type of speeches and styles

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• Types of speeches

The 4 types of speeches

Informative, demonstrative, persuasive and special occasion.

By:  Susan Dugdale  | Last modified: 01-31-2024

There are four main types of speeches or types of public speaking.

• Demonstrative
• Special occasion or Entertaining

To harness their power a speaker needs to be proficient in all of them: to understand which speech type to use when, and how to use it for maximum effectiveness.

What's on this page:

An overview of each speech type, how it's used, writing guidelines and speech examples:

• informative
• demonstrative
• special occasion/entertaining
• how, and why, speech types overlap

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Informative speeches

An informative speech does as its name suggests: informs. It provides information about a topic. The topic could be a place, a person, an animal, a plant, an object, an event, or a process.

The informative speech is primarily explanatory and educational.

Its purpose is not to persuade or influence opinion one way or the other. It is to provide sufficient relevant material, (with references to verifiable facts, accounts, studies and/or statistics), for the audience to have learned something. 

What they think, feel, or do about the information after they've learned it, is up to them.

This type of speech is frequently used for giving reports, lectures and, sometimes for training purposes. 

Examples of informative speech topics:

• the number, price and type of dwellings that have sold in a particular suburb over the last 3 months
• the history of the tooth brush
• how trees improves air quality in urban areas
• a brief biography of Bob Dylan
• the main characteristics of Maine Coon cats
• the 1945 US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• the number of, and the work of local philanthropic institutions
• the weather over the summer months
• the history of companion planting 
• how to set up a new password
• how to work a washing machine

Click this link if you'd like more informative topic suggestions .  You'll find hundreds of them.

And this link to find out more about the 4 types of informative speeches : definition, description, demonstration and explanation. (Each with an example outline and topic suggestions.)  

Demonstration, demonstrative or 'how to' speeches

A demonstration speech is an extension of an informative process speech. It's a 'how to' speech, combining informing with demonstrating.

The topic process, (what the speech is about), could either be demonstrated live or shown using visual aids.

The goal of a demonstrative speech is to teach a complete process step by step.

It's found everywhere, all over the world: in corporate and vocational training rooms, school classrooms, university lecture theatres, homes, cafes... anywhere where people are either refreshing or updating their skills. Or learning new ones.

Knowing to how give a good demonstration or 'how to' speech is a very valuable skill to have, one appreciated by everybody.

Examples of 'how to' speech topics are:

• how to braid long hair
• how to change a car tire
• how to fold table napkins
• how to use the Heimlich maneuver
• how to apply for a Federal grant
• how to fill out a voting form
• how to deal with customer complaints
• how to close a sale
• how to give medicine to your cat without being scratched to bits! 

Resources for demonstration speeches

1 . How to write a demonstration speech   Guidelines and suggestions covering:

• choosing the best topic : one aligning with your own interests, the audience's, the setting for the speech and the time available to you
• how to plan, prepare and deliver your speech - step by step guidelines for sequencing and organizing your material plus a printable blank demonstration speech outline for you to download and complete  
• suggestions to help with delivery and rehearsal . Demonstration speeches can so easily lurch sideways into embarrassment. For example: forgetting a step while demonstrating a cake recipe which means it won't turn out as you want it to. Or not checking you've got everything you need to deliver your speech at the venue and finding out too late, the very public and hard way, that the lead on your laptop will not reach the only available wall socket. Result. You cannot show your images.

2.  Demonstration speech sample outline   This is a fully completed outline of a demonstration speech. The topic is 'how to leave an effective voice mail message' and  the sample covers the entire step by step sequence needed to do that.

There's a blank printable version of the outline template to download if you wish and a YouTube link to a recording of the speech.

3.  Demonstration speech topics   4 pages of 'how to' speech topic suggestions, all of them suitable for middle school and up.

Persuasive speeches

The goal of a persuasive speech is to convince an audience to accept, or at the very least listen to and consider, the speaker's point of view.

To be successful the speaker must skillfully blend information about the topic, their opinion, reasons to support it and their desired course of action, with an understanding of how best to reach their audience.

Everyday examples of persuasive speeches

Common usages of persuasive speeches are:

• what we say when being interviewed for a job
• presenting a sales pitch to a customer
• political speeches - politicians lobbying for votes,
• values or issue driven speeches e.g., a call to boycott a product on particular grounds, a call to support varying human rights issues: the right to have an abortion, the right to vote, the right to breathe clean air, the right to have access to affordable housing and, so on.

Models of the persuasive process

The most frequently cited model we have for effective persuasion is thousands of years old.  Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, 384–322 BC , explained it as being supported by three pillars: ethos, pathos and logos. 

Briefly, ethos is the reliability and credibility of the speaker. How qualified or experienced are they talk on the topic? Are they trustworthy? Should we believe them? Why?

Pathos is the passion, emotion or feeling you, the speaker, bring to the topic. It's the choice of language you use to trigger an emotional connection linking yourself, your topic and the audience together, in a way that supports your speech purpose.

(We see the echo of Pathos in words like empathy: the ability to understand and share the feels of another, or pathetic: to arouse feelings of pity through being vulnerable and sad.)

Logos is related to logic. Is the information we are being presented logical and rational? Is it verifiable? How is it supported? By studies, by articles, by endorsement from suitably qualified and recognized people?

To successfully persuade all three are needed. For more please see this excellent article:  Ethos, Pathos, Logos: 3 Pillars of Public Speaking and Persuasion 

Monroe's Motivated Sequence of persuasion

Another much more recent model is Monroe's Motivated Sequence based on the psychology of persuasion.

It consists of five consecutive steps: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization and action and was developed in the 1930s by American Alan H Monroe, a lecturer in communications at Purdue University. The pattern is used extensively in advertising, social welfare and health campaigns.

Resources for persuasive speeches

1.   How to write a persuasive speech Step by step guidelines covering:

• speech topic selection
• setting speech goals
• audience analysis
• empathy and evidence
• balance and obstacles
• 4 structural patterns to choose from

2. A persuasive speech sample outline using Monroe's Motivated Sequence

3. An example persuasive speech written using Monroe's Motivated Sequence  

4.  Persuasive speech topics : 1032+ topic suggestions which includes 105 fun persuasive ideas , like the one below.☺ 

Special occasion or entertaining speeches

The range of these speeches is vast: from a call 'to say a few words' to delivering a lengthy formal address.

This is the territory where speeches to mark farewells, thanksgiving, awards, birthdays, Christmas, weddings, engagements and anniversaries dwell, along with welcome, introduction and thank you speeches, tributes, eulogies and commencement addresses. 

In short, any speech, either impromptu or painstakingly crafted, given to acknowledge a person, an achievement, or an event belongs here.

You'll find preparation guidelines, as well as examples of many special occasion speeches on my site.

Resources for special occasion speeches

How to prepare:

• an acceptance speech , with an example acceptance speech 
• a birthday speech , with ongoing links to example 18th, 40th and 50th birthday speeches
• an office party Christmas speech , a template with an example speech
• an engagement party toast , with 5 examples
• a eulogy or funeral speech , with a printable eulogy planner and access to 70+ eulogy examples
• a farewell speech , with an example (a farewell speech to colleagues)
• a golden (50th) wedding anniversary speech , with an example speech from a husband to his wife
• an impromptu speech , techniques and templates for impromptu speaking, examples of one minute impromptu speeches with a printable outline planner, plus impromptu speech topics for practice
• an introduction speech for a guest speaker , with an example
• an introduction speech for yourself , with an example
• a maid of honor speech for your sister , a template, with an example
• a retirement speech , with an example from a teacher leaving to her students and colleagues
• a student council speech , a template, with an example student council president, secretary and treasurer speech
• a Thanksgiving speech , a template, with an example toast
• a thank you speech , a template, with an example speech expressing thanks for an award, also a business thank you speech template
• a tribute (commemorative) speech , with a template and an example speech
• a welcome speech for an event , a template, an example welcome speech for a conference, plus a printable welcome speech planner
• a welcome speech for new comers to a church , a template with an example speech
• a welcome speech for a new member to the family , a template with an example

Speech types often overlap

Because speakers and their speeches are unique, (different content, purposes, and audiences...), the four types often overlap. While a speech is generally based on one principal type it might also have a few of the features belonging to any of the others. 

For example, a speech may be mainly informative but to add interest, the speaker has used elements like a demonstration of some sort, persuasive language and the brand of familiar humor common in a special occasion speech where everybody knows each other well.

The result is an informative 'plus' type of speech. A hybrid! It's a speech that could easily be given by a long serving in-house company trainer to introduce and explain a new work process to employees.  

Related pages:

• how to write a good speech . This is a thorough step by step walk through, with examples, of the general speech writing process. It's a great place to start if you're new to writing speeches. You'll get an excellent foundation to build on.
• how to plan a speech - an overview of ALL the things that need to be considered before preparing an outline, with examples
• how to outline a speech - an overview, with examples, showing how to structure a speech, with a free printable blank speech outline template to download
• how to make and use cue cards  - note cards for extemporaneous speeches 
• how to use props (visual aids)    

And for those who would like their speeches written for them:

• commission me to write for you

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Ace the Presentation

An Easy Guide to All 15 Types of Speech

There are several types of speeches one can use to deliver a message, to sell an idea, to persuade, or impart knowledge to the intended audience. What are these types of speech , when to use them, and what are some insights on which types of speeches should be used based on multiple occasions, the audience, and the desired result?

If you are curious to know what types of speech best fit your intended audience or message that you want to pass across, then I strongly believe that this post will be of interest to you.

15 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPEECH

Demonstrative speech.

The idea behind demonstrative speech is basically to educate the audience that is listening to something they are not aware of. The unique thing about demonstrative speeches is that they could include various visual aids that can help further demonstrate or describe in practical terms how to effectively do something. At first glance, one can say that demonstrative speech is more informative, but the difference is in the fact that informative speeches do not exactly include actual demonstrating of how to do or perform an action.

Imagine that you will give a speech on how to write a blog post, how to sell clothes online, how to fish successfully, or even how to build a house, these can all be considered as demonstrative speeches.

If you’re wondering how to go about getting a speech like demonstrative speech started, the best way is to start by asking your self-critical questions like how or why or what is. These questions will help start the process of creating a power demonstrative speech. Also, as you must know already, a demonstrative speech cannot be considered one without the use of visual aid to help support the process of demonstration.

A great example of demonstrative speeches nowadays are the ones delivered by Apple, and other companies when they are unveiling their latest flagship smartphones, or any other product.

Entertaining speech

Entertaining speech is quite a common or should I say a familiar one amongst the types of speech in our contemporary society. If you have ever been to a birthday party or wedding, which I know you most certainly must have, then you have experienced what an entertaining speech is like. The main purpose of a best man’s speech at a wedding or an after-dinner MC is to entertain the crowd. This form of entertainment is usually done by using interesting illustrations, hilarious stories, and just flat out humor.

Informative speech

Informative speeches are speeches mainly performed for the purpose of educating the audience on a new or relevant piece of information on a particular topic.

To convey this information, informative speech givers do not make use of visual aids in their speeches but rather make use of facts, statistics, educative information, and data, all this so that the audience can learn something and say they have been informed on the topic.

When giving an informative speech, the speaker is expected to present statistics and facts about the topics to back is claims and assertions. Informative speech topics can range from social and economic changes in our community to climate change and how it affects our world today.

So, the next time you hear someone dishing out facts, stats and critical information on a certain topic be sure to note that he or she is giving the audience an informative speech.

Persuasive speech

A persuasive speech is a speech given solely for the purpose of convincing the audience listening that the opinion of the speaker on a particular topic is the right or correct one. Whether you are discussing what movie to watch next or which political standpoint is best for the economy, you are making a persuasive speech.

