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Speaking · Featured
Replace 'um' with silence
“Silence feels longer to you than it does to your audience. Pause for one breath instead of filling it.”
The SpeakUp library
Small lessons.
Better speaking.
Speaking
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The PREP formula
Point → Reason → Example → Point. Works for any impromptu question.
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Pace: 130–160 wpm
Faster than 170 sounds nervous. Slow down on your key sentence.
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Eye contact in thirds
Split the room into left, centre, right and rotate every sentence.
English
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Past tense for stories
'Yesterday I go' → 'Yesterday I went'. Anchor time words to verb tense.
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Linking words
First, then, after that, however, finally — they make you sound structured.
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Upgrade 'very good'
Try excellent, impressive, remarkable, outstanding.
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Articles a / the
Use 'a' for something new, 'the' when your listener already knows which one.
Storytelling
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Start in the middle
Skip the setup. 'My hands were shaking as I walked on stage…'
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One sensory detail
A sound, smell or colour makes a story real.
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Land the lesson in one line
End with what changed in you — short and clear.