Should selling plastic bags be completely banned in shops?
• Should smoking in public places be banned?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
• Should doping be allowed in professional sports?
• Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
• How does parental pressure affect young athletes?
• Will technology reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
• What age should children be allowed to have mobile phones?
• Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
• Should we recognize Bitcoin as a legal currency?
• Should bloggers and vloggers be treated as journalists and punished for indiscretions?
• Has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
• Should mobile phone use in public places be regulated?
• Do violent video games make people more violent?

World peace

• What is the safest country in the world?
• Is planetary nuclear disarmament possible?
• Is the idea of peace on earth naive?

These topics are just suggestions so you need to assess whether they would be suitable for your particular audience. You can easily adapt the topics to suit your interests and audience, for example, you could substitute “meat” in the topic “Does consuming meat affect health?” for many possibilities, such as “processed foods”, “mainly vegan food”, “dairy” and so on.

After choosing your topic

After you’ve chosen your topic it’s important to do the following:

• Research thoroughly
• Think about all of the different viewpoints
• Tailor to your audience – discussing your topic with others is a helpful way to gain an understanding of your audience.
• How involved are you with this topic – are you a key character?
• Have you contributed to this area, perhaps through blogs, books, papers and products.
• How qualified are you to speak on this topic?
• Do you have personal experience in it? How many years?
• How long have you been interested in the area?

While it may be difficult to choose from such a variety of persuasive speech topics, think about which of the above you have the most knowledge of and can argue your opinion on.

For advice about how to deliver your persuasive speech, check out our blog  Persuasive Speech Outline and Ideas .

• Games, topic printables & more
• The 4 main speech types
• Example speeches
• Commemorative
• Declamation
• Demonstration
• Informative
• Introduction
• Student Council
• Speech topics
• Poems to read aloud
• How to write a speech
• Using props/visual aids
• Acute anxiety help
• Breathing exercises
• Letting go - free e-course
• Using self-hypnosis
• Delivery overview
• 4 modes of delivery
• How to make cue cards
• How to read a speech
• 9 vocal aspects
• Vocal variety
• Diction/articulation
• Pronunciation
• Speaking rate
• How to use pauses
• Eye contact
• Body language
• Voice image
• Voice health
• Public speaking activities and games
• About me/contact

Easy persuasive speech topics: examples

309 good persuasive topics + resources for writing persuasive speeches

By:  Susan Dugdale  

Let's be right up front about this.

'Easy' and 'persuasive' are seldom paired when it comes to speech topics! Therefore, examples of easy persuasive speech topics are a bit of a rarity, and finding them can be tricky.

However, all is not completely lost. They can, and do, come together, but only if you work at it.  Let me show you how. 

What's on this page

309 potentially easy persuasive speech topics.

• the myth of 'easy' and an 'easy speech'
• what makes a successful persuasive speech
• how a persuasive speech topic can become easy
• additional persuasive speech resources

The myth of 'easy' and an 'easy' speech

That word 'easy' is so very tempting. It seductively implies something you can fling together, without a lot of effort, at short notice. 

An 'easy' persuasive speech is not going to take a lot of work to plan, research, to write, or to practice. Everything needed to prepare it will be done without hassle, because it's, 'easy'. The entire process will flow smoothly from start to finish without fuss.

When you present the speech, the audience will be spell-bound, riveted by your outstanding choice of subject and its treatment. In short, they will be amazed. Gob smacked * , and 100% persuaded!

* astounded, overwhelmed.

Return to Top

What a successful persuasive speech usually takes

To give a successful persuasive speech means being able to use a compelling mix of reasoning and emotional appeal to convince whoever you are talking to that your point of view is right or at least, worth considering. Generally doing that well takes thought and effort.

You need to have chosen a subject your audience will be genuinely interested in and to use just the right combination of logical reasoning and emotional appeal to engage and hold them from the first words you say till your last. That in turn means thinking your speech through carefully, step by step, and then doing whatever is needed to make it work.

Those things include:

• deciding on a specific speech purpose, (what you want people to do as a result of listening to your speech)
• research to pull facts together to ground your speech, to give you a solid platform to build your speech on
• understanding your audience so you know how best to shape your material to address their concerns
• sorting out any additional resources you may want to use (e.g. images, graphs, handouts ...)
• practice, and then more practice. 

You, see? Easy and persuasive don't seem to have a lot in common.

However, there is a way through.

How a persuasive speech topic becomes easy

You'll be glad to know there are exceptions. 

A persuasive topic becomes 'easy' if:

• it fits with the criteria you've been given, 
• you already know a lot about it, 
• there's a readily accessible, and credible body of knowledge covering it, 
• you're passionate about it, and
• you genuinely want to do what is required to do it well.

Difficulties miraculously melt away when you are totally engrossed! 

Below are 309 good persuasive topics chosen for their broad appeal, and because they are subjects people generally feel strongly about.

• 69 topics based on education
• 135 based on aspects of health : mental health , the psychology of motivation , autism , natural medicine , the dangers of alternative medicine , current medical issues

21 food themed persuasive speech topics

• 53 topics based on ethics, morals and values
• 20 economy themed topics  

Read them through, making a note of any that jump out and that you think you may be able to use. These will be the ones you'll find much 'easier' than the others because you're already interested! 

69 persuasive speech topics on education

Put a group of people together who share concerns about the direction society seems to be headed and it won't be long before the hot topic under discussion is education!

• that there is no such thing as the best form of education 
• that some types of education are a waste of time and resources
• that all education should be free
• that education should be paid for by those who want or use it
• that schools should provide experienced specialist support teachers to meet the needs of all their pupils 
• that no child should be denied an education on the grounds of gender, race, poverty or the legal status of their parents
• that online learning can never replace real-time and place class room learning
• that competition with other students is a necessary part of education
• that different learning styles need to be to be taken into account by teachers
• that a student who drops out of school has been failed by the school system
• that the problems created by illiteracy are bigger than we think
• that society benefits from promoting gender equality and women's empowerment through education
• that it is vital to teach media literacy to combat fake news and misinformation
• that scholarships for those who need them should be increased
• that a college education is not the right choice for everyone
• that private schools support elitism
• that the advantages of project-based learning far outweigh the disadvantages
• that having a bilingual education is an advantage in a globalized world
• that a good education is the passport to a better life
• that a school uniform helps make everyone equal
• that schools need to systematically teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• that teachers should be held responsible for the performance of their students
• that the students of a teacher who is enthusiastic about their topic will always achieve better grades
• that textbooks, and other school supplies, should be provided free of charge to those who need them
• that there needs to a comprehensive education program on consent and sexual assault prevention in schools
• that life skills, (how to cook, how to budget and manage money effectively, how to shop economically, how to garden...) should be taught in schools
• that making some school subjects compulsory should be abolished
• that coding and computer science should be taught from an early age
• that taking a gap year should be encouraged
• that an arts education fosters creativity and critical thinking 
• that alternative forms of education should be encouraged, and supported
• that teachers should be thoroughly background checked
• that teachers should have to pass a regular 'fitness to teach' test
• that the school leaving age should be raised
• that students should not be forced to take classes they do not want to
• that there are significant advantages for using technology in the classroom
• that school violence is a mirror of the society we live in
• that students who take part in protests are actively learning about their rights and responsibilities
• that grades do not reflect intelligence
• that truancy is powerful comment on the relevancy of schools 
• that homework, for homework's sake, should be banned
• that residential segregation has a direct impact on the quality of education students receive
• that prestigious schools maintain their prestige through only admitting students who are likely to succeed
• that schools should focus on the core subjects: reading, writing and arithmetic
• that parents should be far more involved in their children's education
• that a person who is homeschooled is not disadvantaged 
• that far too much importance is placed on IQ tests
• that corporal punishment should never be used
• that meditation and other forms of mindfulness should be taught in schools
• that single sex schools are better for girls
• that intelligence is more than quick accurate recall and clever problem solving
• that a holistic education is best
• that an education should be a right, not a privilege
• that it is important to teach students about empathy and emotional intelligence  
• that no girl should ever be barred from school because she is pregnant
• that there is no 'right, one way' to educate a child
• that bullying, in any form, by anyone, should be addressed immediately and appropriately
• that students need to be taught how to handle social media responsibly
• that the arts are equally as valuable as the sciences
• that an old-fashioned school curriculum teaches respect and values
• that it is advantageous to learn at least one other language, in addition to your mother tongue
• that the foundation of all education is laid down in the home
• that civics and ethics should be core subjects
• that extracurricular activities are an essential part of a well-rounded education
• that cheating on a test or in an examination is understandable
• that community service should be an essential part of education
• that financial education is essential and should be taught to all students in all schools
• that guns should never be taken to school
• that getting top marks in an examination is not the only way to prove a person’s intelligence

 135 persuasive speech topics about health

Health, according to the World Health Organization , is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity."  It's a huge topic! And that is an understatement! 

46 mental health persuasive speech topics

• that mental health should be taken more seriously by general health practitioners
• that mental health should be discussed in schools
• that mental health and physical health are interdependent
• that early intervention is important to prevent long-term mental health problems
• that good mental health begins with a good diet
• that being 'mad' does not mean a person is 'bad'
• that a person can learn to become more mentally resilient
• that to be vulnerable is to be strong
• that laughter heals
• that how the media portrays mental health issues influences public perception for better and for worse
• that mental health issues are passed down from generation to generation
• that mental health issues can unnecessarily limit what people choose to do with their lives
• that poverty and homelessness underpin many mental health issues
• that we need mental health screenings and regular check-ups to monitor our overall well-being
• that prolonged lack of sleep can cause mental health concerns
• that religious practices and beliefs can contribute to mental health problems
• that anxiety and depression need to be more widely understood
• that sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me is a lie.
• that vacations are essential for good mental health
• that learning to live with mental health is very different from suffering from it
• that acknowledging our own struggles with mental health makes it easier to understand other people's
• that teachers need training to recognize symptoms of possible mental health issues in their students
• that there is a direct link between physical exercise and mental health
• that substance abuse can mask mental health issues
• that green environments promote good mental health
• that bullying can have serious consequences
• that the real reason a bully bullies is never the person who is being bullied by them
• that the impact of chronic pain on mental health needs to be more widely understood
• that negative self-worth beliefs are reflected in mental health problems
• that treatment for mental health issues should be fully integrated with any other health service providers 
• that loneliness and isolation are often factors in mental health concerns
• that cultural difference can underpin mental health issues
• that being mentally unwell is not a sign of weakness
• that shaming a person for needing treatment for mental illness is both cruel and ignorant behavior
• that regular doom-scrolling significantly impacts on a person's mental health
• that overlooking symptoms of mental health problems is dangerous
• the pressure to 'fit in', to conform and to become someone else's idea of who you should be is unhealthy
• that seeking help for mental health concerns is a positive proactive thing to do
• that taking responsibility for our own mental wellbeing is vital
• that to be a little bit crazy is a good thing
• that understanding the cyclical link between addictive behaviors and mental health issues is critical to providing solutions
• that how we talk to ourselves, about ourselves, influences our state of mind
• that self-care and self-compassion are important for maintaining good mental health
• that the adverse impact of traumatic events on mental health is often ignored or underestimated
• that strategies for recovery from trauma and ongoing resilience should be taught in schools
• that peer support groups and community networks are an important part of a person's recovery because they  provide a sense of belonging and support 

For 50 more mental health persuasive speech topics

24 persuasive ideas: the psychology of motivation

Why do people behave the way they do?

What makes one person deliriously happy when they're in front of a large group of people telling them what to do and another person, utterly miserable?

Why do some people absolutely have to have the latest widget-wodget? And why do others not think about widget-wodgets at all?

The answers are found in motivation.

Motivation is the driving force behind our behavior. It provides the explanation for what we do. 

• that personal success is motivating
• that envy is a powerful motivator
• that 'Fear of Missing Out' (FOMO) motivates/influences people to do things regardless of whether they really want to or not
• that seeing success in significant others gives people the motivation to make positive changes
• that finding out what motivates a person at a fundamental level is key to persuading them to follow a certain course of action
• that social media is responsible for motivating people to strive for the unattainable
• that carefully selected strategies for motivating students lead them to excel in their studies.
• that fear of failure motivates many people
• that the desire to be better than others, and to be seen to be better, is a powerful motivator for many people
• that money makes the world go round: the need and desire for money motivates how we behave
• that desire for public recognition and acknowledgment is a powerful motivating force 
• that the possibility and promise of becoming famous and powerful can motivate all sorts of extreme behavior
• that knowing what you do is helpful, useful, and kind is motivating
• that mindfulness practices increase personal motivation
• that the desire to understand a particular process or to solve a specific problem is the motivation behind most innovative developments and inventions
• that setting inspiring yet realistic goals motivate a person to strive to reach them
• that fear of consequences motivates people to continue to do what they would rather not
• that curiosity motivates exploration and experimentation
• that being motivated by the acquisition of material rewards, wealth and possessions, will ultimately not be enough
• that fear and anxiety motivate aggression
• that serving your community the best way you can is motivating
• that positive self-talk increases and sustains motivation
• that people are happiest and most creative when they motivated by what they are passionate about
• that being genuinely and sincerely proud of oneself is motivation to keep ourselves on track
• that we need to understand and nurture what motivates us to become the best of ourselves

For more information:  Motivation and What Really Drives Human Behavior (positivepsychology.com)

10 persuasive speech topics about autism

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of mild to severe conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. A recent (2020) study revealed that 1 in 36 children (2.7%) in USA have been diagnosed with the disorder. And that number is increasing. 

• that promoting autism awareness matters and makes a difference
• that early intervention and treatment is important 
• that education for students with autism should be inclusive and supportive
• that the myths and stereotypes about autism need challenging 
• that inclusive hiring practices and workplace accommodations are beneficial for everyone: employers and employees.
• that families affected by autism need accessible resources, services, and support systems.
• that technology plays an important role in enhancing communication for nonverbal individuals with autism.
• that ongoing research, and funding, is required to improve understanding and treatment options.
•  that there needs to be a holistic approach to autism care.
• that individuals on autism spectrum have value and strengths just like any other person.

19 persuasive speech topics on natural medicine

The term 'natural medicine' is one of several used interchangeably to describe any medical product or practice that is not standard (conventional) medical care.

Other synonyms are:

• alternative medicine or therapies,
• holistic medicine which implies taking into account the 'whole' person rather than focusing on and treating isolated symptoms,
• herbal (plant based) remedies and,
• complementary medicine: a treatment regime that includes elements of conventional and alternative medical care.

'Natural medicine' polarizes people. There are those who are vehemently against any form of it and who will not consider any treatment other than what is current standard medical practice. Then there are those who resolutely choose alternative options. Either way, it's a fascinating field!    

