speech on new words

British Council

Ten ways to learn new words as a language learner, by svetlana kandybovich, 16 february 2017 - 16:00.

Pierre Metivier, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 and adapted from the original .

Teacher and teacher trainer Svetlana Kandybovich, our latest  TeachingEnglish blog award  winner, shares her top tips for remembering new words.

As a language learner, you work hard to expand your vocabulary. You plough through new words every day, make long lists of words and practise with flashcards. However, when it comes to speaking, the new words seem to fall out of your head, so you resort to your old friends – words you already know and have used many times – again and again.

Remembering and using new words in speech is often a challenge for language learners. Here are ten strategies to help you make words stick in your mind and use them in conversation.

1. No random words

We remember what is relevant to us. Making lists or index cards with random words is not usually an effective way to remember and use these words later. Word lists and index cards are great for revisiting vocabulary you have already learned, but to make a new word stick in your mind, try linking it with something meaningful to you. You will be more likely to remember a new word if it is used in a context you find interesting or are passionate about. For example, if you are a football fan, there are more chances you will remember the word 'unstoppable' in a sentence, such as 'Messi is unstoppable', rather than just as a single word or in a generic sentence, e.g. 'Some people are unstoppable'.

Tip: The British Council  LearnEnglish website  features tons of interactive videos, games and podcasts. No matter what topic interests you, you will always find something there. There are also discussion boards under activities, so you can share your ideas with other learners.

2. Learn in chunks and scripts

We retain words better when we learn them in small ‘chunks’ (i.e. small phrases that combine several words) and ‘scripts’ (i.e. typical dialogues). For example, instead of memorising the phrasal verb ‘to come up with’, memorise it as part of the phrase ‘to come up with an idea’. This way, you make sure that you know how to actually use this verb in at least one sentence. Similarly, instead of memorising 33 ways of saying ‘hello’, learn it in a script, such as: ‘Hello, how are you? – I’m fine, thank you’.

Tip: If you are into learning with video, TV and films, try  FluentU . There are interactive captions, so if you tap on any word, you will see an image, definition and useful examples. You can also find other interesting resources featuring words in context. For example, this ' SpeakSmart' collection on Instagram  has different scenes from popular television series giving examples of particular words and phrases in use. If you love reading, try reading short texts, such as cartoon strips. There are many comics available online, including those for language learners, like  Grammarman , which you can also listen to while you read.

3. Use your inner voice

Learning is essentially an internal process. To learn a word, you need to get into the world of your inner voice. Try the following: listen to a word/phrase once, now listen to it inside your head, then say it inside your head, then say it aloud. Record yourself saying it and listen to the recording. Does it sound the way you heard it with your inner ear?

Tip: On  Forvo , you can listen to native and non-native speakers from different parts of the world pronouncing different words and phrases. Just type in the word, choose the speaker and practise.

4. Visualise what the word or phrase looks like

Drawing what the word means, either on paper or in your imagination, will help you recall the meaning of the word whenever you hear it. This method works well with idioms, such as 'to keep one’s mouth shut' (informal), meaning, 'to not talk about something'.

Tip: In addition to the image of the word, look at word associations in the visual dictionary and thesaurus  Visuwords .

5. Create mnemonics

Try to create a funny phrase or story that will strengthen the connection between the word and its meaning (known as a mnemonic). I find this technique especially effective when I need to recall words that are hard to spell.

Here are a few mnemonics created by my students:

‘career’ – car and beer

‘island’ – is land

‘to lose’ – uh-oh, I’ve lost an ‘o’

Tip: There are a lot of mnemonics available online, such as the ‘mems’ created by users in  Memrise , but you will have a better chance of remembering the word if you invent your own.

6. Use spaced repetition

Repetition fixes new words in your memory. However, repeating them a hundred times over the course of one day will not be as effective as repeating them a few times over a period of several days or weeks (i.e., spaced repetition).

Use the new word immediately. Then try to recall it in an hour. Review it shortly before you go to bed. Use it again one day later. Finally, review it in a couple of days after that.

Tip: In addition to 'spaced repetition' platforms and online software (e.g.,  Anki , where you can practise with full sentences), you can schedule revision on your own. Make index cards with your words (use it in a sentence on one side and put the definition/translation/image on the other), then set up a schedule for revising them. Flick through the cards and sort them into three categories: ‘green’ – words to revisit less frequently in the future, ‘yellow’ – words to repeat from time to time, and ‘red’ – words for ‘frequent visits’.

7. Dive deeper into etymology

Before you look up the word in the dictionary, try to guess what it means. Look at its root, suffixes and prefixes. If you know a few languages, you will start recognising new words that share roots. Researching the origin of new words may help you retain new words better.

For example, did you know that the word 'tea' comes from Chinese 't'e' (Amoy dialect), which corresponds to Mandarin 'ch'a'? The English word ‘tea’ (just as in French, Spanish or German) derives from the Amoy form (through the Dutch East India Company that introduced the leaves to Europe). Meanwhile, Russian chai (just as in Serbian, Persian, Greek, Arabic and Turkish) all came overland from the Mandarin form. Now, whenever you hear ‘tea’ or ‘chai’, you will see a lovely cup of steaming tea and know how it got to the country.

Tip: Whether you are looking for the origin of idioms or individual words, the  Online Etymology Dictionary  may be quite helpful.

8. Challenge yourself with word games

The perception of a challenge stimulates the brain. Games that help you discover new meanings and new words are a fun way to expand your vocabulary.

Tip: You can find tons of quizzes and games on  Quizlet.com

9. Write it down

Writing down a new word (or, ideally, a sentence using the new word) helps fix both its meaning and spelling in your memory. Make the sentences true about you or someone you know.

Tip: Instead of keeping these sentences to yourself, you can use them in writing games such as the  Folding Story . This is an online version of the popular writing game where each player writes one line of a story and passes it on to another player to add to it. In the online version, each player gets just three minutes to write a line and scores points by the number of likes they receive for their lines.

10. Speak it into reality

It is not easy to actively recall a new word or phrase in the moment, even if you have tried hard to memorise it. To change this, record yourself speaking for two to four minutes without stopping. You could describe the world around you, or give your opinion on a particular topic. Next, listen to the recording of your speech and notice which words you used. Did you use any of the new words you’d like to activate? Did you use any familiar words that could be replaced with the new words? Afterwards, make a new recording. Is it any better?

Tip: Join an online community of language learners such as  The Polyglot Club , where you can ask questions and practise with native speakers from all over the world.

These are my top ten tips, but you might find that other techniques work better for you. Try to experiment with these tips to see what works for you. Stay positive and enjoy the ride.

Svetlana Kandybovich is a teacher, teacher trainer and blogger who loves to share her ideas about teaching, learning and professional development. Her blog is  ELT-CATION . 

Find further information about learning resources and opportunities on the  British Council's LearnEnglish site  or, if you're a teacher, join our community of  English language teachers on Facebook .

You might also be interested in

• How do you learn a language that isn't written down?
• Podcasts to help English learners practise listening
• Five habits of effective English language learners

View the discussion thread.

British Council Worldwide

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Czech Republic
• Hong Kong, SAR of China
• Korea, Republic of
• Myanmar (Burma)
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• North Macedonia
• Northern Ireland
• Occupied Palestinian Territories
• Philippines
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa
• South Sudan
• Switzerland
• United Arab Emirates
• United States of America

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

33 Trending Words in English That Native Speakers Use All the Time [2024]

The English language is very much alive and growing, with more new words added to the dictionary every year. Today, we’re going to learn 33 trending cool words in English that native speakers use all the time.

In this post, you’ll find a list of stylish English verbs, adverbs, nouns and adjectives along with their meanings and examples of how you can use them in real-life conversations. 

1. To Chillax

4. facepalm, 5. binge watch, 6. mansplain, 9. weak sauce, 10. stan / to stan, 13. sriracha, 15. manspread, 17. fitspiration, 18. lookbook, 20. photobomb, 21. glamping, 22. side-eye, 23. staycation, 24. hellacious, 25. awesomesauce, 26. sober-curious, 28. agender, collocations, 29. sjw ( social justice warrior ), 30. mic drop, 31. beer o’clock, 32. dark web, 33. fast fashion.

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

If you blend (mix) the words chill (relaxed) and relax , you get the verb to chillax.

This word has become more and more common on the internet over the past couple of years, and it simply means to relax, to become calm or to take it easy.

Although people use it almost with the same meaning as to relax, I find chillax has more of a sarcastic meaning, as in “wow, calm down, this isn’t so serious, you’re overreacting.”

No matter the meaning it can have for different people, remember that this word is used in slang, so don’t go telling your boss or your teacher to chillax!

Hey man, just chillax! It’s just a horror movie, not the end of the world!

Have you ever heard someone say something so embarrassing you even felt sorry for them?

Have you been present in a situation where someone was acting so awkwardly (strangely, embarrassingly, gracelessly) that you wished you were not there?

If so, then you were cringing big time!

To cringe means to feel embarrassed and ashamed about what someone is doing or saying. You can even cringe at yourself, but let’s be honest here, we normally cringe at other people.

His mum was dancing with his best friend and he couldn’t help but cringe.

I cringe every time I read her lovey-dovey comments.

In more recent times, you can even use cringe instead of the adjective cringy to describe something that makes you cringe:

That outfit is so cringe.

The meaning of the word ghost (when used as a noun) that most of us are familiar with is the spirit of a dead person, like the kind we often see appearing and disappearing in movies. Now the word ghost has a new, informal meaning that has to do with disappearing .

Used as a verb, to ghost means to suddenly cut off contact completely with someone (usually a romantic partner) by not answering their phone calls and text messages.

You’ll often hear it used in the past tense (ghosted)… since you don’t know you’ve been ghosted until it’s too late!

I haven’t heard from her in more than a week. She totally ghosted me.

Facepalm (you’ll also see it spelled as two words: face an d palm) is a new word that describes the act of covering your face with your hand when you’re in difficult or uncomfortable situations. It’s a pretty natural thing to do when we’re feeling embarrassed, frustrated or very disappointed.

He had to facepalm when his boss pointed out typos in his report after he’d checked it three times.

To binge watch is to watch many episodes of a TV series one after another without stopping. The word binge by itself means to overdo something.

I spent the whole weekend binge watching the TV series “Billions” with my roommate.

Similar to manspreading , the word mansplain (man + explain) refers to how some men explain things to a woman in a condescending (superior-seeming) way that sounds like he’s either better than her or he knows more than her.

Whenever he starts mansplaining , all the women in the room roll their eyes and stop paying attention.

Whatevs is an informal word that means whatever .

I’ve normally seen it used in sentences in which the speaker wants to express irony and show they don’t care about what’s happening or being said.

You’ll normally see whatevs as a standalone interjection or at the end of sentences:

“I don’t love you anymore.” “Whatevs… Bye!”

She didn’t give me the lipstick back, but whatevs.

Freegans and freeganism have been popular for years, but it’s only recently that we’ve gotten a word to describe who and what they are.

Simply put, a freegan is a person who tries to buy a little as possible, uses discarded things and/or (especially) food, and recycles everything they can. They’re environmentally conscious and friendly, and they do their best to reduce waste.

Although this is a positive thing for the Earth, some people take it to the extreme. It’s because of this that the words freegan and freeganism are normally surrounded by negative connotations (associations, suggestions).

He became a freegan five years ago and hasn’t bought food ever since.

You do not want to hear people calling you this.

It means something that is not good quality, or something that does not perform well.

The expression originates from the mild hot sauce at Taco Bell. It is a wanna-be sauce, since it is so weak that the spicy flavor is unnoticeable. It does not meet people’s expectations for hot sauce.

So, how was your date yesterday, man? Weak sauce , my man,  weak sauce …

Stan can be used as a noun to describe a person and as a verb to describe an action.

A stan is a person who idolizes, loves to the point of obsession or is an overzealous (very devoted and loyal) celebrity fan.

To stan means to idolize, love obsessively or be an overzealous fan of a celebrity.

The slang word comes from the 2000 Eminem song titled “Stan,” which is about an obsessive fan whose love for a celebrity… well, let’s just say that it doesn’t end well.

Recently, this word has become much more common, and it can now be used in any context or situation where you want to say you love someone or something.

OMG (Oh My God)! I stan those clothes, Jenni!

I stan Katy. She’s my role model.

Sometimes, you might even see someone (usually online) say “we stan,” showing collective support (that is, support from everyone in the community).

B-day is just an informal shortened version of the word birthday. You can see it written on social media quite a lot, especially when wishing someone a happy birthday:

Happy b-day, John! Hope you have an awesome one!

The way to pronounce this word is BEE-dey .

A beardo is a person with a beard. Simple.

However, as often happens with other words like weirdo (an odd or eccentric person) it can have a pejorative (negative and unkind) meaning, especially if you put those two words together: weirdo beardo .

A weirdo beardo is a person with a beard who doesn’t have the best hygiene habits and is socially odd and awkward:

That weirdo beardo really needs a haircut!

If you love spicy food, you’ve probably heard of sriracha . It’s a Thai-inspired sauce made from a blend of hot chili peppers, garlic and spices that’s commonly used in cooking or as a dipping sauce.

Sriracha really adds a kick to your hamburger, but be sure you have a glass of water nearby!

Try saying “extra virgin olive oil” a few times. This is a type of high-quality oil that makes Italian food so very delicious, and it’s quite a mouthful to say, isn’t it?

But no worries, now we can shorten it to EVOO with the first letters of those words. Ah there, isn’t that easier to say?

Remember to grab a bottle of EVOO on your way home. I’m making pasta tonight.

Ever notice how some men sit with their legs so wide apart in public places that they take up more than one seat?

This behavior, commonly observed on public transportation such as trains and buses and in public waiting areas, is known as manspreading (man + spreading).

Wouldn’t it be nice if people would be more considerate about manspreading during busy times of the day?

Here’s another new word that has to do with food: froyo. That’s right, it’s not hard to figure out that froyo is short for frozen yogurt, a cold dessert that’s similar to ice cream and a bit healthier.

On a hot day, you can call me up for a froyo any time.

Every end of the year, we take time out to plan our goals for the new year. What can we do? Eat healthier? Work out more? Get more fit? Yes, but we need inspiration!

So we look around and, yes, we have a new word for that .

Fitspiration (fitness + inspiration) refers to the people, pictures and social media posts that inspire us to keep pushing ourselves and staying committed to our fitness goals.

I was pretty impressed that my co-worker had stuck a picture of Chris Hemsworth on his office wall for fitspiration .

Fashion designers make  lookbooks —sets of photographs that promote their collections. The negative meaning can also indicate the photographs of pretentious people who can think only about fashion.

I saw your  lookbook  for this autumn. Everything looks beautiful! 

You want to sound like you really know your coffee? Use this word, which is originally from Italian. It refers to the brownish, milky foam formed on the top of your fresh, hot, heavenly espresso. Latte artists make pretty designs out of  crema .

One espresso with  crema  on top, please!

Remember the time you posed for that perfect photo (or so you thought!) only to find that someone spoiled it by appearing in view when the photo was taken?

That’s a photobomb . The unintended person is a photobomber . They could be either a random stranger just walking by, or a prankster deliberately photobombing you.

You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to avoid photobombs when we were taking pictures at the beach.

Those who don’t fancy camping in the outdoors with no proper facilities like toilets, etc. will be happy to know that there’s now a thing called glamping .

Glamping (glamorous + camping) refers to camping that comes with all of the modern facilities that you can think of like nice bathrooms, etc.

No, I won’t go camping with you. But if it’s glamping , I’m in.

Have you ever given someone a disapproving look with sideways glances of your eyes? This is called giving someone the side-eye to show you’re annoyed and don’t approve of them or their behavior.

I had good reason to give him the side-eye . He just kept yawning in front of me with his mouth open.

Ever taken vacation days from work and have nowhere to go? Well, if you have no travel plans, then spend your vacation at home and have a staycation (stay + vacation).

I go see the world every chance I get. So everyone was surprised that I’m having a staycation this holiday.

This word is a mix of the word hell and the suffix -cious, which is quite common in English (delicious, conscious, audacious, tenacious, etc.).

Hellacious can have different meanings, but it is normally used as an adjective meaning astonishing, remarkable or very difficult.

This word is obviously slang, so use it only in the appropriate contexts!

He got a hellacious amount of hate from his last post.

They got a hellacious time trying to leave the country in one piece.

Put together the words awesome and sauce and you will get awesomesauce, which basically has the same meaning as awesome with a pinch of even more awesomeness.

This slang word can be used in any informal situation, and it works like a normal adjective:

I’m reading an awesomesauce book about the influence of slang words in the English language. How am I doing?

This word is wonderful in a terrible sort of way. You could even say it makes you cringe.

Sober-curious can be used to describe a person who questions their drinking habits or wants to try to change them because of health or mental reasons.

I’ve only seen it used in very specific contexts and always related to drinking habits and alcoholism, so hopefully, you won’t have to use it very often.

He’s sober-curious and wants to try to not drink for one week.

Have you ever been hangry? I know I have. Hangry (hungry + angry) is when you’re in a bad mood and feeling frustrated because you need to eat right now.

I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast. I’m hangry and you’re not going to like me very much.

People identify themselves as  agender  when they do not identify as male or female. They may identify with some male and female characteristics, or they may not identify with any gender characteristics at all.

I identify as  agender .

The list of the new cool words in English doesn’t stop here, let’s look at the stylish English words known as collocations. 

This is a noble term, but it is mostly used as a rude or sarcastic way to label activists, bloggers and social media commenters who get into hot debates with the aim to awaken other people.

These people usually promote  socially progressive  views. Socially progressive people usually want people to have more freedom, more justice and more equality. They believe that government and society exists to provide support and opportunities to people who need help.

However, social justice  warriors  are often said to take their opinions to extremes, argue aggressively and be offensive to people who do not agree with them. Of course, this is not always true.

Do you know that by refusing to neuter street cats in your area, you are responsible for the deaths of the kittens they will have? These little creatures will die of hunger and get killed by cars in traffic. You are a killer!

Oh, come on, don’t be such a  SJW ! What have you done to help?

The term describes an act of intentionally dropping the microphone (also called a  mic  for short) after an impressive performance. In its metaphorical meaning, it means leaving a discussion after you achieve an absolute victory.

Just do not forget that “mic” is pronounced like the English first name “Mike.”

My presentation was so successful. It was the ultimate  mic drop .

It’s the right time of day to start drinking beer. It usually indicates the end of working hours, but for some people it may be at any time of the day.

It’s almost  beer o’clock , let’s finish all our work so we can leave, people!

This is the dark, scary part of the Internet we would all sometimes love to see. However, it is intentionally hidden from search engines with masked IP addresses. It is only accessible from a special web browser. This network exists between Tor servers and their clients.

If you do not understand those specific terms related to the Internet, that is okay. You will find many illegal and sketchy (weird, scary) things there, so you probably do not want to go anyway.

You are so mysterious. You look like someone who has access to the  dark web .

In the ever-changing world of fashion, the term fast fashion refers to the concept of big-name designers and manufacturers such as H&M, Esprit and Levi’s introducing the latest fashion trends to stores at affordable prices.

It seems she’s on a tight budget and can’t afford anything but fast fashion .

So there you go, a list of exciting new cool words in English for you to start using today. Challenge yourself to master these stylish English words as quickly as possible. Remember, practice makes perfect. Happy practicing!

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

127 big fancy words to sound smart and boost your eloquence

Karolina Assi

Everyone wants to sound smart and come across as someone that can express their thoughts eloquently. And even though you might have this fantastic ability in your native language, you may feel limited doing this in English if you’re beginning your journey in expanding your vocabulary with unusual or rarer words.

Fortunately, the English language has thousands of big words that will make you sound instantly more eloquent and knowledgeable.

These words will help you express yourself in a more elegant way by substituting the basic, everyday words with their more fancy synonyms. Learning those “big” words in English is also a great way to impress those around you - whether it’s at school, at work, or during your next date.

To help you take your English vocabulary to the next level, we’re prepared a list of 120+ big words to sound smart, with their meaning and an example of how to use them in context.

The do’s and don'ts of using big words in English

Throwing in a few fancy words into your conversations or monologue is a good idea to sound more eloquent and impress everyone around you.

It’s also a great way to sound smart when you don’t know what to say on a specific topic but want to make a good impression and appear more knowledgeable than you are (like this English student during his literature class ).

But there’s a fine line between using fancy words that truly make you sound eloquent and those that make you sound like you’re trying too hard.

Sometimes, using big words to sound smart may backfire, especially if you don’t really know what they mean. Then, you may end up saying something that makes no sense and leaving everyone in the room perplexed. Plus, using complex words you don’t understand can make you sound pompous - so tread the line between careful and carefree.

Use them only if you truly understand their meaning and know what context to use them in. But don’t use them mindlessly as it will result in an opposite effect to what you intended.

Aside from learning those fancy words and their meaning, another challenge lies in their pronunciation. If you choose those big words that are also hard to pronounce , like “epitome” or “niche,” you might end up saying something that makes everyone laugh (it wouldn’t be such a bad scenario!).

The point is: if you’re going to use fancy words to sound smart, learn their meaning, understand how to use them in context, and practice their pronunciation first.

Big words to sound smart and their meaning

The smartest way of sounding more eloquent when expressing yourself in English is to change basic, everyday words for their fancier versions. For instance, instead of saying “very big,” say “massive.” Instead of saying “detailed.” say “granular,” and instead of saying “not interesting,” say “banal.”

See? Using the word “granular” in a sentence will inevitably add more elegance to your speech and make you appear more fluent and eloquent.

The words we’ve chosen to include in the tables below follow this exact principle. Most of them are just a fancier version of a basic, simple word you’d normally use. Others are words used in a professional or academic setting that simply add more articulacy to your statement.

Fancy words you can use at work

The question isn’t whether you should learn a couple of fancy words you can use at work to impress your boss and coworkers. The question is, how do you use them without coming across as a pompous know-it-all, irritating everyone around you?

Well, it’s all about using them wisely. Don’t cram 10 fancy words into a simple sentence just to sound smarter. Only use them when they help you get your message across. If they don’t bring any value to your sentence, simply don’t use them.

In other words - don’t force it! Be natural.

With that said, here are some big words you can use at work.

Ready to further your career with a new language?

Get the language skills, cultural understanding and confidence to open up your world with Berlitz.

Clever words you might use academically

The academic setting does not only encourage you to sound smart. It forces you to. To get higher grades and convince your professors of your knowledge and eloquence, you need to elevate your vocabulary.

Whether it’s in written or spoken assignments, these words will help you express yourself in a more intelligent and elegant way while impressing your colleagues and professors.