In order to successfully convince an audience, most speakers tend to use concrete evidence and facts to back up their argument. The use of those various facts makes their own argument seem more sensible and believable, thereby persuading the audience to stand with them and support their claim. This is one of the best ways to ensure your persuasive speech is very effective, by giving solid facts you can easily get the audience to rally around you and give you their support.

A close example of a persuasive speech is one a lawyer gives to the jury in order to convince them to stand with him on the case at hand and vote in his favor. Another good example is one that a presidential candidate give in form of his campaign speech in order to convince the citizen to vote him or her as the next president of the country.

Oratorical speech

This type of speech is usually given on very special occasions like a commencement speech , graduation ceremony , inauguration or ribbon-cutting event. This type of speech can take shape in two distinct forms, they can be long and quite formal in situations like funerals, graduations, and inaugurations, or they can be short and informal in situations like the speech given during a toast in a special event.

There are various events and places where one can give an oratorical speech like a birthday party, retirement party, coming out party and a bunch of others. Political speeches are usually considered as oratorical speeches, especially when they are not used to settle an argument but rather to preach virtue and appeal to common basic truths.

Special occasion speech

Special occasion speeches are speeches that don’t exactly fall into any particular category of speech. Hence, the name special occasion. They can include speeches that are given to introduce a speaker or announce the arrival of a guest. They are designed to be short but interesting and direct to the point.

Another good example of special occasion speeches is a tribute speech given to pay tribute to a person whether they are dead or alive. An award acceptance speech is also another form of special occasion speech, it is given solely to appreciate the audience for the award and Express how much it means to you.

These special occasion speeches are designed to be short, around ten minutes, straight to the point and somewhat mood setting in nature. Most times, special occasion speeches are upbeat and fun, you can easily just go online and find out how to get started on your own little special event.

Writing speeches for special events are usually the easiest as they do not require statistics, demanding need for information and knowledge, just a simple couple of lines could do the trick for you.

Motivational speech

One can consider the motivational speech as a special type of speech in which the general self-improvement of the audience is the goal to be attained. A speaker generally engages in this type of speech to encourage and inspire the confidence of his audience to do better with and for themselves.

These types of speeches can be found in situations like the office where the boss is talking to his employees, trying to inspire them to put in more effort to get the job done or a football match where the coach is trying to motivate his players to give the match everything they got so as win and be crowned champions.

Motivational speeches are important in society, it is the best way to move a crowd of people towards achieving a certain goal. They can be given to inspire people to fight for a cause in society or their various local communities.

Explanatory speech

Explanatory speech is one of the types of speech which is given to critically explain a situation or thing. They are somewhat similar in nature to the demonstrative speech. However, the explanatory speech is different from the demonstrative speech in the sense that the explanatory speech gives a detailed step by step and breaks down of how to do something. It is also different in the sense that it does not make use of visual aid to assist in understanding.

Debate speech

During the cause of a formal debate event, there is a lot of verbal exchanges being made by the two or more parties involved. This act of debating takes shape in many forms in our contemporary society. These forms include the following; classical, impromptu, parliamentary, mock trails, extemporaneous and even public forum.

As the normal standard in general debate, all sides are given an equal amount of time to give a speech on how why they think their opinion or view on a certain matter is the right one. Debates are not quite like persuasive speeches because rather than trying to convince the other side to join you on your side, you are simply trying to justify why you are of an opinion on a certain matter.

Debates have certain rules, regardless of what side of the argument you pick, both or all parties get an equal amount of time to prepare for it. Being a debater you get to develop and harness certain skills like public speaking, researching, initiative skills, and even leadership skills.

Forensic speech

The reason why this type of speech is called forensic is because of its strong similarities to the competitions at public forums during the time of ancient Greece.

This event can take place in a simple place like a classroom or in a more sophisticated setting like a national or international event. During the activity, students are advised to research and improve their speaking skills in order to learn other types of speeches.

• Impromptu Speech

An Impromptu Speech is one that we have to deliver with no prior preparation or rehearsal time, it’s one of those moments where you are simply called up to speak in an event, in an interview, or in so many other situations.

It can be an embarrassing or ackward experience to be in a situation where you have to speak from the top of your head with no prior preparation. To avoid that, please go through the tips that we shared in one of our other posts on how you can better deal with such stressing situations, and still manage to deliver great impromptu speeches.

Pitching Presentations / Pitch Speech

The term Pitching Presentation comes from a type of speech that is specifically targeted at getting buy-in and approval for support, generally financial, for an idea, for a business, a product prototype, or a solution.

Being in the working environment and working as a Salesperson you’d probably use this type of speech more often than most people. That is not to say that other professionals, other than salespeople don’t need to master the skills required to ace this type of speech, most of us do.

Farewell Speech

Farewell speech is, as the name implies, the type of speech where you have to say goodbye to people. It can be a Farewell speech done at work, when you are moving on to your next opportunity, or it could be a goodbye speech to your loved ones when traveling for a long time.

Funeral Speeches

Losing a loved one is one the most difficult experiences you can go through, and being able to find the right words and give a funeral speech effectively is even more challenging. Find our guide on how to outline, how to prepare and how to deliver a heartfelt eulogy in the link below.

9 Basic Elements of a Great Persuasive Speech

As human beings, we commonly face debates, sales pitch, or even casual conversations, where we discuss with an audience (that can be familiar or not) about a subject that we want to convince, to think in a similar or same perspective that we do. If we are playing the speaker role, we need to bring…

What Makes A Bad Public Speaker? Top 10 Worst Traits To Avoid

How to Become a Confident Public Speaker – 6 Tips

Ever wondered what it feels like to command a room filled with people just with the way you speak? How to Become a Confident Public Speaker ? No, it’s not a gift (in case you are wondering); rather, it takes practice and time for you to master the art of public speaking. This simply means…

What is the Intended Result of your Speech?

The art of giving a speech is usually performed before a large or small audience, like in a school, the workplace or even a personal gathering. We give speeches every day and it could take many forms depending on the types of speech that we are delivering.

Whether it be to encourage our friends and colleagues at the office or to convince a client to buy our products. The advantages and benefits of knowing how to properly give a speech or even just communicate to an audience are endless, it is an art form that requires the sharpening of one’s thinking capacity and verbal/nonver bal communication skills.

Reflect back to those times where you had to stand in front of a bunch of people and talk about something. It could be as simple as an oral report of an assignment in a school or as complicated and demanding as a proposal at work. After you were able to gather all your materials and prepared yourself well, getting up to the podium and dish it all out was the next logical step.

The success or failure of those public speaking experiences or speeches is all a result of how much you have sharpened your public speaking skills . It is important to sharpen your skills and knowledge of speech giving because the art is not quite the same as talking to a crowd of people. There is a way information is conveyed in speeches, and that is what makes it stand apart from just regular talking to people.

When it comes to giving speeches it all comes down to who is saying what, to whom, using what medium with what effect. Simply put, who is the exact source of the information? What is the message or information itself? Who is the audience, while the medium of communication is actually the delivering method being used by the speaker, then it all ends in an effect.

You can think of the desired effect as the speaker’s intentions for making the speech. Knowing exactly why and to whom you will deliver the speech helps you navigate and select the best out of the different types of speech, and use proper techniques to ensure your speech is relatable , engaging , and memorable .

What is the Type of Speech Delivery Method to be used?

The type of speech delivery method refers to the manner in which the speech will be delivered, rather than the intention or purpose of the speech. Here, it is important that the speaker understands the occasion and the audience, in order to select the right type of speech delivery method to use.

There are Four types of speech delivery Methods:

• Manuscript Speech
• Memorized Speech
• Extemporaneous Speech

Each type of speech delivery method has its perks and ways to follow. You can read all about them in this article !

The art of public speaking or giving a speech is all embedded in one’s understanding and mastery of the different types of speech. As a public speaker, you have to know what occasion deserves what type of speech.

You first have to consider your message and how you what to deliver it, then on a more important note, you have to consider the desired outcome or effect you want your speech to have. It could either be to persuade your audience to stand with you on a particular matter like government policy or   Social structure to something as light as mere entertainment at a dinner party.

Having the ability to speak in public effortlessly and with charisma is a trait and quality every individual in society should desire. And with the proper understanding of these various types of speeches, as well as the techniques required for each, your abilities as a public speaker are only going to grow, and you will continue to impress and amaze your audiences.

Thank you so much for reading this far, I really appreciate it and would love to hear from you. What types of speech would you love to get more insights on?

REFERENCES & FURTHER READING

PopOptic. 9 Different types of Speeches (Plus Tips and Examples for Each)

. https://www.popoptiq.com/types-of-speeches/ .

Craig Czarnecki. 3 Types of Speeches Every Person Needs to be Familiar with for Success!

. https://ruletheroompublicspeaking.com/3-types-speeches-every-person-needs-familiar-success/ .

Lisa Miller. 15 Different Types of Speech. https://www.elist10.com/different-types-of-speeches/ .

Types of Speeches:  Informative, Persuasive, and Special Occasion Video. https://study.com/academy/lesson/types-of-speeches-informative-persuasive-and-special-occasion.html .

Clippings. 10 Different Types of Speeches. https://www.clippings.me/blog/types-of-speeches/ .

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Types of Speeches: A Guide to Different Styles and Formats

Speeches are a powerful way to communicate ideas, inspire people, and create change. There are many different types of speeches, each with its own unique characteristics and formats. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most common types of speeches and how to prepare and deliver them effectively.

1. Informative Speech

An informative speech is designed to educate the audience on a particular topic. The goal is to provide the audience with new information or insights and increase their understanding of the topic. The speech should be well-researched, organized, and delivered in a clear and engaging manner.

2. Persuasive Speech

A persuasive speech is designed to convince the audience to adopt a particular viewpoint or take action. The goal is to persuade the audience to agree with the speaker’s perspective and take action based on that belief. The speech should be well-researched, organized, and delivered in a passionate and compelling manner.

3. Entertaining Speech

An entertaining speech is designed to entertain the audience and create a memorable experience. The goal is to engage the audience and make them laugh, cry, or think deeply about a particular topic. The speech can be humorous, inspirational, or emotional and should be delivered in a lively and engaging manner.

4. Special Occasion Speech

A special occasion speech is designed for a specific event or occasion, such as a wedding, graduation, or retirement party. The goal is to celebrate the occasion and honor the people involved. The speech should be personal, heartfelt, and delivered in a sincere and respectful manner.

5. Impromptu Speech

An impromptu speech is delivered without any preparation or planning. The goal is to respond quickly and effectively to a particular situation or question. The speech should be delivered in a clear and concise manner and address the topic at hand.

In conclusion, speeches are an important way to communicate ideas, inspire people, and create change. By understanding the different types of speeches and their unique characteristics and formats, individuals can prepare and deliver successful speeches that are engaging, informative, and memorable.

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Chapter 5: Presenting Your Speech Module

Four Types of Speeches

Speeches can be categorized into four broad areas depending on the amount of preparation that is undertaken and depending upon the nature of the occasion.  The four types of speeches are manuscript, memorized, extemporaneous, and impromptu.  Our aim is to acquaint you with these four different modes of delivery, to provide suggestions for when you are asked to make impromptu remarks, and then to focus most your time on the preparation, practice, and presentation of extemporaneous speeches.

Manuscript Speech

When you listen to the President deliver a State of the Union message, you listen to a well-crafted speech being read from a teleprompter. The speech has been polished by a staff of speechwriters and has been practiced many times. The President will know how to anticipate the reaction of the audience and will know when to pause for applause and when to expect laughter. This form of speaking is used when the exact words matter and when much time and energy is expended on getting everything just right. There are times when people who are not leaders of countries deliver manuscript speeches as well. They are used when people testify before Congress, when people read important statements in a public setting, or when people deliver reports at professional meetings. All call for exact words in the correct order.