• that traditional herbal remedies effectively treat common ailments
• that acupuncture is beneficial for pain management
• that practicing meditation and mindfulness improves mental health
• that chiropractic treatments effectively relieve back and neck pain
• that yoga supports physical and mental wellness
• that naturopathy should be used as a complementary approach to conventional medicine.
• that homeopathy is effective in treating chronic illnesses.
• that aromatherapy can relieve stress and enhance relaxation.
• that traditional Chinese medicine should be incorporated into modern healthcare.
• that good nutrition prevents disease
• that massage therapy promotes physical and mental well-being.
• that energy healing treatments like Reiki and acupuncture work well
• that CBD (cannabidiol) oil helps people effectively manage pain and anxiety.
• that the advantages of integrative medicine: combining conventional and alternative approaches should not be underestimated
• that herbal supplements support good immune system health.
• that holistic Ayurvedic medicine and practices are proven and promote wellness.
• that the common myths about alternative health care and its potential harms are overstated
• that acupuncture is an effective fertility treatment 
• that hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for public speaking fear, smoking cessation, weight loss, and more...

14 persuasive speech topics on the possible dangers of using alternative medicine

• that there are hidden risks in using unregulated alternative health care practices
• that there are potential dangers in relying solely on alternative health care for serious medical conditions
• that there are risks in self-diagnosis and self-treatment with alternative health care
• that misinformation is a problem in alternative health care practices
• that there are potential adverse effects with unproven alternative health care treatments
• that there are hidden financial risks with alternative health care therapies
• that evidence-based medicine is more reliable than alternative health care approaches
• that we need to protect vulnerable people from the dangers of untested alternative health care remedies
• that unqualified practitioners in alternative health care fields can cause harm
• that relying on unverified testimonials and anecdotal evidence in alternative health care is dangerous
• that there are risks of negative interactions with conventional medications while using alternative health care treatments
• that unregulated supplements and herbal remedies in alternative health care could be dangerous
• that alternative health care therapies for incurable diseases promote false hopes 
• that informed consent and transparency in alternative health care practices is important

22 current medical issues speech topics

• that vaccine hesitancy must be addressed and countered 
• that stigmas around mental health must be challenged
• that good accessible mental health care should be available for all
• that cosmetic and reconstructive surgery should only be for those who genuinely need it
• that comprehensive specialized mental health programs and support systems need to in schools 
• that the lessons for the opioid crisis must be learned
• that inequal access to medical services needs addressing
• that the balance between patient autonomy and a physician's responsibility needs careful monitoring
• that strategies for promoting healthy aging and elderly care are essential with an aging population
• that organ donation needs to be actively encouraged to overcome the shortage of organs available for transplantation
• that the ethical implications of genetic testing need careful consideration
• that healthy active lifestyles must be promoted to combat childhood obesity and the obesity epidemic
• that the increasing role of technology in healthcare presents as many innovations as it does challenges
• that pharmaceutical drugs need to be accessible and affordably priced
• that the impact of social media on body image need to be countered by actively promoting positive self-perception
• that developing countries need support to improve health care infrastructure and access 
• that precision medicine or personalized healthcare has better patient outcomes
• that we should encourage conversations about end-of-life care before the need for it arises
• that the legal and ethical concerns about euthanasia and assisted suicide can be humanely and respectfully resolved
• that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine presents great opportunities as well as challenges
• that improving obstetric care would lower maternal mortality rates
• that for the good of the health of the mother, abortion on demand should be legal
• that all tobacco products should be banned
• that the use of medical marijuana by patients in hospitals needs careful consideration from a legal standpoint

The subject of food: its cultivation, preparation, scarcity or abundance, generates passionate debate regardless of who we are, or where we are on the planet.

Have fun with these!

• that poor nutritional health in first world countries is the result of poor food choices
• that the use of unsustainably produced palm oil in food and other products should be banned
• that the benefits of eating locally sourced food outweigh the disadvantages
• that we must reduce food waste to lessen its environmental impact
• that eating fast food long-term is dangerous
• that a plant-based diet is healthier
• that the negative effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food system outstrip their shorter term benefits
• that organic farming has positive effects on health and the environment
• that nutrition education in schools helps combat childhood obesity
• that a sugar tax would help control the consumption of foods with high sugar content
• that factory farming is unethical
• that we need to adopt humane animal welfare practices
• that advertising and marketing of unhealthy food choices makes them attractive
• that food safety and strictly enforced regulations are necessary for public health
• that food waste should be against the law
• that food deserts (areas that have limited access to affordable and nutritious food) have an enormous impact on the health of communities 
• that there are workable, sustainable, affordable strategies to combat the effects of food deserts and food insecurity
• that the food we eat effects our mental as well as our physical health
• that producing food sustainably helps combat climate change 
• that there are significant health risks associated  artificial food additives and preservatives
• that genetically modified foods must be labeled for consumer awareness

53 topics: ethics, morals and values

The words 'ethics', 'morals' and 'values' are frequently interchanged as if they mean the same thing. However, although there is considerable overlap between them, they don't.

Values  are the core beliefs on which we center and base our lives. They are the values we have decided are important and can be personal as well as shared. Examples are honesty, service, cooperation, family, heritage, freedom of expression, independence, privacy, loyalty, integrity, or success. 

Morals  are based on our values. They elicit feeling or emotional responses in us. For instance, we feel good when we behave in accordance with our values, and bad when we don't. Like values, our moral codes can be either personal or shared.

For example: if one of our core values is the importance of family, then we will feel guilty and uncomfortable if we don't honor it. We make a moral judgment about our own behavior. 

Ethics : These let us know what is right and wrong. For instance, many professions have a code of ethics to regulate the behavior of their members. Examples are medical practitioners, lawyers, and teachers. They are rules based on a shared moral code as are the laws governing how we function as a society. 

Because life and people's experience of it, is not static, values, morals and ethics can change over time. And although there are some behaviors that have generally always been unlawful, (murder, fraud, infanticide...), what was acceptable and normal once, does not guarantee its rightness now.

For a fuller explanation please see this excellent article:  What's the Difference Between Ethics, Morals and Values?

28 topics based on morals and ethics

• that there are major ethical implications of the role of artificial intelligence in our daily lives
• that the unmonitored use of facial recognition technology is a violation of individual rights
• that corporations have a moral responsibility to address climate change
• that war is never right ethically or morally
• that the ethics of genetic engineering and its impact on society need careful monitoring
• that it is important to fully consider the ethics in the development and use of emerging technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrency need
• that the ethical challenges of data privacy and protection in the digital age must be met for the safety and security of society
• that the ethical implications of using animals for scientific research requires regular reviewing
• that the ethical and moral implications of our current abortion laws need thorough and careful investigation
• that the ethics of capital punishment need scrutinizing. Is it ever morally justifiable?
• that the ethical implications and long-term impact of gene editing and designer babies need careful consideration
• that it is no longer either ethical or moral to differentiate salaries or workplace benefits on the basis of gender
• that the moral obligations of healthcare professionals in end-of-life decisions need to be fully considered 
• that whistleblowing is an ethical way of ensuring corporate accountability
• that the use of drones and autonomous weapons demands a thorough review of the ethical considerations involved
• that an individual has the right to choose their own death. The moral dilemma of euthanasia, if there is one, is their own to solve. 
• that the ethical implications of the long-term impacts of genetic testing and personalized medicine need to be thoroughly investigated
• that social media platforms have ethical responsibilities in combating the spread of online harassment and misinformation
• that the moral issues surrounding the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports need to examined calmly and carefully
• that the ethics of factory farming and its impact on animal welfare need to be thoroughly and regularly reviewed
• that the ethical and moral implication of discriminatory adoption laws should be investigated
• that the ethics and impact of online advertising should be independently monitored
• that the ethical considerations in the allocation of healthcare resources should always play a major role in decision making
• that the moral implications of genetic cloning and its potential consequences will force our governing bodies to legislate against it
• that the ethics of global wealth distribution and poverty alleviation will always be in question while inequality exists
• that the ethical challenges of conducting research on human subjects is entirely justifiable
• that internet censorship is both sensible and ethical
• that it is ethical and morally responsible that children should have their use of social media and the internet monitored.

25 persuasive speech topic ideas on values

• that we must never tell lies to children except about Father Christmas, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Rabbit
• that honesty in personal and professional relationships is best at all times
• that embracing diversity is essential for a harmonious society
• that team sports build good character traits
• that empathy, (compassion and understanding), has the power to change lives
• that education is fundamental for personal growth and the progress of society
• that privacy and the protection of personal information matters more than ever
• that everybody is entitled to privacy, including children and teenagers
• that taking personal responsibility and promoting sustainability for our planet's environment is vital for our and its survival
• that actively advocating for gender, racial and social justice promotes equality
• that life was better before the influence of online social media took over
• that everyone should spend several months per year working for the betterment of others in a non-profit social service organization
• that regular acts of kindness and goodwill make a positive impact no matter how small
• that becoming self-aware increases our emotional intelligence, which in turn, improves our relationships with others
• that the lives of all living creatures should be valued and protected
• that we need to celebrate, tolerate and accept differences in beliefs, cultures and lifestyles
• that expressing oneself freely is more important than getting the grammar, punctuation and spelling right
• that integrity, honoring moral principles, in personal and professional settings, builds trust and respect
• that cooperation, volunteering and civic engagement builds strong healthy communities
• that everybody should learn to cook and clean for themselves
• that we need to value, understand and learn from our history
• that genuinely and sincerely acknowledging and apologizing for hurtful, damaging behavior promotes healing and encourages transformation
• that it is better to earn your own living rather than to be financially provided for by someone else
• that money is not a meaningful measure of success

20 persuasive speech topics about the economy

What is an 'economy'? What does the word mean?  I hear and read it frequently and its often in different contexts. 

For example, at my local grocery store there's a large sign telling me that buying 10 cakes of soap at a never to be repeated discounted rate of 33% off per cake is good economy.

On the news I hear that our economy is challenging. There have been significant rises in the price of food over the past six months and mortgage rates are set to increase.

That's two different uses. The first is implying that buying in bulk will save me money. The second suggests it refers to the ebb and flow of monetary exchange for goods and services in society. 

I sought a definition for clarity and found this:

"An economy is a complex system of interrelated production, consumption, and exchange activities that ultimately determines how resources are allocated among all the participants. The production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services combine to fulfill the needs of those living and operating within the economy.

An economy may represent a nation, a region, a single industry, or even a family."

For more information:  Economy: What It Is, Types of Economies, Economic Indicators (investopedia.com)

This definition covers the dynamic interconnecting web of exchanges for goods and services underpinning our daily lives, and that is the focus of the topics below.  

• that promoting entrepreneurship for economic growth has benefits
• that investing in renewable energy for a sustainable economy is important
• that there are both advantages and disadvantages of globalization on national economies
• that the impact of automation on employment requires carefully thought through strategies for economic adaptation.
• that multinational corporations need stricter regulations 
• that increasing the minimum wage to improve income equality benefits everyone
• that the advantages of a universal basic income for economic stability outweigh its disadvantages
• that government should play an active role in fostering innovation and technological advancements
• that financial literacy education benefits both individuals and the economy
• that promoting fair trade practices benefits developing economies
• that income inequality impacts on social stability and economic growth
• that free trade agreements have significant advantages
• that investing in infrastructure for economic development is important
• that implementing sustainable economic policies has benefits for long-term growth
• that government has a role in reducing poverty and income disparities
• that immigration and inclusive immigration policies have a positive impact on the economy
• that the advantages of austerity measures during economic crises outweigh the disadvantages
• that promoting small businesses is important for local economic development
• that investing in education and skills training benefits economic competitiveness
• that technology transforms traditional industries and creates new economic opportunities

More persuasive speech resources

Persuasive speech topics.

• 105 fun persuasive speech topics : ideal for light-hearted, informal speeches
• 100 non-boring persuasive speech ideas   - a 'tired' topic is not for you. Choose something fresh and original.
• 50 good persuasive speech topics with treatment examples to show you how the same topic is treated differently for different audiences.
• 310 persuasive speech topics for college : mental health, society, family & friends, animals, education
• 108 feminist persuasive speech topics : the top current women's rights & feminist issues

For assistance with planning and writing

• Writing a persuasive speech - a 7 step action plan that includes how to choose a topic, analyze your audience, set a good speech purpose, decide on a structural pattern (with examples) and, more.
• A persuasive speech outline example using the 5 step structural pattern: Monroe's Motivated Sequence. (With a free printable outline)
• A persuasive speech example using Monroe's Motivated Sequence

speaking out loud 

Subscribe for  FREE weekly alerts about what's new For more see  speaking out loud  

Top 10 popular pages

• Welcome speech
• Demonstration speech topics
• Impromptu speech topic cards
• Thank you quotes
• Impromptu public speaking topics
• Farewell speeches
• Phrases for welcome speeches
• Student council speeches
• Free sample eulogies

From fear to fun in 28 ways

A complete one stop resource to scuttle fear in the best of all possible ways - with laughter.

Useful pages

• Search this site
• About me & Contact
• Blogging Aloud
• Free e-course
• Privacy policy

©Copyright 2006-24 www.write-out-loud.com

Designed and built by Clickstream Designs

A Comprehensive Guide to Writing a Persuasive Speech

Hrideep barot.

• Speech Writing

The term Persuasion means the efforts to change the attitudes or opinions of others through various means.

It is present everywhere: election campaigns, salesmen trying to sell goods by giving offers, public health campaigns to quit smoking or to wear masks in the public spaces, or even at the workplace; when an employee tries to persuade others to agree to their point in a meeting.

How do they manage to convince us so subtly? You guessed it right! They engage in what is called Persuasive Speech.

Persuasive Speech is a category of speech that attempts to influence the listener’s beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, and ultimately, behavior.

They are used in all contexts and situations . It can be informal , a teenager attempting to convince his or her parents for a sleepover at a friend’s house.

It can also be formal , President or Prime Minister urging the citizens to abide by the new norms.

But not to confuse these with informative speeches! These also aim to inform the audience about a particular topic or event, but they lack any attempt at persuasion.

The most typical setting where this kind of speech is practiced is in schools and colleges.

An effective speech combines both the features of an informative and persuasive speech for a better takeaway from an audience’s point of view.

However, writing and giving a persuasive speech are different in the sense that you as a speaker have limited time to call people to action.

Also, according to the context or situation, you may not be able to meet your audience several times, unlike TV ads, which the audience sees repeatedly and hence believes the credibility of the product.

So, how to write and deliver an effective persuasive speech?