Big interesting words you might use socially

Being the smartest person among your friends is surely a great boost for your ego. It can help you gain their approval, receive compliments, and maybe even get a date or two while hanging out at the bar with your friends.

But the other side of the coin is that using overly sophisticated words in a casual, social setting can make you appear pretentious and out of place. That’s why you need to be careful and not overdo it! If you do, you might only end up humiliating yourself, and that’s a terrible place to be in.

Here are 20+ big words in English you can use in social situations with their meaning and an example of a sentence you could say.

Impressive words you might use romantically

Even if you’re not a very romantic person, some occasions require a bit of romanticism. Using elegant words in your expressions of love and affection can make your romantic conversations and gestures more special and memorable.

Still, don’t use big words if you don’t mean them! You should always be sincere and genuine in your expressions. Remember that words hold tremendous power in inspiring emotions in those who receive them.

With that said, here are 30 big words you can use in a romantic setting to express your love and affection for your significant other or to take your relationship with the person you’re currently dating to the next level (congrats!).

Sophisticated words you might use when discussing art and literature

Are you an art or literature? These two areas often require eloquent vocabulary to describe them. At least, that is the sort of language that people expect to hear from someone who’s an avid reader and art connoisseur.

You might want to express how the allegory in that poem made you feel or the way the plot of the book has enthralled you to keep reading but lack the right words to do it. If so, here’s a list of 20+ words you can use to talk about art and literature in different contexts.

Fancy words you might use when talking about your hobbies

When talking about our hobbies, we want to come across as more knowledgeable than others. After all, they’re our special interests, and we naturally possess a greater deal of expertise in these areas.

Whether you’re into literature, movies, or sports, here are some fancy words you can use to describe your interests.

Make the Thesaurus your new best friend

In this article, we’ve only covered 126 big words. Understandably, we can’t include all the fancy words you might need in one article. There are simply too many!

But luckily, there’s a free online tool you can use to find the synonyms of everyday words to expand your vocabulary and make yourself sound smarter.

Can you take a guess?

That’s right - it’s the online Thesaurus . You’ve surely heard about it from your English teacher, but in case you haven’t, Thesaurus is a dictionary of synonyms and related concepts. It’s a great way to find synonyms of different words to spice up your oral or written statements and avoid repeating the same old boring words time and time again.

Choose your words wisely

Whether you’re using simple, everyday words in casual conversations or those big, fancy words in a professional or academic environment, remember one thing: words have power.

They’re spells that you cast (there’s a reason why it’s called “spelling”) onto yourself and those who you speak them to. The words you speak inspire emotions and shape how other people perceive you. But they also influence your own emotions and shape how you perceive yourself.

So choose them wisely.

Learn more about the fascinating English language on our English language blog here.

Related Articles

January 31, 2024

15 of the longest words in English and how to pronounce them

May 23, 2023

127 business English phrases for great business conversations

January 31, 2023

252 of the hardest English words to pronounce and spell

1-866-423-7548, find out more.

Fill in the form below and we’ll contact you to discuss your learning options and answer any questions you may have.

I have read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

• Privacy Policy
• Terms Of Use

Improve your practice.

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

Speech transitions: words and phrases to connect your ideas

June 28, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

When delivering presentations it’s important for your words and ideas to flow so your audience can understand how everything links together and why it’s all relevant.

This can be done using speech transitions because these act as signposts to the audience – signalling the relationship between points and ideas. This article explores how to use speech transitions in presentations.

What are speech transitions?

Speech transitions are words and phrases that allow you to smoothly move from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is unified.

This makes it easier for the audience to understand your argument and without transitions the  audience may be confused  as to how one point relates to another and they may think you’re randomly jumping between points.

Types of transitions

Transitions can be one word, a phrase or a full sentence – there are many different types, here are a few:

Introduction

Introduce your topic:

• We will be looking at/identifying/investigating the effects of…
• Today I will be discussing…

Presentation outline

Inform the audience of the structure of your presentation:

• There are three key points I’ll be discussing…
• I want to begin by…, and then I’ll move on to…
• We’ll be covering… from two points of view…
• This presentation is divided into four parts…

Move from the introduction to the first point

Signify to the audience that you will now begin discussing the first main point:

• Now that you’re aware of the overview, let’s begin with…
• First, let’s begin with…
• I will first cover…
• My first point covers…
• To get started, let’s look at…

Shift between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

• In the same way…
• Likewise…
• Equally…
• This is similar to…
• Similarly…

Shift between disagreeing points

You may have to introduce conflicting ideas – bridging words and phrases are especially good for this:

• Conversely…
• Despite this…
• However…
• On the contrary…
• Now let’s consider…
• Even so…
• Nonetheless…
• We can’t ignore…
• On the other hand…

Transition to a significant issue

• Fundamentally…
• A major issue is…
• The crux of the matter…
• A significant concern is…

Referring to previous points

You may have to refer to something that you’ve already spoken about because, for example, there may have been a break or a fire alarm etc:

• Let’s return to…
• We briefly spoke about X earlier; let’s look at it in more depth now…
• Let’s revisit…
• Let’s go back to…
• Do you recall when I mentioned…

This can be also be useful to introduce a new point because adults learn better when new information builds on previously learned information.

Introducing an aside note

You may want to introduce a digression:

• I’d just like to mention…
• That reminds me…
• Incidentally…

Physical movement

You can  move your body  and your standing location when you transition to another point. The audience find it easier to follow your presentation and movement will increase their interest.

A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is to:

• Start your introduction by standing in the centre of the stage.
• For your first point you stand on the left side of the stage.
• You discuss your second point from the centre again.
• You stand on the right side of the stage for your third point.
• The conclusion occurs in the centre.

Emphasising importance

You need to ensure that the audience get the message by informing them why something is important:

• More importantly…
• This is essential…
• Primarily…
• Mainly…

Internal summaries

Internal summarising consists of summarising before moving on to the next point. You must inform the audience:

• What part of the presentation you covered – “In the first part of this speech we’ve covered…”
• What the key points were – “Precisely how…”
• How this links in with the overall presentation – “So that’s the context…”
• What you’re moving on to – “Now I’d like to move on to the second part of presentation which looks at…”

Cause and effect

You will have to transition to show relationships between factors:

• Therefore…
• Thus…
• Consequently…
• As a result…
• This is significant because…
• Hence…

Elaboration

• Also…
• Besides…
• What’s more…
• In addition/additionally…
• Moreover…
• Furthermore…

Point-by-point or steps of a process

• First/firstly/The first one is…
• Second/Secondly/The second one is…
• Third/Thirdly/The third one is…
• Last/Lastly/Finally/The fourth one is…

Introduce an example

• This is demonstrated by…
• For instance…
• Take the case of…
• For example…
• You may be asking whether this happens in X? The answer is yes…
• To show/illustrate/highlight this…
• Let me illustrate this by…

Transition to a demonstration

• Now that we’ve covered the theory, let’s practically apply it…
• I’ll conduct an experiment to show you this in action…
• Let me demonstrate this…
• I’ll now show you this…

Introducing a quotation

• X was a supporter of this thinking because he said…
• There is a lot of support for this, for example, X said…

Transition to another speaker

In a  group presentation  you must transition to other speakers:

• Briefly recap on what you covered in your section: “So that was a brief introduction on what health anxiety is and how it can affect somebody”
• Introduce the next speaker in the team and explain what they will discuss: “Now Gayle will talk about the prevalence of health anxiety.”
• Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: “Gayle”.
• The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: “Thank you Simon.”

From these examples, you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.

You can  tell personal stories  or share the experiences of others to introduce a point. Anecdotes are especially valuable for your introduction and between different sections of the presentation because they engage the audience. Ensure that you plan the stories thoroughly beforehand and that they are not too long.

Using questions

You can transition through your speech by asking questions and these questions also have the benefit of engaging your audience more. There are three different types of questions:

Direct questions require an answer: “What is the capital of Italy?” These are mentally stimulating for the audience.

Rhetorical questions  do not require answers, they are often used to emphasises an idea or point: “Is the Pope catholic?

Loaded questions contain an unjustified assumption made to prompt the audience into providing a particular answer which you can then correct to support your point: You may ask “Why does your wonderful company have such a low incidence of mental health problems?”.

The audience will generally answer that they’re happy. After receiving the answers you could then say “Actually it’s because people are still unwilling and too embarrassed to seek help for mental health issues at work etc.”

Transition to a visual aid

If you are going to introduce a visual aid you must prepare the audience with what they’re going to see, for example, you might be leading into a diagram that supports your statement. Also, before you  show the visual aid , explain why you’re going to show it, for example, “This graph is a significant piece of evidence supporting X”.

When the graphic is on display get the audience to focus on it:

• The table indicates…
• As you can see…
• I’d like to direct your attention to…

Explain what the visual is showing:

• You can see that there has been a reduction in…
• The diagram is comparing the…

Using a visual aid to transition

Visual aids can also be used as transitions and they have the benefit of being stimulating and breaking-up vocal transitions.

You might have a slide with just a picture on it to signify to the audience that you’re moving on to a new point – ensure that this image is relevant to the point. Many speakers like to use cartoons for this purpose but ensure its suitable for your audience.

Always summarise your key points first in the conclusion:

• Let’s recap on what we’ve spoken about today…
• Let me briefly summarise the main points…

And then conclude:

If you have a shorter speech you may choose to  end your presentation  with one statement:

• In short…
• To sum up…
• In a nutshell…
• To summarise…
• In conclusion…

However, using statements such as “To conclude” may cause the audience to stop listening. It’s better to say:

• I’d like to leave you with this…
• What you should take away from this is…
• Finally, I want to say…

Call to action

Requesting the audience to do something at the end of the presentation:

• You may be thinking how can I help in this matter? Well…
• My aim is to encourage you to go further and…
• What I’m requesting of you is…

Common mistakes

When transitions are used poorly you can annoy and confuse the audience. Avoid:

• Using transitions that are too short – transitions are a key part of ensuring the audience understands your presentation so spend sufficient time linking to your next idea.
• Too many tangents – any digressions should still be relevant to the topic and help the audience with their understanding, otherwise cut them out.
• Incompatible transitions – for example, if you’re about to introduce an example that supports your statement you wouldn’t introduce this by saying “but”. Use transitions that signify the relationship between points.
• Over-using the same transition because this is boring for the audience to hear repeatedly. Ensure that there is variety with your transitions, consider including visual transitions.
• Miscounting your transitions – for example, don’t say “first point”, “second point”, “next point” – refer to your points consistently.

Speech transitions are useful for unifying and connecting your presentation. The audience are more likely to remain engaged since they’ll be able to follow your points. But remember that it’s important to practice your transitions beforehand and not just the content of your arguments because you risk looking unprofessional and confusing the audience if the presentation does not flow smoothly.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

6.6 Creating New Words

Check Yourself

Video script.

Back in Chapter 1 we learned that mental grammar is generative , that is, it allows users to create, or generate, brand new words and sentences that have never been spoken before. And in fact, one of the fastest ways that languages change, and the easiest way to observe, is by new words entering the language.

There are all kinds of different ways that new words can make their way into a language. It’s possible to coin a new word, that is, to create a completely new form that hasn’t existed before. So I made up this form vrang ; I don’t know what it means because I just made it up. But that was pretty hard to do — any new form I tried to make up turned out to have some obscure definition. So brand new coinages are possible, but they don’t actually happen very often.

One way that English gets a lot of new words is by borrowing them from other languages. For example, the Welsh word hiraeth means longing or yearning. It’s become common enough for English-speakers to use this Welsh word that in 2020, the Oxford English Dictionary added it. You can probably think of many other common English words that started out as borrowings from other languages and became deeply embedded in the English lexicon, like anime , from Japanese, limousine from French, and boomerang from Australian Indigenous languages.

Of course, one of the most obvious ways to derive a new words is with an affix. You might recognize the suffix – ology , which usually means “the study of”. So mythology involves studying myths, criminology is the study of criminality, and epidemiology is the study of epidemics. The Oxford English Dictionary recently added garbageology , the study of a society or community by investigating what people consider to be garbage.

In English, affixation is one of the most productive ways to derive new words: No matter what the word is, you can almost always add an affix to derive a new, related word from it. Some other new affixed words that have found their way into the dictionary are enoughness , farmette (a small farm), and unfathom .

Another extremely productive way of deriving new words in English is by compounding , that is, by taking two existing words, both of which are free morphemes, and sticking them together. For example, the year 2020 saw the words plant-based , jerkweed , and delete key added to the dictionary. You can learn more about compounds in Chapter 7.

So we can say that productivity is a property of morphological processes in the grammar of a language. A given process is productive if it’s one that the language uses a lot, and uses to generate new forms. For example, in English the plural morpheme spelled – s is extremely common, and we see it on words like socks , cars , bananas , stars , and thousands of others. In contrast, a plural affix – en is very rare in English: we see it on the plural forms children , oxen , and the very old-fashioned word brethren , but pretty much nowhere else. And if we coin a new word, like vrang , and then decide we have more than one vrang, the plural we use is going to be vrangs , not vrangen .

If you look through the lists of new words that get added to dictionaries each year, you’ll see that besides affixation and compounding, there are other morphological processes that occur in English. Here are some of them.

One thing that English does a lot is take a word from one syntactic category and just move it to another category with a new meaning. For example, the old meaning of ghost is the noun meaning, and then there’s the newer verb meaning, where if you ghost someone you just stop replying to their messages and kind of disappear from their life. Not very nice! Likewise, catfish and sundown have newer, verb meanings that are different from their original compound noun meanings.

Acronyms pretty frequently make their way into English and some of them stick around, especially in typed form online, like a link that’s not-safe-for-work, the classic LOL , and of course, “too long ,didn’t read”.

Clipping happens when we take a long word and just clip part of it off. Usually the meaning doesn’t change, but often the clipped form becomes much more frequent then the long form. Does anyone even know that fax is shortened from facsimile? And certainly no-one talks about electronic mail anymore.

A few years ago clipping had a brief moment in the way some young people talked, so you might have an outfit that’s totes adorbs , or a relaish that’s not serious, just cazh . This trend seems to have lost its popularity, the way language fads often do.

The word-formation process that I’ve left for last is my favourite because I find a lot of them so funny. That’s the blend , or portmanteau , the process whereby two words are kind of jammed together, but not in a compound. Instead some parts of the two words overlap with each other, like when spoon and fork combine to make spork . The best blends, the ones that stick around in the language and become permanent, seem to share a syllable like the second syllable in both hungry and angry , or at least share some segments and the rhythmic pattern, like athleisure . And then there are some that just seem to be trying too hard, peanutritious , Christmasketball , and (shudder) covidpreneur . I’m no prescriptivist, but I hope these words die a quick death.

All these words are examples of the generativity of grammar. Languages are constantly adding new words, using the productive morphological processes that are part of the grammar. Pay attention to the new words you discover as you read and listen, and see if you can figure out how they’re formed.

Essentials of Linguistics Copyright © 2018 by Catherine Anderson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

How to Build Vocabulary You Can Actually Use in Speech and Writing?

• Updated on Nov 12, 2023

•   shares

This post comes from my experience of adding more than 8,000 words and phrases to my vocabulary in a way that I can actually use them on the fly in my speech and writing. Some words, especially those that I haven’t used for long time, may elude me, but overall the recall & use works quite well.

That’s why you build vocabulary, right? To use in speech and writing. There are no prizes for building list of words you can’t use. (The ultimate goal of vocabulary-building is to use words in verbal communication where you’ve to come up with an appropriate word in split second. It’s not to say that it’s easy to come up with words while writing, but in writing you can at least afford to think.)

This post also adopts couple of best practices such as

• Spaced repetition,
• Deliberate Practice,
• Begin with end in mind, and
• Build on what you already know

In this post, you’ll learn how you too can build such vocabulary, the one you can actually use. However, be warned. It’s not easy. It requires consistent work. But the rewards are more than worth the squeeze.

Since building such vocabulary is one of the most challenging aspects of English Language, you’ll stand out in crowd when you use precise words and, the best part, you can use this sub-skill till you’re in this world, long after you retire professionally. (Doesn’t this sound so much better when weighed against today’s reality where most professional skills get outdated in just few years?)

You may have grossly overestimated the size of your vocabulary

Once your understand the difference between active and passive vocabulary, you’ll realize that size of your vocabulary isn’t what you think it to be.

Active vs. Passive vocabulary

Words that you can use in speech and writing constitute your active vocabulary (also called functional vocabulary). You, of course, understand these words while reading and listening as well. Think of words such as eat , sell , drink , see , and cook .

But how about words such as munch , outsmart , salvage , savagery , and skinny ? Do you use these words regularly while speaking and writing? Unlikely. Do you understand meaning of these words while reading and listening? Highly likely. Such words constitute your passive vocabulary (also called recognition vocabulary). You can understand these words while reading and listening, but you can’t use them while speaking and writing.

Your active vocabulary is a tiny subset of your passive vocabulary:

(While the proportion of the two inner circles – active and passive vocabulary – bears some resemblance to reality, the outer rectangle is not proportionate because of paucity of space. In reality, the outer rectangle is much bigger, representing hundreds of thousands of words.)

Note : Feel free to use the above and other images in the post, using the link of this post for reference/attribution.

Many mistakenly believe that they’ve strong vocabulary because they can understand most words when reading and listening. But the real magic, the real use of vocabulary is when you use words in speech and writing. If you evaluate your vocabulary against this yardstick – active vs. passive – your confidence in your vocabulary will be shaken.

Why build vocabulary – a small exercise?

You would be all too aware of cases where people frequently pause while speaking because they can’t think of words for what they want to say. We can easily spot such extreme cases.

What we fail to spot, however, are less extreme, far more common cases where people don’t pause, but they use imprecise words and long-winding explanations to drive their message.

The bridge was destroyed (or broken) by the flooded river.

The bridge was washed away by the flooded river.

Although both convey the message, the second sentence stands out because of use of precise phrase.

What word(s) best describe what’s happening in the picture below?

Image source

Not the best response.

A better word is ‘emptied’. Even ‘dumped’ is great.

A crisp description of the above action would be: “The dumper emptied (or dumped) the stones on the roadside.”

What about this?

‘Took out grapes’.

‘Plucked grapes’ is far better.

If you notice, these words – wash away , empty , dump , and pluck – are simple. We can easily understand them while reading and listening, but rarely use them (with the possible exception of empty ) in speech or writing. Remember, active vs. passive vocabulary?

If you use such precise words in your communication you’ll stand out in crowd.

Little wonder, studies point to a correlation between strength of vocabulary and professional success. Earl Nightingale, a renowned self-help expert and author, in his 20-year study of college graduates found :

Without a single exception, those who had scored highest on the vocabulary test given in college, were in the top income group, while those who had scored the lowest were in the bottom income group.

He also refers to a study by Johnson O’Connor, an American educator and researcher, who gave vocabulary tests to executive and supervisory personnel in 39 large manufacturing companies. According to this study:

Presidents and vice presidents averaged 236 out of a possible 272 points; managers averaged 168; superintendents, 140; foremen, 114; floor bosses, 86. In virtually every case, vocabulary correlated with executive level and income.

Though there are plenty of studies linking professional success with fluency in English overall, I haven’t come across any study linking professional success with any individual component – grammar and pronunciation, for example – of English language other than vocabulary.

You can make professional success a motivation to improve your active vocabulary.

Let’s dive into the tactics now.

How to build vocabulary you can use in speech and writing?

(In the spirit of the topic of this section, I’ve highlighted words that I’ve shifted from my passive to active vocabulary in red font . I’ve done this for only this section, lest the red font become too distracting.)

Almost all of us build vocabulary through the following two-step process:

Step 1 : We come across new words while reading and listening. Meanings of many of these words get registered in our brains – sometimes vaguely, sometimes precisely – through the context in which we see these words. John Rupert Firth, a leading figure in British linguistics during the 1950s, rightly said , “You shall know a word by the company it keeps.”

Many of these words then figure repeatedly in our reading and listening and gradually, as if by osmosis , they start taking roots in our passive vocabulary.

Step 2 : We start using some of these words in our speech and writing. (They are, as discussed earlier, just a small fraction of our passive vocabulary.) By and large, we stay in our comfort zones, making do with this limited set of words.

Little wonder, we add to our vocabulary in trickle . In his book Word Power Made Easy , Norman Lewis laments the tortoise-like rate of vocabulary-building among adults:

Educational testing indicates that children of ten who have grown up in families in which English is the native language have recognition [passive] vocabularies of over twenty thousand words. And that these same ten-year-olds have been learning new words at a rate of many hundreds a year since the age of four . In astonishing contrast, studies show that adults who are no longer attending school increase their vocabularies at a pace slower than twenty-five to fifty words annually .

Adults improve passive vocabulary at an astonishingly meagre rate of 25-50 words a year. The chain to acquire active vocabulary is getting broken at the first step itself – failure to read or listen enough (see Step 1 we just covered). Most are not even reaching the second step, which is far tougher than the first. Following statistic from National Spoken English Skills Report by Aspiring Minds (sample of more than 30,000 students from 500+ colleges in India) bears this point:

Only 33 percent know such simple words! They’re not getting enough inputs.

Such vocabulary-acquisition can be schematically represented as:

The problem here is at both the steps of vocabulary acquisition:

• Not enough inputs (represented by funnel filled only little) and
• Not enough exploration and use of words to convert inputs into active vocabulary (represented by few drops coming out of the funnel)

Here is what you can do to dramatically improve your active vocabulary:

1. Get more inputs (reading and listening)

That’s a no-brainer. The more you read,

• the more new words you come across and
• the more earlier-seen words get reinforced

If you’ve to prioritize between reading and listening purely from the perspective of building vocabulary, go for more reading, because it’s easier to read and mark words on paper or screen. Note that listening will be a more helpful input when you’re working on your speaking skills .

So develop the habit to read something 30-60 minutes every day. It has benefits far beyond just vocabulary-building .

If you increase your inputs, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs but no other steps result in larger active vocabulary.

2. Gather words from your passive vocabulary for deeper exploration

The reading and listening you do, over months and years, increase the size of your passive vocabulary. There are plenty of words, almost inexhaustible, sitting underutilized in your passive vocabulary. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could move many of them to your active vocabulary? That would be easier too because you don’t have to learn them from scratch. You already understand their meaning and usage, at least to some extent. That’s like plucking – to use the word we’ve already overused – low hanging fruits.