While the President has access to a staff of speech writers and a teleprompter, most of us do not. If you were given this type of assignment, you would have to read your manuscript speech from printed notes. In that case, you would want to ensure that you had prepared your manuscript carefully, using large fonts so you could read it easily without burying your nose in the pages. Reading the speech does not allow you to skimp on the preparation. Practice the speech many times. This allows you to make changes, if needed, and to select the best words to communicate your exact meaning. Remember to speak clearly and naturally -strive for a conversational tone. It shouldn’t sound read -even if you are reading. Also, remember to speak slowly; there is a natural tendency to speed up when we speak in public. Delivering a speech is not a race; you do not receive bonus points for finishing early.

Unless you are specifically told by your instructor to prepare and deliver a manuscript speech, you should never write out the entire speech. Spend your time developing your outline, organizing your ideas, and determining where you can best insert your supports. Then practice using the outline while speaking.

Memorized Speech

When you were in elementary school, did you ever have to memorize a poem or a part of a speech? If you are like most students, the answer is “Yes. ” There is nothing wrong with memorization. But if you try to memorize a speech, you risk forgetting what you planned to say and coming across as completely unprepared. Memorizing your speech is even worse than reading it. All the objections that apply to the read speech also apply to the memorized speech. Spontaneity is gone. The speech can sound stilted. Often, delivery is too rapid. Concentration is on the words, not the ideas. Sometimes the speech sounds too formal, like a written essay. There is minimal feedback or other contact with the audience. And what happens if your mind goes completely blank or if an audience member interrupts? The entire presentation will likely fall apart. Memorizing a speech puts entirely too much pressure on the speaker.

That said, there are a couple of parts of the speech that you may want to have memorized -or practiced so well that you can deliver them almost as if memorized. These include:

Your introduction:  It sets the stage for the entire speech. The words should be well chosen and rehearsed. You may find that as you repeat this portion of the speech during your rehearsals you do come to memorize it word for word. If so, this is fine. After all, once you have determined the best way of saying something, why not use it? Just make sure the presentation does not sound memorized. Your conclusion:  The summary and call to action are the final words that your audience will hear. As with the introduction, if you practice this repeatedly you will develop the best way to say what you want and you will probably have perfected this portion of the speech.

Impromptu Speech

There will come a time for all of us when we are asked to “say a few words ” without much preparation.  You haven’t prepared any notes, you haven’t practiced what you’ll say, and you’re being asked to “wing it. ” While this may seem incredibly scary, impromptu presentations are the most common type of public speaking. You’re in class and suddenly the professor wants to hear how group projects are going. You, as the leader of your group, are asked to stand and briefly discuss what the group is doing and how much you’ve completed so far. That’s an impromptu speech. You didn’t know when you headed to class that day that you’d be speaking in public, but you did it. No sweat! Or maybe you’re in a meeting at work and the boss announces that he wants you to brief everyone in the meeting on the new equipment being installed that afternoon. Again, no prior planning, no notes, you just do it. That’s impromptu speaking.

Extemporaneous Speech

The focus of most college courses in public speaking is the extemporaneous speech.  This is because this is the type of speech used most in business, education, preaching, and political affairs. Few of us will ever have a professional staff of speechwriters or ever deliver a speech with the aid of a teleprompter. But when you do have a speech or presentation to deliver, you’ll want to sound prepared, authoritative, and clear.

Simply stated, an extemporaneous speech is one where you will have time for preparation and practice but will not be expected to read from a manuscript or to have the speech memorized.  The question most students ask is, “How much time should be spent in preparation and practice? ” Perhaps Mark Twain said it best. When speaking about preparing for an impromptu speech, he noted, “It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech ” (King). While celebrated as a humorist, there is much truth in his words. To appear to be speaking off the cuff, and to do it well, you must prepare thoroughly and practice to perfection. When you speak extemporaneously, it means you’ve had ample time to prepare and research and that you have rehearsed your speech (many times) using an outline or notes to remind you of the progression of ideas you wish to present. You will follow all the normal steps outlined in the earlier chapters. Choose a topic, narrow appropriately, analyze your audience, choose your supports, and create an outline. You will know your speech so well and will amaze your audience!

Fundamentals of Public Speaking Copyright © by Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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14 Types of Speeches for All Occasions that You Should Master

Any person can give a speech, which means it’s not hard, right? Technically, it isn’t hard, but, to give a good speech, you need to not only have a general understanding of your audience and your environment but also master the skill of speech-giving to ensure that your speech is effective in relaying your message.

To do this, you will need to learn more about the different types of speeches that exist and in what context each is used. This will help you choose the right speech type that works for you as well as the one that fits the message that you want to put across to your audience.  

Pro-Tip: Keep in mind that each speech type has a different purpose.

14 Types of Speeches You Should Master

1. entertaining speech.

Entertaining speeches are among the most common types of speeches. Their objective is to entertain or amuse people.

As compared to more traditional speeches, entertaining speeches are shorter and less formal , in addition to including funny stories, humor or interesting illustrations. These types of speeches are usually used to convey emotions and are common at weddings and birthday parties. An example of such include stand-up comedy.

From the above, one may think it’s simple to crack a few jokes and entertain people but unless you were born with a funny bone, you may need to brush up on some stories and killer jokes (the funny ones).  

2. Special occasion speeches

These types of speeches do not have a format set in stone and neither do they fall into any particular speech category. Instead, they aim to fit the context of the environment, which helps you to not only gain your audience’s attention but also communicate the message you want to convey effectively.

Just like entertaining speeches, special occasion speeches do not use any data or statistics and are usually short. This does not mean they are boring though, so you should aim to make your special occasion speech as direct and interesting as you possibly can.

Special occasion speeches can fit any special occasion; be it a birthday party, award show or wedding, hence the name. You may notice that they bear some similarities to entertaining speeches, as their objective is to convey emotions as well, instead of persuading you or teaching you something.

Special occasion speeches may include tributary, ceremonial and introductory speeches. If you have any significant event that you’d like to mark, then this type of speech should be your go to.

A good example of this type of speech would include a speech you can give as a best man . This would help you express how much the groom means to you.

3. Persuasive speech

These types of speeches are given with the sole purpose of convincing the persons listening that your opinion on a certain topic is right.

To successfully convince your audience that you know what you’re talking about, you can use facts and concrete evidence to support your argument. This is what persuades your audience to embrace your opinion while also making your presentation more believable and sensible.

You can also use these types of speeches to help convey your message by making use of emotional triggers. Depending on the context of your presentation, appealing to your audience’s emotions may bring about better results. 

A good example of a persuasive speech would be the closing argument that a lawyer gives to the jury in court. The main purpose of a closing argument is to convince the jury to support one’s client and vote in the lawyer’s favor. The closing argument, just like the persuasive speech, highlights any important facts of the case and may appeal to the jury’s emotions, in a bid to help them understand the lawyer’s opinion on the case and their client.

4. Demonstrative speech

Well, this one is pretty easy to explain. From its name, we learn that this type of speech is given when a speaker wants to give a demonstration on how to do a particular thing or educate their audience on how something works. This type of speech is effective in teaching your audience how to do something in the most effective way.

If you plan on giving a demonstration in your presentation, the use of physical demonstrations or visual aids can help your message be better understood by your audience.

These types of speeches are easily confused with informative speeches, so take note of their differences. While informative speeches are more theoretical in their delivery and offer no demonstrations, demonstrative speeches, in being true to their name, teach an audience how to do something in a more practical way, i.e. by giving demonstrations.

It should be noted that a demonstrative speech will only be demonstrative if it includes visual aids. Asking yourself questions like, “what is...?”, “why?” or “how?” may help you get started on your demonstrative speech.

A good example of this would be a Chemistry teacher demonstrating how to mix certain chemicals in the lab.

5. Forensic speech

The American Forensic Association defines a forensic speech as the practice and study of debating and public speaking. The association believes that this type of speech is practiced by many college and high school students.

Before giving this type of speech, students are expected to not only research and learn more about a certain topic but also practice a speech on the said topic before teaching it to an audience. Organizations and institutions of learning like universities will then hold tournaments that allow these students to present their speeches .

This type of speech bears many similarities to the competitions that were held in public forums in Ancient Greece.

6. Oratorical speech

Oratorical speeches are usually delivered by an orator. The objective of this type of speech can be to either give comfort, mourn a loss, address any important issue and how it can be dealt with or celebrate a particular event.

These speeches can also be used to express one’s opinion to the audience without necessarily having to persuade them to embrace their point of view.

Oratorical speeches can either be formal and long in nature, in situations like inaugurations, graduations and funerals, or informal and short in situations like when giving a toast during a retirement day.

A good example of an oratorical speech would be inauguration speeches, e.g. President Joe Biden’s inauguration speech .

7. Explanatory speech

These types of speeches are used to describe a particular thing or situation. These speeches give a break down on how to do something while providing the audience with an elaborate step-by-step process.

These speeches may be confused with demonstrative speeches as they have some similarities but are not, as they do not include visual aids.

A fitting example of an explanatory speech would be a lifestyle and beauty talk show host explaining how to properly cleanse one’s face by giving a step by step process of a proper skin care routine.

8. Informative speech

If you want to teach your audience something about a particular topic or educate them on new information, then informative speeches are the right fit for you. The objective of informative speeches is to break down any complicated theories into easy to understand words that can be communicated accurately and effectively.

These types of speeches can be used when teaching economic or social topics. They differ from persuasive speeches as they depend on statistics, educative studies and information as well as facts instead of relating to an audience’s emotions. These statistics and facts help support any claims that you make during your presentation.

A fitting example of an informative speech would be a museum guide giving an informative speech to a group of individuals in the museum, educating them on various artifacts using historical information.

9. Motivational speech

Are you planning to encourage your audience, give them confidence to better themselves or inspire them? Then you need a good motivational speech.

The objective of these speeches is to improve an audience’s self-esteem and lift their spirits. They can also be used to help motivate an audience or an individual to achieve a certain goal.

These types of speeches are, in a way, persuasive but instead of persuading an audience with logic, you as the speaker, stirs their emotions.

The best example of a motivational speech that moves people would be Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech.

10. Pitch Speech

Ever heard a character in a movie say that they were pitching a new idea to the board? Well this is what they mean. Pitching speeches are used to acquire approval or support for a solution, product or idea.

Salespeople are pretty good at these types of presentations (newsflash, it’s their job!) given that they pitch a product to a consumer and try to sell it to you by informing you, the consumer, about the product’s best qualities and how the product would benefit you.

Take for instance, a salesman trying to sell you a cleaning robot. They’d explain how it would ease your household chores, you wouldn’t have to dust, or vacuum or do your laundry, as it would do it all for you!

11. Debate speech

Debate speeches are speech types that follow a particular set of rules and are in some ways similar to persuasive speeches. The two should not be confused though, as the main objective of debate speeches is to defend your stance on a particular issue.

During a debate, each side is given an equal amount of time to defend their view or opinion. These speeches are improvised as you cannot predict all the arguments other debaters may throw at you (unless you can read minds of course). Debate speeches help you develop your public speaking and critical thinking skills while also improving your research and leadership skills.

These types of speeches are common in mock trials, parliamentary sessions and public forums.

12. Eulogy Speeches

Eulogy speeches, or funeral speeches as they are commonly known, are given to remember, honor or praise a deceased individual in front of an audience at a funeral service. The eulogy can be given by a relation of the deceased or by a minister chosen by the family.

The speaker may write down a heartfelt speech that not only honors the individual but also praises them for their achievements.

One of the most difficult experiences an individual can go through is losing a loved one. If you do find yourself in this situation, finding the right words may be challenging. You are therefore encouraged to speak from the heart .

13. Impromptu Speech

These types of speeches are delivered without any preparation or rehearsal. Impromptu speeches occur when one is called on to speak at an event or any other situation.