How to start a persuasive speech? What are the steps of writing a persuasive speech? What are some of the tricks and tips of persuasion?

Read along till the end to explore the different dimensions and avenues of the science of giving a persuasive speech.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE WRITING A PERSUASIVE SPEECH

1. get your topic right, passion and genuine interest in your topic.

It is very important that you as a speaker are interested in the chosen topic and in the subsequent arguments you are about to put forward. If you are not interested in what you are saying, then how will the audience feel the same?

Passion towards the topic is one of the key requirements for a successful speech as your audience will see how passionate and concerned you are towards the issue and will infer you as a genuine and credible person.

The audience too will get in the mood and connect to you on an emotional level, empathizing with you; as a result of which will understand your point of view and are likely to agree to your argument.

Consider this example: your friend is overflowing with joy- is happy, smiling, and bubbling with enthusiasm.

Before even asking the reason behind being so happy, you “catch the mood”; i.e., you notice that your mood has been boosted as a result of seeing your friend happy.

Why does it happen so? The reason is that we are influenced by other people’s moods and emotions.

It also means that our mood affects people around us, which is the reason why speaking with emotions and passion is used by many successful public speakers.

Another reason is that other’s emotions give an insight into how one should feel and react. We interpret other’s reactions as a source of information about how we should feel.

So, if someone shows a lot of anxiety or excitement while speaking, we conclude that the issue is very important and we should do something about it, and end up feeling similar reactions.

Meaningful and thought-provoking

Choose a topic that is meaningful to you and your audience. It should be thought-provoking and leave the audience thinking about the points put forward in your speech.

Topics that are personally or nationally relevant and are in the talks at the moment are good subjects to start with.

If you choose a controversial topic like “should euthanasia be legalized?”, or” is our nation democratic?”, it will leave a dramatic impact on your audience.

However, be considerate in choosing a sensitive topic, since it can leave a negative impression on your listeners. But if worded in a neutral and unbiased manner, it can work wonders.

Also, refrain from choosing sensitive topics like the reality of religion, sexuality, etc.

2. Research your topic thoroughly

Research on persuasion conducted by Hovland, Janis, and Kelley states that credible communicators are more persuasive than those who are seen as lacking expertise.

Even if you are not an expert in the field of your topic, mentioning information that is backed by research or stating an expert’s opinion on the issue will make you appear as a knowledgeable and credible person.

How to go about researching? Many people think that just googling about a topic and inferring 2-3 articles will be enough. But this is not so.

For writing and giving an effective speech, thorough research is crucial for you as a speaker to be prepared and confident.

Try to find as many relevant points as possible, even if it is against your viewpoint. If you can explain why the opposite viewpoint is not correct, it will give the audience both sides to an argument and will make decision-making easier.

Also, give credit to the source of your points during your speech, by mentioning the original site, author, or expert, so the audience will know that these are reliable points and not just your opinion, and will be more ready to believe them since they come from an authority.

Other sources for obtaining data for research are libraries and bookstores, magazines, newspapers, google scholar, research journals, etc.

Analyze your audience

Know who comprises your audience so that you can alter your speech to meet their requirements.

Demographics like age group, gender ratio, the language with which they are comfortable, their knowledge about the topic, the region and community to which they belong; are all important factors to be considered before writing your speech.

Ask yourself these questions before sitting down to write:

Is the topic of argument significant to them? Why is it significant? Would it make sense to them? Is it even relevant to them?

In the end, the speech is about the audience and not you. Hence, make efforts to know your audience.

This can be done by surveying your audience way before the day of giving your speech. Short polls and registration forms are an effective way to know your audience.

They ensure confidentiality and maintain anonymity, eliminating social desirability bias on part of the audience, and will likely receive honest answers.

OUTLINE OF A PERSUASIVE SPEECH

Most speeches follow the pattern of Introduction, Body and Conclusion.

However, persuasive speeches have a slightly different pathway.

INTRODUCTION

BODY OR SUPPORTING STATEMENTS( ATLEAST 3 ARGUMENTS)

CONCLUSION OR A CALL TO ACTION

1. INTRODUCTION

Grab attention of your audience.

The first few lines spoken by a speaker are the deciding factor that can make or break a speech.

Hence, if you nail the introduction, half of the task has already been done, and you can rest assured.

No one likes to be silent unless you are an introvert. But the audience expects that the speaker will go on stage and speak. But what if the speaker just goes and remains silent?

Chances are high that the audience will be in anticipation of what you are about to speak and their sole focus will be on you.

This sets the stage.

Use quotes that are relevant and provocative to set the tone of your speech. It will determine the mood of your audience and get them ready to receive information.

An example can be “The only impossible journey is the one you never begin” and then state who gave it, in this case, Tony Robbins, an American author.

Use what-if scenarios

Another way to start your speech is by using what-if scenarios and phrases like “suppose if your home submerges in water one day due to global warming…”.

This will make them the center of attention and at the same time grabbing their attention.

Use personal anecdotes

Same works with personal experiences and stories.

Everyone loves listening to first-hand experiences or a good and interesting story. If you are not a great storyteller, visual images and videos will come to your rescue.

After you have successfully grabbed and hooked your audience, the next and last step of the introduction is introducing your thesis statement.

What is a thesis statement?

It introduces the topic to your audience and is one of the central elements of any persuasive speech.

It is usually brief, not more than 3 sentences, and gives the crux of your speech outline.

How to make a thesis statement?

Firstly, research all possible opinions and views about your topic. See which opinion you connect with, and try to summarize them.

After you do this, you will get a clear idea of what side you are on and this will become your thesis statement.

However, the thesis should answer the question “why” and “how”.

So, for instance, if you choose to speak on the topic of the necessity of higher education, your thesis statement could be something like this:

Although attending university and getting a degree is essential for overall development, not every student must be pushed to join immediately after graduating from school.

And then you can structure your speech containing the reasons why every student should not be rushed into joining a university.

3. BODY OF THE SPEECH

The body contains the actual reasons to support your thesis.

Ideally, the body should contain at least 3 reasons to support your argument.

So, for the above-mentioned thesis, you can support it with possible alternatives, which will become your supporting statements.

The option of a gap year to relax and decide future goals, gaining work experience and then joining the university for financial reasons, or even joining college after 25 or 35 years.

These become your supporting reasons and answers the question “why”.

Each reason has to be resourcefully elaborated, with explaining why you support and why the other or anti-thesis is not practical.

At this point, you have the option of targeting your audience’s ethos, pathos, or logos.

Ethos is the ethical side of the argument. It targets morals and puts forth the right thing or should be.

This technique is highly used in the advertising industry.

Ever wondered why celebrities, experts, and renowned personalities are usually cast as brand ambassadors.?

The reason: they are liked by the masses and exhibit credibility and trust.

Advertisers endorse their products via a celebrity to try to show that the product is reliable and ethical.

The same scenario is seen in persuasive speeches. If the speaker is well-informed and provides information that is backed by research, chances are high that the audience will follow it.

Pathos targets the emotional feelings of the audience.

This is usually done by narrating a tragic or horrifying anecdote and leaves the listener moved by using an emotional appeal to call people to action.

The common emotions targeted by the speaker include the feeling of joy, love, sadness, anger, pity, and loneliness.

All these emotions are best expressed in stories or personal experiences.

Stories give life to your argument, making the audience more involved in the matter and arousing sympathy and empathy.

Visuals and documentaries are other mediums through which a speaker can attract the audience’s emotions.

What was your reaction after watching an emotional documentary? Did you not want to do something about the problem right away?

Emotions have the power to move people to action.

The last technique is using logos, i.e., logic. This includes giving facts and practical aspects of why this is to be done or why such a thing is the most practical.

It is also called the “logical appeal”.

This can be done by giving inductive or deductive reasoning.

Inductive reasoning involves the speaker taking a specific example or case study and then generalizing or drawing conclusions from it.

For instance, a speaker tells a case study of a student who went into depression as the child wasn’t able to cope with back-to-back stress.

This problem will be generalized and concluded that gap year is crucial for any child to cope with and be ready for the challenges in a university.

On the other hand, deductive reasoning involves analyzing general assumptions and theories and then arriving at a logical conclusion.

So, in this case, the speaker can give statistics of the percentage of university students feeling drained due to past exams and how many felt that they needed a break.

This general data will then be personalized to conclude how there is a need for every student to have a leisure break to refresh their mind and avoid having burned out.

Using any of these 3 techniques, coupled with elaborate anecdotes and supporting evidence, at the same time encountering counterarguments will make the body of your speech more effective.

4. CONCLUSION

Make sure to spend some time thinking through your conclusion, as this is the part that your audience will remember the most and is hence, the key takeaway of your entire speech.

Keep it brief, and avoid being too repetitive.

It should provide the audience with a summary of the points put across in the body, at the same time calling people to action or suggesting a possible solution and the next step to be taken.

Remember that this is your last chance to convince, hence make sure to make it impactful.

 Include one to two relevant power or motivational quotes, and end by thanking the audience for being patient and listening till the end.

Watch this clip for a better understanding.

TIPS AND TRICKS OF PERSUASION

Start strong.

A general pattern among influential speeches is this: all start with a powerful and impactful example, be it statistics about the issue, using influential and meaning statements and quotes, or asking a rhetorical question at the beginning of their speech.

Why do they do this? It demonstrates credibility and creates a good impression- increasing their chance of persuading the audience.

Hence, start in such a manner that will hook the audience to your speech and people would be curious to know what you are about to say or how will you end it.

Keep your introduction short

Keep your introduction short, and not more than 10-15% of your speech.

If your speech is 2000 words, then your introduction should be a maximum of 200-250 words.

Or if you are presenting for 10 minutes, your introduction should be a maximum of 2 minutes. This will give you time to state your main points and help you manage your time effectively.

Be clear and concise

Use the correct vocabulary to fit in, at the same time making sure to state them clearly, without beating around the bush.

This will make the message efficient and impactful.

Answer the question “why”

Answer the question “why” before giving solutions or “how”.

Tell them why is there a need to change. Then give them all sides of the point.

It is important to state what is wrong and not just what ought to be or what is right, in an unopinionated tone.

Unless and until people don’t know the other side of things, they simply will not change.

Suggest solutions

Once you have stated the problem, you imply or hint at the solution.

Never state solutions, suggest them; leaving the decision up to the audience.

You can hint at solutions: “don’t you think it is a good idea to…?” or “is it wrong to say that…?”, instead of just stating solutions.

Use power phrases

Certain power-phrases come in handy, which can make the audience take action.

Using the power phrase “because” is very impactful in winning and convincing others.

This phrase justifies the action associated with it and gives us an understanding of why is it correct.

For instance, the phrase “can you give me a bite of your food?” does not imply attitude change.

But using “may I have a bite of your food because I haven’t eaten breakfast?” is more impactful and the person will likely end up sharing food if you use this power- phrase, because it is justifying your request.

Another power-phrase is “I understand, but…”.

This involves you agreeing with the opposite side of the argument and then stating your side or your point of view.

This will encourage your audience to think from the other side of the spectrum and are likely to consider your argument put forth in the speech.

Use power words

Use power words like ‘incredible’, ‘fascinating’, ‘unquestionable’, ‘most important’, ‘strongly recommend’ in your speech to provoke your audience into awe.

Watch this video of some of the common but effective words that can be used in a persuasive speech.

Give an emotional appeal

Like mentioned earlier as one of the techniques of persuasion called pathos, targeting emotions like joy, surprise, fear, anticipation, anger, sadness, or disgust gives your speech an emotional appeal, and more feel to your content, rather than just neutrally stating facts and reasons.

Hence, to keep your audience engaged and not get bored, use emotions while speaking.

Make use of the non=verbal elements

Actions speak louder than words, and they create a huge difference if used effectively.

There is so much else to a speech than just words.

Non-verbal elements include everything apart from your words.

Maintaining eye contact, matching your body language with your words for effective transmission of the message including how you express your emotions, making use of the visual signs and symbols via a PPT are all important parts of any speech.

Check your paralanguage i.e., your voice intonation, pitch, speed, effective pauses, stressing on certain words to create an impact.

Doing all of these will make your speech more real and effective, and will persuade your audience into taking action.

Give real-life examples

Speak facts and avoid giving opinions.

However, just mentioning hard statistical facts will take you nowhere, as there is a chance that people may not believe the data, based on the possibility of them recollecting exceptions.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Hence, back up your statistics with real-life examples of situations.

Also, consider using precise numerical data.

For example, using “5487 people die due to road accidents every day”, instead of “approximately 5500 people”.

Have no personal stake

You can lose credibility if the audience feels that you have a personal stake in it.

Suppose that you are speaking for the idea of using reusable plastic products, and you say that you are from a company that sells those goods.

People are likely to perceive your argument as promoting self-interest and will not be ready to change their opinion about reusable plastic products.

Consequently, if you argue against your self-interest, your audience will see you as the most credible. 

So, if you say that you are working in a plastics manufacturing company and have a statistical record of the pollution caused by it; and then promote reusable plastic as an alternative to stop pollution and save the environment, people are likely to accept your point of argument.

The you attitude

Shift your focus to the audience, and chances are high that they are likely to relate the issue to themselves and are most likely to change.

Hence, use the “you attitude” i.e., shifting focus to the listener and giving them what they want to hear and then making subtle additions to what you want them to hear.

Make a good first impression

The first impression is indeed the last. This is the reason why image consultancy is such a growing sector.

A good first impression works wonders on the people around you, including the audience, and makes your work of convincing a lot easier.

Avoid appearing shabby, ill-mannered, and refrain from using uncourteous and biased language.

Doing these will reverse the effect you want from the audience and will drive them away from your opinion.

HOW TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION?

If you are the type who gets nervous easily and have fear of public speaking, practice till you excel in your task.

I used to dread speaking in front of people, and partly still do.

Earlier, unless and until someone called my name to state my opinion or start with the presentation, I didn’t even raise my hand to say that I have an opinion or I am left to present on the topic.

I had to do something about this problem. So, I made a plan.

2 weeks before the presentation, I wrote the script and read it over and over again.

After reading multiple times, I imagined my room to be the classroom and practiced in front of a mirror.

The main thing I was concerned about was keeping my head clear on the day of my presentation. And that’s what happened.

Since my mind was clear and relaxed, and I had practiced my speech over and over again, presenting came more naturally and confidently.

You might ask what is the purpose of impression management?

Impressions are used for Ingratiation i.e., getting others to like us so that they will be more than willing to accept or agree to your point.

If you like someone, you are drawn towards them and are likely to agree on what they agree or say.

TIP- Try to come early to the venue, and dress appropriately to the needs of the occasion. And don’t forget to smile!