While reading and listening, note down words that you’re already familiar with, but you don’t use them (that is they’re part of your passive vocabulary). We covered few examples of such words earlier in the post – pluck , dump , salvage , munch , etc. If you’re like most, your passive vocabulary is already large, waiting for you to shift some of it to your active vocabulary. You can also note down completely unfamiliar words, but only in exceptional cases.

To put what I said in the previous paragraph in more concrete terms, you may ask following two questions to decide which words to note down for further exploration:

• Do you understand the meaning of the word from the context of your reading or listening?
• Do you use this word while speaking and writing?

If the answer is ‘yes’ to the first question and ‘no’ to the second, you can note down the word.

3. Explore the words in an online dictionary

Time to go a step further than seeing words in context while reading.

You need to explore each word (you’ve noted) further in a dictionary. Know its precise meaning(s). Listen to pronunciation and speak it out loud, first individually and then as part of sentences. (If you’re interested in the topic of pronunciation, refer to the post on pronunciation .) And, equally important, see few sentences where the word has been used.

Preferably, note down the meaning(s) and few example sentences so that you can practice spaced repetition and retain them for long. Those who do not know what spaced repetition is, it is the best way to retain things in your long-term memory . There are number of options these days to note words and other details about them – note-taking apps and good-old word document. I’ve been copying-pasting on word document and taking printouts. For details on how I practiced spaced repetition, refer to my experience of adding more than 8,000 words to my vocabulary.

But why go through the drudgery of noting down – and going through, probably multiple times – example sentences? Why not just construct sentences straight after knowing the meaning of the word?

Blachowicz, Fisher, Ogle, and Watts-Taffe, in their paper , point out the yawning gap between knowing the meaning of words and using them in sentences:

Research suggests that students are able to select correct definitions for unknown words from a dictionary, but they have difficulty then using these words in production tasks such as writing sentences using the new words.

If only it was easy. It’s even more difficult in verbal communication where, unlike in writing, you don’t have the luxury of pausing and recalling appropriate words.

That’s why you need to focus on example sentences.

Majority of those who refer dictionary, however, restrict themselves to meaning of the word. Few bother to check example sentences. But they’re at least as much important as meaning of the word, because they teach you how to use words in sentences, and sentences are the building blocks of speech and writing.

If you regularly explore words in a dictionary, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs combined with exploration of words result in even larger active vocabulary.

After you absorb the meaning and example sentences of a word, it enters a virtuous cycle of consolidation. The next time you read or listen the word, you’ll take note of it and its use more actively , which will further reinforce it in your memory. In contrast, if you didn’t interact with the word in-depth, it’ll pass unnoticed, like thousands do every day. That’s cascading effect.

Participate in a short survey

If you’re a learner or teacher of English language, you can help improve website’s content for the visitors through a short survey.

4. Use them

To quote Maxwell Nurnberg and Morris Rosenblum from their book All About Words :

In vocabulary building, the problem is not so much finding new words or even finding out what they mean. The problem is to remember them, to fix them permanently in your mind. For you can see that if you are merely introduced to words, you will forget them as quickly as you forget the names of people you are casually introduced to at a crowded party – unless you meet them again or unless you spend some time with them.

This is the crux. Use it or lose it.

Without using, the words will slowly slip away from your memory.

Without using the words few times, you won’t feel confident using them in situations that matter.

If you use the words you explored in dictionary, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs combined with exploration of words and use of them result in the largest active vocabulary.

Here is a comparison of the four ways in which people acquire active vocabulary:

The big question though is how to use the words you’re exploring. Here are few exercises to accomplish this most important step in vocabulary-building process.

Vocabulary exercises: how to use words you’re learning

You can practice these vocabulary activities for 10-odd minutes every day, preferably during the time you waste such as commuting or waiting, to shift more and more words you’ve noted down to your active vocabulary. I’ve used these activities extensively, with strong results to boot.

1. Form sentences and speak them out during your reviews

When you review the list of words you’ve compiled, take a word as cue without looking at its meaning and examples, recall its meaning, and, most importantly, speak out 4-5 sentences using the word. It’s nothing but a flashcard in work. If you follow spaced repetition diligently, you’ll go through this process at least few times. I recommend reading my experience of building vocabulary (linked earlier) to know how I did this part.

Why speaking out, though? (If the surroundings don’t permit, it can be whisper as well.)

Speaking out the word as part of few sentences will serve the additional purpose of making your vocal cords accustomed to new words and phrases.

2. Create thematic webs

When reviewing, take a word and think of other words related to that word. Web of words on a particular theme, in short, and hence the name ‘thematic web’. These are five of many, many thematic webs I’ve actually come up in my reviews:

(Note: Name of the theme is in bold. Second, where there are multiple words, I’ve underlined the main word.)

If I come across the word ‘gourmet’ in my review, I’ll also quickly recall all the words related with food: tea strainer, kitchen cabinet, sink, dish cloth, wipe dishes, rinse utensils, immerse beans in water, simmer, steam, gourmet food, sprinkle salt, spread butter, smear butter, sauté, toss vegetables, and garnish the sweet dish

Similarly, for other themes:

Prognosis, recuperate, frail, pass away, resting place, supplemental air, excruciating pain, and salubrious

C. Showing off

Showy, gaudy, extravaganza, over the top, ostentatious, and grandstanding

D. Crowd behavior

Restive, expectant, hysteria, swoon, resounding welcome, rapturous, jeer, and cheer

E. Rainfall

Deluge, cats and dogs, downpour, cloudburst, heavens opened, started pouring , submerged, embankment, inundate, waterlogged, soaked to the skin, take shelter, run for a cover, torrent, and thunderbolt

(If you notice, words in a particular theme are much wider in sweep than just synonyms.)

It takes me under a minute to complete dozen-odd words in a theme. However, in the beginning, when you’re still adding to your active vocabulary in tons, you’ll struggle to go beyond 2-3 simple words when thinking out such thematic lists. That’s absolutely fine.

Why thematic web, though?

Because that’s how we recall words when speaking or writing. (If you flip through Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, a popular book on improving vocabulary, you’ll realize that each of its chapters represents a particular idea, something similar to a theme.) Besides, building a web also quickly jogs you through many more words.

3. Describe what you see around

In a commute or other time-waster, look around and speak softly an apt word in a split second for whatever you see. Few examples:

• If you see grass on the roadside, you can say verdant or luxurious .
• If you see a vehicle stopping by the roadside, you can say pull over .
• If you see a vehicle speeding away from other vehicles, you can say pull away .
• If you see a person carrying a load on the road side, you can say lug and pavement .

Key is to come up with these words in a flash. Go for speed, not accuracy. (After all, you’ll have similar reaction time when speaking.) If you can’t think of an appropriate word for what you see instantaneously – and there will be plenty in the beginning – skip it.

This vocabulary exercise also serves an unintended, though important, objective of curbing the tendency to first think in the native language and then translating into English as you speak. This happens because the spontaneity in coming up with words forces you to think directly in English.

Last, this exercise also helps you assess your current level of vocabulary (for spoken English). If you struggle to come up with words for too many things/ situations, you’ve job on your hands.

4. Describe what one person or object is doing

Another vocabulary exercise you can practice during time-wasters is to focus on a single person and describe her/ his actions, as they unfold, for few minutes. An example:

He is skimming Facebook on his phone. OK, he is done with it. Now, he is taking out his earphones. He has plugged them into his phone, and now he is watching some video. He is watching and watching. There is something funny there in that video, which makes him giggle . Simultaneously, he is adjusting the bag slung across his shoulder.

The underlined words are few of the new additions to my active vocabulary I used on the fly when focusing on this person.

Feel free to improvise and modify this process to suit your unique conditions, keeping in mind the fundamentals such as spaced repetition, utilizing the time you waste, and putting what you’re learning to use.

To end this section, I must point out that you need to build habit to perform these exercises for few minutes at certain time(s) of the day. They’re effective when done regularly.

Why I learnt English vocabulary this way?

For few reasons:

1. I worked backwards from the end result to prepare for real-world situations

David H. Freedman learnt Italian using Duolingo , a popular language-learning app, for more than 70 hours in the buildup to his trip to Italy. A week before they were to leave for Rome, his wife put him to test. She asked how would he ask for his way from Rome airport to the downtown. And how would he order in a restaurant?

David failed miserably.

He had become a master of multiple-choice questions in Italian, which had little bearing on the real situations he would face.

We make this mistake all the time. We don’t start from the end goal and work backwards to design our lessons and exercises accordingly. David’s goal wasn’t to pass a vocabulary test. It was to strike conversation socially.

Coming back to the topic of vocabulary, learning meanings and examples of words in significant volume is a challenge. But a much bigger challenge is to recall an apt word in split second while speaking. (That’s the holy grail of any vocabulary-building exercise, and that’s the end goal we want to achieve.)

The exercises I described earlier in the post follow the same path – backwards from the end.

2. I used proven scientific methods to increase effectiveness

Looking at just a word and recalling its meaning and coming up with rapid-fire examples where that word can be used introduced elements of deliberate practice, the fastest way to build neural connection and hence any skill. (See the exercises we covered.) For the uninitiated, deliberate practice is the way top performers in any field practice .

Another proven method I used was spaced repetition.

3. I built on what I already knew to progress faster

Covering mainly passive vocabulary has made sure that I’m building on what I already know, which makes for faster progress.

Don’t ignore these when building vocabulary

Keep in mind following while building vocabulary:

1. Use of fancy words in communication make you look dumb, not smart

Don’t pick fancy words to add to your vocabulary. Use of such words doesn’t make you look smart. It makes your communication incomprehensible and it shows lack of empathy for the listeners. So avoid learning words such as soliloquy and twerking . The more the word is used in common parlance, the better it is.

An example of how fancy words can make a piece of writing bad is this review of movie , which is littered with plenty of fancy words such as caper , overlong , tomfoolery , hectoring , and cockney . For the same reason, Shashi Tharoor’s Word of the Week is not a good idea . Don’t add such words to your vocabulary.

2. Verbs are more important than nouns and adjectives

Verbs describe action, tell us what to do. They’re clearer. Let me explain this through an example.

In his book Start with Why , Simon Sinek articulates why verbs are more effective than nouns:

For values or guiding principles to be truly effective they have to be verbs. It’s not ‘integrity’, it’s ‘always do the right thing’. It’s not ‘innovation’, it’s ‘look at the problem from a different angle’. Articulating our values as verbs gives us a clear idea… we have a clear idea of how to act in any situation.

‘Always do the right thing’ is better than ‘integrity’ and ‘look at the problem from a different angle’ is better than ‘innovation’ because the former, a verb, in each case is clearer.

The same (importance of verb) is emphasized by L. Dee Fink in his book Creating Significant Learning Experiences in the context of defining learning goals for college students.

Moreover, most people’s vocabulary is particularly poor in verbs. Remember, the verbs from the three examples at the beginning of the post – wash away , dump , and pluck ? How many use them? And they’re simple.

3. Don’t ignore simple verbs

You wouldn’t bother to note down words such as slip , give , and move because you think you know them inside out, after all you’ve been using them regularly for ages.

I also thought so… until I explored few of them.

I found that majority of simple words have few common usages we rarely use. Use of simple words for such common usages will stand your communication skills out.

An example:

a. To slide suddenly or involuntarily as on a smooth surface: She slipped on the icy ground .

b. To slide out from grasp, etc.: The soap slipped from my hand .

c. To move or start gradually from a place or position: His hat slipped over his eyes .

d. To pass without having been acted upon or used: to let an opportunity slip .

e. To pass quickly (often followed by away or by): The years slipped by .

f. To move or go quietly, cautiously, or unobtrusively: to slip out of a room .

Most use the word in the meaning (a) and (b), but if you use the word for meaning (c) to (f) – which BTW is common – you’ll impress people.

Another example:

a. Without the physical presence of people in control: an unmanned spacecraft .

b.  Hovering near the unmanned iPod resting on the side bar, stands a short, blond man.

c. Political leaders are vocal about the benefits they expect to see from unmanned aircraft.

Most use the word unmanned with a moving object such as an aircraft or a drone, but how about using it with an iPod (see (b) above).

4. Don’t ignore phrasal verbs. Get at least common idioms. Proverbs… maybe

4.1 phrasal verbs.

Phrasal verbs are verbs made from combining a main verb and an adverb or preposition or both. For example, here are few phrasal verbs of verb give :

We use phrasal verbs aplenty:

I went to the airport to see my friend off .

He could see through my carefully-crafted ruse.

I took off my coat.

The new captain took over the reins of the company on June 25.

So, don’t ignore them.

Unfortunately, you can’t predict the meaning of a phrasal verb from the main verb. For example, it’s hard to guess the meaning of take over or take off from take . You’ve to learn each phrasal verb separately.

What about idioms?

Compared to phrasal verbs, idioms are relatively less used, but it’s good to know the common ones. To continue the example of word give , here are few idioms derived from it:

Give and take

Give or take

Give ground

Give rise to

Want a list of common idioms? It’s here: List of 200 common idioms .

4.3 Proverbs

Proverbs are popular sayings that provide nuggets of wisdom. Example: A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

Compared to phrasal verbs and idioms, they’re much less used in common conversation and therefore you can do without them.

For the motivated, here is a list of common proverbs: List of 200 common proverbs .

5. Steal phrases, words, and even sentences you like

If you like phrases and sentences you come across, add them to your list for future use. I do it all the time and have built a decent repository of phrases and sentences. Few examples (underlined part is the key phrase):

The bondholders faced the prospect of losing their trousers .

The economy behaved more like a rollercoaster than a balloon . [Whereas rollercoaster refers to an up and down movement, balloon refers to a continuous expansion. Doesn’t such a short phrase express such a profound meaning?]

Throw enough spaghetti against the wall and some of it sticks .

You need blue collar work ethic to succeed in this industry.

He runs fast. Not quite .

Time to give up scalpel . Bring in hammer .

Note that you would usually not find such phrases in a dictionary, because dictionaries are limited to words, phrasal verbs, idioms, and maybe proverbs.

6. Commonly-used nouns

One of my goals while building vocabulary has been to learn what to call commonly-used objects (or nouns) that most struggle to put a word to.

To give an example, what would you call the following?

Answer: Tea strainer.

You would sound far more impressive when you say, “My tea strainer has turned blackish because of months of filtering tea.”

Than when you say, “The implement that filters tea has turned blackish because of months of filtering tea.”

What do you say?

More examples:

Saucer (We use it every day, but call it ‘plate’.)

Straight/ wavy/ curly hair

Corner shop

I’ll end with a brief reference to the UIDAI project that is providing unique biometric ID to every Indian. This project, launched in 2009, has so far issued a unique ID (popularly called Aadhaar card) to more than 1.1 billion people. The project faced many teething problems and has been a one big grind for the implementers. But once this massive data of billion + people was collected, so many obstinate, long-standing problems are being eased using this data, which otherwise would’ve been difficult to pull off. It has enabled faster delivery of scores of government and private services, checked duplication on many fronts, and brought in more transparency in financial and other transactions, denting parallel economy. There are many more. And many more are being conceived on top of this data.

At some level, vocabulary is somewhat similar. It’ll take effort, but once you’ve sizable active vocabulary, it’ll strengthen arguably the most challenging and the most impressive part of your communication. And because it takes some doing, it’s not easy for others to catch up.

Anil is the person behind content on this website, which is visited by 3,000,000+ learners every year. He writes on most aspects of English Language Skills. More about him here:

Such a comprehensive guide. Awesome…

I am using the note app and inbuilt dictionary of iPhone. I have accumulated over 1400 words in 1 year. Will definitely implement ideas from this blog.

Krishna, thanks. If you’re building vocabulary for using, then make sure you work it accordingly.

Building solid vocabulary is my new year’s resolution and you’ve perfectly captured the issues I’ve been facing, with emphasis on passive vocabulary building. So many vocab apps are multiple choice and thereby useless for this reason. Thanks so much for the exercises! I plan to put them to use!

It was everything that I need to boost my active vocabulary. Thank you so much for sharing all these precious pieces of information.

Anil sir, I am quiet satisfied the way you laid out everything possible that one needs to know from A-Z. Also, thanks for assuring me from your experience that applying this will work.

This post definitely blew me away…. I am impressed! Thank you so much for sharing such valuable information. It was exactly what I needed!

Amazing post! While reading this post, I am thinking about the person who developed this. I wanna give a big hug and thank you so much.

Comments are closed.

• Child's progress checker

1.9 million children in the UK are currently struggling with talking and understanding words. They urgently need help.

• Our campaigns
• Our policy campaigns
• Our past campaigns

Help for families

We give advice and guidance to families to help them support their child's skills.

• Signs and symptoms
• Ages and stages
• Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) awareness
• Resource library for families
• Talk to a speech and language therapist
• Book an assessment for your child

Educators and professionals

We design innovative tools and training for thousands of nursery assistants and teachers to use in their classrooms.

• Programmes for nurseries and schools
• Training courses
• Resource library for educators
• Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) educational support
• What Works database
• Information for speech and language therapists

We work to give every child the skills they need to face the future with confidence.

• Our 5-year strategy: Confident young futures
• Our schools
• Our work with local authorities and multi-academy trusts
• Speech, Language and Communication Alliance
• Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) statement
• Safeguarding
• Our annual reports
• News and blogs

Get involved

By making a donation, fundraising for us, or supporting our campaigns, you can help create a brighter future for children across the UK today.

• Sign our open letter
• Support our pledge
• Take part in an event
• No Pens Day
• Sign up to our mailing list
• Become a tutor
• Work for us
• Corporate partnerships
• Trusts and foundations

Search our site

Help your child learn new words, why is it important to help my child learn new words   .

Children need to know lots of different words in order to be able to talk in sentences and tell stories. Knowing lots of words also helps children when they learn to read and write, and it helps them to do better at school.     

How many words should my child know?   

In typical development:  

• Children say their first words about the age of one (although they understand some words for some time before this).  
• By about 18 months, children might use about 20 words, but they’ll understand more.  
• By two years old, most children can say 50 words and understand between 200 and 500.  
• By three years old, most children can say about 300 words.  
• By the time a child reaches five years old, they may know know and use as many as 2,500 words.  

How can I help my child to learn new words?   

• Watch and notice what your child is looking at, then tell them its name (e.g. ‘It’s a tractor!’). This works better than asking your child what things are called.  
• Remember, children learn words best from other people, rather than watching the TV or using tablets. Play and chat with your child often to help them learn new words.  
• Use gesture or actions to teach new words. This can give children an extra clue about the word’s meaning. For example, if you are talking about a ‘huge’ elephant you could stretch your arms really wide.  
• Share books.   
• Give your child choices. So, rather than saying “Would you like a snack?” ask them “Do you want raisins or cucumber?”  
• Repetition is really important. Children need to hear a new word lots of times before they learn it properly, so keep saying the word you want them to learn!  
• You can tell even young children the meaning of words. Do this by making links with words they know already (e.g. “It’s a puppy! A puppy is an animal. A puppy is a baby dog”). There are different types of words and children need to learn them all. They need doing words (e.g. walking, swimming, driving), describing words (big, heavy, red), and words that can be used to name things.   
• Add one word to what your child says. Remember to say the grammatical parts of sentences like ‘a’ and ‘ing’ as this helps your child know where the words go in sentences. For example, if your child says, ‘Cat’, you could say, ‘Yes, a fluffy cat’ or ‘The cat’s hiding’ .

I don’t think my child is saying as many words as other children their age. Should I be worried?  

For a quick check of your child’s skills, you can use our progress checker .   Our progress checker is based on what we know about how babies and children develop skills. Choose the age of the child and then answer the questions. At the end, we will direct you to some helpful advice and resources.  

We also have a free speech and language advice line , which is a confidential phone call with an experienced speech and language therapist. During the 30-minute call, you will be given the opportunity to talk through your concerns and questions regarding your child’s development. You can book your phone call here.

Share this page

With thanks to our patron the late Queen Elizabeth II

We Added 455 New Words to the Dictionary for October 2021

Among the new additions: Oobleck, air fryer, whataboutism, FTW, and fourth trimester.

Find the latest list of words added to the dictionary here

Just as the language never stops evolving, the dictionary never stops expanding. New terms and new uses for existing terms are the constant in a living language, and our latest list brings together both new and likely familiar words that have shown extensive and established use.

Words from Online Culture and Communication

We’ve been communicating online for decades now, and pandemic-related circumstances have only increased the practice. The quick and informal nature of messaging, texting, and tweeting has contributed to a vocabulary newly rich in efficient and abbreviated expression.

• TBH : an abbreviation for "to be honest." TBH is frequently used in social media and text messaging.
• because : by reason of : because of — often used in a humorous way to convey vagueness about the exact reasons for something. This preposition use of because is versatile; it can be used, for example, to avoid delving into the overly technical (“the process works because science”) or to dismiss explanation altogether (“they left because reasons”).
• amirite : slang used in writing for "am I right" to represent or imitate the use of this phrase as a tag question in informal speech. An example: “English spelling is consistently inconsistent, amirite?”
• FTW : an abbreviation for "for the win" —used especially to express approval or support. In social media, FTW is often used to acknowledge a clever or funny response to a question or meme .
• deplatform : to remove and ban (a registered user) from a mass communication medium (such as a social networking or blogging website) broadly : to prevent from having or providing a platform to communicate.
• digital nomad : someone who performs their occupation entirely over the Internet while traveling; especially : such a person who has no permanent fixed home address.

More Coronavirus Words

As we all know, the pandemic story isn’t over, and neither is the need for more vocabulary to describe the policy and research developments connected to COVID-19.

• breakthrough medical : infection occurring in someone who is fully vaccinated against an infectious agent — often used before another noun (as in “breakthrough cases” or “breakthrough infection”).
• super-spreader : an event or location at which a significant number of people contract the same communicable disease — often used before another noun (as in a “super-spreader event”). The term super-spreader originally referred to a highly contagious person capable of passing on a disease to many others, and now can also refer to a single place or occasion where many others are infected.
• long COVID : a condition that is marked by the presence of symptoms (such as fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, headache, or brain fog) which persist for an extended period of time (such as weeks or months) following a person's initial recovery from COVID-19 infection.
• vaccine passport : a physical or digital document providing proof of vaccination against one or more infectious diseases (such as COVID-19).

Words from Tech and Science

We have arrived at the stage in digital technology when we require words for the decay of files, opportunistic attacks on computer programs, super shortcuts, and massive quantities of data storage. The promised ubiquitous jetpacks have yet to arrive, but at least we do have small private satellites and shapeshifting puddles named by Dr. Seuss.

