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5 Simple Steps to Building a Charismatic Speaking Voice

ed darling public speaking coach

Ed Darling | 5 min read

Last updated: 1/12/2025

What you’ll learn:
  • How to slow your pace for a confident public speaking voice.
  • Tips to transform a monotone voice into a melodic one.
  • The secret to using breath to improve your speaking voice.

Your Speaking Voice Speaks Volumes

Ever heard someone say, “I’m fine!” with a tone that screams anything but?
 
That’s the power of your speaking voice: it reveals what words alone (and even body language) cannot. Whether you’re delivering a keynote or pitching to a team, your public speaking voice can make or break your message.

Check out my YouTube Short on vocal variety.

Sure, words, structure, and body language all matter. But your speaking voice builds trust, sparks emotion, and keeps listeners hooked, and typically, it’s the one thing most speakers forget to pay attention to!
 
Want a voice that exudes vocal confidence and charisma? Here are five simple yet powerful ways to improve your speaking voice and own the stage.
 
First up, VOLUME…
vocal variety and your public speaking voice

1. Boost Your Speaking Voice by 20%

If your audience can’t hear you, they’re not listening. That might sound obvious, but many speakers fail to project their voice to the whole room.
 
Volume is a must for a commanding public speaking voice, yet it’s a common stumble, especially those battling public speaking nerves.
 
A quiet voice might work one-on-one, but unless you have the draw of being a key person in your industry, or celebrity status with people hanging off your words, it won’t hold the attention of an audience.
 
For shy or anxious speakers, low volume often stems from a fear of being heard (and therefore seen), as well as the physical habit of not breathing deeply enough,
 
By increasing your volume by 20%, you cover any nervous shakes and project more confidence. 
 
Why it works: Louder speech forces deeper diaphragmatic breathing and clearer articulation, boosting vocal confidence and reducing nervous “tells” like high-pitched tones.
 
Volume Tips:
  • Practice speaking 20% louder than usual in casual conversations — it may feel “inauthentic” at first, but will quickly become natural.
  • Use loud bursts to grab attention or emphasise key points, and soft whispers to draw listeners in.

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2. Find Your Perfect Speaking Pace

Fast talkers, this one’s for you.
 
Rushing through sentences like you’re racing the clock screams nerves or lack of preparation.
 
Whether it’s public speaking anxiety or a habit from being interrupted, a frantic pace undermines your vocal confidence.
 
Slowing down your speaking voice projects authority and composure. It gives your audience time to absorb your message, and you time to breathe and connect.
 
Why it works: A deliberate pace enhances clarity and makes your public speaking voice sound confident and professional. When someone is comfortable taking their time to speak (note: that doesn’t mean taking forever.) people naturally assume a level of authority to your words.
 
Pace Tips:
  • Practice slowing your speech by 30% in everyday conversations — pause, breathe, and elongate words.
  • Adjust pace based on context: slow down for complex ideas, speed up for familiar points to show efficiency.
  • Record yourself to check your pace and refine it.

3. Ditch Filler Words for Powerful Pauses

Um, err, like, you know?
 
Filler words are credibility killers in your speaking voice. They sneak in when you’re nervous, unprepared, or stuck in bad verbal habits, distracting your audience and weakening your message.
 
The fix? Build self-awareness to spot your fillers, then replace them with pauses. A well-timed pause gives you time to think, adds gravitas to your public speaking voice, and keeps listeners engaged.
 
Why it works: Pauses enhance vocal confidence, making your speaking voice sound deliberate and professional.
 
Pause Tips:
  • Record a practice talk to identify your filler words (e.g., “um,” “like”).
  • Consciously swap fillers for a 1–2-second pause to gather your thoughts.
  • Check out this guide on eliminating filler words for more tips.

4. From Monotone to Melody in Your Speaking Voice

Ever zoned out during a monotone Zoom call?
 
A flat, one-note speaking voice droning on, and on… just like white noise, it quite literally puts audiences to sleep.
 
Now contrast that with your favourite podcast host — they keep you hooked with a melodic public speaking voice that rises, falls, and flows like music.
 
Melody means using the full range of your vocal instrument — highs, mids, and lows — to add emotion and energy. It’s the antidote to monotone and a key to vocal confidence.
 
Why it works: When your words and sentences vary, that unpredictable contrast naturally keeps people more engaged.
 
Melody Tips:
  • Listen & learn from great speakers. Someone who demonstrates great melody (Americans generally find this easier) is podcast host, Tom Bilyeu.
  • For a simple start, practise emphasising key phrases and words with a slight pitch change.

5. Breathe Deeply for a Stronger Speaking Voice

Try this: exhale all your air until your stomach pulls in, then speak.
 