PERSUASIVE SPEECH EXAMPLES

1. wendy troxel – why school should start later for teens.

Almost all the important elements of a persuasive speech are found in this TED talk by Wendy Troxel.

Take a closer look at how she starts her introduction in the form of a real-life personal story, and how she makes it relevant to the audience.

Humor is used to hook the audience’s attention and in turn their interest.

She is also likely to be perceived as credible, as she introduces herself as a sleep researcher, and is speaking on the topic of sleep.

Thesis of how early school timings deprive teenagers of their sleep and its effects is introduced subtly.

The speaker supports her statements with facts, answers the question “why” and most importantly, presents both sides of an argument; effects of less to lack of sleep and its consequences and the effects of appropriate and more sleep on teenagers.

The use of non-verbal elements throughout the speech adds value and richness to the speech, making it more engaging.

The use of Pathos as a persuasive technique appeals to the audience’s emotions; at the same time backing the argument with Logos, by giving scientific reasons and research findings to support the argument.

Lastly, the speech is meaningful, relevant, and thought-provoking to the audience, who are mostly parents and teenagers.

2. Crystal Robello- Being an introvert is a good thing

In this example, Crystal Robello starts by giving personal experiences of being an introvert and the prejudices faced.

Notice how even without much statistics the speech is made persuasive by using Ethos as a technique; and how credibility is achieved by mentioning leaders who are introverts.

3. Greta Thunberg- School strike for climate

One of my favorite speeches is the above speech by Greta Thunberg.

She uses all the techniques; pathos, ethos and logos.

Also notice how the speaker speaks with emotions, and uses body and paralanguage efficiently to create a dramatic impact on the audience.

Her genuine interest is clearly reflected in the speech, which makes the audience listen with a level of concern towards the topic, climate change.

To sum up, we looked at the things to keep in mind before writing a speech and also became familiar with the general outline or the structure of a persuasive speech.

We also looked at some of the tips and tricks of persuasion, and lastly, got introduced to 3 amazing persuasive speech examples.

So, now that you know everything about persuasion, rest assured and keep the above-mentioned things in mind before starting your next speech!

Also, check out related posts:

Enroll in our transformative 1:1 Coaching Program

Schedule a call with our expert communication coach to know if this program would be the right fit for you

7 Keys to Emcee Like a Pro: Unlock Your Hosting Potential

8 Ways to Rise Above the Noise to Communicate Better

How to Negotiate: The Art of Getting What You Want

• [email protected]
• +91 98203 57888

Get our latest tips and tricks in your inbox always

Copyright © 2023 Frantically Speaking All rights reserved

Kindly drop your contact details so that we can arrange call back

Select Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria AmericanSamoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Rwanda Samoa San Marino Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Tajikistan Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Wallis and Futuna Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe land Islands Antarctica Bolivia, Plurinational State of Brunei Darussalam Cocos (Keeling) Islands Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cote d'Ivoire Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Guernsey Holy See (Vatican City State) Hong Kong Iran, Islamic Republic of Isle of Man Jersey Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Lao People's Democratic Republic Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Macao Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Mozambique Palestinian Territory, Occupied Pitcairn Réunion Russia Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan Da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sao Tome and Principe Somalia Svalbard and Jan Mayen Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tanzania, United Republic of Timor-Leste Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S.

Persuasive Speech

Persuasive Speech Examples

Last updated on: Apr 26, 2024

15+ Persuasive Speech Examples to Engage and Persuade

By: Caleb S.

19 min read

Reviewed By: Barbara P.

Published on: Jun 12, 2023

Struggling to convince others in speeches? Weak arguments not getting the desired results?

Mastering persuasive speech can be quite challenging.

Imagine having the ability to captivate your audience, leaving a lasting impression with every word. The good news is that mastering the power of persuasion is within your reach.

In this blog, we will explore persuasive speech examples that inspire action and conviction. Learn from real-life speech examples and discover effective techniques to enhance your convincing skills.

Let’s dive into persuasive speech examples and examine why these examples always work to persuade the audience. 

So without further ado, let’s begin! 

On this Page

What Do We Mean By A Persuasive Speech?

When we talk about a persuasive speech , we refer to a form of communication that seeks to influence the audience's beliefs or actions. 

It is a powerful tool used by speakers to present compelling arguments, backed by evidence and persuasive techniques. The goal is to convince listeners to embrace a specific viewpoint or take a particular course of action.

How Can Reading Persuasive Speech Examples Help You? 

Reading persuasive speech examples can provide numerous benefits in enhancing your persuasive skills and overall communication abilities. Here's how:

• Provide learning opportunities: Learn successful techniques, argument structure, and evidence usage.
• Inspire creativity: Spark ideas for unique and impactful persuasive speeches.
• Understand audience engagement: Learn to capture attention, evoke emotions, and address counterarguments effectively.
• Build confidence: Witness real-world persuasive success, boosting your own confidence.
• Sharpen critical thinking: Evaluate arguments and develop a discerning mindset.

Persuasive Speech Outline - Free Template 

Creating an effective persuasive speech requires a well-structured outline that connects the main points seamlessly. 

Here is a persuasive speech outline that can guide you in delivering a compelling and influential presentation:

Persuasive Speech Examples Outline

Short Persuasive Speech Examples for Middle School

Read the following example to get inspired! 

Persuasive Speech For Middle School Students

Persuasive Speech Examples for College

Find inspiration in the provided example!

5-Minute Persuasive Speech Examples

Let the example inspire your innovative ideas!

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

3-Minute Persuasive Speech Examples

Dive into the example and let your imagination soar!

Funny Persuasive Speech Examples

Tap into your creativity with the given example!

Funny Persuasive Speech

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Value Persuasive Speech Examples

Let the example inspire you to create something amazing!

Persuasive Speech Examples on Value

Policy Persuasive Speech Examples

Get inspired by reading the example!

Persuasive Speech Examples on Policy

Persuasive Speech Examples About Life 

Read this example to learn more about giving persuasive speeches on this topic! 

Persuasive speech about life

Persuasive Speech Topic Examples 

Need to come up with a good persuasive speech topic that will captivate your audience and inspire meaningful discussions? Here are some thought-provoking persuasive speech ideas to help you out.

• The importance of recycling: Encouraging sustainable habits to protect the environment.
• Promoting mental health awareness: Breaking the stigma and fostering a supportive society.
• The benefits of volunteering: Making a difference in your community and beyond.
• Exploring renewable energy sources: Urging for a shift towards a sustainable energy future.
• Addressing food waste: Taking action to reduce waste and alleviate hunger.
• The impact of social media: Navigating the digital world responsibly and promoting online safety.
• Legalizing medicinal marijuana: Exploring the potential benefits for patients in need.
• Promoting gender equality: Advocating for equal opportunities and dismantling gender stereotypes.
• Implementing stricter gun control laws: Enhancing public safety and preventing gun violence.
• The importance of financial literacy: Equipping individuals with essential skills for economic success.

Head over to our topics blog and find over 200+ interesting persuasive speech topics to get inspired!

Wrapping it Up ,

Crafting a persuasive speech that captures your audience's attention and compels them to take action is no easy task. However, by implementing the tips mentioned in this blog, you can significantly enhance the impact of your persuasive speech. 

Remember, if you find yourself in need of support with your persuasive speech, consider reaching out to MyPerfectPaper.net. 

MyPerfectPaper.net is the answer to the ' help me with my paper ' requests. We are trusted by thousands of students around the world with their essays and other writing requests.

Contact us anytime and explore our range of writing services. Whether you need assistance with speech writing or any other task, our writers are ready to provide you with custom content.

Feeling stressed about writing your essay? Our essay typer can assist you in getting started. Try it now and breeze through your assignments!

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

Was This Blog Helpful?

Keep reading.

• A Complete Guide to Crafting an Effective Persuasive Speech

• 200+ Engaging Persuasive Speech Topics & Ideas for 2024

• A Comprehensive Guide to Crafting an Effective Persuasive Speech Outline

People Also Read

• essay outline
• types of autobiography
• compare and contrast essay outline
• essay topics
• dissertation abstract

Burdened With Assignments?

Advertisement

• LEGAL Privacy Policy

© 2024 - All rights reserved

ATLANTA, MAY 23-24 PUBLIC SPEAKING CLASS IS ALMOST FULL! RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW

• Public Speaking Classes
• Corporate Presentation Training
• Online Public Speaking Course
• Northeast Region
• Midwest Region
• Southeast Region
• Central Region
• Western Region
• Presentation Skills
• 101 Public Speaking Tips
• Fear of Public Speaking

Online Speech Creator

Use this Online Speech Creator to Help You Quickly Create a Good Speech Outline!

Before You Start…

This presentation creator is designed to help you organize your thoughts. It won’t actually do all the work for you. Just follow the step-by-step instructions. If you answer every question , you will receive a simple, easy to deliver presentation guide. Before you start, we suggest that you glance at the following two blog posts:

• How to Design a Presentation Quickly (In 15 Minutes or Less.)

The summary of this post is to not try to write a speech word-for-word. Instead, come up with an outline of your presentation containing just a few key points. It is better to cover just a few points really well than to cover a bunch of confusing content. (Your speech is easier to deliver as well.) The Speech Creator will ask you to determine just three major points to cover in the presentation. This works for most speeches.

• Storytelling Techniques that Reduce Nervousness and Stage Fright

Most people who use this presentation creation tool for the first time really fight this advice. The examples and stories that you insert are what make your speech interesting and easy to deliver to your audience. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART! If you skip this step, you will end up with a lousy presentation outline.

• Presentation Enhancers that Make Speeches More Interesting

This post identifies seven additional pieces of content that you can add to each bullet point to make them come alive. These will make good speeches great speeches.

Fill in Answers Below About the Presentation You Are Creating.

The system will send you a speech outline via email.

Who is the specific audience for your speech?  The more specific that you make the audience, the easier it is to design a compelling speech.

What example, illustration, or incident (story) can you think of that best explains the point above? Think of a time you witnessed the above point in real life or give an example of how it could happen. If it is a conclusion, tell about how you came to the conclusion.   (Just a few words to remind you. Don't write out the whole story.)

To add some impact or clarity, come up with an analogy, quote, visual aid, or other type of proof that point #1 is true. (Just a few words to remind you. Don't write out the whole item.) 

Now, let's assume the audience really understands your first point.  What would be the second thing that the audience needs to know about your topic? (Assume they know nothing about the topic.)

Come up with an example or story (explanation) of point two now, and then add impact with an analogy, quote, visual aid, etc.

Go through the same process with point three (and point four or five if needed). Determine what the next most important thing is to the audience, come up with a story or example, and add one impact item.

Just hit "Submit" and we'll email an outline to you... 

For additional details, see Persuasive Speech Outlines .

presentation skills

View More Posts By Category: Free Public Speaking Tips | leadership tips | Online Courses | Past Fearless Presentations ® Classes | Podcasts | presentation skills | Uncategorized

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

What’s covered:, how to pick an awesome persuasive speech topic, 112 engaging persuasive speech topics, tips for preparing your persuasive speech.

Writing a stellar persuasive speech requires a carefully crafted argument that will resonate with your audience to sway them to your side. This feat can be challenging to accomplish, but an engaging, thought-provoking speech topic is an excellent place to start.

When it comes time to select a topic for your persuasive speech, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options to choose from—or your brain may be drawing a completely blank slate. If you’re having trouble thinking of the perfect topic, don’t worry. We’re here to help!

In this post, we’re sharing how to choose the perfect persuasive speech topic and tips to prepare for your speech. Plus, you’ll find 112 persuasive speech topics that you can take directly from us or use as creative inspiration for your own ideas!

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

It’s much easier to write, research, and deliver a speech about a cause you care about. Even if it’s challenging to find a topic that completely sparks your interest, try to choose a topic that aligns with your passions.

However, keep in mind that not everyone has the same interests as you. Try to choose a general topic to grab the attention of the majority of your audience, but one that’s specific enough to keep them engaged.

For example, suppose you’re giving a persuasive speech about book censorship. In that case, it’s probably too niche to talk about why “To Kill a Mockingbird” shouldn’t be censored (even if it’s your favorite book), and it’s too broad to talk about media censorship in general.

Steer Clear of Cliches

Have you already heard a persuasive speech topic presented dozens of times? If so, it’s probably not an excellent choice for your speech—even if it’s an issue you’re incredibly passionate about.

Although polarizing topics like abortion and climate control are important to discuss, they aren’t great persuasive speech topics. Most people have already formed an opinion on these topics, which will either cause them to tune out or have a negative impression of your speech.

Instead, choose topics that are fresh, unique, and new. If your audience has never heard your idea presented before, they will be more open to your argument and engaged in your speech.

Have a Clear Side of Opposition

For a persuasive speech to be engaging, there must be a clear side of opposition. To help determine the arguability of your topic, ask yourself: “If I presented my viewpoint on this topic to a group of peers, would someone disagree with me?” If the answer is yes, then you’ve chosen a great topic!

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for what it takes to choose a great persuasive speech topic, here are over one hundred options for you to choose from.

• Should high school athletes get tested for steroids?
• Should schools be required to have physical education courses?
• Should sports grades in school depend on things like athletic ability?
• What sport should be added to or removed from the Olympics?
• Should college athletes be able to make money off of their merchandise?
• Should sports teams be able to recruit young athletes without a college degree?
• Should we consider video gamers as professional athletes?
• Is cheerleading considered a sport?
• Should parents allow their kids to play contact sports?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as professional male athletes?
• Should college be free at the undergraduate level?
• Is the traditional college experience obsolete?
• Should you choose a major based on your interests or your potential salary?
• Should high school students have to meet a required number of service hours before graduating?
• Should teachers earn more or less based on how their students perform on standardized tests?
• Are private high schools more effective than public high schools?
• Should there be a minimum number of attendance days required to graduate?
• Are GPAs harmful or helpful?
• Should schools be required to teach about standardized testing?
• Should Greek Life be banned in the United States?
• Should schools offer science classes explicitly about mental health?
• Should students be able to bring their cell phones to school?
• Should all public restrooms be all-gender?
• Should undocumented immigrants have the same employment and education opportunities as citizens?
• Should everyone be paid a living wage regardless of their employment status?
• Should supremacist groups be able to hold public events?
• Should guns be allowed in public places?
• Should the national drinking age be lowered?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should the government raise or lower the retirement age?
• Should the government be able to control the population?
• Is the death penalty ethical?

Environment

• Should stores charge customers for plastic bags?
• Should breeding animals (dogs, cats, etc.) be illegal?
• Is it okay to have exotic animals as pets?
• Should people be fined for not recycling?
• Should compost bins become mandatory for restaurants?
• Should electric vehicles have their own transportation infrastructure?
• Would heavier fining policies reduce corporations’ emissions?
• Should hunting be encouraged or illegal?
• Should reusable diapers replace disposable diapers?