• bit rot : the tendency for digital information to degrade or become unusable over time. This kind of data degradation or corruption can make images and audio recordings distort and documents impossible to read or open.
• zero-day : of, relating to, or being a vulnerability (as in a computer or computer system) that is discovered and exploited (as by cybercriminals) before it is known to or addressed by the maker or vendor.
• copypasta : data (such as a block of text) that has been copied and spread widely online. Copypasta can be a lighthearted meme or it can have a more serious intent, with a political or cultural message.
• teraflop : a unit of measure for the calculating speed of a computer equal to one trillion. The flop in teraflop stands for “floating-point operation”; tera- means “trillion.” Fast computer speed makes for quicker computer response and better graphics for video games.
• CubeSat : an artificial satellite typically designed with inexpensive components that fit into a cube with a volume of 1 cubic meter. These small satellites are typically used for academic, commercial, or amateur research projects in orbit.
• Oobleck : a mixture of corn starch and water that behaves like a liquid when at rest and like a solid when pressure is applied. Oobleck gets its name from the title of a story by Dr. Seuss, Bartholomew and the Oobleck , and is a favorite component in kids’ science experiments.

Words from Politics

The words connected with how we advocate for political positions and engage with opponents tell us much about the state of partisan politics today. Terms of blame and deception are notable in this batch of terminology.

• whataboutism : the act or practice of responding to an accusation of wrongdoing by claiming that an offense committed by another is similar or worse also : the response itself. The synonymous term whataboutery is more common in British English.
• vote-a-rama U.S. government : an unusually large number of debates and votes that happen in one day on a single piece of legislation to which an unlimited number of amendments can be introduced, debated, and voted on.
• astroturf : falsely made to appear grassroots . This figurative use of astroturf (in capitalized form it is a trademark for artificial turf) is used to describe political efforts, campaigns, or organizations that appear to be funded and run by ordinary people but are in fact backed by powerful groups.

Words About Food

Many new food terms come from the cuisines of cultures that speak a language other than English, but this batch also features a venerable and all-American regionalism, along with new ways of cooking and organizing food preparation.

• fluffernutter : a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow crème between two slices of white sandwich bread.
• horchata : a cold sweetened beverage made from ground rice or almonds and usually flavorings such as cinnamon or vanilla.
• chicharron : a small piece of pork belly or pig skin that is fried and eaten usually as a snack : pork rind also : a piece of food that resembles a chicharron.
• Goetta : meat (such as pork) mixed with oats, onions, and spices and fried in the form of a patty.
• air fryer : an airtight, usually small electrical appliance for quick cooking of foods by means of convection currents circulated rapidly by a fan.
• ghost kitchen : a commercial cooking facility used for the preparation of food consumed off the premises — called also cloud kitchen, dark kitchen .

Words from the World of Medicine

• fourth trimester : the three month period immediately following giving birth in which the mother typically recovers from childbirth and adjusts to caring for her infant; especially : the first three months of an infant's life.
• halotherapy : the therapeutic use of salt usually by inhalation of an aerosol composed chiefly of fine salt particles and circulated in an enclosed area. Halotherapy is used as a treatment for asthma, bronchitis, and allergies.
• titer : a measure of the concentration of a substance (such as an antibody) in a blood sample that is obtained by subjecting the sample to serial dilutions (as with saline) to determine the maximum dilution at which the sample retains a specific activity (such as neutralizing an antigen) and that is often expressed as a ratio (such as 1:200).

Words from Pop Culture

Fan culture, enduring slang terms, and fashions that may come and go while leaving terms that live on in references: these are just some of the ways that words that aren’t used in news coverage or scientific journals make their way into the dictionary.

• otaku : a person having an intense or obsessive interest especially in the fields of anime and manga —often used before another noun.
• faux-hawk : a hairstyle resembling a Mohawk in having a central ridge of upright hair but with the sides gathered or slicked upward or back instead of shaved.
• dad bod informal : a physique regarded as typical of an average father; especially : one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular.

Other Notable Terms

From business to sports to home security.

• blank check company : a corporate shell set up by investors for the sole purpose of raising money through an initial public offering to acquire another business yet to be determined — called also special purpose acquisition company .
• doorbell camera : a small camera that is designed for use on an exterior door, that includes or connects to a doorbell, and that often has a built-in microphone and speaker.
• small ball 1a baseball : an offensive strategy that involves at bats that advance one or more base runners into scoring position; b basketball : a game strategy based on speed and agility of players as opposed to height and physicality; 2 : a strategy for progressing towards a goal by proceeding in small steps or by addressing small matters.

Word of the Day

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Games & Quizzes

Arts & Culture

If you like to complain about 'decimate'..., the words of the week - apr. 12, a list of the u.s. military ranks in order, the real origin of 'supercalifragilistic', what does 'eighty-six' mean, 9 other words for beautiful, rare and amusing insults, volume 2, etymologies for every day of the week, 10 scrabble words without any vowels, 12 more bird names that sound like insults (and sometimes are), grammar & usage, a list of most commonly confused words, more commonly misspelled words, 10 words you see but don't hear, your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, every letter is silent, sometimes: a-z list of examples.

Enjoy this post? Rate it!

New words in English with meaning | 60 trending words!

Do you sometimes feel like there’s an infinite number of words out there in the english language and new ones keep coming up all the time you’re not wrong  here is a list of new words in english with meanings that can assist you in broadening your vocabulary. read away – these are sure to give your vocabulary a much-needed refresh, table of contents, new words in english with meaning | an introduction, new english words | ace the language proficiency exam, 30 more to go…, 10 more to go…, 10 meaningful english trending words in 2023, tips and tricks to improve your vocabulary, key takeaways.

Learning new words in English with meaning and broadening one’s vocabulary can serve as a springboard for greater degrees of language fluency. A large vocabulary is linked to improved academic achievement. We’ve compiled a list of the new words that we can be fairly certain will enter your conversational vocabulary in the next decade. We’ll tell you what they mean, how to pronounce them, and how to use them correctly.

Many ESL students study English to enter an English-speaking institution, thrive at higher level studies, and obtain a well-paying job. A large vocabulary can assist them in doing so. As previously stated, having a large vocabulary is connected with improved performance in all elements of language learning, including speaking, reading, writing, and listening.

Applicants who want to study abroad frequently take numerous tests (depending on the university’s preference) that qualify them to study and apply to international universities. These language proficiency exams like IELTS and TOEFL require a large amount of vocabulary . Good vocabulary helps in both the listening and reading sections. A good vocabulary will help you develop better sentences and communicate your ideas more effectively when speaking and writing. A larger vocabulary will improve your capacity to grasp what is being said in the listening part. Reading and answering questions, utilizing synonyms, antonyms , and connecting concepts are all advantages of having a large vocabulary.

New words in English with meaning in 2023

The following list provides you with 50 new words in English that we will be using in 2023.

• Abrogate- To revoke
• Anachronism- Something out of place for the time period
• Arrant- Entirely and completely
• Artless- Without deception
• Asperity- Harsh in tone
• Belie- To convey a misleading impression of; to distort
• Byzantine- Convoluted and complicated
• Cajole- Persuade through flattery or coaxing.
• Conciliate- To reach an agreement with
• Connecticutian- A native of Connecticut
• Consanguineous- Of the same ancestry or origin
• Copypasta- Data (including text) copied and pasted from the internet
• Demagogue- A political leader who employs rhetoric to appeal to regular individuals’ preconceptions and wants.
• Diatribe- A verbal assault against another person
• Dilatory- Wasting time
• Embourgeoisement- The adoption of bourgeois values and practices
• Equivocate- To speak ambiguously in order to deceive someone
• Fatuous- Without intelligence
• Gaffe- An inconvenient social act
• Garrulous- Talking excessively

• Hoi Polloi- The common people generally
• Hubris- Suffocating pride
• Iconoclast- Someone who opposes or attacks deeply held beliefs and concepts
• Impedimenta- Things that obstruct
• Inchoate- Poorly developed
• Indefatigable- Demonstrating unfailing vigor and persistent, enthusiastic action
• Inundate- Flooded
• Invective- Abusive language
• Martinet- Someone who insists on strict adherence to rules and forms
• Myrmecophilous- Fond of ants
• Nonplussed- Filled with perplexity
• Omphaloskepsis- A lack of motivation to move, exert oneself, or change
• Panache- Distinctive and stylish elegance
• Pillory- Ridicule or expose to public scorn
• Polyphiloprogenitive- Highly fertile
• Psychotomimetic- Psychotic alteration of behavior and personality
• Puissant- Powerful
• Pulchritudinous- Beautiful
• Quattuordecillion- A number beginning with 1 and ending with 45 zeros
• Quisling- A traitor
• Surreptitious- Taking precautions to avoid being captured or detected
• Shrinkflation- The size of things shrinks through time, but the price remains constant.
• Sybarite- A person who indulges in luxury
• Tergiversation- Evasion of direct action
• Trichotillomania- An unusual impulse to pluck one’s hair out
• Truculent- Have a fierce, savage nature.
• Unabashed- Not embarrassed
• Untoward- Inconvenient
• Vicissitude- An unwanted or unfavorable change in conditions or fortune
• Xenotransplantation- Transplantation of an organ between distinct species

New English terms from worldwide are added to the Oxford Dictionary every year based on popular culture, social and political challenges, and technological developments. Like unusual terms or technical English words with significance, they can help people comprehend particular topics better and improve communication . Here are 10 trending new words in English with meanings:

Everyone is aware of the value and benefits of having a strong vocabulary. Now let’s focus on how to improve your vocabulary . Follow the following tips and tricks.

• Discover new English words with meanings used in daily life.
• Find out how to spell the word. To spell, pronounce, and understand a word correctly, you should look up the definition in a dictionary.
• Recognize how to pronounce the word properly.
• Learn what the word means.
• Recognize how to use the word in a sentence.
• Vocabulary is important for language learning because it underpins all other language skills, can act as a stepping stone to high-level language use, and can help the student achieve fluency faster.
• To properly understand a new word, it is important to recognize how to pronounce the term properly, understand what the word means, and comprehend how to use it in a sentence.
• You should not just focus on memorizing vocabulary words but also study the grammar rules associated with them to ensure they are using the word correctly.
• In addition to these steps, it is important to practice using new vocabulary words, particularly the latest trending and new words in English with meaning in 2023.

To update your English speaking skills and score a top band Score, reach out to us or drop a comment below!

Liked this blog? Then read: Vocabulary quiz | 8 Advantages of taking this quiz!

Q1. What is the significance of learning new vocabulary?

Answer- An extensive vocabulary helps with all aspects of communication, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Q2. Is it beneficial to learn new words every day?

Answer- Learning new words is one of the most important steps in improving your English.

Q3. Why is it vital to use words efficiently in our daily lives?

Answer- Words greatly impact how we connect with others and make decisions.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 4.2 / 5. Vote count: 870

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

People also liked

IELTS success| Tips to master each section

Importance of IELTS grammar | Tips and tricks

TOEFL and IELTS | Role of contextual & academic words

Simulated tests | Opportunity to overcome challenges

TOEFL, IELTS, & GRE exam structure | Key differences 2024!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please enter an answer in digits: eighteen + 4 =

Start your journey with iSchoolPrep

Need help with your Test Preparations? Contact Us for more details

Inquire Now

Get e-books, expert guidance, live classes and more....

How it works

Transform your enterprise with the scalable mindsets, skills, & behavior change that drive performance.

Explore how BetterUp connects to your core business systems.

We pair AI with the latest in human-centered coaching to drive powerful, lasting learning and behavior change.

Build leaders that accelerate team performance and engagement.

Unlock performance potential at scale with AI-powered curated growth journeys.

Build resilience, well-being and agility to drive performance across your entire enterprise.

Transform your business, starting with your sales leaders.

Unlock business impact from the top with executive coaching.

Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Accelerate the performance and potential of your agencies and employees.

See how innovative organizations use BetterUp to build a thriving workforce.

Discover how BetterUp measurably impacts key business outcomes for organizations like yours.

A demo is the first step to transforming your business. Meet with us to develop a plan for attaining your goals.

• What is coaching?

Learn how 1:1 coaching works, who its for, and if it's right for you.

Accelerate your personal and professional growth with the expert guidance of a BetterUp Coach.

Types of Coaching

Navigate career transitions, accelerate your professional growth, and achieve your career goals with expert coaching.

Enhance your communication skills for better personal and professional relationships, with tailored coaching that focuses on your needs.

Find balance, resilience, and well-being in all areas of your life with holistic coaching designed to empower you.

Discover your perfect match : Take our 5-minute assessment and let us pair you with one of our top Coaches tailored just for you.

Research, expert insights, and resources to develop courageous leaders within your organization.

Best practices, research, and tools to fuel individual and business growth.

View on-demand BetterUp events and learn about upcoming live discussions.

The latest insights and ideas for building a high-performing workplace.

• BetterUp Briefing

The online magazine that helps you understand tomorrow's workforce trends, today.

Innovative research featured in peer-reviewed journals, press, and more.

Founded in 2022 to deepen the understanding of the intersection of well-being, purpose, and performance

We're on a mission to help everyone live with clarity, purpose, and passion.

Join us and create impactful change.

Read the buzz about BetterUp.

Meet the leadership that's passionate about empowering your workforce.

For Business

For Individuals

How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

Elevate your communication skills

Unlock the power of clear and persuasive communication. Our coaches can guide you to build strong relationships and succeed in both personal and professional life.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

10 examples of principles that can guide your approach to work

The 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills, create a networking plan in 7 easy steps, 10+ interpersonal skills at work and ways to develop them, make the connection: 10 effective ways to connect with people, how to write an impactful cover letter for a career change, what are analytical skills examples and how to level up, wondering how to change careers 12 steps to switch it up, 6 presentation skills and how to improve them, similar articles, how to write an executive summary in 10 steps, how to disagree at work without being obnoxious, how to pitch ideas: 8 tips to captivate any audience, how to give a good presentation that captivates any audience, writing an elevator pitch about yourself: a how-to plus tips, 9 elevator pitch examples for making a strong first impression, how to write a letter of recommendation (with examples), how to write a memo: 8 steps with examples, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

• Platform Overview
• Integrations
• Powered by AI
• BetterUp Lead
• BetterUp Manage™
• BetterUp Care™
• Sales Performance
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Case Studies
• Why BetterUp?
• About Coaching
• Find your Coach
• Career Coaching
• Communication Coaching
• Life Coaching
• News and Press
• Leadership Team
• Become a BetterUp Coach
• BetterUp Labs
• Center for Purpose & Performance
• Leadership Training
• Business Coaching
• Contact Support
• Contact Sales
• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Trust & Security
• Cookie Preferences

Among the New Words

• Standard View
• Article contents
• Figures & tables
• Supplementary Data
• Peer Review
• Open the PDF for in another window
• Permissions
• Cite Icon Cite
• Search Site

Benjamin Zimmer , Kelly E. Wright , Brianne Hughes , Charles E. Carson; Among the New Words. American Speech 1 May 2022; 97 (2): 197–214. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/00031283-9940564

Download citation file:

• Reference Manager

Article PDF first page preview

Supplementary data, data & figures.

• Previous Issue
• Previous Article
• Next Article

Advertisement

Supplements

Citing articles via, email alerts, affiliations.

• About American Speech
• Editorial Board
• For Authors
• Rights and Permissions Inquiry
• Online ISSN 1527-2133
• Print ISSN 0003-1283
• Copyright © 2024
• Duke University Press
• 905 W. Main St. Ste. 18-B
• Durham, NC 27701
• (888) 651-0122
• International
• +1 (919) 688-5134
• Information For
• Advertisers
• Book Authors
• Booksellers/Media
• Journal Authors/Editors
• Journal Subscribers
• Prospective Journals
• Licensing and Subsidiary Rights
• View Open Positions
• email Join our Mailing List
• catalog Current Catalog
• Accessibility
• Get Adobe Reader

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

Enjoy this post? Rate it!

60+ new words in English with meanings!

As we navigate through 2023, enriching our vocabulary remains a crucial aspect of effective communication in any language. To keep pace with evolving language trends, here are 60 contemporary English words with meanings for you to integrate into your lexicon today!

Table of Contents

An overview of new words in english, importance of new words in english, new words in english (a-e), new words in english (f-j), new words in english (k-o), new words in english (p-t), bonus words, key takeaways .

Did you know? The Global Language Monitor (GLM) has unveiled a fascinating insight: the English language boasts roughly 1,019,729 words! What’s more captivating? A novel word emerges almost every 98 minutes globally! Keeping pace with fresh additions to recent dictionary editions isn’t just enlightening; it’s a potent way to supercharge your vocabulary. For educators globally, vocabulary is neatly compartmentalized into four pivotal categories: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Dive into the world of words!

For those aspiring to study abroad, especially in English speaking countries, having a robust vocabulary is indispensable. Not only does it enhance comprehension and expression in academic settings, but it also facilitates smoother integration into diverse cultural and social environments. Knowing a broad range of words can be advantageous in scoring higher in language proficiency tests, a critical component for many university admissions.

In today’s digitally-connected world, the power of clear, concise, and efficient communication is more crucial than ever. With much of our daily life intertwined with online interactions, possessing a stellar repertoire of English words can elevate your language skills to new heights. Dive into the realm of eloquence and make every word count!

If you have decided to update your current vocabulary, here are 60 new words to learn in English with meanings to help you refine your language skills! 

• Abrogate – To revoke something formally.
• Abstruse – Difficult to understand.
• Accede- Yield to anothers’ wish or opinion.
• Blandishment – Flattery intended to persuade.
• Calumny – A false accusation of an offense.
• Circumlocution – An indirect way of expressing something
• Demagogue – A leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions
• Enervate – Weaken physically, emotionally, or morally.
• Sesquipedalian – A foot and a half long.
• Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious – Something that is extraordinarily good.
• There is a constant introduction of new words in English added to dictionaries every year. 
• Updating your new vocabulary words is an excellent way to communicate effectively. 
• Vocabulary is recognized as of four types – reading, speaking, listening, and writing. 
• The above list of words is a great way to improve your all-rounded vocabulary and knowledge of new English words!

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog. In case of any queries, reach out to us or drop a comment below!

Liked this blog? Read 5 English learning books to boost your language skills

 Q1. How can I learn new words daily?

Answer – Reading different kinds of material and literature is an excellent way to learn new words. Keep a dictionary handy, so you can refer to the meanings of the words. This can also help you remember them easily.  

Q2. Why has there been a surge in the new words added to dictionaries every year? 

Answer – Technology has played a significant role in promoting the spontaneous coining of new words. This is largely due to the need to communicate quickly and efficiently. 

Q3. What are ‘portmanteau’ words? 

Answer – ‘Portmanteau’ words or ‘blended’ words are words that combine the meaning of two discrete terms. For example – the word ‘bromance’ is a blend of the words ‘brother’ and ‘romance.’

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 4.2 / 5. Vote count: 1370

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

People also liked

Top study destinations for various engineering branches

More countries noticing higher TOEFL scores from Indians

Clarkson University | Top 10 undergraduate programs

An essential guide to the grading system in the USA

Extracurricular activities | Striking the perfect balance between academics and fun

Exploring Canada’s leading programs in Master of Renewable Energy

8 thoughts on “60+ new words in english with meanings”, see what others are saying.

It’s real great to through them study material

This platform indeed has really help my Grammer life . Thanks very much for the support . I do appreciate slot. Thank you🙏🤝

Hey, We’re glad you found it useful! Thanks for your support. Keep reading our blogs for more such posts.

This website is very helpful to me Thank u aditi 😊

Thank you alot for helping me

Glad we could help!

Greatful for your support .. tnks aditi

sooo educative,i read it without any incessant

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Start your journey with iSchoolConnect

Need help with your study abroad applications? Try iSchoolConnect for free!

• Where to Study? USA | UK | Canada | Australia | Singapore | Netherlands | Ireland | Germany | New Zealand
• Tests and Preparation GRE | GMAT | IELTS | TOEFL | SAT | PTE
• Visa Process Student visa for USA | Student visa for Canada | Student visa for UK
• Programs and Universities How to choose a university? | How to choose a career? | University interview tips
• Application Process How to apply? | Letter of Recommendation (LOR) | Essay and Statement of Purpose (SOP) | Document checklist | Finance documents
• Fees and Finances Cost of studying abroad | How to apply for scholarships? | Types of scholarships | Student loan | Accommodation | Part-time jobs
• Calculators Calculate your chances of studying abroad | Calculate cost of studying abroad | Which scholarship are you eligible for?

Oratory Club

Public Speaking Helpline

Speech Transitions: Words And Phrases to Connect Your Ideas

Speech transitions are important as they connect ideas and maintain a smooth flow. These transitions help guide the audience through the speech effectively.

Effective communication is crucial in delivering a compelling speech. To engage and captivate an audience, it is essential to connect ideas seamlessly. Speech transitions serve as connectors between different thoughts and ensure a logical progression of ideas. By employing suitable words and phrases, a speaker can enhance the flow of their speech and maintain the audience’s attention.

We will explore various words and phrases that can be used to connect ideas in a speech. These transitions play a vital role in conveying the message effectively and leaving a lasting impact on the listeners.

Credit: www.spanish.academy

Table of Contents

Why Are Speech Transitions Important In Public Speaking?

Speech transitions play a crucial role in public speaking by connecting ideas seamlessly. These words and phrases help maintain the flow of the speech and captivate the audience, ensuring a clear and coherent delivery.

Speech transitions play a significant role in public speaking. They serve as vital connectors that link together various ideas and concepts in a seamless manner. By using appropriate words and phrases to transition between different points, speakers can maintain the flow and coherence of their speech.

Here’s why speech transitions are important:

Benefits Of Using Speech Transitions:

• Enhance clarity: Transitions help speakers to clearly communicate their ideas and thoughts to the audience. By using transition words and phrases, they can guide the listeners through the different sections of their speech, making it easier to follow.
• Improve understanding: Effective transitions ensure that the audience can easily grasp the connections between ideas and concepts. This helps to prevent any confusion or misinterpretation of the speaker’s message.
• Increase engagement: Speech transitions prevent a monotonous or disjointed delivery, making the speech more engaging for the audience. By smoothly moving from one idea to another, the speaker captures the listeners’ attention and keeps them actively involved throughout the presentation.
• Highlight key points: Transitions can be used strategically to emphasize important information or key points. By signaling the significance of certain ideas, speakers can ensure that these points are understood and remembered by the audience.