Hear that raspy croak?
 
That’s what happens without proper breath support. Your speaking voice relies on a steady flow of air from your diaphragm to sound clear and confident.
 
Think of someone playing the bag pipes; the skill is applying slow, but constant pressure, on the bag, to maintain a steady flow of air through the pipes!
 
Nervous speakers often forget to breathe, leading to shallow, tight breaths that weaken their public speaking voice and amplify anxiety.
 
Deep diaphragmatic breathing is a crucial habit to address this — it powers your voice and calms your nerves.
 
Breathing Tips:
  • Practice diaphragmatic breathing: place one hand on your stomach, one on your chest, and breathe so only your stomach moves.
  • Spend 2–3 minutes daily on deep breathing to make it a habit. The trick is to become more conscious of your everyday breathing habits. 

Unlock the Power of Your Public Speaking Voice

Your speaking voice is your secret weapon for influencing, engaging, and connecting with audiences.
 
Get it wrong, and you risk losing credibility.
 
Get it right, and you’ll captivate any room with vocal confidence.
 
Most people don’t use their voice to its full potential, which means it’s one of the best ways to stand out as a great communicator.
 
By mastering volume, pace, pauses, melody, and breathing, you’ll transform your public speaking voice into a charismatic tool that makes people listen.
 
Here’s to a speaking voice that commands the stage!
Ed

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Hey Ed,

Just wanted to share some feedback we had from the delegates after the October Away day 😊 You went down a storm!

– Presentation skills session very good
– The presentation skills session was AMAZING! Very informative and will definitely come in handy.
– Really enjoyed the presentation skills
– Speaker was very engaging and interesting and worked for all aspects of our work
– The presentation was amazing, getting to interact with each other and learning different presentation skills.- there wasn’t a moment which I found it boring or not helpful.

Jess Docksey, Workforce & Education Programme Manager

 

“Absolutely Brilliant training session to do, really enjoyed it. Ed was fab made everyone feel at ease, more confident and relaxed. I will take so much away from this session thanks Ed, you do a great job 👍👏”

Diane Axford — GMCA

 

“Attended an excellent full day session hosted by Ed at Project Charisma, it was a fantastic learning experience and would recommend to anyone who gets the chance.
Ed made everyone feel at ease even when facing our insecurities, individual conversations around the exercises left no question unanswered. A great experience that I can put into practice straight away.”

Siobhan Keane — GMCA

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100% recommendation rate! All attendees gave you a 10 on how likely they would be to recommend the workshop to peers!

Here’s a summary of the group’s feedback from the session:

  • “The workshop was well-timed, with an excellent balance of information, interactive activities, and group work that kept participants engaged.”

  • “Ed, the facilitator, was professional, knowledgeable, and exceptional at delivering clear, constructive feedback. His energy and positivity helped create a safe and supportive environment, which was particularly important given that many participants were outside their comfort zones with public speaking. Ed’s personal story of overcoming anxiety resonated with the group, fostering trust and making the experience more relatable.”

  • “The content was well-structured, breaking down key elements to make the learning process less daunting, and the pacing was comfortable for everyone. The variety of tasks, including the workbook to take away, added value, and the session ultimately empowered participants to deliver speeches with confidence.”

Ideas that resonated with the group the most:

Presentation Structure: Key techniques like planning, the “rule of three,” and the power of pausing.

Audience Engagement: Effective strategies such as the “audience hug” and balanced eye contact (“light housing”).

Public Speaking Elements: Focus on body language, voice modulation, and mindset.

Vocal Variety & Filler Words: Importance of vocal variety and minimising filler words.

Mindset Shift: Emphasis on being prolific over perfect; enthusiasm and charisma over confidence.

All the group have rated themselves as an 8, 9 or 10 in terms of confidence in demonstrating the skills they have learnt in your session.

Other comments:

“This workshop has given me a great toolkit to help build my presenting skills. I feel more empowered in my public speaking and have the confidence to participate in presentations within my role.”

“I thought it was well run, the overall content was excellent. Great feedback throughout the course to support not only the individual but also the group. I would recommend the course strongly to my peers.”

“Was nervous going into the class, worried that it would be a bit school-like or based more in acting (which it was not). Thoroughly enjoyed the experience – would love to do it again later on in the year/next year to look see how my skill has (hopefully) improved.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop and was highly impressed with Ed. Ed’s approach to the subject, his personal story, the layout of the workshop and his energy made for an engaging, memorable and impactful workshop. Ed was able to give helpful feedback to everyone whilst also filled us with encouragement and confidence. I feel he shared some life skills that I will take forward with me in my career and I would love the opportunity to work with him again!”