This may be stressful and intimidating for individuals who like planning things (like myself). However, once you get over the initial public speaking jitters and brush up on any concepts that are relevant, you’ll be good to go.

14. Farewell Speech

Farewell speeches , as the name implies, are used to say goodbye to people. These speeches have a unique tone to them, as they are encouraging as well as sad. They often trigger emotions both in the speaker and in the audience.

A good example of this would be bidding farewell to your colleagues and friends before you retire after working at company X for 21 years.

Conclusion: On the Different Types of Speeches

From the above, we can see that to give a speech , one needs to not only understand the different types of speeches that exist but also master their purposes and the different settings that they can be used in.

To determine the type of speech to give depending on the occasion, you should consider the message you would like to put across and how you would like to deliver it. After this, you can then think about the effect you would like your speech to have or its desired outcome. This could be, for example, teaching your audience how to use an air dryer or introducing a guest you would like the audience to remember.

Properly understanding the types of speeches mentioned above and possessing the ability to speak effortlessly in public will allow you to grow as a public speaker , which will in turn, make you better at relating with different audiences.

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10.1: What are the Different Types of Speeches?

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• Page ID 106477

• Lisa Coleman, Thomas King, & William Turner
• Southwest Tennessee Community College

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the three main types of speeches.
• Discuss the importance of differentiating between the three.

Speeches have traditionally been seen to have one of three broad purposes: to inform, to persuade, and— Well, to be honest, different words are used for the third kind of speech purpose: to inspire, to amuse, to please, to delight, or to entertain. We will just use “to inspire” as the overall term here.

Your instructor will most likely assign you an informative and persuasive speech, and then perhaps one more. The third one might be a special occasion speech, such as a tribute (commemorative), an after-dinner speech, a toast, or a eulogy. These four types of speeches fit into the category of “to inspire” or “to entertain.”  It should be understood that these three purposes are not necessarily exclusive of the others. A speech designed to be persuasive can also be informative and entertaining, even if neither of those is the main purpose.  To further demonstrate this, look at the examples below in Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\).

Some of the topics listed above could fall into another category depending on how the speaker approached the topic, or they could contain elements of both. For example, you may have to inform your audience about your topic in one main point before you can persuade them, or you may include some entertaining elements in an informative or persuasive speech to help make the content more engaging for the audience. There should not be elements of persuasion included in an informative speech, since persuading is contrary to the objective approach that defines an informative speech. In any case, while there may be some overlap between topics, most speeches can be placed into one of the categories based on the overall content of the speech.

Tucker, Barbara; Barton, Kristin; Burger, Amy; Drye, Jerry; Hunsicker, Cathy; Mendes, Amy; and LeHew, Matthew, "Exploring Public Speaking: 4th Edition" (2019). Communication Open Textbooks . 1. https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/communication-textbooks/1  - CC BY-NC 2.0

4 Types of Public Speaking (A Complete Guide)

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation , Public Speaking , Toastmasters

The four main types of public speaking are informative, persuasive, demonstrative, and ceremonial. Understanding these will help specialize how you speak to the intention of your speech. The article goes over all the basic information, examples, and key things to note when delivering these types of speeches.

Public speaking is multifaceted. It can be done in various ways, depending on the speaker’s intention. Knowledge of these types will help you establish specific ways you can perform public speaking well. It is not typically taught in schools, but so are many other important things. Public speaking can help you in many ways in the future , so let’s get right to it!

Informative Speaking

The speaker simply intends to convey information in this. It is the most straightforward type of public speaking, which is why this category might make you wonder whether public speaking can get easier than this .

Examples of this type:

• A lecturer delivering content at a university
• A student explaining his dissertation to the class
• A public official explaining changes due to new policy
• An office worker providing information on the quarterly sales
• A person explaining how a game is done to his friends

Few key points to note here:

• Heavily research your topic: The key here is to have a large amount of knowledge about the concerned topic so you can supplement the required information with examples, statistics, etc. This will help provide you with credibility.
• Do not look at a paper or your presentation for all your information- they should only be used for cues. Otherwise, it seems like you do not know about the topic, and your only role is to convert that written text into spoken, which can appear quite awkward. 
• Try to keep it simple. Many believe that using complicated words will make you look smarter. To an uninformed speaker, it might. However, you might not achieve the purpose (which is to convey the information), and others might dislike you if they can sense you’re using superfluous language.
• Keep it concise. A lot of unnecessary information and beating around the bush will take away the audience’s attention span, and you may fail to achieve your purpose again. If there is extra information that may help a select few, you may make it so that others are not affected by it by either having them reach out later if needed or providing a disclaimer so only those interested may listen to that part.

Persuasive Speaking

The speaker intends to persuade or convince the audience of something. This is tricky because it requires understanding the nuances of the audience’s desires and somehow relating them to your viewpoint. 

Examples include:

• A politician explaining why he’s the better candidate and appealing to vote for him
• A marketing team explaining why their product is better than competitors
• A lawyer explaining to the jury why the defendant is innocent
• A group member explaining to his peers why the project should be done his way
• A person explaining to their friends why their view on a topic makes sense

One mistake people make here is putting people down for particular opinions, which tends to make them defensive and then less likely to be receptive to any change. This makes sense because these opinions may have been there for a long time or in any other way strongly associated with their identity, and by putting them down for it, you’re attacking them. Even if their opinion is wrong according to you, it’s better suited to show understanding of their current beliefs and provide a convincing narrative of your topic of persuasion.

Few communication techniques are especially helpful here, although they should be used in other types of public speaking as well. 

AIDA principle is also something you might want to look into. It essentially attempts to grab consumer Attention, develop Interest, stimulate Desire to purchase, and spurs them to Action step-by-step. So what you do is contingent on these stages. For instance, to grab their attention, you might talk about an interesting story then relate it to them to develop interest then talk about how the product solves the issue, which creates a desire to purchase, and lastly, let them know easy of ordering the product and a limited time offer that spurs them to action.

Demonstrative Speaking

The intention is to teach the audience to perform a certain action. The speaker actually performs the action that is being taught while explaining it. Hence, it allows the audience to see exactly how it is done and model that behaviour later. 

The speaker must be clear and descriptive enough when explaining the process while also making sure the audience is engaged enough to take that information with them.

• An employee might market a laptop by talking about its features while using them simultaneously.
• A swimming instructor might explain how to swim while doing it.
• A professor might explain how to experiment while doing it.
• A bartender might explain how to make a cocktail while doing it.
• A person might explain how to perform a trick while doing it.

So as you can see, it’s just informational speech with more nonverbal communication mixed in for better understanding.

Ceremonial Speaking

The intention is to get an emotional response from the audience. They are done on special occasions and tend to mark major milestones in people’s lives, such as birthdays, graduation, parties, wedding, anniversary, and funerals. 

• Graduation ceremony
• Wedding speech addressed to groom/bride.
• Birthday speech to a friend
• Party speech addressed to the host.
• Funeral speech for the person who passed away.

While we may appear very confident and natural when we give our speech at a party, we’re also well aware of how much time and effort it takes to get around writing the perfect speech. But it’s really not that complicated. You just need to know your audience and provide a concise, personalized speech. 

For example, if your audience includes friends and family and you’re giving this speech at a wedding ceremony, your content could include some experience involving the groom/bride, which highlights one of their positive qualities and possibly an amusing component to it. 

However, in these kinds of speeches, it’s also necessary to be careful not to forget to read the room when the audience is not receptive to certain comments. If you’re talking about a very embarrassing experience that the person would not have liked you to share, it might tense up your relationship with him. Alternatively, if you’re trying to force a positive emotional reaction by saying things you do not mean or exaggerating some experience that did not mean much for the person involved, it will be poorly received, and things might become awkward. Hence, it’s important to be genuine, even if it means starting off on a seemingly negative scenario: “We haven’t hung out as much as I wish we had. Regardless, the times we spent together have been meaningful and….” Genuinity is most commonly well-received.

Examples of all these types of public speaking

Aren’t there just three main types of public speaking or are there five different types of public speaking.

We have mentioned the ones that are most relevant. When people say three, they usually mean informative, persuasive and entertaining, and when people say five, they usually mean informative, persuasive, entertaining, demonstrating, and actuating. What we haven’t mentioned in the article so far are entertaining and actuating.

Entertaining includes ceremonial, along with other forms of public speaking, such as storytelling and humorous content. Essentially, this form is informal, while most others tend to be formal. The only difference is that you may add a personal touch and be more relaxed on these occasions. Feel free to check out how to make public speaking fun .

Actuating is simply a form of persuasive speaking which focuses on the action component, like getting the consumer to purchase the product. We frequently get things done through other people, so it’s quite a useful form of public speaking.

Here is a video that can help you improve your public speaking skills in all these areas:

Additionally, you can check out 20 unique ways to get better at public speaking . It’s never too late to opt for public speaking coaching !

Enroll in our transformative 1:1 Coaching Program

Schedule a call with our expert communication coach to know if this program would be the right fit for you

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Finding Your Authentic Speaking Style

While there are many types of speaking styles, your natural speaking style is what gives your speech that unique personal touch. There are a lot of misconceptions in the public speaking world that have you believe you need to shadow great speakers and mimic their styles. 

Additionally, they idolize great speakers like Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King, and so on. This perpetuates a myth that there is some sort of structure to becoming a great speaker.

It can be quite demotivating as this keeps people from even trying. What needs to be understood is that everybody is their own person with a unique collection of skills, personalities, and experiences.

So if you’re ready to find your personal speaking style, let’s dive right in!

Table of Contents

Can Authenticity be Rehearsed?

Common problems in public speaking, zero in on your natural qualities, don’t restrict your natural flow., say it how you speak it., fears are friends, the shake-it-up speaker, the commanding speaker, the entertaining speaker, speaking style checklist, owning your style, wrapping up,.

When it comes to speaking styles, people often use the word ‘authentic.’ Everyone loves a natural speaker. Someone in complete control and with an effortless stage presence. This makes it sound like public speaking is a talent you are born with.

Which begs the question: Can authenticity be rehearsed?

We say, yes! Your audience can tell when you are putting on a show. This can put quite a damper on building that natural connection. So what can you do? 

It’s all about practice. Most speakers add exaggeration to their energy, facial expressions, and vocal variety. The trick is to embellish it onto your existing traits.

Don’t try to imitate other speakers and styles that feel starkly different from your own personality. Even when you try to motivate and command speeches that require you to seem over-energized, make sure you only try to enhance the style you already have.

Finding your natural speaking style sounds like it should be easier, doesn’t it? And yet, many people fail to do it. Have you wondered why? Well, many hurdles get in the way of this. Some of which can be:

• The presentations go on for too long and lose their message along the way.
• Most speakers do not adjust their message to fit their persuasion goals.
• Attempting to mimic successful speakers.
• Padding your speeches with challenging jargon.
• Being too monotone or exaggerating your energy.

How to find your natural speaking style?

While it is great to take inspiration from successful speakers, what makes you stand out is your own spin to complete that style.

Once you assess your own strengths, you will have an easier time discovering what style suits you best. This is what is your natural speaking style. We have the following steps to not just help you recognize but also build a personal speaking style:

Grab a notepad and make a list of your strengths. Don’t be shy! Jot down your best qualities. Are you a sweet talker?

Are you the funny one in your group or someone that sparks a more serious and intense discussion? Do you consider yourself to be fluid or direct? Are you freer with your emotions, or do you usually stick to facts? 

These are the qualities that will elevate your speech and your performance. There is no hard and fast rule for speakers to act in a certain way. Resist the temptation to follow the herd and just polish the person your close friends know you to be.

Everyone has unique and quirky behaviors. Don’t try to tame these quirks and rather make them your signature style. These will add that special touch that you simply won’t find in advice columns.