Impact On Audience Engagement:

• Retention of information: With the help of effective speech transitions, speakers can enhance the audience’s ability to retain and recall the information presented. Logical connections created through transitions make it easier for listeners to process and remember the content.
• Focused attention: Well-placed transitions help to maintain the audience’s focus and prevent their minds from wandering. By smoothly transitioning between ideas, speakers keep the listeners engaged and attentive.
• Active participation: Speech transitions encourage the audience to actively participate in the speech. Clear connections between ideas enable listeners to anticipate the direction of the speech, allowing them to make connections and draw conclusions alongside the speaker.
• Emotionally connect: Transitions can also have an emotional impact on the audience. By using appropriate words and phrases, speakers can evoke specific feelings, making the speech more memorable and impactful.

Creating a smooth and coherent flow:

• Logical progression: Transitions facilitate a logical progression of ideas, enabling the speaker to present their thoughts in a structured manner. This ensures that the audience can easily follow the speaker’s intended flow of information.
• Seamless connection: Speech transitions act as bridges between different ideas or sections, creating a seamless connection between them. This helps to establish a sense of continuity in the speech, preventing any abrupt shifts in topic or subject matter.
• Professional delivery: The use of speech transitions demonstrates a speaker’s professionalism and command over their subject. It showcases their ability to present complex ideas in a clear and organized manner.

By recognizing the importance of speech transitions and incorporating them into public speaking, speakers can enhance the effectiveness of their presentations, captivate their audience, and ensure that their message is delivered with impact.

Types Of Speech Transitions

Discover various types of speech transitions that effectively connect ideas and thoughts in your speech. These words and phrases seamlessly guide the flow of your presentation, keeping your audience engaged and interested. Improve your public speaking skills with these powerful speech transition techniques.

Transition words and phrases play a crucial role in connecting your ideas and making your speech or presentation flow smoothly. By using these linguistic tools, you can create a cohesive and engaging narrative that keeps your listeners hooked. In this section, we will explore the different types of speech transitions, including transition words and phrases, verbal transitions, and nonverbal transitions.

Transition Words And Phrases:

• First and foremost, transition words and phrases serve as the glue that holds your speech together. They facilitate the logical progression of your ideas and help your audience follow along effortlessly.
• Additionally, transition words and phrases add clarity and coherence to your speech, ensuring that your message is easily understood.
• Moreover, they signal shifts in topic, introduce examples, emphasize crucial points, and establish cause-and-effect relationships.
• Furthermore, transition words and phrases enable you to create smooth transitions between different sections of your speech, which is essential for maintaining audience engagement.

Verbal Transitions:

• Verbal transitions involve the use of spoken words or phrases to guide your audience from one idea to another seamlessly.
• For instance, you can use phrases like “now, let’s move on to…”, “in relation to…”, or “on the other hand…” to smoothly transition between topics.
• Likewise, starting a sentence with phrases such as “in the same vein…”, “to illustrate my point…”, or “another key aspect is…” can effectively connect your ideas and make your speech more coherent.
• Furthermore, verbally signaling your intention to transition, using phrases like “now, let’s shift gears and discuss…”, “next up, we’ll explore…”, or “in light of this information…” can help your audience anticipate and comprehend your transitions better.

Nonverbal Transitions:

• Nonverbal transitions involve actions, gestures, or visuals that complement your verbal transitions, reinforcing the connections between your ideas.
• Use physical cues, such as changing your stance, moving to a different part of the stage, or making eye contact with a specific audience member, to signify a transition.
• Similarly, employing visual aids like slides, charts, or props can also assist in smoothly guiding your audience from one idea to the next.
• Additionally, adjusting your tone of voice, pausing strategically, or utilizing facial expressions can effectively emphasize the shift in ideas and engage your listeners.

Incorporating a variety of transition words and phrases, implementing verbal transitions, and utilizing nonverbal cues can greatly enhance the flow and impact of your speech. Integrating these techniques will help you maintain your audience’s attention and ensure that your ideas are communicated effectively.

So, let’s dive in and explore the world of speech transitions further!

Using Transition Words And Phrases

Discover the power of using speech transitions to seamlessly connect your ideas. By employing a variety of transition words and phrases, you can create a cohesive flow in your speech while keeping your audience engaged and interested. Swap repetitive terms for different expressions to ensure your content remains fresh and captivating.

Importance Of Strategic Placement:

• Transition words and phrases are essential in speech writing as they help to connect and smoothly organize ideas and thoughts.
• Strategic placement of transition words and phrases allows for a coherent flow of information, making it easier for the audience to follow the speaker’s train of thought.
• Proper use of transition words and phrases can enhance the overall impact of a speech by creating a logical progression of ideas and reinforcing key points.
• By strategically incorporating transition words and phrases, speakers can maintain the audience’s attention and prevent confusion or disengagement.

Commonly Used Transition Words:

• “furthermore”: Used to add another supporting point or to provide additional information.
• Example: Furthermore, research has shown that regular exercise improves overall mental health.
• “however”: Introduces a contrasting idea or viewpoint.
• Example: The study found that the new drug is effective; however, more research is needed to determine long-term effects.
• “meanwhile”: Shows a simultaneous action or event occurring.
• Example: The company was experiencing financial difficulties; meanwhile, their competitors were thriving.
• “moreover”: Indicates the addition of more information or evidence.
• Example: The data collected from the survey revealed alarming statistics; moreover, it highlighted the need for immediate action.

Connecting Ideas Within A Sentence:

• “similarly”: Demonstrates a likeness or similarity between two ideas.
• Example: The baby elephant walked with a wobble, similarly to a toddler taking their first steps.
• “in addition”: Introduces an additional piece of information or evidence.
• Example: The market research indicated a growing demand for organic products; in addition, consumer preferences were shifting towards sustainable packaging.
• “likewise”: Expresses similarity or agreement with a previous statement.
• Example: The new policy aims to increase employee satisfaction; likewise, it strives to improve overall productivity.
• “on the other hand”: Indicates a contrasting viewpoint or perspective.
• Example: The group was divided on the issue; on the other hand, some argued for immediate action while others preferred a more cautious approach.

Transition Phrases For Introducing New Points:

• “first and foremost”: Emphasizes the primary or most important point to be made.
• Example: First and foremost, it is crucial for individuals to prioritize their mental health.
• “another key point”: Introduces an additional significant idea or argument.
• Example: Another key point to consider is the impact of social media on mental well-being.
• “lastly”: Signals the final point or argument in a series or sequence.
• Example: Lastly, it is essential to provide accessible and affordable mental health services for all individuals.

Transition Words For Emphasizing Or Contrasting Ideas:

• “indeed”: Emphasizes and reinforces a previous point or statement.
• Example: The results of the study indeed highlight the need for further investigation.
• “contrarily”: Shows a contrasting or opposite perspective.
• Example: While some argue for stricter regulations, contrarily, others believe in the importance of personal freedoms.
• “in summary”: Provides a concise overview or recap of the main points discussed.
• Example: The research demonstrates the significant impact of early childhood education on future academic success.

Remember, incorporating these transition words and phrases into your speech can greatly enhance its overall effectiveness, making it more engaging and easy to follow. Use them strategically to guide your listeners through your ideas and ensure they stay connected and engaged with your message.

Incorporating Verbal Transitions

Discover the power of incorporating verbal transitions in your speech to effortlessly connect your ideas. Enhance your communication skills with carefully chosen phrases and words that keep your audience engaged and interested. Unlock the potential of seamless transitions for impactful speeches.

Establishing A Connection Between Ideas

• Incorporating verbal transitions is essential in speech delivery as it helps maintain a smooth flow of ideas. These transitions act as bridges between different thoughts, guiding the audience through your speech. By using the right words and phrases, you can establish clear connections between ideas, leaving a lasting impact on your listeners. Let’s explore some effective techniques for incorporating verbal transitions.

Using Clear Language And Cues

• Clear language and cues allow your audience to follow along effortlessly, ensuring that your ideas are effectively communicated. Consider the following strategies to enhance clarity in your speech:
• Signposting: The use of signposting phrases, such as “firstly,” “next,” or “” helps guide your audience through the structure of your speech, making it easier for them to follow your thought process.
• Repetition: Repeating key phrases or concepts throughout your speech can reinforce your ideas, making them more memorable for your audience.
• Pronouns: Utilize pronouns like “they,” “we,” or “you” to create a sense of inclusivity and engagement. This fosters a connection between you and your audience, encouraging active participation.

Examples Of Verbal Transition Techniques

• Here are some effective examples of verbal transition techniques to incorporate in your speech:
• Cause and effect: Use phrases like “as a result,” “consequently,” or “therefore” to highlight the cause and effect relationship between different ideas.
• Comparison and contrast: Employ phrases such as “similarly,” “on the other hand,” or “in contrast” to draw comparisons or highlight differences between ideas, helping your audience understand distinct concepts better.
• Time sequence: Signal the passage of time or progression of ideas with phrases like “before,” “afterward,” or “meanwhile.” This helps your audience follow the chronological order of events or thoughts.

Practice And Delivery Tips

• To improve your use of verbal transitions, consider these practice and delivery tips:
• Rehearse your speech: Practice delivering your speech multiple times, focusing on incorporating verbal transitions smoothly. This will help you become more comfortable and confident in your delivery.
• Record and review: Record yourself delivering the speech and take note of areas where verbal transitions can be improved. Analyzing your performance will enable you to refine your delivery and strengthen your speech.
• Seek feedback: Request constructive feedback or have a trusted person observe your speech. They can provide valuable insights on how to enhance your verbal transitions and overall impact.

Remember, incorporating verbal transitions in your speech not only enhances its coherence but also ensures that your ideas are effectively communicated and understood by your audience. By practicing and mastering these techniques, you’ll become a more engaging and persuasive speaker.

Keep honing your skills, and watch your speech captivate and inspire your listeners.

Leveraging Nonverbal Transitions

Discover the power of nonverbal transitions in connecting your ideas during speeches. Utilize effective words and phrases that enhance the flow of your presentation and engage your audience. Say goodbye to common speech transition pitfalls and captivate your listeners with seamless transitions.

In the realm of public speaking, effective speech transitions are crucial for connecting ideas and maintaining the attention of your audience. While verbal transitions are commonly employed, nonverbal cues can be just as powerful in conveying a seamless flow of thoughts.

This section will explore the various ways to leverage nonverbal transitions, including visual cues, body language, gestures and facial expressions, the importance of eye contact, and how to convey confidence and professionalism.

Visual Cues And Body Language:

• Visual cues play a vital role in indicating transitions and maintaining engagement during a speech.
• Use confident and purposeful body language to signify a change in topic or shift in ideas.
• Positioning yourself differently on stage or adjusting your stance can visually communicate a transition to your audience.
• Maintain an open and relaxed posture, which indicates a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Gestures And Facial Expressions:

• Utilize gestures and facial expressions to enhance the impact of your nonverbal transitions.
• Gesture with your hands to emphasize key points or signal a transition to a new idea.
• Employ facial expressions to convey enthusiasm, surprise, or seriousness, making your transitions more engaging and memorable.

Importance Of Eye Contact:

• Eye contact is a powerful nonverbal tool that establishes a connection with your audience and aids in smooth transitions.
• Engage with individuals in different parts of the room, ensuring that your eye contact is inclusive and not only focused on a single person or section.
• During transitions, maintain eye contact to signal that you are moving on to a new topic or idea.
• The use of eye contact can also help you gauge the audience’s reaction and adjust your delivery accordingly.

Conveying Confidence And Professionalism:

• Nonverbal transitions are instrumental in conveying confidence and professionalism throughout your speech.
• Maintain a calm and composed demeanor, which instills confidence in your audience.
• Avoid fidgeting or excessive movements that may distract from your message.
• By utilizing nonverbal cues effectively, you can create a sense of professionalism and competence, enhancing your overall speaker presence.

Incorporating nonverbal transitions into your speech can significantly improve its flow, captivate your audience, and reinforce your message. Visual cues, body language, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and conveying confidence and professionalism are all essential elements in creating a seamless and engaging speaking experience.

Practice and master these nonverbal techniques to elevate your speech to new heights.

Transitioning Between Different Sections Of A Speech

Transitioning between different sections of a speech is crucial for maintaining a coherent flow and engaging the audience. By utilizing effective speech transitions, you can seamlessly connect your ideas, avoiding clichés and repetitive terms, to ensure a captivating and impactful delivery.

Transitioning between different sections of a speech is crucial to maintain the flow and coherence of your ideas. To ensure a smooth transition, consider using the following techniques:

Introducing A New Topic Or Main Idea

• Pose a question: Start a new section by asking a thought-provoking question that introduces your audience to the upcoming topic. For example, “have you ever wondered how technology has revolutionized the way we communicate?”
• Provide a brief anecdote or story: Capture your audience’s attention by sharing a relevant story or anecdote that sets the stage for the new topic. This personal touch will engage your listeners from the start.
• Use a powerful quote: Begin your section with an impactful quote that relates to the subject matter. This will immediately draw your audience’s attention and create curiosity about the upcoming discussion.

Summarizing Key Points

• Highlight the main ideas: Summarize the key points you have discussed so far in a concise and clear manner. This allows your audience to understand the progress of your speech and reinforces the central ideas you want them to remember.
• Use transition words: Employ transition words and phrases such as “” “to summarize,” or “in conclusion” to signal that you are summarizing the main points. This helps the audience mentally prepare for the upcoming summary.

Shifting Focus Or Transitioning To A Conclusion

• Preview the provide a glimpse of what your conclusion will entail without delving into the details. This primes your audience for the upcoming ending, creating anticipation and signaling the shift in focus.
• Ask for the audience’s attention: Use phrases like “now, let’s turn to the final part of our discussion” to redirect the attention back to the conclusion. This helps maintain engagement and refocuses the audience’s thoughts on the closing remarks.
• Reinforce the central theme: Remind your listeners of the central theme or main message of your speech. This will ensure that the concluding remarks connect back to the core ideas you have been discussing.

Remember, effective transitions are like signposts that guide your audience through your speech. By utilizing these techniques, you can navigate between different sections smoothly and keep your audience fully engaged.

Tips For Effective Transitioning

Discover practical tips for effective transitioning in your speech through the use of appropriate words and phrases. Enhance the flow of your ideas by avoiding overused terms and incorporating a variety of expressions at the beginning of paragraphs. Keep your sentences concise and engaging to maintain the reader’s interest.

Preparing And Rehearsing Transitions:

• Craft a list of transitional words and phrases: To ensure smooth and seamless transitions between your ideas, compile a list of words and phrases that can serve as connectors. Examples include “however,” “in addition,” and “on the other hand.”
• Identify logical connections: Assess the flow of your speech and identify the logical connections between each point. This will help you determine the appropriate transitional words or phrases to use.
• Practice aloud: Once you have selected your transition words and phrases, practice incorporating them into your speech. Rehearse it several times to ensure that the transitions feel natural and help maintain the overall coherence of your ideas.

Using A Variety Of Transition Methods:

• Implement signposts: Signposts are words or phrases that indicate where you are in your speech and where you are going next. Examples include “firstly,” “next,” and “finally.” By using these signposts, you guide your audience through your speech, making it easier for them to follow along.
• Utilize parallel structure: Parallel structure involves using the same grammatical structure for each point in your speech. This creates a rhythm and consistency that facilitates smooth transitions. For example, instead of saying “i like hiking and to swim,” you would say “i like hiking and swimming.”
• Incorporate rhetorical questions: Asking a rhetorical question can help transition from one idea to the next seamlessly. It engages your audience and prompts them to reflect on the previous point before moving on to the next one.
• Use visual aids: Visual aids such as slides or props can serve as effective transition tools. By visually emphasizing the connection between ideas, you can make the transition more apparent to your audience.
• Provide summaries: Summarizing the main points of each section can be a powerful transition technique. It allows you to recap what has been discussed and prepare your audience for the upcoming topic.

Maintaining A Natural And Conversational Tone:

• Avoid using jargon: To keep your speech accessible and engaging, avoid using technical jargon or overly complicated language. Opt for words and phrases that your audience can easily understand.
• Vary sentence lengths: Using a mix of short and long sentences adds rhythm and variety to your speech. This prevents monotony and keeps your audience engaged.
• Practice active voice: Choosing active voice sentences instead of passive voice helps maintain a conversational tone. Active voice is more direct and engaging, making it easier for your audience to follow along.
• Engage with the audience: Encourage audience participation throughout your speech by asking for their thoughts or experiences related to your topic. This creates a more conversational and interactive atmosphere.
• Adjust your pace: Pay attention to your speaking pace and adjust it accordingly. Speaking too fast can make it difficult for your audience to process the information, while speaking too slowly can lead to disengagement. Aim for a rhythmic and natural pace.

Remember, effective transitioning is crucial for the cohesiveness and clarity of your speech. By preparing and rehearsing your transitions, utilizing a variety of transition methods, and maintaining a natural and conversational tone, you can ensure that your ideas flow smoothly and leave a lasting impact on your audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are speech transitions.

Speech transitions are words and phrases used to connect ideas and help the audience follow your presentation more smoothly. They create a logical flow and make it easier for listeners to understand and remember your key points.

Why Are Speech Transitions Important?

Speech transitions are important because they enhance the coherence and clarity of your speech. They help your audience navigate through your ideas and maintain their attention. Transitions also make your speech more engaging and polished, leaving a lasting impact on your listeners.

What Are Some Common Speech Transition Words And Phrases?

There are various speech transition words and phrases you can use, such as “in addition,” “however,” “on the other hand,” “moreover,” “as a result,” “to summarize,” and “finally. ” These transition words and phrases can help you transition between different ideas, compare and contrast points, and summarize information.

How Can Speech Transitions Improve My Public Speaking Skills?

Using speech transitions in your presentations enhances your public speaking skills by making your speech more organized, coherent, and impactful. With effective transitions, you can smoothly guide your audience through your ideas, keeping them engaged and helping them understand and remember your message.

To sum up, utilizing effective speech transitions is essential for seamless and coherent delivery. By incorporating appropriate words and phrases, you can effectively connect your ideas and guide your audience through your speech. Whether you are emphasizing a point, introducing a new topic, or providing examples, utilizing transitional words and phrases enhances the overall flow of your speech.

Moreover, these transitions help to maintain your audience’s engagement and comprehension. From using simple transitional words like “firstly” and “next,” to employing complex connectors such as “in contrast” and “similarly,” the right speech transitions can transform your speaking style. By following these guidelines and practicing your delivery, you can become a confident and compelling speaker.

Remember, speech transitions are powerful tools that can transform your speech from disjointed to cohesive, ensuring that your ideas are conveyed clearly and effectively. So, the next time you give a speech, make sure to incorporate these essential speech transitions and watch your message resonate with your audience.

Similar Posts

How to resolve conflict in a group.

To resolve conflict in a group, open and effective communication is crucial. Introduce ground rules and encourage active participation to reach a consensus. Establish a safe and respectful environment where everyone can express their opinions freely. The Importance Of Conflict Resolution In Group Settings Conflict resolution is crucial in group settings to maintain harmony and…

Line of Sight in Communication

Line of sight in communication refers to the direct, unobstructed path between a transmitter and receiver. It is crucial for effective wireless communication as it allows for the transmission of a signal without interference or loss of signal strength. With line of sight, communication can occur over long distances with minimal signal degradation, making it…

How to Teach Public Speaking (Step-By-Step)?

To teach public speaking effectively, follow these step-by-step instructions. Provide a safe, supportive environment for practice, encourage preparation and organization, focus on body language and vocal delivery, and offer constructive feedback and opportunities for improvement. Public speaking is a valuable skill that can boost confidence and enhance professional success. Whether you are an experienced speaker…

Body Language In Meetings

Welcome to the fascinating world of body language in meetings! Have you ever wondered how much you can say without uttering a word? Well, in this article, we’re going to dive into the intriguing realm of nonverbal communication during those important business gatherings. Picture this: you’re sitting in a meeting, listening to your colleagues speak,…

Scratching Beard Body Language

Are you curious about the secret messages hidden behind a simple act of scratching a beard? Well, let’s dive into the fascinating world of scratching beard body language. Ever wondered why people scratch their beards during conversations? It turns out this seemingly innocent gesture can convey a lot about a person’s thoughts and emotions. So,…

What is a Message in Communication?

A message in communication conveys information or ideas between individuals or groups. It is the core content of communication, representing the intended meaning and purpose of the interaction. Messages can be verbal or non-verbal and are essential in transmitting thoughts, emotions, or instructions between senders and recipients. Effective messaging requires clarity, relevance, and understanding between…

100+ Daily Use English Words for Fluent Communication

Clapingo Team

15 min read

 · spoken english

Enhance Your English Vocabulary For Fluent Communication 

Basic english words , commonly used phrases , mastering pronunciation through tongue twisters, advanced vocabulary for fluent communication , business english vocabulary for fluent communication, business vocabulary: key to professional success, essential business words and phrases, socializing and small talk , conversation starters:, importance of daily used english words for fluent communication .

Daily use of English words is essential in developing fluency and effective communication skills. By incorporating new words into your daily life conversations, you can expand your vocabulary and improve your ability to express yourself clearly.

Whether you are speaking with friends, colleagues, or clients, having a wide range of vocabulary at your disposal allows you to convey your thoughts and ideas more precisely.

Using simple and common vocabulary is particularly relevant in everyday conversations. Rather than relying on complex or technical terms, using everyday language helps ensure that your message is easily understood by others. It also makes it easier for you to comprehend what others are saying. By using simple words, you can avoid confusion and foster better communication.

The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive list of practical common words for fluent communication. This list will encompass a variety of topics, ranging from basic vocabulary to advanced terms, idioms, and phrases commonly used in different contexts. Each word will be accompanied by its meaning and contextual examples to help you understand how it can be used in real-life situations.

To further support your journey towards English fluency, Clapingo has published an article titled " Learn 10 Ways To Improve Your English Fluency Without Resorting To Grammar. "

This article offers valuable insights and practical tips on improving fluency through techniques that go beyond grammar rules alone, emphasizing strategies to speak English fluently and effectively.

Learning basic common English words is fundamental for daily use and effective communication. These words form the building blocks of your vocabulary and are frequently used in various situations. Familiarizing yourself with them will greatly enhance your ability to engage in conversations confidently.

Here are some essential basic common English words to get you started:

1. Numbers : One, two, three, four, five...

2. Colors : Red, blue, green, yellow...

3. Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...

4. Months : January, February, March...

5. Family members : Mother, father, brother...

6. Food items: Apple, banana, bread...

7. Animals: Dog, cat, bird...

By incorporating these words into your daily life conversations and practicing their pronunciation and usage regularly, you will quickly develop a strong English vocabulary.

Remember that consistent practice is key to retaining and expanding your vocabulary. To further reinforce your learning journey with additional resources, interactive exercises for basic English common words, and many more topics related to English language skills development, visit Clapingo's YouTube channel here.

