To be clear, the Elmer Fudd Syndrome (EFS) does not include rushing onto stage with a double-barreled shotgun looking for smart aleck rabbits. No, EFS is when you step in front of a microphone sounding like you woke up two minutes ago and your tongue is two sizes too large for your mouth. Singers warm up their voices before they hit the stage, so why not you? Here are a collection of vocal exercises for speakers, courtesy of Susan Berkly and LJLSeminars.com. Ms. Berkely has amassed a collection of one liners to speak aloud, articulating every syllable, that should have your vocal cords in top shape for every speech you deliver. The whole thing takes about two minutes to run through.
Vocal cords are muscles too. Don’t let them atrophy!
Eat each green pea. Aim straight at the game. Ed said get ready.
It is in Italy. I tried my kite. Oaks grow slowly.
Father was calm as he threw the bomb on the dock.
An awed audience applauded Claude.
Go slow Joe, you’re stepping on my toe.
Sauce makes the goose more succulent.
Up the bluff, Bud runs with the cup of love.
Red led men to the heifer that fell in the dell.
Maimed animals may become mean.
It’s time to buy a nice limeade for a dime.
Oil soils doilies.
Flip a coin, Roy, you have a choice of oysters or poi.
Sheep shears should be sharp.
At her leisure, she used rouge to camouflage her features.
There’s your cue, the curfew is due.
It was the student’s duty to deliver the Tuesday newspaper.
He feels keen as he schemes and dreams.
Much of the flood comes under the hutch.
Boots and shoes lose newness soon.
Ruth was rude to the youthful recruit.
Vivid, livid, vivifying. Vivid experiences were lived vicariously.
Oddly, the ominous octopus remained calm.
The pod will rot if left on the rock.
Look, you could put your foot on the hood and push.
Nat nailed the new sign on the door of the diner.
Dale’s dad died in the stampede for gold.
Thoughtful thinkers think things through.
Engineer Ethelbert wrecked the express at the end of Elm Street.
As you can see, these vocal exercises for speakers aren’t typical tongue twisters but rather sentences that work the vowels and consonants of the English language. Drink a glass of warm water before beginning and remember to go slow. It’s not a race. Here’s to a more powerful, appealing voice!
The Speaking of Wealth Team
Flickr / Tambako the Jaguar