Rate of SpeechPresented by: Levhie Ceasar Raro Ragas Jr.

“Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret”

-Dr. Laurence J. Peter

WHAT IS ALL ABOUT THE RATE OF SPEECH?

Speech rate is the term given to the speed at which you speak. It's calculated in the number of words spoken in a minute. A normal number of words per minute (wpm) can vary hugely.

Source:http://www.write-out-loud.com

Rate GuidelinesStudies show speech rate alters depending on the speaker's culture, geographical location, subject matter, gender, emotional state, fluency, profession or audience.

However, despite these variables, there are widely accepted guidelines.

These are:

• Slow speech is usually regarded as less than 110 wpm, or words per minute.• Conversational speech generally falls between 120 wpm at the slow end, to 150 - 200 wpm in the fast range.• People who read books for radio or podcasts are often asked to speak at 150-160 wpm.• Auctioneers or commentators who practice speed speech are usually in the 250 to 400 wpm range.

Speaking is characterized by variations in speed:

Slow Speech projects such personality characteristics as: calmness, acceptance of others, and formality.However if the rate is too slow, it make project an image of dullness,listlessness,apathy,laziness or sometimes lack of intelligence.

Rapid Speed projects animation, enthusiasm,excitement and informality but speaking too fast may suggest nervousness, tension, anxiety, or flightily personality

Slow Speech may result to the distortion of vowel sounds, while rapid speech may result in the omission or slighting of consonants.

It is very important to vary the rate of speaking to avoid monotony. Some kinds of statements must by spoken slowly while others must be said fast.

The rate of speech may be varied on the thought you are expressing. For instance, a serious and complex ideas are spoken slowly so that the audience will have an enough time to understand the message well. On the other hand, a vivid chronology of exciting events in a narrative is told and describe in a more rapid rate.

Example:

Basketball announcer describes an exciting ball game in a rapid fashion , Repeat the priest’s words as he says some prayer in a slow and dignified rate of speech.

Using a rapid rate of speech is necessary in order not to drag the continuity of action but decreasing the speed may be helpful in calling attention to the important point.

The rate of speech is also a reflection on the speaker’s mood.

For instance, a very excited and enthusiastic person speaks quite rapidly whereas a poised or an apathetic person in a passive mood speaks slowly. This rapid-slow rate combination may also occur in one person, such that an enthusiastic but poised speaker may present his facts describe events in a lively manner but slows down deliberately and empathetically so that his words and phrases will have an impact to the audience.

The speed of one’s utterance may vary from time to time and from passage to passage. Two factors influence this difference are quantity and pause.

Quantity in Speech RateThis is the length of time that is spent in the actual

utterance of vowel sounds within the words and the duration varies according to the mood or sentiment being expressed. If you are sad, heavy of heart, deeply serious or in a reflective mood, your speech tends to be slow. However, if you’re happy, joyful, excited or in a hurry, you’ll probably speak faster than is usual, pronouncing the vowel tones in shorter duration because of the gaiety of the mood. Listeners get bored too easily listening to a very slow pace with too much phonation of within the word at the same time, they strain too much and get tired of listening to a very fast speaker

Words and Phrase Junctures

Pause is the length of time spent in silence between phrases. It may range from a slight hesitation to a longer pause or silence. In writing, it is marked by a punctuation signs such as commas(,),colons(:), and dashes(/). However, not every comma calls for a pause nor the absence of comma indicates that no pause is required. In long compound sentence, writers usually omit commas for you to have a pause between thought groups and meaningful units in order to put an emphasis and meaning to your sentence.

Direction: Pause slightly after each single bar and drop your pitch and stop at the end of the double bars.

By this time / I was beginning to suspect that he was trying to obscure

by noise / the fact that he had ordered the drinks, on the chance that

I would be bewildered into paying for them. // But when they were down/ he

crashed a silver dollar loudly upon the bar. // Then, / of course, / another

serving was obligatory.// And when I had paid for that / I took leave of him

brusquely;// for I wanted no more of him.// But before I had obtained my

release / he had prated loudly of an income that his wife received, / and

showed a handful of silver money.//

-An excerpt from O.Henry’s short story “ A Municipal Report.”

Pauses maybe not only between words or phrases but also during vocalization such that one may pause for a longer time than is normal for a word.

Observe how is done in the following examples from Hamlin Garlands’ short story “Among the Corn-Rows”.

1. "Soothe him-soo-o-o-o-the him!" said Wilson. "Don't be harsh."

2. "All abo-o-o-a-rd!' said the conductor, grinning his appreciation at the crowd, and the train was off.

Poetry may present a problem in pausing because poets divide their lines although the thought continues. This leads the reader to pause after each line even in the absence of comma. In reading poetry, do not always pause at the end of each line because the poet’s thought frequently continue to the next line. The only reason he breaks his line is to fill a poetic convention- the metric pattern.

This can be illustrated in the poem “The Hammer” by Carl Sandburg where one whole continuous thought is divided into nine lines.