Learning commonly used phrases is crucial for effective communication. While having a robust vocabulary is important, using everyday phrases in the right context can greatly enhance your ability to communicate fluently and naturally. Here are some reasons why learning commonly used phrases is significant:

1. Improved Fluency : Incorporating commonly used phrases into your conversations helps you sound more fluent and natural in English. It allows you to express yourself effortlessly without thinking too much about constructing sentences.

2. Cultural Understanding: Commonly used phrases often have cultural nuances and show familiarity with the language. By learning these phrases, you gain a deeper understanding of the culture and can connect with native English speakers more personally.

3. Politeness and Etiquette: Using appropriate greetings, expressions of gratitude, and other polite phrases shows respect for others and helps build positive relationships. It allows you to navigate social situations with ease.

4. Confidence Booster:  You feel more confident in conversations when you know commonly used phrases. This confidence lets you express yourself effectively, convey your thoughts clearly, and engage in meaningful discussions.

Now let's dive into a comprehensive list of everyday phrases that will be useful for various situations:

- Good morning/afternoon/evening

- How are you?

- Nice to meet you

- Have a great day!

Expressions of Gratitude:

- Thank you

- I appreciate it

- You're welcome

- I'm grateful for your help

Asking for Directions:

- Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to...?

- Can you please show me the way to...?

- Is there a nearby...?

Ordering Food or Drinks:

- I'd like...

- Could I have...?

- What do you recommend?

Making Apologies:

- I'm sorry

- My apologies

- I didn't mean to...

Asking for Help:

- Can you please assist me with...?

- Could you lend me a hand?

- I need some help with...

Giving Instructions:

- First, you need to...

- Then, you should...

- Finally, make sure to...

Expressing Preferences:

- I prefer...

- I would rather...

- I'm more inclined towards...

These are just a few examples of commonly used phrases. Remember to practice using them in context to improve your fluency and confidence in everyday conversations. For a more extensive list of daily use more words and phrases, you can refer to the following 

Tongue twisters are a fun and effective way to improve pronunciation, focus on enunciation, and tackle those tricky sounds that often slip through the cracks of daily conversation. From the whimsical " wonder wood word work " that challenges our Ws and Rs, to the complex " track transport treat tree, " which tests our ability to transition smoothly between similar sounds, each tongue twister in this collection is designed to refine your speech clarity and speed.

Dive into the dynamic " team teenage television tell ," perfect for practicing T sounds, or try the sibilant " size skill sky sleep " to master the subtle differences between Ss and SKs. The robust " strong sudden suffix sun " rolls off the tongue, pushing your pronunciation to new strengths, while "secure security sentence" focuses on S and C sounds, essential for clear communication.

Moving on to more challenging sounds, " film fine finish fire " and " chief child children " are great for F and Ch sounds, helping you articulate with precision. For those looking to enhance their shadowing skills, " shade shadow shape share " and " deep defeat detail " offer a rich practice ground. " Energy entertainment evening " brings in the E sounds, pushing the envelope of evening elocutions.

On the emotional spectrum, " sad safe sail sand " and " steel story street " evoke vivid scenarios requiring careful articulation. And for the automotive enthusiast, " car cardiac careless carnival " provides a fun ride through hard C and R sounds. Meanwhile, " fake family fan " and " solid something song " explore F and S sounds in familial contexts, adding a personal touch to practice sessions.

For the builders and makers, " too tools " and " cold colour column " are not just practical but also a test of fluid transition between similar sounding words. " Feet fever figure " and " brother bucket building " challenge your ability to maintain rhythm and pace, while " bottle boy branches ," " cow craft cravings ," and " cap capital captain " turn everyday objects into a verbal playground.

Finally, the adventurous " first fish flowers ," " west wet wheels ," " win wings winner ," wrap up our collection with a celebration of victory, be it in mastering the sounds of English or just getting through these tongue-twisting trials with fewer stumbles. Each twist and turn in these phrases is a step towards more fluent, confident speech. So take a deep breath, and let's twist our way to clearer communication!

Incorporating advanced vocabulary into your daily life conversations can significantly enhance your language and communication skills. Here are some benefits of using advanced vocabulary:

1. Precision and Clarity: Advanced vocabulary allows you to express yourself precisely and convey your thoughts accurately. It helps you articulate complex ideas and concepts with clarity.

2. Impressiveness: Using advanced vocabulary demonstrates your command over the language and can leave a lasting impression on others. It showcases your intelligence, sophistication, and ability to communicate effectively.

3 . Enhances Writing Skills: Learning advanced vocabulary not only improves your spoken communication but also enhances your writing skills. It enables you to write with finesse, choose the right words, and communicate your ideas more effectively.

4. Better Reading Comprehension: As you expand your vocabulary, you will find it easier to comprehend and understand a wider range of texts. Advanced vocabulary exposes you to different writing styles and helps you grasp complex ideas in various domains.

To help you enrich your vocabulary, here is a diverse range of advanced words along with their meanings and contextual examples:

Remember to incorporate these words into your daily life conversations and writing to reap the benefits of an enhanced vocabulary.

Learning idioms and phrasal verbs is crucial for achieving fluency in English. While grammar and vocabulary are important, understanding and using idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs can take your language skills to the next level.

Here's why:

- Idioms and phrasal verbs are commonly used in everyday English conversations. By learning them, you'll be able to understand native speakers better and communicate more effectively.

- Idiomatic expressions add color, depth, and nuance to your language. They can help you express yourself more naturally and sophisticatedly, making your speech sound more native-like.

- Phrasal verbs, which consist of a verb followed by a preposition or an adverb, are an integral part of spoken English. They often have different meanings than their individual components, so understanding them is essential for comprehension.

Now let's dive into some commonly used idioms and phrasal verbs along with their meanings and examples:

1. Break the ice - to initiate a conversation or friendship.

Example: "We played a game to break the ice at the team-building event."

2. Hit the nail on the head - to accurately identify or address a problem.

Example: "Sarah hit the nail on the head when she suggested that we need better time management."

3. Let the cat out of the bag - to reveal a secret.

Example: "Don't let the cat out of the bag about our surprise party!"

Phrasal Verbs:

1. Call off - to cancel something.

Example: "They called off the meeting due to bad weather."

2. Look forward to - to anticipate or be excited about something in the future.

Example: "I'm really looking forward to my vacation next month."

3. Put up with - to tolerate or endure something unpleasant.

Example: "I can't put up with his constant complaining anymore."

These are just a few examples, but there are hundreds of idioms and phrasal verbs in English. Practice using them in context to become more fluent and confident in your English communication. For a comprehensive list of idioms and phrasal verbs, check out the following video

In the fast-paced and competitive world of business, effective communication is crucial. One key aspect of successful communication is having a strong grasp of business vocabulary. Whether you are participating in meetings, giving presentations, or negotiating deals, using the right words and phrases can make all the difference.

In this section, we will explore the importance of business vocabulary and provide you with a list of essential words and phrases commonly used in professional settings.

Having a wide range of business vocabulary is essential for several reasons. Firstly, it enhances your credibility and professionalism. When you use appropriate terminology in your conversations and written communications, you demonstrate that you understand the industry and know how to navigate within it.

Secondly, having a strong business vocabulary allows for clear and concise communication. In professional settings, time is often limited, and being able to express yourself accurately and succinctly is highly valued. Using the right words helps avoid misunderstandings and ensures that your message is effectively conveyed.

Lastly, mastering business vocabulary enables you to build rapport with colleagues and clients. Speaking their language shows that you understand their needs, concerns, and challenges. It establishes trust and fosters stronger relationships.

To help you on your journey to becoming fluent in business English, here is a comprehensive list of essential words and phrases commonly used in various professional settings:

These are just a few examples of the many words and phrases used in business settings. You can find a more extensive list of essential business vocabulary on the Clapingo website.

By familiarizing yourself with these words and phrases, you'll be able to navigate professional environments with confidence and communicate effectively. Incorporate them into your daily conversations, emails, and presentations to enhance your professional image and improve your chances of success.

Remember, mastering business vocabulary takes time and practice. Make it a habit to learn a few new words or phrases every day. Soon enough, you'll notice a significant improvement in your communication skills, leading to better opportunities in your career.

So, don't hesitate! Start expanding your business vocabulary today and watch as your professional prospects soar.

  5 Importance Tips of Mastering the English Language ​

Socializing and small talk play a crucial role in building relationships. Engaging in casual conversations helps to establish connections, create rapport, and foster a sense of community. When you engage in small talk, you show interest in the other person's life and make them feel valued. It is also an effective way to break the ice and initiate conversations with new acquaintances or colleagues. Here are some common conversation starters, questions, and responses for social situations:

1. "Hi, I'm [Name]. What's your name?"

2. "Nice weather we're having today, isn't it?"

3. "Have you been to this event before?"

4. "What do you do for a living?"

5. "Where are you from?"

1. "How was your weekend?"

2. "Are you enjoying the event so far?"

3. "What brings you here today?"

4. "Do you have any exciting plans for the upcoming holidays?"

5. "What are your hobbies or interests?"

1. "Yes, I had a great weekend! How about you?"

2. "Yes, it's my first time here too! Are you enjoying it?"

3. "I'm here because I'm interested in [topic/event]."

4. "I'm planning to visit my family during the holidays."

5. "I enjoy reading and hiking in my free time."

Remember, small talk should be light-hearted and non-controversial to keep the conversation pleasant and enjoyable for both parties involved.

Must read:  Can listening to songs help you improve your Spoken English? ​

Recapping the importance of daily used English words for fluent communication, consistent practice, and exposure to new vocabulary are key factors in language development. By incorporating English vocabulary words into your conversations daily, you become more comfortable and confident in expressing yourself fluently. Daily practice helps you expand your vocabulary and improve your sentence formation.

To effectively develop your language skills, engaging with various resources that offer support for English learners is important. Clapingo is an exceptional online platform that provides resources tailored specifically for Indian learners. With its vast collection of articles, videos, and interactive exercises, Clapingo offers a wealth of learning opportunities to enhance your spoken English skills.

By making a conscious effort to use daily use English vocabulary words regularly, you will notice significant improvements in your communication abilities. Consistency is key in language learning, so strive to incorporate new vocabulary into your daily conversations and interactions. With time and practice, you will become more proficient in expressing yourself fluently and confidently.

Remember, building a strong foundation in the daily used English words is essential for effective communication. Setting clear goals can help achieve the desired or intended result of enhancing your vocabulary and language skills. Regular practice and exposure to new vocabulary will undoubtedly contribute to your overall language development.

​ Spoken English Words List To Learn English Under 15 Days! ​

1. Why is it important to learn daily use English words?

Using English words daily is essential for developing fluency in the language. By incorporating these words into your vocabulary, you can express yourself more clearly and effectively in everyday conversations.

2. What are some examples of simple English words for daily use?

Simple common English words for daily use include common nouns like "house," "car," and "book," as well as verbs such as "eat," "sleep," and "read." These basic words form the foundation of communication and should be mastered by all learners.

3. Can you provide some new words in English for daily use?

Certainly! Here are a few new words that you can incorporate into your everyday conversations:

a) Serendipity - The occurrence of finding something pleasant or valuable by chance.

b) Resilience - The ability to bounce back or recover quickly from difficulties.

c) Equanimity - Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper.

d) Ubiquitous - Present or found everywhere.

e) Pernicious - Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.

4. What are some examples of the daily use of basic English words?

Daily use basic English words, including numbers (one, two, three), colors (red, blue, green), days of the week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday), months (January, February, March), and common greetings (hello, goodbye).

5. Can you suggest some advanced English words for daily use?

Certainly! Here are a few advanced English words that can elevate your vocabulary:

a) Eloquent - Fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing.

b) Ubiquitous - Present or found everywhere.

c) Tenacious - Tending to keep a firm hold of something; persistent.

d) Acumen - The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions.

e) Mitigate - To make (something) less severe, serious, or painful.

Fluent communication

Daily Use English

english fluency

Free Leadership Course Delivered to Your Email

Learn to speak English like leader. Get our Leadership course at NO COST.

Clapingo connects you with fluent and dynamic English Speakers from India with diverse backgrounds and professions. Practice English conversation over live video calls. Transform your English speaking skills by talking to excellent English speakers over 1-on-1 video calls.

You may also want to read

Clearing Up 'Wont' and 'Won't': When to Use Each Correctly

wont vs won't difference

Shedding Light on Lightening and Lightning: Understanding the Contrast

lightening vs lightning

Gone vs. Went: Parsing the Verb Tense Forms

gone vs went difference

50 Speech Closing Lines (& How to Create Your Own) | The Ultimate Guide

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Writing

While speech openings are definitely one of the most important components of a speech, something that is equally as important is the way you conclude your speech.

There are few worse ways to end your speech than with a terse ‘thank you’–no elaboration or addition whatsoever.

Speech endings are just as crucial to the success of your speech as speech openings, and you must spend just as much time picking the perfect ending as you do to determine your best possible speech opening.

The words you speak at the beginning and end of your speech are words that your audience will pay the most attention to, and remember longer than any other part of your speech.

Speech endings can put even the most experienced speaker in flux, and increase their anxiousness manifold as they sit there attempting to figure out the perfect way to end your speech.

If you’re someone who’s in flux about your speech ending too, don’t worry. We’ve got some amazing ways to conclude your speech with a bang!

1. Circling Back To The Beginning

The idea behind circling back to the beginning of your speech is to reinforce the idea of your speech being a complete whole. By circling back to the beginning and connecting it to your ending, you let the audience understand that the idea of your speech is complete & standalone.

Circling back to the beginning of your speech also acts as an excellent way of reinforcing the central idea of your speech in the audience’s mind, and makes it more likely that they will remember it after the speech ends.

Need more inspiration for speech opening lines? Check out our article on 15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines & Tips To Create Your Own.

How To Circle Back To The Beginning

The easiest way to do this is to set up your beginning for the conclusion of your speech. That is, if you’re saying something like, say, a story or joke in the beginning, then you can leave your audience in a cliffhanger until the ending arrives.

Another great way to circle back to the beginning is by simply restating something you said at the start. The added knowledge from attending the rest of your speech will help the audience see this piece of information in a new–and better–light.

1. Will Stephen

Ending Line: “I’d like you to think about what you heard in the beginning, and I want you to think about what you hear now. Because it was nothing & it’s still nothing.”

2. Canwen Xu

Speech Ending: My name is Canwen, my favorite color is purple and I play the piano but not so much the violin…

Think of a memorable moment from your life, and chances are you’ll realize that it involved a feeling of happiness–something that we can associate with smiling or laughter. And what better way to generate laughter than by incorporating the age-old strategy of good humor.

The happy and lighthearted feeling you associate with good memories is the kind of emotional reaction you want to create in your audience too. That’s what will make your speech stick in their memory.

Done incorrectly, humor can be a disaster. Done right, however, it can entirely transform a speech.

Humor doesn’t only mean slapstick comedy (although there’s nothing wrong with slapstick, either). Humor can come in many forms, including puns, jokes, a funny story…the list is endless.

How To Incorporate Humor In Your Speech Ending

The simplest way to incorporate humor into your speech ending is by telling a plain old joke–something that’s relevant to your topic, of course.

You can also tell them a short, funny anecdote–may be an unexpected conclusion to a story you set up in the beginning.

Another way would be by employing the power of repetition. You can do this by associating something funny with a word, and then repeating the word throughout your speech. During the end, simply say the word or phrase one last time, and it’s likely you’ll leave off your audience with a good chuckle.

1. Woody Roseland

Ending Line: “Why are balloons so expensive? Inflation.”

2. Andras Arato

Ending Line: “There are three rules to becoming famous. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.”

3. Hasan Minhaj

Ending Line: “And you want to know the scariest part? Pretty soon every country on the earth is going to have its own TLC show.”

4. Sophie Scott

Speech Ending: In other words, when it comes to laughter, you and me baby, ain’t nothing but mammals.

5. Tim Urban

Speech Ending: We need to stay away from the Instant Gratification Monkey. That’s a job for all of us. And because there’s not that many boxes on there. It’s a job that should probably start today. Well, maybe not today, but, you know, sometime soon.

6. Hasan Minhaj

Speech Ending: Showing my legs on TV is probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done. And keep in mind last week I went after the Prince of Saudi Arabia.

3. Question

The idea behind posing a question at the end of your speech is to get the wheels in your audience’s minds turning and to get them thinking of your speech long after it has ended. A question, if posed correctly, will make your audience re-think about crucial aspects of your speech, and is a great way to prompt discussion after your speech has ended.

How To Add Questions To Your Speech Ending

The best type of questions to add to your speech ending is rhetorical questions. That’s because, unlike a literal question, a rhetorical question will get the audience thinking and make them delve deeper into the topic at hand.

Make sure your question is central to the idea of your speech, and not something frivolous or extra. After all, the point of a question is to reinforce the central idea of your topic.

1. Lexie Alford

Speech Ending: Ask yourself: How uncomfortable are you willing to become in order to reach your fullest potential?

2. Apollo Robbins

Speech Ending: If you could control somebody’s attention, what would you do with it?

Quotes are concise, catchy phrases or sentences that are generally easy to remember and repeat.

Quotes are an age-old way to start–and conclude–a speech. And for good reason.

Quotes can reinforce your own ideas by providing a second voice to back them up. They can also provoke an audience’s mind & get them thinking. So, if you add your quote to the end of your speech, the audience will most likely be thinking about it for long after you have finished speaking.

How To Use Quotes In Your Speech Ending

While adding quotes to your speech ending, make sure that it’s relevant to your topic. Preferably, you want to pick a quote that summarizes your entire idea in a concise & memorable manner.

Make sure that your quote isn’t too long or complicated. Your audience should be able to repeat it as well as feel its impact themselves. They shouldn’t be puzzling over the semantics of your quote, but its intended meaning.

1. Edouard Jacqmin

Speech Ending: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

2. Chris Crowe

Speech Ending: “It’s more certain than death and taxes.”

3. Olivia Remes

Speech Ending: I’d like to leave you with a quote by Martin Luther King: “You don’ have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”

4. Tomislav Perko

Speech Ending: Like that famous quote says, “In twenty years from now on, you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did do.

5. Diana Nyad

Speech Ending: To paraphrase the poet, Mary Oliver, she says, “So, what is it? What is it you’re doing with this one wild and precious life of yours?”

5. Piece Of Advice

The point of giving a piece of advice at the end of your speech is not to pull your audience down or to make them feel bad/inferior about themselves. Rather, the advice is added to motivate your audience to take steps to do something–something related to the topic at hand.

The key point to remember is that your advice is included to help your audience, not to discourage them.

How To Add Piece Of Advice To Your Speech Ending

To truly make your audience follow the advice you’re sharing, you must make sure it resonates with them. To do so, you need to inject emotions into your advice, and to present it in such a manner that your audience’s emotions are aroused when they hear it.

Your advice shouldn’t be something extra-complicated or seemingly impossible to achieve. This will act as a counter-agent. Remember that you want your audience to follow your advice, not to chuck it away as something impossible.

Our article, 15 Powerful Speech Ending Lines And Tips To Create Your Own , is another great repository for some inspiration.

1. Ricardo Lieuw On

Speech Ending: “Learn something new, or a new way of approaching something old because there are a few skills are valuable as the art of learning.”

2. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Speech Ending: “If we want to improve the competence level of our leaders, then we should first improve our own competence for judging and selecting leaders.”

3. Sharique Samsudheen

Speech Ending: “Some people love money, some people hate money, some people crave money, some people even kill for money. But what they miss is they just need to learn how to manage money well, and that will give them financial freedom.”

4. Kate Simonds

Speech Ending: Teens, you need to believe in your voices and adults, you need to listen.

5. Melissa Butler

Speech Ending: When you go home today, see yourself in the mirror, see all of you, look at all your greatness that you embody, accept it, love it and finally, when you leave the house tomorrow, try to extend that same love and acceptance to someone who doesn’t look like you.

6. Iskra Lawrence

Speech Ending: Speak to your body in a loving way. It’s the only one you got, it’s your home, and it deserves your respect. If you see anyone tearing themselves down, build them back up And watch your life positively grow when you give up the pursuit of perfection.

6. Contemplative Remark

As the name itself suggests, contemplative remarks are intended to make your audience contemplate or mull over something. The ‘something’ in question should be the idea central to your speech, or a key takeaway that you want them to return home with.

The idea is to get your audience thinking and to keep them thinking for a long, long time.

How To Add A Contemplative Remark To Your Speech Ending

To add a contemplative remark to your speech ending, you first need to figure out your key takeaway or main theme. Then, you want to arrange that as a question, and propose it to your audience at the end of your speech.

Remember that your question shouldn’t be something too wordy or complicated to understand. As with the quotes, you don’t want your audience stuck on the semantics. Rather, you want them to focus on the matter at hand.

1. Lisa Penney

Speech Ending: “So I invite you to pay more attention to your thoughts & consider the legacy you leave behind.”

2. Grant Sanderson

Speech Ending: “Some of the most useful math that you can find or teach has its origin in someone who was just looking for a good story.”

3. Greta Thunberg

Speech Ending: “We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up & change is coming whether you like it or not.”

4. Bill Eckstrom

Speech Ending: Now, think about this: it’s not the complexity-triggering individuals or events you should fear the most, but it’s your own willingness to accept or seek discomfort that will dictate the growth of not just you, but our entire world.

5. Robert Hoge

Speech Ending: Choose to accept your face, choose to appreciate your face, don’t look away from the mirror so quickly; understand all the love, and the life, and the pain that is the part of your face, that is the art of your face. Tomorrow when you wake up, what will your choice be?

7. Personal Anecdote

Personal anecdotes, as the name suggests, are anecdotes that are personal to the speaker or instances from their life. Personal anecdotes are a great way to incorporate the magical powers of storytelling in your speech, as well as to make a personal connection with the audience. Using personal anecdotes, you can hit two birds with one stone!

How To Add Personal Anecdotes To Your Speech Ending

To add personal anecdotes to your speech ending, you need to filter through your life experiences to find out ones that directly relate to your topic at hand. You don’t want to include an anecdote, no matter how compelling it is, if it doesn’t relate to your topic.

Remember to not keep your anecdote too long. Your audience will most likely lose their attention if you do so.

1. Sheila Humphries

Speech Ending: “Why do you go work for these people?” My answer to them was, “If I could help one child make it in this world, it’ll be worth it all.”

8. Call To Action

A call-to-action is one of the absolute best ways to conclude a speech with a bang. A well-written speech should aim to alter the audience’s mind or belief system in some way and to make them take an action in that direction. One crucial way to assure your audience does this is by using a call to action.