So allow these aspects of your personality to shine through as you take the stage. This will be the mark of authenticity that genuinely connects you to your audience and keeps them coming back for more.

Most speeches have a structure that you need to follow. You might find yourself restricting your natural flow while trying to conform to these dated structures. While a proper form is certainly essential, losing your flow is no way to go about it.

For instance, introverts and extroverts both have different flows to how they express themselves. This is another way of saying to understand your persona accordingly. Typically,

introverts tend to want to articulate their thoughts and words. You might prefer speaking more deliberately at a slower pace. If you are indeed someone that prefers this method of speaking, don’t get too swayed by enthusiastic speakers.

Audiences can detect fake enthusiasm, and it is easy to break the spell. You want people to believe in the message you are giving, which simply won’t happen if you aren’t your true self.

Similarly, if you prefer a more dynamic and lively approach, then own your entertaining side. Be loud and proud. Be dramatic. Don’t try to tame your natural flow by trying to fit into a more serious mold. 

Of course, how a speech is presented depends on the material you need to present. If you are speaking on a serious topic or addressing a more corporate audience, it might not be suitable to bring in too much drama. However, you can still incorporate your natural flow without being too over-the-top about it.  

When looking for your natural speaking style, this advice probably makes sense. Speeches that sound rehearsed or memorized take away from experience. Try to speak and present how you would if you were talking to your friends.

This will also help you remember the speech better as you will see it as talking more than presenting. Read your speech out loud; how are the words and phrases? Do they sound awkward? Is this how you would naturally speak?

Don’t chase perfection. Try not to change your entire speaking style just to match your writing. Instead of trying to speak perfectly, focus on speaking the truth.

Quotes and sayings are a great addition to your speech, but if your entire speech is packed with them, it comes off as fake. After all, when you speak the truth, you don’t speak in literary phrases. Just let the words flow from your heart as you feel it.

It is entirely okay to feel anxiety or be worried when you are presenting or performing. You can use this fear in your favor. After all, this fear is an ode to your passion. It shows how much you care, and it can be plugged into your speech as energy.

Instead of running from this fear, try to understand and incorporate it into your speech so that it conveys your passion. Your audience will definitely respond to this positive energy.

Speaking styles for different speakers

As we mentioned above, to find your natural speaking style, you need to identify which style truly speaks to you. We have detailed the most common type of speakers below so that you can skim through and pick which style fits you best.

The Motivating Speaker

A motivational speaker possesses many qualities. It comes down to three key elements: energy, tone, and speed. A speaker that has mastered these elements tends to be successful as a motivational speaker.

A good motivational speaker can get the crowds’ energy pumping. The purpose is to engage and inspire the audience. Let’s break down this type of speaker into its three main elements:

Your pace determines how excited you can get your audience. If you speak faster, it will usually ramp up the excitement of the crowd as well.

However, you have to be careful in overusing this trick. It might get tiring if you are constantly speaking too fast, and the audience cannot keep up.

Energy is one of the central elements of a motivational speech. You want to be positive and have shining optimism in your delivery. Listeners will remember when you deliver a high-energy performance and are more likely to be receptive to your message.

You simply cannot deliver a motivational speech in a plain tone. You need to mix in a touch of drama and intrigue, which is done by vocal variety.

There’s nothing worse than a monotonous motivational speaker. Remember to add your personal touch to everything you speak of and represent.

The shake-it-up speaker is quite similar to the motivational speaker. The main difference? Getting the audience moving.

This type of speaker gets the audience fully involved. It can be a bit challenging, though, as you have to really know your content. When you open up the floor, you don’t know what they might ask. 

Speakers spend a lot of their time trying to perfect their message. How am I presenting the information? Am I using enough vocal variety or too much?

In all this time and preparation, we often forget that communication is a two-way street.

This shake-it-up speaker thus understands this and creates the opportunity for the audience to participate.

It includes practicing softer tones and gestures in order to be more inviting to the listeners. This speaker will speak slowly and clearly with expressive facial movements.

It’s a great way to get a quiet audience to not just warm up but also be engaged. This will also get the crowd to be more receptive to tough discussions to ensure people feel heard.

However, if you find that people aren’t responding, then you can always switch to asking for a volunteer. You can then get this person to share their top takeaways from your speech for a refreshing perspective.

What you need to remember is that you have a full range of vocal strengths at your disposal. Make sure to experiment with your voice, energy, and pace so that you can truly deliver to the best of your ability. This way, you will be ready to present and engage your audiences to truly serve your message.

A commanding speaker is capable of delivering a message with a certain gravitas. You must be able to convince your audience about the weight of your words.

When you command a room well, you garner the respect of your listeners. For instance: Barack Obama used to follow a more motivational way of speaking but gradually transitioned to a commanding role.

During his 2008 Presidential campaign, he followed a more charged and energized style. If you look at his later speeches, you will notice controlled pauses along with a lower but more powerful tone during his inauguration speech.

The commanding style is more suited to speaking about serious topics. This can also extend to addressing sensitive topics or speaking in front of important or high-level members. It is properly executed by exerting control over your voice.

Speaking slower and lowering your pitch are both effective strategies in delivering a commanding speech. Furthermore, making purposeful and smooth gestures also adds to the entire experience. 

The entertaining speaker is a crowd-pleaser. The perfect choice to change the pace from the typically serious and monotonous delivery.

This style is suited to individuals with a more animated nature. You need to let loose and own the space around you. Similarly, this type of speaker uses smooth, flowing gestures and typically a more open and inviting tone.

They give out a feeling of ease, which in turn allows the audience to feel comfortable. The entire presentation oozes a playful vibe allowing everybody to lighten up.

The common misconception is that this style requires you to simply be humorous. This often leads to people packing jokes into their speech, which distracts from your main message and can seem like trying too hard.

You don’t have to be Jerry Seinfield or George Carlin up there. The trick is in the delivery. If you are having a good time up there, the audience will begin to resonate.

Try to practice speaking in front of your mirror. Loosen up. Especially check if your body language matches the ease you are trying to convey. Use fluid transitions and try to mingle with your listeners.

You can browse through the different body gestures you can incorporate to make your presentation much more natural.

The entertaining speaker is also dramatic. After all, they are weaving a story. Whether that means dropping your tone during serious moments or upping the ante during a particularly dramatic retelling, they have it down. Zeroing into the absurdity can be seen as a really humanizing way of public speaking.

Even if the story isn’t particularly upbeat, the entertaining speaker finds a way to make sure the audience doesn’t feel disheartened.

This type of speech is so effective that often in public speaking, stories get monotonous. This is where most speakers lose their audiences.

In the end, sad or happy most stories just mesh into one and fail to bring out their emotions. This is why it is important to weave in and out of different tones, gestures, and energy. After all, it is a performance.

Now that we have discussed the four main speaking styles, the next thing to know is that no style is absolute. Even if you resonated with one of these styles more than the other, you are under no obligation to stick to only one of them.

It’s completely okay to mix it up. You may want to keep a more entertaining overall speech but dabble in a bit of motivation in there. 

Experiment with different styles and paces to figure out which combination works the best for you.

Once you know your speaking style, read through the following to make sure you are fully prepared to deliver.

• Don’t try to memorize your speech. We recommend using an outline or remembering your key points. If you simply memorize a speech, you are at risk of seeming like you are simply parroting the speech and might lose your chain of thoughts when interrupted.
• Work on your introduction. It is very important to grab the audiences’ attention early as this is when you can give them a reason to listen in the first place. First, engage, and then you impress.
• Breathe and deliver at a pace that is comfortable for you. Speaking too slow can have you risk losing the listeners’ attention, but speaking too fast will make you come off as nervous or in a hurry.
• Experiment with vocal variety. Delivering in the same tone throughout the speech will quickly bore the audience. Incorporate questions experiment with sentence lengths, tones, and the overall energy of the speech.
• Read your audience. Their reactions will give you a live indication of how you are doing. If you notice more people yawning, zoning out, or looking at their phones, switch things up so that you can grab their attention again.
• Reiterate your key points. While you know your main points by heart, the audience might need a few reminders and examples for the message to get across.
• Don’t try to pad your speech with complicated vocabulary. Go for simple language so that your audience can focus on the main message. Shorter sentences will be much easier to follow.
• When possible, try to incorporate some visual aids. Effective visuals will elevate your speech and keep the audience engaged. They will also enhance your main message.
• Make sure you go big on your conclusion. This is the lasting impact you will be leaving on your audience. Try to leave the listeners with something to think about.
• Nothing beats practice. A lack of preparation can thwart even the most natural speaking styles. Make sure you prep and know your material well.

It is okay to be nervous about speaking in front of an audience. Even the most experienced speakers are prone to the occasional stage fright.

Practice in front of the mirror and then in smaller groups. Crowd control and body language are not talents but skills that you can work to sharpen. Similarly, as you put yourself out there, you will begin to find your natural voice and tone.

The best place to start is by observing your favorite speakers. Note what it is about their style that speaks to you. Try to incorporate their traits, but don’t try to imitate them. Remember, the objective is to build your signature speaking style.

Your job as a speaker is to be convincing. The best way you can do this is by knowing your material inside out.

Doing so will also make it much easier for you to open up the floor for audience participation. The natural feel comes when the audience sees you speak effortlessly without sounding like you’re reading off a teleprompter.

Once you have enough practice with public speaking, you’ll start to naturally read the audience. You will be able to adjust your eye contact, body gestures, and vocal variety as needed and truly master your speaking style.

So there you have it! Browsing through these various speaking styles should help you realize that you have something unique to bring to the stage.

Many successful speakers are dominating the market, but none of them have the combination of traits that you possess.

Find out which style or which combination works best for you. Beyond that, fluency is all about practice. Learning your speaking style is the first step in the right direction to improving your craft. All the best on your journey!

9 Different Types of Speeches (Plus Tips and Examples for Each)

Posted on Published: August 6, 2018  - Last updated: March 5, 2021

One of the most famous speeches is Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream.” It was delivered 55 years ago in Washington D.C. to an estimated 250,000 people who showed up in support of civil rights.

People might have never heard of the speech had the sound system not been fixed promptly. It was discovered that someone had sabotaged the sound system just before the event started.

As shown by Dr. King, speeches are powerful and can be used to move mountains. That’s why it’s important to know the different types of speeches and how you can harness them to your advantage.

Basic Types of Speeches

Demonstrative speech.

The purpose of a demonstrative speech is to educate the audience on something . It can include visual aids that add to the demonstration and describe in practical terms how to do something. Demonstrative speeches are similar to informative speeches but informative speeches normally do not include actual demonstrations.

If you give a talk on how to start a blog, how to write a cover letter, or even how to make money on the Internet, these can be considered demonstrative speeches. Asking yourself “how” and “why” questions is a great way to get this type of speech started and, of course, visual aids are a necessity for any type of demonstrative speech or presentation.

Entertaining Speech

If you’ve ever been to a wedding reception or banquet — and who hasn’t? — you are already familiar with an entertaining type of speech. The main purpose of a best man’s speech or an after-dinner speaker is to entertain the crowd and most speakers do that through illustrations, funny stories, and basic humor. Entertaining speeches are informal and usually very short; they are speeches that provide a lot of enjoyment and pleasure for the audience.

Informative Speech

People who give informative speeches are there to present the audience with new information on a particular subject. They present statistics and facts about topics such as social and economic changes in the community but they do not use visual aids in the speech.

Instead, they rely on educational information, facts, and various data so that the audience actually learns something. If you’ve ever been to a museum and had a tour guide, you’ve enjoyed the benefits of an informative speech. Any time that a talk is given to give the audience details and information on a certain topic, this is an example of an informative speech.