Science & Technology

• Is paper media more reliable than digital news sources?
• Should automated/self-driving cars be legalized?
• Should schools be required to provide laptops to all students?
• Should software companies be able to have pre-downloaded programs and applications on devices?
• Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
• Should scientists invest more or less money into cancer research?
• Should cloning be illegal?
• Should societies colonize other planets?
• Should there be legal oversight over the development of technology?

Social Media

• Should there be an age limit on social media?
• Should cyberbullying have the same repercussions as in-person bullying?
• Are online relationships as valuable as in-person relationships?
• Does “cancel culture” have a positive or negative impact on societies?
• Are social media platforms reliable information or news sources?
• Should social media be censored?
• Does social media create an unrealistic standard of beauty?
• Is regular social media usage damaging to real-life interactions?
• Is social media distorting democracy?
• How many branches of government should there be?
• Who is the best/worst president of all time?
• How long should judges serve in the U.S. Supreme Court?
• Should a more significant portion of the U.S. budget be contributed towards education?
• Should the government invest in rapid transcontinental transportation infrastructure?
• Should airport screening be more or less stringent?
• Should the electoral college be dismantled?
• Should the U.S. have open borders?
• Should the government spend more or less money on space exploration?
• Should students sing Christmas carols, say the pledge of allegiance, or perform other tangentially religious activities?
• Should nuns and priests become genderless roles?
• Should schools and other public buildings have prayer rooms?
• Should animal sacrifice be legal if it occurs in a religious context?
• Should countries be allowed to impose a national religion on their citizens?
• Should the church be separated from the state?
• Does freedom of religion positively or negatively affect societies?

Parenting & Family

• Is it better to have children at a younger or older age?
• Is it better for children to go to daycare or stay home with their parents?
• Does birth order affect personality?
• Should parents or the school system teach their kids about sex?
• Are family traditions important?
• Should parents smoke or drink around young children?
• Should “spanking” children be illegal?
• Should parents use swear words in front of their children?
• Should parents allow their children to play violent video games?

Entertainment

• Should all actors be paid the same regardless of gender or ethnicity?
• Should all award shows be based on popular vote?
• Who should be responsible for paying taxes on prize money, the game show staff or the contestants?
• Should movies and television shows have ethnicity and gender quotas?
• Should newspapers and magazines move to a completely online format?
• Should streaming services like Netflix and Hulu be free for students?
• Is the movie rating system still effective?
• Should celebrities have more privacy rights?

Arts & Humanities

• Are libraries becoming obsolete?
• Should all schools have mandatory art or music courses in their curriculum?
• Should offensive language be censored from classic literary works?
• Is it ethical for museums to keep indigenous artifacts?
• Should digital designs be considered an art form? 
• Should abstract art be considered an art form?
• Is music therapy effective?
• Should tattoos be regarded as “professional dress” for work?
• Should schools place greater emphasis on the arts programs?
• Should euthanasia be allowed in hospitals and other clinical settings?
• Should the government support and implement universal healthcare?
• Would obesity rates lower if the government intervened to make healthy foods more affordable?
• Should teenagers be given access to birth control pills without parental consent?
• Should food allergies be considered a disease?
• Should health insurance cover homeopathic medicine?
• Is using painkillers healthy?
• Should genetically modified foods be banned?
• Should there be a tax on unhealthy foods?
• Should tobacco products be banned from the country?
• Should the birth control pill be free for everyone?

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can  use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original persuasive speech ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

Do Your Research

A great persuasive speech is supported with plenty of well-researched facts and evidence. So before you begin the writing process, research both sides of the topic you’re presenting in-depth to gain a well-rounded perspective of the topic.

Understand Your Audience

It’s critical to understand your audience to deliver a great persuasive speech. After all, you are trying to convince them that your viewpoint is correct. Before writing your speech, consider the facts and information that your audience may already know, and think about the beliefs and concerns they may have about your topic. Then, address these concerns in your speech, and be mindful to include fresh, new information.

Have Someone Read Your Speech

Once you have finished writing your speech, have someone read it to check for areas of strength and improvement. You can use CollegeVine’s free essay review tool to get feedback on your speech from a peer!

Practice Makes Perfect

After completing your final draft, the key to success is to practice. Present your speech out loud in front of a mirror, your family, friends, and basically, anyone who will listen. Not only will the feedback of others help you to make your speech better, but you’ll become more confident in your presentation skills and may even be able to commit your speech to memory.

Hopefully, these ideas have inspired you to write a powerful, unique persuasive speech. With the perfect topic, plenty of practice, and a boost of self-confidence, we know you’ll impress your audience with a remarkable speech!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

• Choosing Good Topics
• Controversial
• Demonstration
• Extemporaneous
• Informative
• School/College
• Special Occasion
• Public Speaking Help
• Writing a Speech
• Free Sample Speeches
• Share Your Speech
• Free Persuasive Speech

Studying a free persuasive speech like the one shown below is often a good way to find the inspiration you need to write YOUR presentation. Check out the tone of this speech and try reading it out loud so you can see how it flows. The topic might become outdated, but the style and prose is useful to study for arguing the next hot topic .

This example represents an informal argument. The speaker argues with reasoning (logos) and passion (pathos) without citation to research and empirical evidence. That is fine in some circumstances where students or speakers are presenting personal views in an appropriate setting. Other times, such as formal policy debate , may require reference to supporting information or ethical appeals (ethos) to credibility and expertise. Also, some persuasive speech topics supporting data to overcome audience preconceptions or bias.

Start of Free Persuasive Speech

Getting civil.

I am against the government sanctioning same-sex marriages. Am I intolerant? Am I homophobic? Am I part of a fundamentalist religious sect of some sort?

What if I tell you that I am against the government sanctioning marriages between a man and a woman as well? Am I against marriage? Am I an anarchist? Am I insane?

Actually, I believe I have the sanest solution to the whole marriage debate, and I don't hear anyone talking about it.

My solution is to leave the marriage tradition where it belongs - in religious and private institutions.

What business is it of the government to sanction relationships between consenting adults? Why is it up to the government to define what marriage is? Why should the government be involved in promoting or discouraging particular types of relationships?

We are a free country, so why is it up to the government to tell us how we, the citizens, can define our relationships and which ones are acceptable in their eyes?

My contention is that:

Unless relationships by chosen consenting adults of their own free will endanger other individuals, the government has NO business sanctioning them or preventing them.

Am I saying that the government has no role in personal relationships? Well, not exactly.

Legal arrangements are necessary for the purpose of expeditiously dividing property and providing for the custody of any children resulting from a relationship, should the relationship end. Through legal arrangements, the rights of all involved can be protected.

That's why I believe that all legal partnerships between two people who have committed to each other should be civil unions in the eyes of the government. Whether these relationships are called 'marriages' or not is up to religious institutions and the individuals themselves.

I have a friend who is a lesbian. The woman she loves is Dutch, and they were married last summer in Holland, where such a union is legal. I saw the pictures. They were happy, joyful. Their families and friends attended the ceremony and continue to support them in their commitment to each other. They have a house together. They have jobs and pay taxes. They participate in civic activities. They are enjoying life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

But what if their families did not support their choice and their commitment to each other?

If something were to happen to one of them, either a life-threatening illness or even death, by law, the family could prevent the partner from being involved in making decisions for her loved one's care or even the arrangements for a funeral. Unless prior arrangements were made, the benefits of being a legal couple would not apply to these two committed partners who make every bit as much of a contribution to society as any heterosexual married couple does.

I have a lesbian friend who has two children with her partner. If their partnership were to dissolve, it is possible that the woman who actually gave birth to the children could bar the other woman, the woman that the children have always known as their mother, from having any contact with them. The non-birth mother would have no rights. Are the children's rights protected here?

Some people argue that allowing same-sex couples to have civil unions would result in an undue financial burden on society. Others primarily argue same because the benefits that currently apply to married couples would subsequently have to be extended to same-sex couples.

So are we trying to prevent people from having equal rights to save a few bucks? To me, that's like saying we should not have allowed women the vote because it would increase the cost of elections.

Some people are concerned that allowing same-sex couples the legal rights of a civil union would require religious institutions to marry them. There would be no such requirements. Churches and other religious institutions would be free to exercise their beliefs and traditions as they have always been.

Two people who love each other should be able to commit to each other and be protected by law in their relationship and the case that the relationship ends. Any children who are the result of the relationship should have their rights protected as well.

In my opinion, all people who want to have legal recognition of their committed status should have the option of a civil union and all people joined in a civil union should have equal rights regardless of their gender.

Whether a name is given to that union beyond the legal one should be up to religious institutions and the individuals themselves, not the government.

End of Free Persuasive Speech

Free email delivery

MASTER INFORMATIVE SPEAKING WITH OUR FREE CHECKLIST!

We are offering you a  FREE   SpeakFlight Informative Speaking Preparation Checklist. This valuable resource is packed with step-by-step guidance to help you create compelling, memorable, and effective informative speeches.

Share this page

You might like these.

Persuasive Topics for Valentines

The top five persuasive topics for Valentines day including commercialization, paternalism, inclusiveness, and religion

Fun Persuasive Speech Topics

Here are 54 fun persuasive speech topics for your consideration, around which you can create a light-hearted and entertaining speech.

Persuasive Speech Topics - Find Great Ideas for Your Presentation

Find lots of persuasive speech topics and discover how to influence your listeners' beliefs, change their opinions and ultimately prompt them to take action!

More tips...

• A Guide to Persuasive Speech Writing
• More Tips for Writing Good Persuasive Speeches
• Another Example Outline
• 3 Tips for Writing a Speech That Gets Results

Brainstorming techniques...

• Coming up With Ideas
• More Ways to Find the Perfect Topic

Topics to try...

• Ideal for Teens

Example persuasive speeches for inspiration...

• Gender Selection
• Energy Medicine
• Fun Speech about Luck
• Second-Hand Smoke
• Using a Cell Phone Whilst Driving
• School Uniform Policies
• Become an Activist
• Best Speech Topics
• Persuasive Speech Topics

Easily search your speech type

Just check out the sitemap for best-speech-topics.com , which lists all the pages on the site, or use the search box below:

Return to the Top of the Page

Get to Know Us

• Privacy Policy

Attention Grabbers

• Positive Quotes for Kids
• Quotes for Graduation Speeches
• Poems & Quotes on Death
• Quotes on Retirement

Most Popular Pages

• Free Samples
• Good Speech Topics
• Hypnotize Your Audience
• Welcome Speech

Select a Speech Topic

• Argumentative
• Commemorative
• Inspirational
• Interesting
• Other Topics

Let Us Help You

• How To Write a Speech
• Demonstration Outline
• Informative Outline
• Introductions
• Using a Microphone
• Speech Help
• Speeches Made Easy

100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students

• Homework Tips
• Learning Styles & Skills
• Study Methods
• Time Management
• Private School
• College Admissions
• College Life
• Graduate School
• Business School
• Distance Learning
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

There is a small but important difference between planning a persuasive speech and writing a persuasive essay. First, if you are planning a persuasive speech, you should think about a topic that can engage your audience. For this reason, you may want to consider a few topics before settling on the one that allows you to be more descriptive and entertaining.

Another important factor when picking a persuasive speech topic is to choose one that can provoke your audience. If you stir up a little emotion in your audience members, you'll keep their attention. The list below is provided to help you brainstorm. Choose a topic from this list or use the list to generate an idea of your own.

• Studying martial arts is good for mind and health.
• Competitive sports can teach us about life.
• Reality shows are exploiting people.
• Community service should be a graduation requirement for all high school students.
• The characteristics that make a person a hero.
• It's important to grow things in a garden.
• Violent video games are dangerous.
• Lyrics in a song can impact our lives.
• Traveling and studying abroad are positive experiences.
• Journal writing is therapeutic.
• You should spend time with your grandparents.
• A laptop is better than a tablet.
• Religion and science can go hand in hand.
• School uniforms are good.
• All-female colleges and all-male colleges are bad.
• Multiple choice tests are better than essay tests .
• We should not spend money on space exploration.
• Open-book tests are as effective as closed-book tests.
• Security cameras keep us safer.
• Parents should have access to students' grades.
• Small classes are better than big classes.
• You need to start saving for retirement now.
• Credit cards are harmful to college students.
• We should have a royal family.
• We should protect endangered animals.
• Texting while driving is dangerous.
• You can write a novel.
• Recycling should be required in the U.S.
• State colleges are better than private colleges.
• Private colleges are better than state colleges.
• We should do away with penny coins.
• Fast food containers hurt the environment.
• Plastic straws are harmful to the environment.
• You can eat and enjoy healthy snacks.
• You can become a millionaire.
• Dogs are better pets than cats.
• You should own a bird.
• It's unethical to keep birds in cages.
• Liberal arts degrees prepare graduates to be better workers than other degrees.
• Hunting animals should be banned.
• Football is a dangerous sport.
• School days should start later.
• Night school is better than day school.
• Technical training is better than a college degree.
• Immigration laws should be more lenient.
• Students should be able to choose their schools.
• Everyone should learn to play a musical instrument.
• Grass lawns should be prohibited.
• Sharks should be protected.
• We should do away with cars and go back to horse and carriage for transportation.
• We should use more wind power.
• We should pay more taxes.
• We should do away with taxes.
• Teachers should be tested like students.
• We should not interfere in the affairs of other countries.
• Every student should join a club.
• Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.
• People should stay married for life.
• Smoking in public should be illegal.
• College students should live on campus .
• Parents should let students fail.
• Giving to charity is good.
• Education makes us happier people.
• T​he ​ death penalty should be outlawed.
• Bigfoot is real.
• We should increase train travel to save the environment.
• We should read more classic books.
• Fame is bad for young children.
• Athletes should stay loyal to teams.
• We should reform our prisons.
• Juvenile offenders should not go to boot camps.
• Abraham Lincoln was the best president.
• Abraham Lincoln gets too much credit.
• Students should be allowed to have cell phones in elementary, middle, and high school.
• College student-athletes should be paid for playing.
• Elderly citizens on fixed income should receive free public transportation.
• Colleges and universities should be free to attend.
• All American citizens should complete one year of community service.
• Students should be required to take Spanish classes.
• Every student should be required to learn at least one foreign language .
• Marijuana should be legal for recreational use nationwide.
• Commercial testing of products on animals should no longer be allowed.
• High school students should be required to participate in at least one team sport.
• The drinking age in the U.S. should be 25.
• Replacing fossil fuels with cheaper alternative energy options should be mandated.
• Churches need to contribute their share of taxes.
• The Cuba embargo should be maintained by the U.S.
• America should replace income taxes with a nationwide flat tax.
• Once they reach the age of 18, all U.S. citizens should be automatically registered to vote .
• Doctor-assisted suicide should be legal.
• Spammers—people who bombard the internet with unsolicited email—should be banned from sending junk mail.
• Every automobile driver should be required to take a new driver's test every three years.
• Electroshock treatment is not a humane form of therapy.
• Global warming is not real.
• Single-parent adoption should be encouraged and promoted.
• Gun companies should be held accountable for gun crimes.
• Human cloning is not moral.
• Religion does not belong in public education.
• Juveniles should not be tried as adults.
• American workers should be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law.
• 100 Persuasive Essay Topics
• Middle School Debate Topics
• 40 Writing Topics for Argumentative and Persuasive Essays
• High School Debate Topics
• Controversial Speech Topics
• How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech
• Preparing an Argument Essay: Exploring Both Sides of an Issue
• 30 Writing Topics: Persuasion
• Speech Topics to Meet Oral Communication Standards
• The Best Summer Plans for High School Students
• 50 Argumentative Essay Topics
• 50 Topics for Impromptu Student Speeches
• 12 Interesting Ethical Topics for Essay Papers
• Impromptu Speech Activities
• How Much Damage Do Bad Grades Do?
• What Is a Blue Book?