How To Add A Call To Action To Your Speech Ending

A call to action comes right before the ending of your speech to provide your audience with a clear idea or set of instructions about what they’re supposed to do after your talk ends.

A call to action should provide a roadmap to the audience for their future steps, and to outline clearly what those future steps are going to be.

1. Armin Hamrah

Speech Ending: “So tonight, after you finish your Math homework & before you lay your head down on that fluffy pillow, bring a piece of paper and pen by your bedside…”

2. Graham Shaw

Speech Ending: “So I invite you to get your drawings out there & spread the word that when we draw, we remember more!”

3. Andy Puddicombe

Speech Ending: You don’t have to burn any incense, and you definitely don’t have to sit on the floor. All you need to do is to take out 10 minutes out a day to step back, familiarize yourself with the present moment so that you get to experience a greater sense of focus, calm, and clarity in your life.

4. Amy Cuddy

Speech Ending: Before you go into the next stressful evaluative situation, for two minutes, try doing this in the elevator…

5. Jia Jiang

Speech Ending: When you are facing the next obstacle or the next failure, consider the possibilities. Don’t run! If you just embrace them, they might become your gifts as well.

9. Motivational Remark

As the name clearly explains, a motivational remark motivates your audience to carry out a plan of action. It ruffles the audience’s mind and emotions and has a powerful impact on the steps that your audience will take after you’ve finished speaking.

How To Add A Motivational Remark To Your Speech Ending

The key to a good motivational remark is to inspire your audience. Your motivational remark should act as a ray of hope to your audience and positively inspire them to take a desired course of action.

Your motivational remark should not be negative in any way. You don’t want to guilt or coerce your audience into doing something or feeling a certain way. You want to leave them on a positive note to move forward with their life.

1. Khanh Vy Tran

Speech Ending: “No matter what you’re going through right now & no matter what the future holds for you, please don’t change yourself. Love yourself, accept yourself & then transform yourself.”

2. Mithila Palkar

Speech Ending: “Get a job, leave a job, dance, sing, fall in love. Carve your own niche. But most importantly: learn to love your own randomness.”

3. Andrew Tarvin

Speech Ending: “Anyone can learn to be funnier. And it all starts with a choice. A choice to try to find ways to use humor. A choice to be like my grandmother, to look at the world around you and say WTF–wow, that’s fun.”

4. Laura Vanderkam

Speech Ending: There is time. Even if we are busy, we have time for what matters. And when we focus on what matters, we can build the lives we want in the time we’ve got.

5. Julian Treasure

Speech Ending: Let’s get listening taught in schools, and transform the world in one generation into a conscious listening world, a world of connection, a world of understanding, and a world of peace.

6. Mariana Atencio

Speech Ending: Let’s celebrate those imperfections that make us special. I hope that it teaches you that nobody has a claim on the word ‘normal’. We are all different. We are all quirky and unique and that is what makes us wonderfully human.

10. Challenge

Much like a call to action, the aim of proposing a challenge at the end of your speech is to instigate your audience to take some desired course of action. A challenge should make an appeal to your audience’s emotion, and motivate them to meet it.

How To Add A Challenge To Your Speech Ending

To apply a challenge effectively to your speech ending, you need to make sure that it’s something relevant to your topic. Your challenge should drive the central topic of your speech forward, and make your audience engage in real-life steps to apply your idea in the real world.

While its always a good idea to set a high bar for your challenge, make sure its an achievable one too.

1. Jamak Golshani

Speech Ending: “I challenge you to open your heart to new possibilities, choose a career path that excites you & one that’s aligned to who you truly are.”

2. Ashley Clift-Jennings

Speech Ending: So, my challenge to you today is, “Do you know, would you even know how to recognize your soulmate?” If you are going out in the world right now, would you know what you are looking for?

11. Metaphor

Metaphors are commonly used as a short phrase that draws a comparison between two ideas in a non-literal sense. People use metaphors quite commonly in daily life to explain ideas that might be too difficult or confusing to understand otherwise. Metaphors are also great tools to be used in speech, as they can present your main idea in a simple and memorable way.

How To Add Metaphors To Your Speech Ending

To add a metaphor to your speech ending, you need to first decide on the main idea or takeaway of your speech. Your metaphor should then be organized in such a way that it simplifies your main idea and makes it easier for your audience to understand & remember it.

The key is to not make your metaphor overly complicated or difficult to retain and share. Remember that you’re trying to simplify your idea for the audience–not make them even more confused.

1. Ramona J. Smith

Speech Ending: “Stay in that ring. And even after you take a few hits, use what you learned from those previous fights, and at the end of the round, you’ll still remain standing.”

2. Shi Heng YI

Speech Ending: “If any of you chooses to climb that path to clarity, I will be very happy to meet you at the peak.”

3. Zifang “Sherrie” Su

Speech Ending: “Are you turning your back on your fear? Our life is like this stage, but what scares are now may bring you the most beautiful thing. Give it a chance.”

12. Storytelling

The idea behind using stories to end your speech is to leave your audience with a good memory to take away with them.

Stories are catchy, resonating & memorable ways to end any speech.

Human beings can easily relate to stories. This is because most people have grown up listening to stories of some kind or another, and thus a good story tends to evoke fond feelings in us.

How To Incorporate Stories In Your Speech Ending

A great way to incorporate stories in your speech ending is by setting up a story in the beginning and then concluding it during the end of your speech.

Another great way would be to tell a short & funny anecdote related to a personal experience or simply something related to the topic at hand.

However, remember that it’s the ending of your speech. Your audience is most likely at the end of their attention span. So, keep your story short & sweet.

1. Sameer Al Jaberi

Speech Ending: “I can still see that day when I came back from my honeymoon…”

2. Josephine Lee

Speech Ending: “At the end of dinner, Jenna turned to me and said…”

Facts are another excellent speech ending, and they are used quite often as openings as well. The point of adding a fact as your speech ending is to add shock value to your speech, and to get your audience thinking & discussing the fact even after your speech has ended.

How To Add Facts To Your Speech Ending

The key to adding facts to your speech ending is to pick a fact that thrusts forward your main idea in the most concise form possible. Your fact should also be something that adds shock value to the speech, and it should ideally be something that the audience hasn’t heard before.

Make sure that your fact is relevant to the topic at hand. No matter how interesting, a fact that doesn’t relate to your topic is going to be redundant.

1. David JP Phillips

Speech Ending: 3500 years ago, we started transfering knowledge from generation to generation through text. 28 years ago, PowerPoint was born. Which one do you think our brain is mostly adapted to?

14. Rhethoric Remark

Rhetoric remarks are another excellent way to get the wheels of your audience’s minds turning. Rhetoric remarks make your audience think of an imagined scenario, and to delve deeper into your topic. Rhetoric remarks or questioned don’t necessarily need to have a ‘right’ or one-shot answer, which means you can be as creative with them as possible!

How To Add Rhethoric Remarks To Your Speech Ending

Since rhetorical questions don’t need to have a definite answer, you have much freedom in determining the type of question or statement you wish to make. However, as with all other speech endings, a rhetorical question shouldn’t be asked just for the sake of it.

A rhetorical question should make your audience think about your topic in a new or more creative manner. It should get them thinking about the topic and maybe see it from an angle that they hadn’t before.

Rhetorical questions shouldn’t be too confusing. Use simple language & make sure it’s something that the audience can easily comprehend.

1. Mona Patel

Speech Ending: Pick your problem, ask “What if?” Come up with ideas. Bring them down. Then execute on them. Maybe you’re thinking, “What if we can’t?” I say to you, “What if we don’t?”

2. Lizzie Velasquez

Speech Ending: I want you to leave here and ask yourself what defines you. But remember: Brave starts here.

Another great way to end your speech with a literal bang is by using music! After all, if there’s something that can impact the human mind with just as much force as a few well-placed words, it’s the correct music.

How To Add Music To Your Speech Ending

To add music to your speech ending, you must make sure that the music has something to do with your speech theme. Remember that you’re not playing music in your concert. The piece of music that you choose must be relevant to your topic & work to have a contribution in your overall speech.

1. Tom Thum

Speech Ending: *ends the TED Talk with beat boxing*

16. Reitirate The Title

The title of your speech is its most important component. That’s why you need to pay careful attention to how you pick it, as it is something that your viewers will most likely remember the longest about your speech.

Your title will also act as a guiding hand towards how your audience forms an initial idea about your speech and is what they will associate your entire speech with.

By repeating your title at the end of your speech, you increase the chances that your audience will remember it–and your speech–for a long time.

How To Retierate The Title In Your Speech Ending

Your title is something that your audience associates your entire speech with. However, you don’t want to simply add the title in your speech end for the sake of adding it. Instead, make it flow naturally into your speech ending. This will make it seem less forced, and will also increase the chances of your audience remembering your entire speech ending and not just the title of your speech.

1. Ruairi Robertson

Speech Ending: I feel we can all contribute to this fight worth fighting for our own health, but more importantly, our future generations’ health by restoring the relationship between microbe and man. There is SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

Need more inspiration for speech closing lines? Check out our article on 10 Of The Best Things To Say In Closing Remarks.

Level up your public speaking in 15 minutes!

Get the exclusive Masterclass video delivered to your inbox to see immediate speaking results.

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

To sum up, speech endings are just as imperative to the success of your speech as speech openings, and you must spend just as much time picking the perfect ending as you do to determine your best possible speech opening. The words you speak at the beginning and end of your speech are words that your audience will pay the most attention to, and remember longer than any other part of your speech.

Still looking for inspiration? Check out this video we made on closing remarks:

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

How to Negotiate: The Art of Getting What You Want

10 Hand Gestures That Will Make You More Confident and Efficient

Interrupted while Speaking: 8 Ways to Prevent and Manage Interruptions

• [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.

Purdue Audiology researcher works to better understand harmonies in our heads, ears

Malinda McPherson, a new assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, conducts research on the harmonious qualities of Tsimané music in Bolivia.

Written by: Tim Brouk, [email protected]

Malinda McPherson

Malinda McPherson had harmony in her head when she first picked up a viola at age 8 and has helped guide her through her academic research.

As a Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology PhD candidate at Harvard University and a postdoctoral associate at the University of California, San Diego, McPherson published numerous studies on how humans perceive harmonic sounds and their pitch. McPherson was hired in fall 2022 as a new Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) assistant professor but is currently finishing her postdoctoral work before her West Lafayette arrival in August.

A member of Forbes’ 2022 “30 Under 30” list in science , McPherson analyzes how people differentiate and remember harmonic sounds. Speech and other musical sounds have harmonic structure, or pitch, as words go up and down in frequency. McPherson’s work can inform how people hear harmonic sounds and what can be done by hearing aid developers to help those with hearing loss better receive those important harmonic tones from the voices of family and friends or from their favorite piece of music. The research can be utilized to understand how humans with hearing loss navigate not just music but also conversation in crowded restaurants and gatherings.

While conducting this research, McPherson performed in symphonies and chamber music groups, winning awards for her talents along the way. These days, playing the viola is mostly a stress reliever and creative outlet, but her musical activities continue to provide inspiration for her research.

“I’ve always been interested in sound. I think part of my love of playing viola has translated into a desire to understand how we hear complex sounds,” she said. “I find the process of how we perceive sound fascinating, and I think a lot of that fascination does derive from my early experiences learning to play a musical instrument and working hard to make sound in a particular way.”

Another aspect of McPherson’s research involves understanding music perception among indigenous communities. The groups she studies create music that does not follow the rules that most Western music follows. She visited Bolivia to study the Tsimané people’s music and how they appreciate and listen to musical harmony and other sounds.

What has drawn you into the field of hearing research?

I was initially drawn to study hearing because of my background as a musician, but one of the many reasons I’ve stayed in this field is because of the people who work in this area. Hearing research has traditionally been a smaller field, particularly compared to research in other sensory domains like vision, so is it is quite collegial and collaborative. That is reflected in the department at Purdue. Hearing also has an underappreciated impact on well-being, and I’m excited the SLHS department at Purdue has such a public face regarding why it’s important to protect your hearing and why hearing research is critical for general health.

You taught a class called Sound and Music and Perception in San Diego. How does music get woven into your work?

I started my course with a discussion of “What is music?” How do we define it? The class agreed that there aren’t very good definitions that encompass all that music is and can be. Therefore, in my class and in my research, I have to teach and study the elements that make up many musical systems around the world. One of these building blocks is pitch — how high or how low our sounds are and how those sounds are structured over time.

I’ve been interested in understanding how we perceive pitch both in speech and in music. In speech, the difference between a question and a statement is due largely to pitch — whether you have a rising inflection or a flat inflection. In music, pitch gives us melody and harmony. I’ve been studying how we perceive these complex signals and found that people seem to have multiple complimentary systems for processing pitch. Which system you use depends on the context. Several of my experiments examining basic pitch perception have been informed by my background as a musician.

How has the fieldwork in Bolivia affected your research?

I feel honored to have worked with Tsimané communities in Bolivia and to have been invited back year after year. It’s an incredible opportunity to question our assumptions about auditory perception and about experimental design. When conducting cross-cultural research, it is important to think critically about how we set up experimental tasks and how we translate questions and instructions between languages so everybody can understand the task in the same way.

We’ve been studying the Tsimané’s pitch perception and how it differs from individuals in the U.S. I have been curious about whether the wildly different musical and auditory diets between U.S. and Tsimané participants can cause the two groups to perceive sound differently or prefer different types of sounds. My fieldwork has motivated me to explore the diversity of auditory perception worldwide.

What are you looking forward to about starting at Purdue this fall?

I look forward to translating my science into the clinic . I am hoping that some of my findings could either be used for early diagnostic tests for various forms of hearing loss or could be used to improve processing in devices like cochlear implants or hearing aids. If we understand the signals the auditory system is using to extract information from the world, then perhaps we can optimize our devices to extract that information and give people the best chance at hearing important sounds. That’s the ultimate aim of my work.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Trump’s bizarre, vindictive incoherence has to be heard in full to be believed

Excerpts from his speeches do not do justice to Trump’s smorgasbord of vendettas, non sequiturs and comparisons to famous people

Donald Trump’s speeches on the 2024 campaign trail so far have been focused on a laundry list of complaints, largely personal, and an increasingly menacing tone.

He’s on the campaign trail less these days than he was in previous cycles – and less than you’d expect from a guy with dedicated superfans who brags about the size of his crowds every chance he gets. But when he has held rallies, he speaks in dark, dehumanizing terms about migrants, promising to vanquish people crossing the border. He rails about the legal battles he faces and how they’re a sign he’s winning, actually. He tells lies and invents fictions. He calls his opponent a threat to democracy and claims this election could be the last one.

Trump’s tone, as many have noted, is decidedly more vengeful this time around, as he seeks to reclaim the White House after a bruising loss that he insists was a steal. This alone is a cause for concern, foreshadowing what the Trump presidency redux could look like. But he’s also, quite frequently, rambling and incoherent, running off on tangents that would grab headlines for their oddness should any other candidate say them.

Journalists rightly chose not to broadcast Trump’s entire speeches after 2016, believing that the free coverage helped boost the former president and spread lies unchecked. But now there’s the possibility that stories about his speeches often make his ideas appear more cogent than they are – making the case that, this time around, people should hear the full speeches to understand how Trump would govern again.

Watching a Trump speech in full better shows what it’s like inside his head: a smorgasbord of falsehoods, personal and professional vendettas, frequent comparisons to other famous people, a couple of handfuls of simple policy ideas, and a lot of non sequiturs that veer into barely intelligible stories.

Curiously, Trump tucks the most tangible policy implications in at the end. His speeches often finish with a rundown of what his second term in office could bring, in a meditation-like recitation the New York Times recently compared to a sermon. Since these policies could become reality, here’s a few of those ideas:

Instituting the death penalty for drug dealers.

Creating the “Trump Reciprocal Trade Act”: “If China or any other country makes us pay 100% or 200% tariff, which they do, we will make them pay a reciprocal tariff of 100% or 200%. In other words, you screw us and we’ll screw you.”

Indemnifying all police officers and law enforcement officials.

Rebuilding cities and taking over Washington DC, where, he said in a recent speech, there are “beautiful columns” put together “through force of will” because there were no “Caterpillar tractors” and now those columns have graffiti on them.

Issuing an executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, transgender and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content.

Moving to one-day voting with paper ballots and voter ID.

This conclusion is the most straightforward part of a Trump speech and is typically the extent of what a candidate for office would say on the campaign trail, perhaps with some personal storytelling or mild joking added in.

But it’s also often the shortest part.

Trump’s tangents aren’t new, nor is Trump’s penchant for elevating baseless ideas that most other presidential candidates wouldn’t, like his promotion of injecting bleach during the pandemic.

But in a presidential race among two old men that’s often focused on the age of the one who’s slightly older, these campaign trail antics shed light on Trump’s mental acuity, even if people tend to characterize them differently than Joe Biden’s. While Biden’s gaffes elicit serious scrutiny, as writers in the New Yorker and the New York Times recently noted, we’ve seemingly become inured to Trump’s brand of speaking, either skimming over it or giving him leeway because this has always been his shtick.

Trump, like Biden, has confused names of world leaders (but then claims it’s on purpose ). He has also stumbled and slurred his words. But beyond that, Trump’s can take a different turn. Trump has described using an “iron dome” missile defense system as “ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. They’ve only got 17 seconds to figure this whole thing out. Boom. OK. Missile launch. Whoosh. Boom.”

These tangents can be part of a tirade, or they can be what one can only describe as complete nonsense.

During this week’s Wisconsin speech, which was more coherent than usual, Trump pulled out a few frequent refrains: comparing himself, incorrectly , to Al Capone, saying he was indicted more than the notorious gangster; making fun of the Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis’s first name (“It’s spelled fanny like your ass, right? Fanny. But when she became DA, she decided to add a little French, a little fancy”).

He made fun of Biden’s golfing game, miming how Biden golfs, perhaps a ding back at Biden for poking Trump about his golf game. Later, he called Biden a “lost soul” and lamented that he gets to sit at the president’s desk. “Can you imagine him sitting at the Resolute Desk? What a great desk,” Trump said.

One muddled addition in Wisconsin involved squatters’ rights, a hot topic related to immigration now: “If you have illegal aliens invading your home, we will deport you,” presumably meaning the migrant would be deported instead of the homeowner. He wanted to create a federal taskforce to end squatting, he said.

“Sounds like a little bit of a weird topic but it’s not, it’s a very bad thing,” he said.

These half-cocked remarks aren’t new; they are a feature of who Trump is and how he communicates that to the public, and that’s key to understanding how he is as a leader.

The New York Times opinion writer Jamelle Bouie described it as “something akin to the soft bigotry of low expectations”, whereby no one expected him to behave in an orderly fashion or communicate well.

Some of these bizarre asides are best seen in full, like this one about Biden at the beach in Trump’s Georgia response to the State of the Union:

“Somebody said he looks great in a bathing suit, right? And you know, when he was in the sand and he was having a hard time lifting his feet through the sand, because you know sand is heavy, they figured three solid ounces per foot, but sand is a little heavy, and he’s sitting in a bathing suit. Look, at 81, do you remember Cary Grant? How good was Cary Grant, right? I don’t think Cary Grant, he was good. I don’t know what happened to movie stars today. We used to have Cary Grant and Clark Gable and all these people. Today we have, I won’t say names, because I don’t need enemies. I don’t need enemies. I got enough enemies. But Cary Grant was, like – Michael Jackson once told me, ‘The most handsome man, Trump, in the world.’ ‘Who?’ ‘Cary Grant.’ Well, we don’t have that any more, but Cary Grant at 81 or 82, going on 100. This guy, he’s 81, going on 100. Cary Grant wouldn’t look too good in a bathing suit, either. And he was pretty good-looking, right?”

Or another Hollywood-related bop, inspired by a rant about Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade’s romantic relationship:

“It’s a magnificent love story, like Gone With the Wind. You know Gone With the Wind, you’re not allowed to watch it any more. You know that, right? It’s politically incorrect to watch Gone With the Wind. They have a list. What were the greatest movies ever made? Well, Gone With the Wind is usually number one or two or three. And then they have another list you’re not allowed to watch any more, Gone With the Wind. You tell me, is our country screwed up?”

He still claims to have “done more for Black people than any president other than Abraham Lincoln” and also now says he’s being persecuted more than Lincoln and Andrew Jackson:

“ All my life you’ve heard of Andrew Jackson, he was actually a great general and a very good president. They say that he was persecuted as president more than anybody else, second was Abraham Lincoln. This is just what they said. This is in the history books. They were brutal, Andrew Jackson’s wife actually died over it.”

You not only see the truly bizarre nature of Trump’s speeches when viewing them in full, but you see the sheer breadth of his menace and animus toward those who disagree with him.

His comments especially toward migrants have grown more dehumanizing. He has said they are “poisoning the blood” of the US – a nod at Great Replacement Theory, the far-right conspiracy that the left is orchestrating migration to replace white people. Trump claimed the people coming in were “prisoners, murderers, drug dealers, mental patients and terrorists, the worst they have”. He has repeatedly called migrants “animals”.

“Democrats said please don’t call them ‘animals’. I said, no, they’re not humans, they’re animals,” he said during a speech in Michigan this week.

“In some cases they’re not people, in my opinion,” he said during his March appearance in Ohio. “But I’m not allowed to say that because the radical left says that’s a terrible thing to say. “These are animals, OK, and we have to stop it,” he said.

And he has turned more authoritarian in his language, saying he would be a “dictator on day one” but then later said it would only be for a day. He’s called his political enemies “vermin”: “We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country,” he said in New Hampshire in late 2023.

At a speech in March in Ohio about the US auto industry he claimed there would be a “bloodbath” if he lost, which some interpreted as him claiming there would be violence if he loses the election.

Trump’s campaign said later that he meant the comment to be specific to the auto industry, but now the former president has started saying Biden created a “border bloodbath” and the Republican National Committee created a website to that effect as well.

It’s tempting to find a coherent line of attack in Trump speeches to try to distill the meaning of a rambling story. And it’s sometimes hard to even figure out the full context of what he’s saying, either in text or subtext and perhaps by design, like the “bloodbath” comment or him saying there wouldn’t be another election if he doesn’t win this one.

But it’s only in seeing the full breadth of the 2024 Trump speech that one can truly understand what kind of president he could become if he won the election.

“It’s easiest to understand the threat that Trump poses to American democracy most clearly when you see it for yourself,” Susan B Glasser wrote in the New Yorker. “Small clips of his craziness can be too easily dismissed as the background noise of our times.”

If you ask Trump himself, of course, these are just examples that Trump is smart.