Persuasive Speech

Persuasive speeches are there to persuade the audience that an opinion expressed by the speaker is the right one. Whether you’re discussing what to eat for supper or which political point makes the most sense, these are examples of persuasive speeches. Most people, in an attempt to persuade the audience that their point of view is the right one, use solid facts to back up their argument. This is one of the best ways to make sure that your persuasive speech does the trick, which means that using research and statistics to develop your argument is always more likely to make people come to your side.

Other Types of Speeches

Oratorical speech.

Oratorical speeches are delivered in the style used by an orator. Its name is a little redundant because “orator” and “oratorical” both relate to the giving of speeches. These types of speeches are usually given at a special celebration such as an inauguration or ribbon-cutting ceremony. They can be long and formal, such as speeches used at a graduation, funeral, or inauguration, or short and informal, such as speeches delivered as toasts at special events.

Oratorical speeches can also be given at events such as birthday parties, going-away parties, retirement parties, and many others. Political speeches are usually considered oratorical speeches and they are better when they do not try and settle a complex argument but instead when they appeal to common virtues and basic truths. In oratorical speeches, the speaker is not trying to persuade someone to do something or believe a certain way but even though they are fairly general in purpose, the speaker can still address certain issues while giving the speech. Inauguration speeches are perhaps the most well-known oratorical speeches that exist today.

Special Occasion Speech

Speeches that don’t fall into any other category are usually classified as special occasion speeches and these can include speaker introduction speeches, designed to be short but interesting and to introduce an upcoming speaker; tribute speeches, which are designed to pay tribute to someone either dead or alive; and award acceptance speeches, which are meant to thank someone for an award and describe what the award means to you.

Special occasion speeches are designed to be short, usually ten minutes or less; succinct and to the point; and mood-setting. In other words, there are distinct purposes for special occasion speeches and whether the event they’re offered at includes something that is happy or somber, for someone still living or a posthumous occasion, or something large or small, they are often some of the easiest speeches to write. Most often, speeches for special occasions are fun and upbeat and if you research them online, it is easy to find out how to get started for your own special occasion speech.

Motivational Speech

A motivational speech is a unique type of speech and has the goal of self-improvement for the audience members. With a motivational speech, you can turn a negative situation into a positive one. These types of speeches are especially popular in business meetings with executives, to complete a certain task, or to encourage employees to sell more of your product or service. Motivational speeches can be found in elementary school to high school in order to motivate the students to do better on a test or in a sporting event. The speeches are great for inspiring people, lifting a person’s self-esteem, or even motivating an entire crowd of people.

Motivational speeches often use techniques to make the speeches more effective. These include:

• Starting with an activity –g., a breathing exercise — to demonstrate what the speaker’s goals are and which results are expected in the end
• Asking a question in order to pique the audience’s curiosity and interest
• Quoting a scientific study so that your motivational speech has some authority and trust
• Telling a story to get the audience more interested and involved; this can include a historical story, a personal story, or even a professional story, although a story from your own life is likely to work best
• Making sure that you address the audience’s problem so that you can then give them detailed suggestions on what can solve that problem, which will naturally increase their motivation

Debate Speech

In a formal debate, much verbal sparring is experienced and the debates come in various forms as well. These forms include Parliamentary, classical, extemporaneous, Lincoln-Douglas, impromptu, public forum, and mock trials, to name a few. As a general rule, in a debate, both sides get equal time to discuss the issue and explain why their view of the issue is the right one. Debates are somewhat different than persuasive speeches because you aren’t necessarily there to get the other side to switch to your side; instead you are there, in essence, to justify why you believe a certain thing.

Debates are arguments that have rules and regardless of which style you choose, each side receives the topic then has a certain amount of time to prepare to present it. Debate teams develop very valuable skills, including research skills, public speaking skills, leadership skills, initiative skills, developing grace under pressure, critical thinking skills, and developing arguments that are both logical and sound. Debaters also learn to think on their feet, which is why many people who join debate teams during high school and college go on to become professional mediators or lawyers.

There are many advantages to belonging to a debate team and some of those can be found here .

Forensic Speech

The term “forensic speech” merely refers to the practice and study of debate and public speaking. This is according to the American Forensic Association and this activity is practiced by millions of high school and college students each and every year. The reason why it is called forensics is that this practice is patterned after the competitions at public forums during the period of ancient Greece.

The speeches can take place inside a classroom, a national or international tournament, or even a regional event. During the activity, students learn to research and speech skills in order to learn all different types of speeches. Forensic speeches allow students to perfect their craft under the supervision of experienced public speakers and it can even be considered a type of “on-the-job training” because the students involved in this activity are continuously honing their craft while practicing it at the same time.

Examples of Speeches: Possible Speech Topics

If you’re looking for ideas when writing a demonstrative speech, check out websites such as this .

Examples of great ideas for entertaining speeches can be found here .

Some interesting topics to use for informative speeches are listed here .

Get more ideas on what to write about in a good persuasive speech by visiting websites such as this.

Tips to Make Speeches More Effective

• Choose an easy topic. This is the best way to make sure that your speech is both effective and interesting. Choosing a topic that is too complex or technical is a great way to lose the audience’s interest quickly because most people don’t enjoy topics that take too much concentration. In addition, many audiences are made up of people from many different walks of life so choosing an easy topic ensures that the audience will understand what you’re talking about without losing interest at some point.
• Know your audience . This is easier to do than it seems, especially because the people who hire you for the speech often help you familiarize yourself with your audience so that you can have this valuable information before you start writing the speech. One thing to look for is the mental level of the audience so if they are going to be within a certain age range, gender, or area of interest, you can easily cater your speech to this feature. Using innovative techniques to keep the speech uplifting and positive also helps so doing your due diligence on your audience is always a great first step when creating the perfect demonstrative speech.
• Keep your visual aids interesting. Visual aids are a very important part of a demonstrative speech and if you use a variety of visual aids, the speech is guaranteed to keep the audience’s attention. It’s best if you use visual aids such as drawings, photographs, 3-D items, and even flashcards for more emphasis. If you go back and forth between color and black-and-white pictures and visual aids of many different sizes and types, that will keep the audience’s interest throughout the speech. Furthermore, making your visual aids stand out is also important because during many speeches, the audience members pay more attention to the visual aids than they do to the speech itself.
• Add entertainment of some type. This can include a video, a sound clip, or even a funny cartoon. If you insert one of these items periodically throughout your speech, it not only keeps things more interesting and entertaining but it also enables it to be funnier, which means that it is going to be a speech that people will remember for a very long time.
• Tell jokes periodically. Many effective entertaining speeches have jokes inserted into them every now and then. If you’re delivering your speech, simply stop occasionally and say, “that reminds me of a joke…” Even entertaining speeches can have slow spots and a good joke can break up the monotony and keep the entertaining speech, well, entertaining.
• Tell funny stories. Funny stories go great with entertaining speeches because much as the speeches themselves, these stories are designed to help people relax and laugh a bit. Everyone enjoys a funny story and if you tell three to four of them in your speech, it can make the speech much more entertaining and something that is guaranteed to be enjoyed by everyone.
• Tell a scary story . As long as it isn’t too scary, this technique works every time. Everybody loves a good old-fashioned scary story and since both these stories and your speech will entertain people, they are the perfect two items to include together. Scary stories aren’t appropriate for every type of entertaining speech but for most of them, they will work just fine.
• Dramatize an anecdote. Anecdotes are perfect for entertaining speeches because they are amusing stories about real-life people. They make an already entertaining speech even more entertaining and they can easily relate to the topic you’ve chosen for your speech. Anecdotes also make the speech a little more light-hearted and since there are literally millions of subjects to choose from, it is easy to incorporate an anecdote into entertaining speeches of all types and subject matters.
• Include a theme. A theme that repeats itself throughout your speech is a good way to make it more memorable and also a lot funnier and more entertaining. A humorous theme works best because it fits perfectly within a speech meant to be entertaining. If you’ve researched your speech’s topic thoroughly enough, it will be easy to determine which theme to choose in the end.
• Include enough pieces of information throughout your speech. As a general rule, if you include one piece of information for every minute of the speech , it goes a long way in delivering the right amount of information. If you can, view a stand-up comic’s routine. Most of them go for a laugh every minute so in an average 30-minute routine, they aim to get at least 30 laughs.
• Organize, organize, organize. Your speech needs to be organized from start to finish, which means keeping in mind what you want to teach the audience and listing points that describe each of these things. Remember, this is a speech that is supposed to teach something to the audience so writing out your speech in bullet form is a great way to keep it organized. This organization takes a lot of pre-planning so keep all of this in mind while you’re writing your speech.
• Don’t recite your speech word for Instead, write it out with 30 to 60 points that you wish to get across to the audience members. Reciting it word for word makes it sound boring and as if you aren’t interested in the topic yourself but giving the speech in your own words makes it more interesting and does a better job of getting your points across to the audience. To make it more effective, write down your speech in outline form and bring that outline with you to the event.
• Make sure that your speech is long enough. Since most people tend to talk fast when they’re nervous, such as when they are giving a speech, it is a good idea to prepare 35 minutes worth of content for a 30-minute speech. Also, practicing the speech more than once helps you determine whether the content you’ve written will suffice. The more practice, the better, and always remember to include more content as related to the length of time that you hope to be speaking.
• Don’t stay stuck behind the podium. Informative speeches can easily be boring speeches so come out from behind the podium occasionally and make direct eye contact with audience members. This serves several purposes. First, it engages the audience more and makes them feel as though you are truly interested in them; second, it lets you know if what you’re conveying is actually getting across because you can more clearly see the expressions on their faces as you speak.
• Make your ending memorable. At the end of your speech, there are a few things that you can do to make it truly effective. These include thanking the audience, giving them your contact information in case they want to get in touch with you later on, encouraging them to ask questions, and, when questions are asked, making sure that you rephrase them so that everyone in the room will understand your answers.
• Choose something controversial. This may sound odd but the truth is that topics that everyone agrees on or is favorable to don’t need much persuasion. A controversial topic such as the death penalty or gun control usually has people on both sides pretty firm in their beliefs and if you can convince one of those people to change his or her mind or understand the other side’s beliefs, this says a lot about your speech-writing abilities. Of course, if you have passion when it comes to your topic, you are likely to be more effective; however, starting with a controversial topic is a great way to get started with your persuasive speech.
• Consider people’s perceptions of the topic. With controversial subjects, it is common for people on both sides to have certain inaccurate perceptions regarding the topic. If you specifically address some of these perceptions, it goes a long way in teaching the other side some facts that they may not have known about your side of the issue. The more they learn about your side, the more likely they are to agree with you in the end. Remember, for most people, perception is reality so addressing people’s perceptions is a great tactic for use in persuasive speeches.
• Use facts instead of emotions. Controversial topics are usually very emotional ones but trying to use emotions to bring people to your side is rarely effective. If you use straight facts and you are able to inform them which sources you used to get those facts, it will at least plant some fact-based ideas in the minds of the other side. This may not convince them to be on your side right now but it is much more likely to do so sometime in the future.
• Consider the other side’s sense of opposition. Regardless of what side you’re on regarding a controversial subject, you are liable to feel a certain amount of opposition from the other side. When you’re giving a persuasive speech, finding a way to eliminate this opposition or the perception of it can help your speech become more effective. Learn the obstacles the other side feels are associated with your view of the issue and find ways to convince them that they will not be ostracized or opposed in any way if they come over to your side. This is easy because once you determine what types of opposition they feel or sense, you can easily address the opposition specifically during your speech.

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14.1 Four Methods of Delivery

Learning objectives.

• Differentiate among the four methods of speech delivery.
• Understand when to use each of the four methods of speech delivery.

Maryland GovPics – House of Ruth Luncheon – CC BY 2.0.