Persuasive Speech Topics To Engage Your Audience

Persuasive speech topics that are compelling to the audience are thought-provoking and espouse a clear opinion. Speakers must be knowledgeable and passionate about all sides of their topic to present it with both objectivity and conviction. 

When you have an informed opinion on a topic that you want to share with your audiences, a persuasive speech is the way to go, You take the facts and present them to your listeners with an appealing blend of passion and logic.

Table of Contents

What Is Persuasive Speech About?

While informative and persuasive speech topics may be the same, each speech’s objectives differ.  When you write or deliver a persuasive speech, your end goal is to compel your audience to support and adopt your point of view about a certain subject matter. 

Persuasive speech and essay topics can also vary widely. Even just one topic can have multiple layers and approaches depending on who you’re talking to and in what kind of environment (e.g., academic, business). However,  it all boils down to getting your listeners to agree and ultimately take action themselves.

What Defines A Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

There’s a long list of persuasive speech topics out there. But  a good persuasive speech topic will resonate and be relevant to your specific audience.  After all, they are the ones who you’re trying to move with your words.

When choosing a topic you want to discuss and a thesis statement you want to discuss, you must ensure it’s timely, significant, and meaningful to who you’re talking to. You must be foremostly knowledgeable about it because you’ll need expertise — as well as research or proof you can confidently present before your audience. 

Selecting a topic you’re passionate about will make it easier for you to establish credibility — and connection. Even if you are a high school debater or a Toastmaster, where you are assigned a topic, you present your position authoritatively.

When crafting your speech about your chosen topic, be sure to incorporate the key pillars of a persuasive speech:

• Logos (appeal to logic and reasoning)
• Ethos (appeal to ethical principles and beliefs)
• Pathos (appeal to emotions)

What Is An Example Easy Topic Of Persuasive Speech?

Whether you’re invited on a public speaking stint or assembling a ‌persuasive essay, there are various easy topics you can consider. These include:

• Basic healthcare should be free for all.
• Work environments should have child-minding centers.
• The government should ban social media for children below 18 years old.
• Teachers must teach financial literacy to high school students.
• The use of disposable diapers and similar products should be limited because they harm the environment.
• Telling a lie isn’t always wrong.
• Female creatives deserve recognition as their male counterparts.
• Why seniors must be given employment opportunities.
• Immigrants must learn the language of the country where they’re migrating.
• Why we all need a best friend.

Many of these topics interest those in different age groups, but the depth of the presentations may vary.

What Are Some Timeless Persuasive Speech Topics?

Many wide-ranging evergreen topics are good choices for your next persuasive speech. This kind of topic is a popular choice since people from all walks of life are already familiar with them. Additionally, choosing this route allows you to introduce unconventional viewpoints or challenge the norm.

• The death penalty is an effective deterrent to crime.
• Knowing a foreign language can make you more appealing to a recruitment manager.
• Sex education and the use of birth control are part of a parent’s responsibility.
• There should be a higher age requirement for getting a driver’s license.
• Raising the minimum wage can hurt the economy.
• Graduates of public schools are better than private school graduates.
• Too few incentives encourage ordinary people to help curb global warming levels.
• Why there should be increased funding for mental health services
• Parents are responsible for their children’s behaviors.
• National museums should be free to citizens and tourists.

What Are Trending Topics For Persuasive Speeches?

If you want to make a great persuasive speech, you might consider tackling a trending topic . It’s a good platform for you to voice your thoughts and sentiments on a hotly discussed issue — and convince others to adopt the same. Below are some ideas for trending persuasive speech topics:

• There should be heavier punishment for cyberbullying.
• Can technological advancements be used in genetically designing babies?
• Tourism authorities must ban taking selfies at popular and crowded tourist spots at a certain time window.
• Fast food prices are actually overpriced.
• Governments around the world must legally recognize marriages involving LGBTQ+ members.
• No, exotic animals are not pets.
• Why religious organizations should be taxed.
• Businesses must invest more in AI tools.
• Professional athletes are better brand endorsers than TV celebrities.
• What is the proper age to discuss career prospects.

What Are Some Good Persuasive Speech Topics?

Some persuasive speech ideas and topics are simply more engaging and enticing than others. Check out some topics you can use to craft a compelling, persuasive speech.

• Children today are less sociable because of too much screen time on cell phones.
• The food industry is at fault for the rising global obesity statistics.
• Teenagers must be more involved in community service.
• Introverts are better leaders.
• Tipping in restaurants should be mandatory.
• Should guns be illegal in the United States?
• Dieting isn’t an effective way to lose weight.
• A person must mandatorily vote once they reach the legal age.
• What should be the limit of the freedom of the press?
• Love is a more powerful emotion than hatred.

What Are Some Good Topics For Students?

Delivering a speech before students? We’ve rounded up ‌interesting persuasive speech topics you can talk about below:

• High school and tertiary education institutions must strengthen their mental health support services and resources.
• Doing community service is as valuable extracurricular service as joining competitive sports.
• Minors who play violent video games are more violent in real life.
• Good grades are not an indicator of a successful career.
• College athletes must be financially compensated.
• Children must wear a school uniform.
• School and university canteens must cut down on serving junk food.
• Co-ed schools offer a better learning environment than single-sex ones.
• Parents should patronize homeschooling more.
• There’s more to life than attaining formal education.

What Persuasive Topics Might Appeal To Senior Listeners? Animal Lovers? Conservationists?

If you’re talking to a niche audience like seniors, animal lovers, and conservationists , you can count on this list to give you an idea of what to discuss:

• Seniors are capable of doing service-oriented jobs.
• Senior citizens should travel more often.
• The elderly should learn to pick up new hobbies.
• It’s inhumane to keep animals at zoos.
• People who do animal testing and cloning must be heavily punished.
• People shouldn’t give pets as birthday presents.
• A dog is indeed man’s best friend.
• Green energy is indeed the future. But how can we entice more people to invest in renewable energy?
• Single-use bags have a less damaging environmental impact than plastic bags.
• Owners of electric cars should enjoy more incentives.

What Are The Examples Of Persuasive Speech?

As you can see in the various lists of diverse speech topics presented above, a persuasive speech be just about anything.  Here are some examples of persuasive speeches and essays you can take inspiration from.

• Context: Renowned American novelist delivered this  commencement speech  in 2005 at Kenyon College, a liberal arts college in Ohio.
• Snippet:   “The capital-T Truth is about life before death. It is about the real value of a real education, which has almost nothing to do with knowledge, and everything to do with simple awareness ; awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, all the time, that we have to keep reminding ourselves over and over: “This is water.” “This is water.” It is unimaginably hard to do this, to stay conscious and alive in the adult world day in and day out. This means yet another grand cliché turns out to be true: your education really is the job of a lifetime. And it commences: now. I wish you way more than luck.”
• Context: In 2012, American writer Susan Cain delivered  a viral TED Talk  about the potential that introverted people hold.
• Snippet:   “Now, in fact, some of our transformative leaders in history have been introverts. I’ll give you some examples. Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Gandhi — all these people described themselves as quiet and soft-spoken and even shy. And they all took the spotlight, even though every bone in their bodies was telling them not to. And this turns out to have a special power all its own because people could feel that these leaders were at the helm not because they enjoyed directing others and not out of the pleasure of being looked at; they were there because they had no choice because they were driven to do what they thought was right .”

Recent Posts

Active Listening Absorbs The Whole Message, Not Just The Words

Active listening goes beyond hearing the words someone is saying to you and understanding the message they are conveying. Many only hear a small percentage of what is being said as they are...

Counteracting Fear Of Public Speaking With Coaching And Therapy

Nearly 75% of people experience the social phobia of fear of public speaking. The result may be nervousness before speaking or a full-blown panic attack. Practicing public speaking may lessen the...

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

Win Big in Our Teacher Appreciation Giveaway 🎁!

40 Strong Persuasive Writing Examples (Essays, Speeches, Ads, and More)

Learn from the experts.

The more we read, the better writers we become. Teaching students to write strong persuasive essays should always start with reading some top-notch models. This round-up of persuasive writing examples includes famous speeches, influential ad campaigns, contemporary reviews of famous books, and more. Use them to inspire your students to write their own essays. (Need persuasive essay topics? Check out our list of interesting persuasive essay ideas here! )

• Persuasive Essays
• Persuasive Speeches
• Advertising Campaigns

Persuasive Essay Writing Examples

From the earliest days of print, authors have used persuasive essays to try to sway others to their own point of view. Check out these top persuasive essay writing examples.

Professions for Women by Virginia Woolf

Sample lines: “Outwardly, what is simpler than to write books? Outwardly, what obstacles are there for a woman rather than for a man? Inwardly, I think, the case is very different; she has still many ghosts to fight, many prejudices to overcome. Indeed it will be a long time still, I think, before a woman can sit down to write a book without finding a phantom to be slain, a rock to be dashed against. And if this is so in literature, the freest of all professions for women, how is it in the new professions which you are now for the first time entering?”

The Crisis by Thomas Paine

Sample lines: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”

Politics and the English Language by George Orwell

Sample lines: “As I have tried to show, modern writing at its worst does not consist in picking out words for the sake of their meaning and inventing images in order to make the meaning clearer. It consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else, and making the results presentable by sheer humbug.”

Letter From a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Sample lines: “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was ‘well timed’ in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word ‘Wait!’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.'”

Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

Sample lines: “Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority. There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men.”

Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Roger Ebert

Sample lines: “‘Kindness’ covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime.”

The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin

Sample lines: “Methinks I hear some of you say, must a man afford himself no leisure? I will tell thee, my friend, what Poor Richard says, employ thy time well if thou meanest to gain leisure; and, since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour. Leisure is time for doing something useful; this leisure the diligent man will obtain, but the lazy man never; so that, as Poor Richard says, a life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things.”

The Crack-Up by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Sample lines: “Of course all life is a process of breaking down, but the blows that do the dramatic side of the work—the big sudden blows that come, or seem to come, from outside—the ones you remember and blame things on and, in moments of weakness, tell your friends about, don’t show their effect all at once.”

Open Letter to the Kansas School Board by Bobby Henderson

Sample lines: “I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. … Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. … We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him. It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories.”

Open Letter to the United Nations by Niels Bohr

Sample lines: “Humanity will, therefore, be confronted with dangers of unprecedented character unless, in due time, measures can be taken to forestall a disastrous competition in such formidable armaments and to establish an international control of the manufacture and use of the powerful materials.”

Persuasive Speech Writing Examples

Many persuasive speeches are political in nature, often addressing subjects like human rights. Here are some of history’s most well-known persuasive writing examples in the form of speeches.

I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Sample lines: “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

Woodrow Wilson’s War Message to Congress, 1917

Sample lines: “There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts—for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free.”

Chief Seattle’s 1854 Oration

Sample lines: “I here and now make this condition that we will not be denied the privilege without molestation of visiting at any time the tombs of our ancestors, friends, and children. Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch.”

Women’s Rights Are Human Rights, Hillary Rodham Clinton

Sample lines: “What we are learning around the world is that if women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish. If women are free from violence, their families will flourish. If women have a chance to work and earn as full and equal partners in society, their families will flourish. And when families flourish, communities and nations do as well. … If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights once and for all.”

I Am Prepared to Die, Nelson Mandela

Sample lines: “Above all, My Lord, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This makes the white man fear democracy. But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on color, is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one color group by another. … This then is what the ANC is fighting. Our struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by our own suffering and our own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live.”

The Struggle for Human Rights by Eleanor Roosevelt

Sample lines: “It is my belief, and I am sure it is also yours, that the struggle for democracy and freedom is a critical struggle, for their preservation is essential to the great objective of the United Nations to maintain international peace and security. Among free men the end cannot justify the means. We know the patterns of totalitarianism—the single political party, the control of schools, press, radio, the arts, the sciences, and the church to support autocratic authority; these are the age-old patterns against which men have struggled for 3,000 years. These are the signs of reaction, retreat, and retrogression. The United Nations must hold fast to the heritage of freedom won by the struggle of its people; it must help us to pass it on to generations to come.”

Freedom From Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi

Sample lines: “Saints, it has been said, are the sinners who go on trying. So free men are the oppressed who go on trying and who in the process make themselves fit to bear the responsibilities and to uphold the disciplines which will maintain a free society. Among the basic freedoms to which men aspire that their lives might be full and uncramped, freedom from fear stands out as both a means and an end. A people who would build a nation in which strong, democratic institutions are firmly established as a guarantee against state-induced power must first learn to liberate their own minds from apathy and fear.”

Harvey Milk’s “The Hope” Speech

Sample lines: “Some people are satisfied. And some people are not. You see there is a major difference—and it remains a vital difference—between a friend and a gay person, a friend in office and a gay person in office. Gay people have been slandered nationwide. We’ve been tarred and we’ve been brushed with the picture of pornography. In Dade County, we were accused of child molestation. It is not enough anymore just to have friends represent us, no matter how good that friend may be.”

The Union and the Strike, Cesar Chavez

Sample lines: “We are showing our unity in our strike. Our strike is stopping the work in the fields; our strike is stopping ships that would carry grapes; our strike is stopping the trucks that would carry the grapes. Our strike will stop every way the grower makes money until we have a union contract that guarantees us a fair share of the money he makes from our work! We are a union and we are strong and we are striking to force the growers to respect our strength!”

