Speech Pauses: 12 Techniques to Speak Volumes with Your Silence (Flashback Friday #22)

On Fridays, we dip into the Six Minutes article archive in search of one of the most memorable articles. We’ll dust it off, shine a light on it, and consider it from a new perspective.

Today’s Flashback Article

This week, we’re reaching back to August 2012 to learn 12 techniques for using pauses effectively, supported by a collection of scientific papers.

Twelve techniques? How can there be so many ways to use something so simple? It’s just a boring gap between words, right? That’s what I thought before conducting research for the article.

Pauses aren’t just neutral breaks in between your words. If you use them well, you can convey emotion, aid understanding, increase your authenticity, and boost your vocal delivery. It’s easy to learn these techniques, and they provide so many benefits.

For a superb demonstration of speech pauses, I recommend listening to Suki Kim’s wonderful TED talk. It’s a master class for all of us!

Read the full article, and share your insights about using pauses effectively in your presentations:

• Speech Pauses: 12 Techniques to Speak Volumes with Your Silence