The easiest approach to speech delivery is not always the best. Substantial work goes into the careful preparation of an interesting and ethical message, so it is understandable that students may have the impulse to avoid “messing it up” by simply reading it word for word. But students who do this miss out on one of the major reasons for studying public speaking: to learn ways to “connect” with one’s audience and to increase one’s confidence in doing so. You already know how to read, and you already know how to talk. But public speaking is neither reading nor talking.

Speaking in public has more formality than talking. During a speech, you should present yourself professionally. This doesn’t mean you must wear a suit or “dress up” (unless your instructor asks you to), but it does mean making yourself presentable by being well groomed and wearing clean, appropriate clothes. It also means being prepared to use language correctly and appropriately for the audience and the topic, to make eye contact with your audience, and to look like you know your topic very well.

While speaking has more formality than talking, it has less formality than reading. Speaking allows for meaningful pauses, eye contact, small changes in word order, and vocal emphasis. Reading is a more or less exact replication of words on paper without the use of any nonverbal interpretation. Speaking, as you will realize if you think about excellent speakers you have seen and heard, provides a more animated message.

The next sections introduce four methods of delivery that can help you balance between too much and too little formality when giving a public speech.

Impromptu Speaking

Impromptu speaking is the presentation of a short message without advance preparation. Impromptu speeches often occur when someone is asked to “say a few words” or give a toast on a special occasion. You have probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational settings. Self-introductions in group settings are examples of impromptu speaking: “Hi, my name is Steve, and I’m a volunteer with the Homes for the Brave program.” Another example of impromptu speaking occurs when you answer a question such as, “What did you think of the documentary?”

The advantage of this kind of speaking is that it’s spontaneous and responsive in an animated group context. The disadvantage is that the speaker is given little or no time to contemplate the central theme of his or her message. As a result, the message may be disorganized and difficult for listeners to follow.

Here is a step-by-step guide that may be useful if you are called upon to give an impromptu speech in public.

• Take a moment to collect your thoughts and plan the main point you want to make.
• Thank the person for inviting you to speak.
• Deliver your message, making your main point as briefly as you can while still covering it adequately and at a pace your listeners can follow.
• Thank the person again for the opportunity to speak.
• Stop talking.

As you can see, impromptu speeches are generally most successful when they are brief and focus on a single point.

Extemporaneous Speaking

Extemporaneous speaking is the presentation of a carefully planned and rehearsed speech, spoken in a conversational manner using brief notes. By using notes rather than a full manuscript, the extemporaneous speaker can establish and maintain eye contact with the audience and assess how well they are understanding the speech as it progresses. The opportunity to assess is also an opportunity to restate more clearly any idea or concept that the audience seems to have trouble grasping.

For instance, suppose you are speaking about workplace safety and you use the term “sleep deprivation.” If you notice your audience’s eyes glazing over, this might not be a result of their own sleep deprivation, but rather an indication of their uncertainty about what you mean. If this happens, you can add a short explanation; for example, “sleep deprivation is sleep loss serious enough to threaten one’s cognition, hand-to-eye coordination, judgment, and emotional health.” You might also (or instead) provide a concrete example to illustrate the idea. Then you can resume your message, having clarified an important concept.

Speaking extemporaneously has some advantages. It promotes the likelihood that you, the speaker, will be perceived as knowledgeable and credible. In addition, your audience is likely to pay better attention to the message because it is engaging both verbally and nonverbally. The disadvantage of extemporaneous speaking is that it requires a great deal of preparation for both the verbal and the nonverbal components of the speech. Adequate preparation cannot be achieved the day before you’re scheduled to speak.

Because extemporaneous speaking is the style used in the great majority of public speaking situations, most of the information in this chapter is targeted to this kind of speaking.

Speaking from a Manuscript

Manuscript speaking is the word-for-word iteration of a written message. In a manuscript speech, the speaker maintains his or her attention on the printed page except when using visual aids.

The advantage to reading from a manuscript is the exact repetition of original words. As we mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, in some circumstances this can be extremely important. For example, reading a statement about your organization’s legal responsibilities to customers may require that the original words be exact. In reading one word at a time, in order, the only errors would typically be mispronunciation of a word or stumbling over complex sentence structure.

However, there are costs involved in manuscript speaking. First, it’s typically an uninteresting way to present. Unless the speaker has rehearsed the reading as a complete performance animated with vocal expression and gestures (as poets do in a poetry slam and actors do in a reader’s theater), the presentation tends to be dull. Keeping one’s eyes glued to the script precludes eye contact with the audience. For this kind of “straight” manuscript speech to hold audience attention, the audience must be already interested in the message before the delivery begins.

It is worth noting that professional speakers, actors, news reporters, and politicians often read from an autocue device, such as a TelePrompTer, especially when appearing on television, where eye contact with the camera is crucial. With practice, a speaker can achieve a conversational tone and give the impression of speaking extemporaneously while using an autocue device. However, success in this medium depends on two factors: (1) the speaker is already an accomplished public speaker who has learned to use a conversational tone while delivering a prepared script, and (2) the speech is written in a style that sounds conversational.

Speaking from Memory

Memorized speaking is the rote recitation of a written message that the speaker has committed to memory. Actors, of course, recite from memory whenever they perform from a script in a stage play, television program, or movie scene. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message needs to be exact and the speaker doesn’t want to be confined by notes.

The advantage to memorization is that it enables the speaker to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the speech. Being free of notes means that you can move freely around the stage and use your hands to make gestures. If your speech uses visual aids, this freedom is even more of an advantage. However, there are some real and potential costs. First, unless you also plan and memorize every vocal cue (the subtle but meaningful variations in speech delivery, which can include the use of pitch, tone, volume, and pace), gesture, and facial expression, your presentation will be flat and uninteresting, and even the most fascinating topic will suffer. You might end up speaking in a monotone or a sing-song repetitive delivery pattern. You might also present your speech in a rapid “machine-gun” style that fails to emphasize the most important points. Second, if you lose your place and start trying to ad lib, the contrast in your style of delivery will alert your audience that something is wrong. More frighteningly, if you go completely blank during the presentation, it will be extremely difficult to find your place and keep going.

Key Takeaways

• There are four main kinds of speech delivery: impromptu, extemporaneous, manuscript, and memorized.
• Impromptu speaking involves delivering a message on the spur of the moment, as when someone is asked to “say a few words.”
• Extemporaneous speaking consists of delivering a speech in a conversational fashion using notes. This is the style most speeches call for.
• Manuscript speaking consists of reading a fully scripted speech. It is useful when a message needs to be delivered in precise words.
• Memorized speaking consists of reciting a scripted speech from memory. Memorization allows the speaker to be free of notes.
• Find a short newspaper story. Read it out loud to a classroom partner. Then, using only one notecard, tell the classroom partner in your own words what the story said. Listen to your partner’s observations about the differences in your delivery.
• In a group of four or five students, ask each student to give a one-minute impromptu speech answering the question, “What is the most important personal quality for academic success?”
• Watch the evening news. Observe the differences between news anchors using a TelePrompTer and interviewees who are using no notes of any kind. What differences do you observe?

Stand up, Speak out Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Chapter 9 Public Speaking

9.2 Types of Speeches

In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with messages both good and bad. No matter where you live, where you work or go to school, or what kinds of media you use, you are probably exposed to hundreds. if not thousands, of advertising messages every day. Researcher Norman W. Edmund estimates that by 2020 the amount of knowledge in the world will double every seventy-three days (Edmund, 2005).

Christian Pierret –  Leader  – CC BY 2.0.

Because we live in a world where we are overwhelmed with content, communicating information in a way that is accessible to others is more important today than ever before. To help us further understand why public speaking is important, we will first examine public speaking in everyday life. We will then discuss how public speaking can benefit you personally.

Everyday Public Speaking

Every single day people across the United States and around the world stand up in front of some kind of audience and speak. In fact, there’s even a monthly publication that reproduces some of the top speeches from around the United States called  Vital Speeches of the Day  ( http://www.vsotd.com ). Although public speeches are of various types, they can generally be grouped into three categories based on their intended purpose: informative, persuasive, and entertaining.

Informative Speaking

One of the most common types of public speaking is  informative speaking . The primary purpose of informative presentations is to share one’s knowledge of a subject with an audience. Reasons for making an informative speech vary widely. For example, you might be asked to instruct a group of coworkers on how to use new computer software or to report to a group of managers how your latest project is coming along. A local community group might wish to hear about your volunteer activities in New Orleans during spring break, or your classmates may want you to share your expertise on Mediterranean cooking. What all these examples have in common is the goal of imparting information to an audience.

Informative speaking is integrated into many different occupations. Physicians often lecture about their areas of expertise to medical students, other physicians, and patients. Teachers find themselves presenting to parents as well as to their students. Firefighters give demonstrations about how to effectively control a fire in the house. Informative speaking is a common part of numerous jobs and other everyday activities. As a result, learning how to speak effectively has become an essential skill in today’s world.

Persuasive Speaking

A second common reason for speaking to an audience is to  persuade  others. In our everyday lives, we are often called on to convince, motivate, or otherwise persuade others to change their beliefs, take an action, or reconsider a decision. Advocating for music education in your local school district, convincing clients to purchase your company’s products, or inspiring high school students to attend college all involve influencing other people through public speaking.

For some people, such as elected officials, giving persuasive speeches is a crucial part of attaining and continuing career success. Other people make careers out of speaking to groups of people who pay to listen to them. Motivational authors and speakers, such as Les Brown ( http://www.lesbrown.com ), make millions of dollars each year from people who want to be motivated to do better in their lives. Brian Tracy, another professional speaker and author, specializes in helping business leaders become more productive and effective in the workplace ( http://www.briantracy.com ).

Whether public speaking is something you do every day or just a few times a year, persuading others is a challenging task. If you develop the skill to persuade effectively, it can be personally and professionally rewarding.

Entertaining Speaking

Entertaining speaking  involves an array of speaking occasions ranging from introductions to wedding toasts, to presenting and accepting awards, to delivering eulogies at funerals and memorial services in addition to after-dinner speeches and motivational speeches. Entertaining speaking has been important since the time of the ancient Greeks, when Aristotle identified epideictic speaking (speaking in a ceremonial context) as an important type of address. As with persuasive and informative speaking, there are professionals, from religious leaders to comedians, who make a living simply from delivering entertaining speeches. As anyone who has watched an awards show on television or has seen an incoherent best man deliver a wedding toast can attest, speaking to entertain is a task that requires preparation and practice to be effective.

Personal Benefits of Public Speaking

Oral communication skills were the number one skill that college graduates found useful in the business world, according to a study by sociologist Andrew Zekeri (Zekeri, 2004). That fact alone makes learning about public speaking worthwhile. However, there are many other benefits of communicating effectively for the hundreds of thousands of college students every year who take public speaking courses. Let’s take a look at some of the personal benefits you’ll get both from a course in public speaking and from giving public speeches.

Benefits of Public Speaking Courses

In addition to learning the process of creating and delivering an effective speech, students of public speaking leave the class with a number of other benefits as well. Some of these benefits include

• developing critical thinking skills,
• fine-tuning verbal and nonverbal skills,
• overcoming fear of public speaking.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

One of the very first benefits you will gain from your public speaking course is an increased ability to think critically. Problem solving is one of many critical thinking skills you will engage in during this course. For example, when preparing a persuasive speech, you’ll have to think through real problems affecting your campus, community, or the world and provide possible solutions to those problems. You’ll also have to think about the positive and negative consequences of your solutions and then communicate your ideas to others. At first, it may seem easy to come up with solutions for a campus problem such as a shortage of parking spaces: just build more spaces. But after thinking and researching further you may find out that building costs, environmental impact from loss of green space, maintenance needs, or limited locations for additional spaces make this solution impractical. Being able to think through problems and analyze the potential costs and benefits of solutions is an essential part of critical thinking and of public speaking aimed at persuading others. These skills will help you not only in public speaking contexts but throughout your life as well. As we stated earlier, college graduates in Zekeri’s study rated oral communication skills as the most useful for success in the business world. The second most valuable skill they reported was problem-solving ability, so your public speaking course is doubly valuable!