Nobel Lecture by Malala Yousafzai

Sample lines: “The world can no longer accept that basic education is enough. Why do leaders accept that for children in developing countries, only basic literacy is sufficient, when their own children do homework in algebra, mathematics, science, and physics? Leaders must seize this opportunity to guarantee a free, quality, primary and secondary education for every child. Some will say this is impractical, or too expensive, or too hard. Or maybe even impossible. But it is time the world thinks bigger.”   

Persuasive Writing Examples in Advertising Campaigns

Ads are prime persuasive writing examples. You can flip open any magazine or watch TV for an hour or two to see sample after sample of persuasive language. Here are some of the most popular ad campaigns of all time, with links to articles explaining why they were so successful.

Nike: Just Do It

The iconic swoosh with the simple tagline has persuaded millions to buy their kicks from Nike and Nike alone. Teamed with pro sports-star endorsements, this campaign is one for the ages. Blinkist offers an opinion on what made it work.

Dove: Real Beauty

Beauty brand Dove changed the game by choosing “real” women to tell their stories instead of models. They used relatable images and language to make connections, and inspired other brands to try the same concept. Learn why Global Brands considers this one a true success story.

Wendy’s: Where’s the Beef?

Today’s kids are too young to remember the cranky old woman demanding to know where the beef was on her fast-food hamburger. But in the 1980s, it was a catchphrase that sold millions of Wendy’s burgers. Learn from Better Marketing how this ad campaign even found its way into the 1984 presidential debate.

De Beers: A Diamond Is Forever

A diamond engagement ring has become a standard these days, but the tradition isn’t as old as you might think. In fact, it was De Beers jewelry company’s 1948 campaign that created the modern engagement ring trend. The Drum has the whole story of this sparkling campaign.

Volkswagen: Think Small

Americans have always loved big cars. So in the 1960s, when Volkswagen wanted to introduce their small cars to a bigger market, they had a problem. The clever “Think Small” campaign gave buyers clever reasons to consider these models, like “If you run out of gas, it’s easy to push.” Learn how advertisers interested American buyers in little cars at Visual Rhetoric.

American Express: Don’t Leave Home Without It

AmEx was once better known for traveler’s checks than credit cards, and the original slogan was “Don’t leave home without them.” A simple word change convinced travelers that American Express was the credit card they needed when they headed out on adventures. Discover more about this persuasive campaign from Medium.

Skittles: Taste the Rainbow

These candy ads are weird and intriguing and probably not for everyone. But they definitely get you thinking, and that often leads to buying. Learn more about why these wacky ads are successful from The Drum.

Maybelline: Maybe She’s Born With It

Smart wordplay made this ad campaign slogan an instant hit. The ads teased, “Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline.” (So many literary devices all in one phrase!) Fashionista has more on this beauty campaign.

Coca-Cola: Share a Coke

Seeing their own name on a bottle made teens more likely to want to buy a Coke. What can that teach us about persuasive writing in general? It’s an interesting question to consider. Learn more about the “Share a Coke” campaign from Digital Vidya.

Always: #LikeaGirl

Talk about the power of words! This Always campaign turned the derogatory phrase “like a girl” on its head, and the world embraced it. Storytelling is an important part of persuasive writing, and these ads really do it well. Medium has more on this stereotype-bashing campaign.   

Editorial Persuasive Writing Examples

Newspaper editors or publishers use editorials to share their personal opinions. Noted politicians, experts, or pundits may also offer their opinions on behalf of the editors or publishers. Here are a couple of older well-known editorials, along with a selection from current newspapers.

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1897)

Sample lines: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.”

What’s the Matter With Kansas? (1896)

Sample lines: “Oh, this IS a state to be proud of! We are a people who can hold up our heads! What we need is not more money, but less capital, fewer white shirts and brains, fewer men with business judgment, and more of those fellows who boast that they are ‘just ordinary clodhoppers, but they know more in a minute about finance than John Sherman,’ we need more men … who hate prosperity, and who think, because a man believes in national honor, he is a tool of Wall Street.”

America Can Have Democracy or Political Violence. Not Both. (The New York Times)

Sample lines: “The nation is not powerless to stop a slide toward deadly chaos. If institutions and individuals do more to make it unacceptable in American public life, organized violence in the service of political objectives can still be pushed to the fringes. When a faction of one of the country’s two main political parties embraces extremism, that makes thwarting it both more difficult and more necessary. A well-functioning democracy demands it.”

The Booster Isn’t Perfect, But Still Can Help Against COVID (The Washington Post)

Sample lines: “The booster shots are still free, readily available and work better than the previous boosters even as the virus evolves. Much still needs to be done to build better vaccines that protect longer and against more variants, including those that might emerge in the future. But it is worth grabbing the booster that exists today, the jab being a small price for any measure that can help keep COVID at bay.”

If We Want Wildlife To Thrive in L.A., We Have To Share Our Neighborhoods With Them (Los Angeles Times)

Sample lines: “If there are no corridors for wildlife movement and if excessive excavation of dirt to build bigger, taller houses erodes the slope of a hillside, then we are slowly destroying wildlife habitat. For those people fretting about what this will do to their property values—isn’t open space, trees, and wildlife an amenity in these communities?”   

Persuasive Review Writing Examples

Book or movie reviews are more great persuasive writing examples. Look for those written by professionals for the strongest arguments and writing styles. Here are reviews of some popular books and movies by well-known critics to use as samples.

The Great Gatsby (The Chicago Tribune, 1925)

Sample lines: “What ails it, fundamentally, is the plain fact that it is simply a story—that Fitzgerald seems to be far more interested in maintaining its suspense than in getting under the skins of its people. It is not that they are false: It is that they are taken too much for granted. Only Gatsby himself genuinely lives and breathes. The rest are mere marionettes—often astonishingly lifelike, but nevertheless not quite alive.”

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (The Washington Post, 1999)

Sample lines: “Obviously, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone should make any modern 11-year-old a very happy reader. The novel moves quickly, packs in everything from a boa constrictor that winks to a melancholy Zen-spouting centaur to an owl postal system, and ends with a scary surprise. Yet it is, essentially, a light-hearted thriller, interrupted by occasional seriousness (the implications of Harry’s miserable childhood, a moral about the power of love).”

Twilight (The Telegraph, 2009)

Sample lines: “No secret, of course, at whom this book is aimed, and no doubt, either, that it has hit its mark. The four Twilight novels are not so much enjoyed, as devoured, by legions of young female fans worldwide. That’s not to say boys can’t enjoy these books; it’s just that the pages of heart-searching dialogue between Edward and Bella may prove too long on chat and too short on action for the average male reader.”

To Kill a Mockingbird (Time, 1960)

Sample lines: “Author Lee, 34, an Alabaman, has written her first novel with all of the tactile brilliance and none of the preciosity generally supposed to be standard swamp-warfare issue for Southern writers. The novel is an account of an awakening to good and evil, and a faint catechistic flavor may have been inevitable. But it is faint indeed; novelist Lee’s prose has an edge that cuts through cant, and she teaches the reader an astonishing number of useful truths about little girls and about Southern life.”

The Diary of Anne Frank (The New York Times, 1952)

Sample lines: “And this quality brings it home to any family in the world today. Just as the Franks lived in momentary fear of the Gestapo’s knock on their hidden door, so every family today lives in fear of the knock of war. Anne’s diary is a great affirmative answer to the life-question of today, for she shows how ordinary people, within this ordeal, consistently hold to the greater human values.”   

What are your favorite persuasive writing examples to use with students? Come share your ideas in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, the big list of essay topics for high school (120+ ideas) ..

You Might Also Like

101 Interesting Persuasive Essay Topics for Kids and Teens

Use your words to sway the reader. Continue Reading

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Free Random Speech Generator

Write down the points you want to discuss in body paragraphs

Want to create powerful speeches that will effectively persuade, captivate, and entertain your audience? If so, you’ve come to the right place!

We present to you our new revolutionary speech generator. It has an AI-powered core that can instantly create outstanding drafts for speeches 100% free.

• ️🎉 How to Use This Generator
• ️🔥 Why Use Our Tool?
• ️📢 Main Types of Speeches
• ️✍️ How to Write a Speech
• ️🔗 References

🎉 How to Use Our Speech Generator

Using our tool is very easy. Just follow these 6 steps:

• Type in the topic of your speech.
• Choose between entertainment, informative, persuasive, or demonstrative speech types.
• Enter the specific purpose of your speech.
• Select the number of body paragraphs that you want it to have.
• Adjust the additional settings, like the audience type or the points you want to express.
• Press “Generate” and get an outstanding result.

🔥 Why Use Our Random Speech Generator

Our automatic speech generator is one of the best tools you can find online. Here’re all of its benefits:

📢 Main Types of Speeches

Our generator can create all types of speeches. But what are these types exactly? Let’s learn more about each of them.

✍️ How to Write a Speech

The process of writing a good speech is more complex than it seems. There are many things on which its success will depend. The handy guide below will help you write an unforgettable speech—check it out!

1. Choose a Topic

Choosing a perfect topic is the first step. Even if you already have a rough concept of what you want to discuss, you can still make it more interesting by focusing on a few additional themes or one overarching subject.

Make a list of every potential topic that you may include in your speech. After that, review your options and cross off anything too dull or unnecessary until your draft has been reduced to a few key points. Additionally, do some preliminary research. Statistics, case studies, and graphs can be the perfect basis for your arguments.

Don't know what to write about? Here are some of the hottest speech topic ideas for you:

• The joy of playing the guitar.
• Homage to a trainer speech.
• The problem of global migration .
• Careers in tech and engineering .
• How cryptocurrency shapes modern trade relations .
• The value of the theory of self-actualizing personality .
• Your views on independence and personal development.
• The evolution of tourism from ancient Rome to the present day.
• The perspective of using AI to replace human labor .

2. Analyze Your Audience

The audience is the main factor determining how you approach a topic. To analyze your listeners, spend some time thinking through the following questions:

• Is the audience already familiar with the issue?
• Why can they be interested in learning about it?
• What are their personal thoughts and opinions on the matter?
• How does the topic relate to their lives?

These questions will help you decide how to convey your material. For instance, if most of the audience is unfamiliar with the subject, your speech can be educational.

3. Make an Outline

For a good speech, it is crucial to stay on topic. Make sure to avoid forgetting any important information or repeating yourself while talking. That’s why it’s essential to outline your drafts and structure your arguments. Create a plan and note all the key ideas that you want to include in your speech. Also, be sure to add the sources of statistics and quotes so that you can quickly make a reference if the audience asks you about them.

4. Make a Strong Opening Sentence

The first two minutes at the beginning of a speech is the only chance you get to grab the audience’s attention . That’s why it’s critical to put your main idea or primal objective into the first statement that you'll say. The best technique is starting with a distinct concept and quickly explaining its importance. You can also attract the audience by telling a funny joke related to the topic or showing a picture on the screen if you have such an opportunity.

5. Make It Interesting

Your main goal throughout the speech is to keep your audience interested and entertained. Don’t let them get bored because once they do, they’ll stop listening.

Here’s a list of things to try if you want to keep your audience attentive:

• Use visuals and audio or even physical props.
• Add some emotions and try to engage your audience in the discussions.
• Include personal elements and life stories.
• Joke around a little bit, but don’t go overboard.
• Address different topic-oriented questions to your audience.
• Use body language to empower your statements.

We’re sure that with our free generator, you’ll be able to make an excellent speech. You’ll see how easier it becomes once you try this fantastic tool. Good luck on your path to becoming a pro in the art of speech!

We also recommend using our business tools such as Porter’s Five Forces template and VRIO analysis tool .

❓ Random Speech Generator FAQ

❓ what are the different types of speeches.

The 4 main types of speeches are persuasive, informative, entertainment, and demonstrative speech. Each of them has its own goals and objectives. There are also many minor kinds of speeches, but they're all based on these 4 main types.

❓ What are some good topics to write a speech on?

Here’re some good ideas for a speech:

• The problem of school bullying.
• How to overcome embarrassment and show your true self.
• Should children be taught religion from an early age?
• The issue of modern-day discrimination.
• The benefits of staying optimistic.

❓ How do you write a persuasive speech?

The first thing to write a persuasive speech is to gather arguments and facts to strengthen your viewpoint. Afterward, we advise you to create an outline and write a draft based on your plan. Finally, proofread your draft and make a visual presentation, if necessary.

❓ What are some examples of persuasive speech?

The most notable examples of persuasive speeches are:

• I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.
• The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln.
• Woman’s Rights to the Suffrage by Susan B Anthony.
• Nobel Lecture by Mother Teresa.
• The Struggle for Human Rights by Eleanor Roosevelt.

🔗 References

• Speech Writing and Types of Speeches: University of Florida
• Speeches: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 13 Main Types of Speeches (With Examples and Tips): Indeed
• 10 Keys to Writing A Speech: Forbes
• Persuasive Speaking: University of Pittsburgh

Speech Topic Generator

Looking for a persuasive or informative speech topic generator? Welcome to our tool! Get a list of ideas for your speech or essay in a couple of clicks.

Looking for an inspiring idea for a speech? Try this informative speech topic generator! It will create a list of beautiful ideas for you in 3 steps:

Please try again with some different keywords.

• 👌 The Tool’s Benefits

💬 How to Choose a Speech Topic

🆚 informative vs. persuasive speeches, 💡 informative speech prompts, 💭 persuasive speech prompts, 🔗 references, 👌 speech topic generator: 4 benefits, 1. define your goals.

What’s the occasion, and which purposes do you pursue? Depending on whether it is a solemn, professional, or informal event, your outline will vary in the level of its seriousness. Besides, the amount of personal experience in your speech also depends on the occasion: the more formal it is, the less you can mention yourself.

2. Evaluate Your Audience

There are 4 things to avoid while selecting a speech topic:

• Making it too controversial for the audience;
• Making it too simple for the audience;
• Making it too complicated for the audience;
• Making it unmatching the audience’s mood.

As you can see, you’ll have to do some research about the knowledge of your future listeners, their backgrounds, needs, and interests.

3. Think of What You Can Offer

Are you passionate about the shortlisted topics? In the case of any doubts, cross them out without thinking. Second, do you have enough sources at hand to prepare the speech? If yes, do you have enough knowledge of it to sound interesting, motivational, or informative? Find the balance between something you know about and your audience’s interests.

The ideas mentioned above define both the topic and the genre of your presentation. Let us start with the genre.

An informative speech implies that the speaker is an expert who aims to transfer their knowledge to the listeners. In a persuasive speech, the lector aims to persuade their audience in something.