“The fake news will say, ‘Oh, he goes from subject to subject.’ No, you have to be very smart to do that. You got to be very smart. You know what it is? It’s called spot-checking. You’re thinking about something when you’re talking about something else, and then you get back to the original. And they go, ‘Holy shit. Did you see what he did?’ It’s called intelligence.”

• Donald Trump
• US elections 2024
• Republicans
• US politics

Most viewed

2024 Election Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania, his last scheduled event before Monday’s trial.

• Share full article

Michael Gold

Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania just endorsed Dave McCormick, who is expected to be the Republican candidate for Senate in the state. In 2022, Trump criticized McCormick, who was running against the candidate then preferred by the former president, Mehmet Oz

Shane Goldmacher

President Biden has shrunk former President Donald Trump’s lead to one percentage point in the latest New York Times/Siena College poll . How did he do it? Largely it appears by coalescing Democrats. Biden is now winning 89 percent of his 2020 supporters compared with 83 percent in February.

Ruth Igielnik

In our new poll, a little under half of voters think Trump should be found guilty in the 2016 campaign sex scandal cover-up case in New York, but very few are paying attention. Just a quarter of them say they’re paying a lot of attention, and about half describe the case as very serious. When others have polled on the seriousness of Trump’s four major criminal trials, this case often polls as the least serious.

In a new New York Times/Siena College poll , nearly equal shares of voters — a little under 60 percent — say Trump and Biden are a risky choice for president.

Biden’s improvement in our poll since February is correlated with a downtick in the share of voters saying he is too old to be an effective president. Most of that change comes from voters over 65, who are 17 percentage points less likely to be concerned about Biden’s age than they were in February.

In our latest Times/Siena poll , voters gave former President Donald Trump higher marks on how he handled the economy, immigration and foreign conflicts while in office than they did President Biden. Voters generally thought Biden did a better job of handling the coronavirus pandemic and unifying the United States than Trump did.

Our new Times/Siena poll finds a tight race, where former President Donald Trump has a narrow edge over President Biden. But Biden has closed the gap with Trump since February and consolidated support among his 2020 voters.

Neil Vigdor

Another 28 Democratic delegates are at stake on Saturday for President Biden, in Wyoming and Alaska, two sparsely populated states that are Republican strongholds. The last time a Democrat carried either one was in the 1964 presidential election, when Lyndon B. Johnson won both in his landslide victory over Barry Goldwater.

Nicholas Nehamas

Seth MacFarlane, the creator of “Family Guy,” hosted a fund-raiser for the Biden campaign at his Beverly Hills home on Friday, bring in about $1.5 million. He cracked a joke at the expense of the guests of honor, Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff. “Anyway, now I wanted to get everything right to this introduction,” MacFarlane said. “So I practiced how to pronounce your name. Is it ‘Doug’?”

Annie Karni

Speaker Mike Johnson got everything he was hoping to get out of his trek to Mar-a-Lago on Friday: as full-throated an endorsement from Donald Trump as he could expect under the circumstances, which include a motion to oust him from his position by one of Trump’s most stalwart allies in the House. “I stand with the speaker” is what Trump said and what Johnson wanted his members to hear.

Vice President Kamala Harris laid into former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on abortion rights in Tucson, Ariz. on Friday, framing the debate as an essential fight over freedom and women’s medical care. “Donald Trump is the architect of this healthcare crisis,” Harris said.

Donald Trump, explaining his changed stance on a federal abortion ban, said on Friday: “We broke Roe v. Wade. We did something that nobody thought was possible — we gave it back to the states.” At the same time, he said he disagreed with the Arizona court ruling this week that restored an 1864 law banning abortion.

Reporting from Schnecksville, Pa.

In his final rally before his New York trial begins, Trump again cast himself as a political victim.

Two days before his first criminal trial was set to begin in Manhattan, former President Donald J. Trump on Saturday again framed the charges he faces as a broad attempt by Democrats to keep him from the White House, and he criticized a gag order placed on him by the judge in the New York case.

“Two days from now, the entire world will witness the commencement of the very first Biden trial,” Mr. Trump said at a rally in eastern Pennsylvania, alluding to his frequent and false assertion that President Biden orchestrated the New York case.

The case, which Mr. Trump also called a “communist show trial,” was brought by the Manhattan district attorney’s office and has nothing to do with Mr. Biden.

As he often does, Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, cast himself as a victim of political persecution who is protecting his followers from a similar fate.

“I’m proud to do it for you,” he said of going on trial, speaking to a large crowd of his supporters who had waited for hours before gathering in a windswept field in Schnecksville, Pa. “Have a good time watching.”

There will not be television cameras in the courtroom. But Mr. Trump has sometimes held news conferences after his court dates, using them as an extension of the campaign trail, and he is expected to continue holding rallies on weekends, as he has for months.

Mr. Trump’s rally on Saturday began as Iran was launching an aerial attack on Israel in retaliation for a deadly Israeli airstrike two weeks ago.

The former president, who often portrays himself as Israel’s staunchest ally, offered prayers and support for the country. Then, as he often does, Mr. Trump effectively blamed Mr. Biden for the conflict in Gaza and insisted it would not have happened if he had won in 2020.

“They’re under attack right now,” Mr. Trump said of Israel. “That’s because we show great weakness.”

Several minutes later, members of the crowd began chanting, “Genocide Joe,” a phrase more commonly associated with progressives protesting Mr. Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly said that he backed Israel’s right to defend itself after a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7. But, as the chants died down, he seemed to agree with them. “They’re not wrong,” he said.

Mr. Trump repeated his false claims that he won the 2020 election and that Democrats cheated him out of a victory several times. Mr. Biden won Pennsylvania in 2020 by more than 80,000 votes.

“They cheat like hell,” Mr. Trump said of his political opponents, an allegation of voter fraud that has not been supported by evidence. He continued by sowing doubts about the integrity of the election in November, telling his supporters: “When you see them cheating, you get out there and start screaming. Start screaming.”

Mr. Trump also criticized a gag order imposed on him in the Manhattan case, in which he has been accused of covering up a sex scandal surrounding the 2016 campaign.

That order prevents Mr. Trump from publicly attacking witnesses, jurors, court staff and prosecutors, though not the judge or Manhattan’s district attorney.

“I will be forced to sit fully gagged. I’m not allowed to talk,” Mr. Trump said. “Can you believe it? They want to take away my constitutional right to talk.”

Chris Cameron

Trump rallied in Pennsylvania, his last before his New York criminal trial begins.

Former President Donald J. Trump was in Pennsylvania on Saturday for a rally in Schnecksville, his last scheduled campaign event before his criminal trial in New York begins on Monday.

For more than a year, Mr. Trump has been shadowed by felony cases related to actions he took before, during and after his presidency. Alvin L. Bragg, the district attorney in Manhattan, indicted Mr. Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, accusing him of covering up a sex scandal surrounding the 2016 presidential campaign.

The former president faces dozens of additional felony charges in three other criminal cases, all of which remain in pretrial proceedings. At least one of those cases could go to trial before the general election in November.

Mr. Trump spent the week before the start of his New York trial in retreat on his abortion policy. On Monday, he made a firm commitment that abortion policies should be left to the states and that “whatever they decide must be the law of the land.”

By Friday, Mr. Trump was openly criticizing strict bans in states like Florida and Arizona, and he said on social media that the Arizona State Legislature should “ACT IMMEDIATELY” to change a near-total abortion ban in the state that was enacted in 1864. The state’s top court upheld the ban in a ruling on Tuesday.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who held a rally in Tucson, Ariz., on Friday, excoriated Mr. Trump for what she and the Biden campaign have said is his direct responsibility for the strict abortion bans being enacted in some states. Ms. Harris highlighted Mr. Trump’s repeated boasting that he is “proudly the person responsible” for overturning the constitutional right to abortion once enshrined in Roe v. Wade. Nearly simultaneously from his private residence in Palm Beach, Fla., Mr. Trump bragged about his role once again.

“We broke Roe v. Wade,” he said during a joint news conference with the speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana. “We did something that nobody thought was possible.”

The fallout from the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision comes as a New York Times/Siena College poll taken this week found that Mr. Biden had nearly erased Mr. Trump’s early polling advantage in the presidential race amid signs that some in the president’s base have come around to supporting him. The two candidates are now virtually tied, with Mr. Trump holding a 46 percent to 45 percent edge.

Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor and Trump V.P. contender, is barred from tribal lands.

Four of South Dakota’s federally recognized Native American tribes have barred the state’s governor, Kristi Noem — a Republican whose name has been floated as a potential running mate for former President Donald J. Trump — from their reservations. The latest blocked Ms. Noem on Thursday .

Three of the tribes barred Ms. Noem this month, joining another tribe that had sanctioned the governor after she told state lawmakers in February that Mexican drug cartels had a foothold on their reservations and were committing murders there.

Ms. Noem further angered the tribes with remarks she made at a town hall event last month in Winner, S.D., appearing to suggest that the tribes were complicit in the cartels’ presence on their reservations.

“We’ve got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from the cartels being there, and that’s why they attack me every day,” Ms. Noem said.

The tribes are the Cheyenne River Sioux, the Rosebud Sioux and the Standing Rock Sioux and the Oglala Sioux, which in February became the first group to bar Ms. Noem from its reservation. Their reservations have a combined population of nearly 50,000 people and encompass more than eight million acres, according to state and federal government counts. Standing Rock Indian Reservation, the third tribal area to have restricted Ms. Noem’s access, extends into North Dakota.

The tribes have accused Ms. Noem of stoking fears and denigrating their heritage when she referred to a gang known as the Ghost Dancers while addressing state lawmakers and said that it had recruited tribal members to join its criminal activities.

The gang has the same name as the participants in the Native American ghost dance ceremony , a sacred ritual dating to the 19th century.

“Gov. Kristi Noem’s wild and irresponsible attempt to connect tribal leaders and parents with Mexican drug cartels is a sad reflection of her fear-based politics that do nothing to bring people together to solve problems,” Janet Alkire, the chairwoman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said in a statement this week.

Ms. Noem stood by her comments in a statement to The New York Times on Friday.

“Tribal leaders should immediately banish the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for murders, rapes, drug addiction and many more crimes on tribal lands,” she said. “The people in the communities live with unspeakable horrors and tragedy every day, but banishing me for telling the truth about the suffering does nothing to solve the problems. It may play well for the leftist media, but in reality, it’s pointless.”

When asked about Ms. Noem’s claims that tribal leaders were benefiting from the cartels’ presence on reservations, an aide pointed to her recent remarks to The Dakota Scout , an alternative newspaper based in Sioux Falls, S.D., doubling down on them and criticizing the tribes’ response to the cartels.

“That tells me that they are tied to them or benefiting from them somehow, that they’re allowing them to stay in their communities,” she said.

The governor’s office provided photos to The Times that it said were from a gang promotion ceremony featuring several men wearing clothing adorned with Ghost Dancers patches. The Times was unable to verify the images independently.

It also released a recording of a conversation that it said was between the secretary of the South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations and a leader of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in which they discussed how a single Tribal Council representative from South Dakota had voted to bar Ms. Noem from its reservation. The remaining votes came from Tribal Council members who reside in North Dakota, according to the governor’s office.

Efforts to reach the Tribal Council member said to be in the recording were not immediately successful.

In a social media post on Thursday, Ms. Noem argued that her comments about cartel activity on the reservations were similar to remarks that Senator Jon Tester, Democrat of Montana, made last month before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

“We’ve got cartels in Indian Country,” he said, using an expletive to say there was a lot of “bad” stuff going on.

Mr. Tester, a member of the Indian Affairs Committee, had been pushing for additional law enforcement resources for tribal lands, mirroring calls from tribal leaders in Montana for help from the federal government in addressing crime. His comments differed in tenor from Ms. Noem’s, and he did not level accusations that tribal leaders were complicit in the rise of the cartels on reservations.

A spokesman for Mr. Tester, who is running for re-election in a crucial contest for control of the Senate, declined to comment on Friday.

In November, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, citing a rise in drug-related offenses, assaults and homicides on its reservation, declared a state of emergency , which remains in effect.

Then, in January, the tribe accused the federal government in a lawsuit of failing to provide adequate funding as required by longstanding treaties for law enforcement coverage on the reservation, an area larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

The tribe said in its lawsuit that it receives enough federal funding for only 33 police officers and eight criminal investigators, which it said had contributed to an uptick in crime. But the tribe pushed back against Ms. Noem’s claims that the cartels were using the reservation to facilitate the spread of illegal drugs and said that the problem existed when Mr. Trump was president.

The cartels’ reach on tribal lands is gaining heightened attention on Capitol Hill, where at least two congressional panels recently focused on surging crime connected to the groups.

At a hearing on Wednesday, Jeffrey Stiffarm, a tribal leader from Montana, told a House oversight committee that “these drug cartels are specifically targeting Indian Country because of a dangerous combination of rural terrain, history of addiction, under-resourced law enforcement, legal loopholes, sparsely populated communities and exorbitant profits, and it is devastating tribal reservations.”

South Dakota has nine federally recognized Native American tribes, which have at times sparred with Ms. Noem over issues related to their sovereignty , her support for the now-halted Keystone XL pipeline and access to their reservations at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, which in 2019 lifted a previous barring of her, said the governor’s political ambitions had motivated her actions.

In a statement posted on Facebook in February, the president, Frank Star Comes Out, said that “the truth of the matter is that Governor Noem wants the use of the so-called ‘invasion’ of the southern border as a Republican ‘crisis’ issue” to encourage Mr. Trump to use it as a campaign issue and to select her as his running mate.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference later in February, a straw poll showed Ms. Noem tied for the top choice to be Mr. Trump’s running mate .

The tribes’ criticism of Ms. Noem began after the governor addressed a joint session of the South Dakota Legislature on Feb. 2 about the tide of illegal border crossings.

“Make no mistake, the cartels have a presence on several of South Dakota’s tribal reservations,” she said. “Murders are being committed by cartel members on the Pine Ridge Reservation and in Rapid City, and a gang called the Ghost Dancers are affiliated with these cartels. They have been successful in recruiting tribal members to join their criminal activity.”

Ms. Noem said the state government did not have the jurisdiction to intervene and provide law enforcement support to South Dakota’s tribes.

On Thursday, Ms. Noem announced that South Dakota would begin offering training to tribal law enforcement officers , who currently must travel to New Mexico for it.

Reporting from Tucson, Ariz.

Harris blasts Trump on abortion at a campaign rally in Arizona.

Harris blasts trump on abortion in arizona, during a campaign rally, vice president kamala harris blamed former president donald j. trump for the arizona supreme court’s ruling to uphold a near-total ban on abortion..

What has happened here in Arizona is a new inflection point. It has demonstrated once and for all that overturning Roe was just the opening act. Just the opening act of a larger strategy to take women’s rights and freedoms. Part of a full-on attack — state by state — on reproductive freedom. And we all must understand who is to blame. Crowd: “That’s right.” Former President Donald Trump did this. Here’s what a second Trump term looks like. More bans, more suffering and less freedom. Just like he did in Arizona, he basically wants to take America back to the 1800s. Crowd: “That’s right.“ But we are not going to let that happen. [crowd cheering]

Vice President Kamala Harris laid into former President Donald J. Trump over abortion rights at a campaign rally in Arizona on Friday, accusing him of being directly responsible for a court decision this week that upheld the state’s 160-year-old near-total ban on abortion.

“Overturning Roe was just the opening act,” Ms. Harris told a crowd of several dozen supporters at a community center in Tucson, Ariz. “Just the opening act of a larger strategy to take women’s rights and freedoms. Part of a full-on attack — state by state — on reproductive freedom. And we all must understand who is to blame: Former President Donald Trump did this.”

Ms. Harris went on to call abortion restrictions in states like Arizona “Trump’s abortion bans.”

This week, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that an 1864 law banning almost all abortions, without exceptions for rape or incest, could be enforced, although not right away. Doctors could face prosecution under the law, which dates to a time before Arizona became a state.

The court’s decision came the day after Mr. Trump said that abortion should be left to the states, underscoring the unfavorable political terrain for Republicans on the issue. As president, Mr. Trump appointed three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, which has led to a proliferation of abortion bans across red states.

Democrats, led by Ms. Harris, have seized on the Arizona law. The Biden campaign released a new messaging campaign with the tagline: “Donald Trump did this.” Abortion rights groups in Arizona have set up rallies around the state, which has a race for an open Senate seat this year that could determine control of the chamber.

“This has been a very, very scary week for our state of Arizona,” said Representative Ruben Gallego, a Democrat who is running for that Senate seat against Kari Lake, a Republican. “Tuesday’s decision rocked all of us. We now have the nation’s most extreme abortion ban.”

Democratic candidates nationwide are focusing on abortion in their races, buoyed by the knowledge that the issue has propelled their party to a series of unexpected victories over the last two years. Abortion is one of the few issues on which President Biden polls better than Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump has said he does not support the Arizona law, as well as other extreme restrictions such as a six-week ban in Florida. He has argued that supporting those bans is hurting Republicans at the ballot box. But his allies have made plans to use the federal government to limit abortion should they win the White House. In Tucson, Ms Harris referred to those plans, which The New York Times has reported would rely on enforcing the Comstock Act .

“Here’s what a second Trump term looks like,” Ms. Harris said. “More bans, more suffering and less freedom. Just like he did in Arizona, he basically wants to take America back to the 1800s.”

“Shame!” the crowd cried out as she described the potential impact of the 1864 law.

For Ms. Harris, the prominence of abortion in the presidential race is a chance to expand her profile as vice president, as well as her presence on the campaign trail. Last month, she became the highest-ranking U.S. official known to visit an abortion clinic.

“Kamala Harris has become the abortion czar of the Biden administration,” Carol Tobias, the president of the National Right to Life Committee, an anti-abortion group, said in a statement. “Instead of joining with the pro-life movement to build programs and safety nets to help promote real solutions for women and their preborn children, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have engaged in fear-mongering and propaganda.”

Ms. Harris may make for a more natural messenger on abortion than Mr. Biden, an 81-year-old practicing Catholic who has long expressed personal discomfort with the procedure even as he has become a committed supporter of abortion rights. He rarely uses the word “abortion” when speaking. On Friday, in contrast, Ms. Harris leaned into the issue.

In the United States, she argued, freedom includes the right “to make decisions about one’s own body and not have the government telling people what to do.”

Lisa Lerer contributed reporting.

On this, Trump and Biden agree: Trump killed Roe v. Wade.

President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump have widely divergent stances on abortion.

But they agree on one point: Mr. Trump was personally responsible for ending the constitutional right to abortion once enshrined in Roe v. Wade . And they are both eager to remind voters of that fact, over and over and over.

“We broke Roe v. Wade,” Mr. Trump said during a joint news conference with House Speaker Mike Johnson in Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday. “We did something that nobody thought was possible.” Minutes later, Mr. Biden’s campaign attacked Mr. Trump simply by amplifying that boast on social media .

The back and forth has become an increasingly frequent occurrence on the campaign trail in recent weeks. Even as Mr. Trump has made efforts to distance himself from the stricter limits on abortion that some states, including Arizona and Florida , have enacted after Roe was overturned in 2022, he has continued to remind voters of his role in an objectively unpopular aspect of his White House legacy.

Democrats are eager to promote Mr. Trump’s bragging over his role in ending the constitutional right to abortion. The Biden campaign in particular has often published posts on social media that are little more than a picture of the former president and a quotation from him saying that he “was able to kill Roe v. Wade.”

Polls have repeatedly found that most Americans disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe , and Democratic candidates have won races across the country by focusing on abortion rights and Republicans’ efforts to curtail them .

Mr. Trump has acknowledged that Democrats have a clear electoral advantage when running on abortion, and he has repeatedly complained that Republicans do not know how to talk about the issue .

But Mr. Trump is encountering his own difficulties in speaking on the issue. On Monday, he said that abortion should be left to the states , and that “whatever they decide must be the law of the land.” On Wednesday, he went further, saying he would not sign a federal abortion ban if elected president. Early on Friday, he posted a message on social media urging Republicans in the Arizona State Legislature to “ACT IMMEDIATELY” to change a near-total abortion ban in the state that was enacted in 1864.

Hours later, he was back to bragging about his hand in overturning Roe.

“If you look at what we’ve done with Roe v. Wade,” Mr. Trump said at his news conference with Mr. Johnson, “we did something that everyone said couldn’t be done, and we got it done. I give great credit to the Supreme Court justices for having the courage to do it.”

Advertisement

Biden says he expects Iran to attack Israel soon, warns: 'Don't'

• Medium Text

Get weekly news and analysis on the U.S. elections and how it matters to the world with the newsletter On the Campaign Trail. Sign up here.

Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Writing by Andrea Shalal and Eric Beech; Additional reporting by Disha Mishra; Editing by Jasper Ward, Cynthia Osterman and Sonali Paul

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

World Chevron

Stabbing at Wakeley church a terror incident, Australian police say

A knife attack during a service at an Assyrian church in Sydney was a terrorist act motivated by suspected religious extremism, Australian police said on Tuesday.

Zach Edey, Dan Hurley exchange words in first half of Purdue-UConn NCAA championship game

UConn coach Dan Hurley is never one to conceal his emotions in the heat of competition, a trait that has come to define him just as much as his overwhelming success with the Huskies the past two seasons.

In his team’s national championship game Monday against Purdue at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, that zeal went beyond the referees and to an opposing player. And not just any opposing player.

REQUIRED READING: LIVE: Purdue vs. UConn score updates, highlights in Final Four championship game

With about seven minutes remaining in the first half and with the teams tied at 23, Boilermakers star center Zach Edey set what Hurley thought was an illegal screen to free up teammate Braden Smith at the top of the key.

During the ensuing media timeout, Hurley came out on the court near the spot of the pick to argue the call, but he did so as Edey passed by on his walk back to the Purdue huddle. The reigning two-time national player of the year said something to Hurley , who turned his head and fired back at Edey.

The 7-foot-4 Edey had been a source of ire for Hurley in the game’s early stages. At one point in the first half, Hurley yelled at officials about Edey, pointing to the Toronto native on the bench and saying, “He’s pushing us!”

At least some of the frustration from the newly minted Naismith Coach of the Year had to do with Edey’s effective play against the Huskies. In the opening 14:03 of the game, Edey had 16 points, four rebounds and two blocks.

In the leadup to the title game, Hurley was highly complimentary of Edey , going as far to say as he is the best college basketball player he has ever seen.

Edey and Purdue are seeking to win the first national championship in program history while UConn is aiming to become the first repeat national champion since Florida in 2006 and 2007.