The Hammer

By Carl Sandburg

I have seen

The old gods go

And the new gods come.

Day by day

And year by year

The idols fall

And the idols rise.

Today

I worship the hammer.

A pause has several uses. Before a word or statement, it may build up suspense and emphasize the word or sentence that follows. In the example the word snow creates a feeling of joy at it's sudden appearance.

Mr. Oakhurst was a light sleeper. Toward morning he awoke benumbed cold. As he stirred the dying fire, the wind which was now blowing strongly, brought to his cheek that which caused the blood to leave it, - snow!

-Bret Harte

A pause after a powerful statement or a single word gives the listeners time to assimilate the word particularly for dramatic effects . Hesitations or slight pauses at strategic places increase the impact of the feeling being projected. This can be seen in the following prose excerpt from Mary E. Wilkins Freeman’s “The Revolt of Mother”.

Sarah bent over and touched her husband on one of his thin, sinewy shoulders. “Father!”

The old man's shoulders heaved: he was weeping.

“Why, don't do so, father,” said Sarah.

“I'll — put up the — partitions, an' — everything you — want, mother.”

Sarah put her apron up to her face; she was overcome by her own triumph.

Many speakers substitute sighs and grunts for real pauses. When they’re unnecessary of the next word to say, or pressed for a next idea, they prolong the last sound of the word and say “This is… ah ah…” “is … ah” or “and…ah” . This unnecessary lengthening of sounds projects lack, of confidence and the strain a speaker is undergoing. It is meaningless prolongation, not a pause, and it must be avoided unless it is used in drama effects .

Variety of Rate in Speech

Changes in speaking rate can be rapid, light, gay, slow or very slow.

Speaking in one particular rate too long tends to bore listener, so a change in timing can call their attention once more to what you’re saying. Achieving rate variety can be done through pauses and changes in pace. As the interpreter of a selection, you can simply pause or to stop speaking for a moment to give a listener time to ponder over what you've said and to prepare for the next line or mood of the passage.

These elements of voice- the articulation and pronunciation of sounds, and expressiveness- and the proper and skillful use of various speech forms are the factors that you should consider in your effort to become an effective communicator.

Instruction: Read the following excerpts by varying your voice quality, pitch levels, intensity and rate of speaking

I cannot call riches better than the baggage of virtue. The Roman word is better, impedimenta. For as the baggage is to an army, so is riches to virtue. It cannot be spared, nor left behind, but it hindereth the march; yea, and the care of it, sometimes loseth or disturbeth the victory. Of great riches there is no real use, except it be in the distribution; the rest is but conceit. So saith Solomon, Where much is, there are many consume it; and what hath the owner, but the sight of it with his eyes? The personal fruition in any man, cannot reach to feel

great riches: there is a custody of them; or a power of dole, and donative of them; or a fame of them; but no solid use to the owner. Do you not see what

feigned prices, are set upon little stones and rarities? and what works of ostentation are undertaken, because there might seem to be some use of great riches? But then you will say, they may be of use, to buy men out of dangers or troubles. As Solomon saith, Riches are as a strong hold, in the imagination of the rich man. But this is excellently expressed, that it is in imagination, and not always in fact. For certainly great riches, have sold more men, than they have

bought out. Seek not proud riches, but such as thou mayest get justly, use soberly, distribute cheerfully, and leave contentedly.

-Francis Bacon’s “Of Riches”-An Excerpt

WHEN, O Catiline, do you mean to cease abusing our patience? How long is that madness of yours still to mock us? When is there to be an end of that unbridled audacity of yours, swaggering about as it does now? Do not the nightly guards placed on the Palatine Hill—do not the watches posted throughout the city—does not the alarm of the people, and the union of all good men—does not the precaution taken of assembling the senate in this most defensible place—do not the looks and countenances of this venerable body here present, have any effect upon you? Do you not feel that your plans are detected? Do you not see that your conspiracy is already arrested and rendered powerless by the knowledge which every one here possesses on it? What is there that you did last night, what the night before—where is it that you were—who was there that you summoned to meet you—what design was there which was adopted by you, with which you think that any one of us is unacquainted?

Shame in the age and on its principles!

-Marcus Tullius Cicero’s First Oration Against Catiline

Dear children of God, my sermon this morning will be a very short one. I wish only that you should ponder and meditate the deep meaning and mystery of our masses of Christmas Day. For whenever Mass is said, we reenact the Passion and Death of Our Lord; and on this Christmas Day we do this in celebration of His Birth. So that at the same moment we rejoice in His coming for the salvation of men, and offer again to God His Body and Blood in sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. I do not think I shall ever preach to you again; and because it is possible that in a short time you may have yet another martyr, and that one perhaps not the last. I would have you keep in your hearts these words that I say, and think of them at another time. In the Name of the Father, and o£ the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

-Thomas Stearns Eliot’s Murder In The Cathedral- An Excerpt