In more general terms, informative speech topics should be devoid of conflicting ideas and engaging per se. On the contrary, the interest in persuasive speech topics stems from their controversial nature (and formulation). Below you can find more details.

Informative Speech Topics

The topics of this genre fall into 4 categories.

This group of topics dwells upon what people believe (though the concepts should not necessarily be true).

For example : How did the people in Ancient Greece imagine their gods? Or, what is the current opinion of science about genetically-caused homosexuality?

An event is anything that happens, and informative speech topics about them describe the past in chronological order.

For example : Which events preceded the Cold War?

This group describes how something functions.

For example: How do the presidential elections take place in the United States?

Places, people, animals, etc.

This group requires you to make a comprehensive and narrowly-specialized account of the subject.

For example : How do coral reefs affect the ecology, or what was the role of President Nixon in the Vietnam war?

Persuasive Speech Topics

Topics in the persuasive genre are much broader than those of the informative one. Plainly speaking, whenever you think of a subject as a cause for a debate, it fits into a persuasive speech.

Consider the diversity of the following examples :

• Can a war improve the life of people?
• Which philosophical doctrine is more viable: transcendentalism or existentialism?
• Does early child development define their future career?

Once you know your purposes and genre (informative or persuasive), you can easily select the most suitable topic format.

As far as you are visiting an educational website, our sample speech prompts will refer to studies. Consider the following examples:

• The difference between public and private education.

The principal difference consists in the sources of funding and administration procedures. But there are other consequential diverging features: class size, networking opportunities, price, etc. Whenever you compare two phenomena in an informative speech, avoid suggesting which of them is better. Let your audience decide for themselves.

• How to prevent cyberbullying in schools?

Divide the speech into three sections: what can schools, parents, and students do for the purpose? For example, schools could provide anti- cyberbullying education to their staff and students, and parents could teach their kids kindness and respect. Students could speak up and not remain idle.

• E-learning in the era of the pandemic.

Describe the pre-history of E-learning and how it became commonplace with the beginning of the pandemic. You can conclude with the prospects for the future in the sphere of distance education.

• The parental role in their child’s education.

How could parents participate in their child’s school life? Look for any available research data on the effects of such attention.

A persuasive speech always aims to take a side in a conflict of opinions. By the way, look how we have reformulated the informative topics above into persuasive:

• The benefits of private schools over public.

Start with some ground-breaking statistics. For example, students of private schools have higher scores in most subjects. Then move on to more subtle arguments, like more individual attention to each student’s needs or a more personalized educational system.

• Why should schools raise the students’ awareness of cyberbullying?

Speak about the adverse and long-term effects of this harmful practice. It causes depression, low self-esteem, social anxiety, and even suicide. Substantiate your opinion with statistics or references to the personal accounts of victims.

• What are the dangers of E-learning?

If you have attended at least one E-class , you are well aware of its pitfalls. Low student engagement in the process, multitasking, lack of social interaction, and unavoidable cheating are only some hazards to name.

• Should parents control their child’s homework?

Here you should consider if parents’ attention helps their kids. It is a good idea to add your personal experience. There may be an in-between answer: to which extent should parents help?

📌 Speech Topic Generator FAQ

How to pick a speech topic.

• Think about what you plan to do in your speech: inform or persuade?
• Evaluate if your audience is ready (and knowledgeable enough) to perceive your arguments and information.
• Analyze what you know about the selected topics.
• Choose the one that inspires you the most from the ones left.

What Topics Are Good for a Persuasive Speech?

Any controversial topics would apply to a persuasive speech. For example:

• Can one person make a difference in saving the planet?
• Should we perceive people with autism as normal but different?
• Are gay marriages good for society?
• Could a legislative ban on drugs prevent people from using substances?

What Are Some Informative Speech Topics?

• The state-of-art technologies in genetic engineering.
• How to choose a pet for adoption?
• What were the causes of WWII?
• The most significant US cities and their most famous sights.
• How do price changes affect the demand?
• Describe the differences in foster care compared with the previous century.

After Choosing a Topic, What Is the Next Step of Speech Preparation?

nce you’ve chosen the topic, prepare your thesis statement or central idea of your presentation. This action will help you select the relevant facts and arguments that will form the speech structure. Besides, you still have a chance to change the topic if the central idea does not sound persuasive or informative enough.

Updated: Apr 19th, 2024

• Informative Speeches vs. Persuasive Speeches – SAGE edge
• Types of Speeches: Informative, Persuasive, and Special Occasion |Study.com
• Informative Speeches – Communication in the Real World
• 9 Types of Informative Speeches To Educate an Audience
• 100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students – ThoughtCo

Use this Online Speech Generator to Help You Quickly Create a Good Speech

How to use this tool.

• Select what you would like. To generate free speech topics or free speech content.
• Select the type of speech e.g. "Explanatory", "Motivational".
• Enter your speech topic.
• Enter the additional instructions for better results.
• Click "Generate Speech" and wait 1 minute to get the speech.
• You can generate again when you are not satisfied with the speech or the topics.

Are your assignments troubling you?

Get your troublesome papers finished by our competent writers now!

Special offer! Get 20% discount on your first order. Promo code: SAVE20

How Does Our Speech Creator Work?

You can use our tool to find a good topic and generate a good speech. To find a good speech topic, you need to enter the keyword, and the tool will generate the necessary topics related to your keywords.

To generate speech essays, enter your prompt, and the tool will generate a speech essay. After the tool has generated the speech, you don't have to download the speech; you copy and paste it into the documents and make the necessary edits to suit what you were looking for.

You can also hire our speech homework helpers to help you craft a great speech that will move your audience.

Benefits of Using Our Speech Maker

Our online speech generator has several advantages. They include:

• Quick document turnaround. Unlike handwritten speech, which takes much time to complete, our speech generator provides you with a speech within a short period.
• Guarantee speech quality . Our speech maker guarantees accuracy and quality in the generated text content. Our tool examines many human speeches to understand the meaning of words and human communication to determine the correct response.
• Increased Scalability and Flexibility . Our speech generator is versatile and caters for multiple uses. Whether you want a business presentation or a graduation speech, you can get a customized speech from our speech creator.
• Eradicate workflow inefficiencies . Speech-making is labor-intensive and time-consuming. You can use our speech maker to simplify and streamline your workflow, including brainstorming ideas for your research project.
• It is 100% free . You don't have to register or subscribe to any plan to use our speech generator.

What Makes a Good Speech

The following are the major components of a good speech:

• It should be concise . You should not take much time with lengthy introductions and irrelevant details.
• It should be clear . Your speech should be easy for the audience to comprehend and understand. So, avoid complex terms and pick the right delivery style.
• Avoid bias. Your speech should be objective. Avoid being over-emotional, base your opinions on facts, and avoid biased opinions.
• It should be relevant. Your speech topic should be perfectly relevant and interesting to your audience. Avoid much information that does not relate to the main topic.

Good Speech Examples

• Organ Donation Persuasive Speech
• Informative Speech about Stress Management
• Informative Speech about Stress Management among Students
• Speech on the Importance of Reading

How to Choose a Good Speech Topic

• Specify Your Goals. Establish the occasion and the message you want to convey to your audience.
• Assess Your Audience. Research your audience's knowledge, interests, needs, and background.
• Think of What You Can Offer Your Audience . Avoid shortlisted topics which you are not passionate about. And then ensure you have enough resources and knowledge on the topic you have chosen.

Random Speech Topics

Informative speech topics.

• Evolution of the human species
• Are male victims of domestic violence as well?
• Should gay couples be allowed to adopt?
• A guide for creating a strong profile on LinkedIn
• The drawbacks of vegan diets

Persuasive Speech Topics

• Foreign labor slows down the economy
• Voting rights should not be universal
• Google is the death of libraries
• Government should regulate internet usage
• Fashion is an important part of society

Informative vs Persuasive Speeches

An informative speech is a speech where the speaker is a professional and intends to transfer their knowledge or inform the audience about a specific topic. In a persuasive speech, the speaker aims to persuade the listeners to change their point of view.,

• An informative speech aims to deliver new information, while a persuasive speech aims to convince the audience to believe or do something specific.
• The informative speech presents facts and information to the audience, while the persuasive speech is based on logic and emotions.
• Informative speech does not rely on emotions to motivate the audience, but emotions are highly applicable in persuasive speeches.
• In an informative speech, the speaker acts as a teacher, while in persuasive speeches, the speaker is the leader.

No matter the type of speech you are writing, you must identify the purpose and maintain the focus. For informative speeches, you should remain objective and unbiased and present facts only. In a persuasive speech , you aim to persuade the audience to agree with your opinion. Use our speech generator to craft speech in any category.

Our words to time tool will help you estimate the time it will take to deliver your speech.

Other Popular Tools

• Free Essay Generator (Powered by AI)
• Free Plagiarism Checker
• Free Thesis Generator Tool
• Free Paraphrasing Tool
• Free Essay Title Generator
• Free Speech Generator
• Free Summarizer Tool
• Words To Page
• Words To Time
• Random Debate Topic Generator

Bias of The Atlantic

• Balanced News
• Story of the Week
• News Curation Principles
• Newsletters
• Balanced Search

Those Who Preach Free Speech Need to Practice It

Say you’re a college senior, just a few weeks from graduation. For as long as you can remember—even back in high school, before you set foot on campus—older people have talked about free speech. More specifically, older people have talked about free speech and you: whether your generation understands it, whether you believe in it, whether you can handle it.

After watching some of those same people order crackdowns on campus protests over the past few days, you might have a few questions for them.

Last week, from New York...

The Atlantic

Related Coverage

AllSides Picks

April 30th, 2024

More News about Education from the Left , Center and Right

From the left, from the center, from the right.

Those Who Preach Free Speech Need to Practice It

Too many leaders, on campus and in government, are failing to uphold the First Amendment rights they claim to champion.

Updated at 9:35 a.m. ET on April 30, 2024

Say you’re a college senior, just a few weeks from graduation. For as long as you can remember—even back in high school, before you set foot on campus—older people have talked about free speech. More specifically, older people have talked about free speech and you : whether your generation understands it, whether you believe in it, whether you can handle it.

After watching some of those same people order crackdowns on campus protests over the past few days, you might have a few questions for them.

Last week, from New York to Texas, cops stormed college campuses clad in riot gear. They weren’t there to confront active shooters, thank goodness, or answer bomb threats. Instead, they were there to conduct mass arrests of students protesting the war in Gaza.

As the legal director of a First Amendment advocacy nonprofit, I teach students across the country that the government can’t silence speakers because of their beliefs, even—and perhaps especially—if those beliefs are unpopular or cause offense. That’s a foundational principle of free-speech law. But many of the crackdowns appear to be a direct reaction to the protesters’ views about Israel.

After sending a phalanx of state law-enforcement officers into the University of Texas at Austin campus, for example, Governor Greg Abbott announced on X that students “joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.”

Erwin Chemerinsky: No one has a right to protest in my home

But no First Amendment exception exists for “hate-filled” speech. And for good reason: In our pluralistic democracy, everyone has their own subjective idea of what, if any, speech is too “hateful” to hear, making an objective definition impossible. And empowering the government to draw that line will inevitably silence dissent.

At UT, the officers arrested scores of protesters for “ trespassing .” But the students don’t appear to have violated school rules. And you can’t trespass on a place where you have the right to be, as students at the public universities they attend clearly do. Even a cameraman for a local news station was tackled and arrested . The next day, the Travis County attorney’s office dropped all of the trespassing charges for lack of probable cause—a telling indicator of the disturbingly authoritarian response. (Shockingly, the cameraman does face a felony charge , for allegedly assaulting a police officer—an allegation difficult to square with video of his arrest.) The government can’t throw Americans in jail for exercising their First Amendment right to peaceful protest.

Governor Abbott’s illiberal show of force has no place in a free country. It’s especially galling given the governor’s previous posture as a stalwart defender of campus free speech: In June 2019, he signed a law prohibiting Texas’s public colleges and universities from shutting down campus speakers because of their ideology. So much for that.

Governor Abbott isn’t alone. During her congressional testimony earlier this month, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik pledged investigations of students and faculty who voiced allegedly anti-Semitic criticism of Israel and Zionism, and agreed—on the fly—to remove a professor from his position as a committee chair because of his speech.

Michael Powell: The unreality of Columbia’s ‘liberated zone’

Columbia is a private institution, so it isn’t bound by the First Amendment. But the university promises freedom of expression to its students and faculty—and Shafik’s willingness to sacrifice faculty and student rights to appease hostile members of Congress betrays those promises.

If such things had happened only at UT and Columbia, that would be bad enough—but the problem is spreading. At Emory University, in Atlanta, police officers reportedly used tear gas and Tasers against protesters. State troopers with rifles directed toward protesters stood watch on a rooftop at Ohio State University. At Indiana University, administrators rushed out a last-minute, overnight policy change to justify a similar show of force from law enforcement, resulting in 34 arrests. It’s hard to keep up.

Students nationwide are watching how the adults who professed to care about free speech are responding under pressure. And they are learning that those adults don’t really mean what they say about the First Amendment. That’s a dangerous lesson. Our schools and universities could still teach the country a better one.

“Free Speech 101” starts here: The First Amendment protects an enormous amount of speech, including speech that some, many, perhaps most Americans would find deeply offensive. You may not like pro-Palestine speech; you may not like pro-Israel speech. You may think some of it veers into bigotry. The answer is to ignore it, mock it, debate it, even counterprotest it. But don’t call in the SWAT team.

George Packer: The campus-left occupation that broke higher education

Granted, free speech is not without carefully designated exceptions, and these exceptions are important but narrow. True threats and intimidation, properly defined, are not protected by the First Amendment. Neither is discriminatory harassment. Violence is never protected.

And public universities can maintain reasonable “time, place, and manner” restrictions on speech. That means, for example, that for the authorities to place a ban on playing heavily amplified sound right outside the dorms at 2 a.m. likely does not violate the First Amendment. A prohibition on camping overnight in the quad probably doesn’t either. And taking over a campus building, as Columbia students did early this morning , is not protected.

But the enforcement of these rules must be evenhanded and proportionate. The use of force should be a last resort. Students must be given clear notice about what conduct crosses a line. And any student facing punishment for an alleged infringement should receive a fair hearing. Consistency counts. Our leaders—in government, in university administration—must demonstrate their commitment to free expression in both word and deed.

Students are protesting on campuses nationwide, and they’re watching the reaction of university presidents and elected officials closely. The current moment presents a generational challenge: Do older people and people in authority really mean what they say about the First Amendment? Do they believe in free speech—and can they handle it? Right now, too many leaders are failing the test.