Another benefit to public speaking is that it will enhance your ability to conduct and analyze research. Public speakers must provide credible evidence within their speeches if they are going to persuade various audiences. So your public speaking course will further refine your ability to find and utilize a range of sources.

Fine-Tuning Verbal and Nonverbal Skills

A second benefit of taking a public speaking course is that it will help you fine-tune your verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Whether you competed in public speaking in high school or this is your first time speaking in front of an audience, having the opportunity to actively practice communication skills and receive professional feedback will help you become a better overall communicator. Often, people don’t even realize that they twirl their hair or repeatedly mispronounce words while speaking in public settings until they receive feedback from a teacher during a public speaking course. People around the United States will often pay speech coaches over one hundred dollars per hour to help them enhance their speaking skills. You have a built-in speech coach right in your classroom, so it is to your advantage to use the opportunity to improve your verbal and nonverbal communication skills.

Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

An additional benefit of taking a public speaking class is that it will help reduce your fear of public speaking. Whether they’ve spoken in public a lot or are just getting started, most people experience some anxiety when engaging in public speaking. Heidi Rose and Andrew Rancer evaluated students’ levels of public speaking anxiety during both the first and last weeks of their public speaking class and found that those levels decreased over the course of the semester (Rose & Rancer, 1993). One explanation is that people often have little exposure to public speaking. By taking a course in public speaking, students become better acquainted with the public speaking process, making them more confident and less apprehensive. In addition, you will learn specific strategies for overcoming the challenges of speech anxiety.

Comm 101 (Dutton) by [author removed at request of original publisher] is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Module 4: Organizing and Outlining

Organizational styles.

After deciding which main points and sub-points you must include, you can get to work writing up the speech. Before you do so, however, it is helpful to consider how you will organize the ideas. From presenting historical information in chronological order as part of an informative speech to drawing a comparison between two ideas in a persuasive speech to offering up problems and solutions, there are many ways in which speakers can craft effective speeches. These are referred to as organizational styles, or templates for organizing the main points of a speech.

Chronological

“Vintage alarm clock” by peter-rabbit. CC-BY-NC .

When you speak about events that are linked together by time, it is sensible to engage the chronological organization style. In a chronological speech , main points are delivered according to when they happened and could be traced on a calendar or clock. Arranging main points in chronological order can be helpful when describing historical events to an audience as well as when the order of events is necessary to understand what you wish to convey. Informative speeches about a series of events most commonly engage the chronological style, as do many demonstrative speeches (e.g., how to bake a cake or build an airplane). Another time when the chronological style makes sense is when you tell the story of someone’s life or career. For instance, a speech about Oprah Winfrey might be arranged chronologically (see textbox). In this case, the main points are arranged by following Winfrey’s life from birth to the present time. Life events (e.g., birth, her early career, her life after ending the Oprah Winfrey Show) are connected together according to when they happened and highlight the progression of Winfrey’s career. Organizing the speech in this way illustrates the interconnectedness of life events.

Oprah Winfrey (Chronological Arrangement)

Thesis : Oprah’s career can be understood by four key, interconnected life stages.

I. Oprah’s childhood was spent in rural Mississippi, where she endured sexual abuse from family members.

II. Oprah’s early career was characterized by stints on local radio and television networks in Nashville and Chicago.

III. Oprah’s tenure as host of the Oprah Winfrey Show began in 1986 and lasted until 2011, a period of time marked by much success.

IV. Oprah’s most recent media venture is OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, which plays host to a variety of television shows including Oprah’s Next Chapter .

Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment. – Oprah Winfrey

When the main points of your speech center on ideas that are more distinct from one another, a topical organization style may be engaged. In a topical speech , main points are developed separately and are generally connected together within the introduction and conclusion. In other words, the topical style is crafted around main points and sub-points that are mutually exclusive but related to one another by virtue of the thesis. It makes sense to use the topical style when elements are connected to one another because of their relationship to the whole. A topical speech about the composition of a newspaper company can be seen in the following textbox. The main points are linked together by the fact that they are all a part of the same business. Although they are related in that way, the topical style illustrates the ways in which the four different departments function apart from one another. In this example, the topical style is a good fit because the four departments are equally important to the function of the newspaper company.

Composition of a Newspaper Company (Topical Arrangement)

Thesis : The newspaper has four primary departments.

I. The advertising department sells display advertisements to local and national businesses.

II. The editorial department produces the written content of the newspaper, including feature stories.

III. The production department lays out the pages and manages pre- press work such as distilling the pages and processing colors.

IV. The business department processes payments from advertisers, employee paperwork, and the bi-weekly payroll.

Another way to organize the points of a speech is through a spatial speech , which arranges main points according to their physical and geographic relationships. The spatial style is an especially useful organization style when the main point’s importance is derived from its location or directional focus. In other words, when the scene or the composition is a central aspect of the main points, the spatial style is an appropriate way to deliver key ideas. Things can be described from top to bottom, inside to outside, left to right, north to south, and so on. Importantly, speakers using a spatial style should offer commentary about the placement of the main points as they move through the speech, alerting audience members to the location changes. For instance, a speech about The University of Georgia might be arranged spatially; in this example, the spatial organization frames the discussion in terms of the campus layout. The spatial style is fitting since the differences in architecture and uses of space are related to particular geographic areas, making location a central organizing factor. As such, the spatial style highlights these location differences.

University of Georgia (Spatial Arrangement)

Thesis : The University of Georgia is arranged into four distinct sections, which are characterized by architectural and disciplinary differences.

I. In North Campus, one will find the University’s oldest building, a sprawling tree- lined quad, and the famous Arches, all of which are nestled against Athens’ downtown district.

II. In West Campus, dozens of dormitories provide housing for the University’s large undergraduate population and students can regularly be found lounging outside or at one of the dining halls.

III. In East Campus, students delight in newly constructed, modern buildings and enjoy the benefits of the University’s health center, recreational facilities, and science research buildings.

IV. In South Campus, pharmacy, veterinary, and biomedical science students traverse newly constructed parts of campus featuring well-kept landscaping and modern architecture.

Comparative

“Let’s compare apples to oranges” by frankieleon. CC-BY .

When you need to discuss the similarities and differences between two or more things, a comparative organizational pattern can be employed. In comparative speeches , speakers may choose to compare things a couple different ways. First, you could compare two or more things as whole (e.g., discuss all traits of an apple and then all traits of an orange). Second, you could compare these things element by element (e.g., color of each, smell of each, AND taste of each). Some topics that are routinely spoken about comparatively include different cultures, different types of transportation, and even different types of coffee. A comparative speech outline about eastern and western cultures could look like this.

Eastern vs. Western Culture (Comparison Arrangement)

Thesis : There are a variety of differences between Eastern and Western cultures.

I. Eastern cultures tend to be more collectivistic.

II. Western cultures tend to be more individualistic.

III. Eastern cultures tend to treat health issues 
holistically.

IV. Western cultures tend to 
treat health issues more acutely.

In this type of speech, the list of comparisons, which should be substantiated with further evidence, could go on for any number of main points. The speech could also compare how two or more things are more alike than one might think. For instance, a speaker could discuss how singers Madonna and Lady Gaga share many similarities both in aesthetic style and in their music.

Problem-Solution

“ FEMA” by Dave Gatley. Public domain.

Sometimes it is necessary to share a problem and a solution with an audience. In cases like these, the problem-solution speech is an appropriate way to arrange the main points of a speech. One familiar example of speeches organized in this way is the political speeches that presidential hopefuls give in the United States. Often, candidates will begin their speech by describing a problem created by or, at the very least, left unresolved by the incumbent. Once they have established their view of the problem, they then go on to flesh out their proposed solution. The problem- solution style is especially useful when the speaker wants to convince the audience that they should take action in solving some problem. A political candidate seeking office might frame a speech using the problem-solution style (see textbox).

Presidential Candidate’s Speech (Problem-Solution Arrangement)

Thesis : The US energy crisis can be solved by electing me as president since I will devote resources to the production of renewable forms of energy.

I. The United States is facing an energy crisis because we cannot produce enough energy ourselves to sustain the levels of activity needed to run the country. (problem)

II. The current administration has failed to invest enough resources in renewable energy practices. (problem)

III. We can help create a more stable situation if we work to produce renewable forms of energy within the United States. (solution)

IV. If you vote for me, I will ensure that renewable energy creation is a priority. (solution)

The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems. – Mahatma Gandhi

This example illustrates the way in which a problem-solution oriented speech can be used to identify both a general problem (energy crisis) and a specific problem (incumbent’s lack of action). Moreover, this example highlights two kinds of solutions: a general solution and a solution that is dependent on the speaker’s involvement. The problem-solution speech is especially appropriate when the speaker desires to promote a particular solution as this offers audience members a way to become involved. Whether you are able to offer a specific solution or not, key to the problem-solution speech is a clear description of both the problem and the solution with clear links drawn between the two. In other words, the speech should make specific connections between the problem and how the solution can be engaged to solve it.

“Domino” by Bro. Jeffrey Pioquinto, SJ. CC-BY .

Similar to a problem-solution speech, a causal speech informs audience members about causes and effects that have already happened. In other words, a causal organization style first addresses some cause and then shares what effects resulted. A causal speech can be particularly effective when the speaker wants to share the relationship between two things, like the creation of a vaccine to help deter disease. An example of how a causal speech about a shingles vaccine might be designed follows:

As the example illustrates, the basic components of the causal speech are the cause and the effect. Such an organizational style is useful when a speaker needs to share the results of a new program, discuss how one act led to another, or discuss the positive/negative outcomes of taking some action.

Shingles Speech (Cause-Effect Arrangement)

Thesis : The prevalence of the disease shingles led to the invention of a vaccine.

• Shingles is a disease that causes painful, blistering rashes in up to one million Americans every year. (cause)
• In 2006, a vaccine for shingles was licensed in the United States and has been shown to reduce the likelihood that people over 60 years old will get shingles. (effect)

Every choice you make has an end result. – Zig Ziglar

Choosing an organizational style is an important step in the speechwriting process. As you formulate the purpose of your speech and generate the main points that you will need to include, selecting an appropriate organizational style will likely become easier. The topical, spatial, causal, comparative and chronological methods of arrangement may be better suited to informative speeches, whereas the refutation pattern may work well for a persuasive speech. Additionally, Chapter 16 offers additional organization styles suited for persuasive speeches, such as the refutation speech and Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. [1] Next, we will look at statements that help tie all of your points together and the formal mode of organizing a speech by using outlines.

• Monroe, A. H. (1949). Principles and types of speech. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman and Company. ↵
• Chapter 8 Organizational Styles. Authored by : Joshua Trey Barnett. Provided by : University of Indiana, Bloomington, IN. Located at : http://publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html . Project : The Public Speaking Project. License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• vintage alarm clock. Authored by : peter-rabbit. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/drEszC . License : CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial
• let's compare apples to oranges. Authored by : frankieleon. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/bscqLn . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Domino. Authored by : Bro. Jeffrey Pioquinto, SJ. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/pA9ftS . License : CC BY: Attribution
• FEMA - 1337 - Photograph by Dave Gatley taken on 03-01-1998 in California. Authored by : Dave Gatley. Provided by : Federal Emergency Management Agency. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FEMA_-_1337_-_Photograph_by_Dave_Gatley_taken_on_03-01-1998_in_California.jpg . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright

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6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When

• Rebecca Knight

Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances call for different approaches.

Research suggests that the most effective leaders adapt their style to different circumstances — be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a turn in the business cycle. But what if you feel like you’re not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one? In this article, the author outlines the six leadership styles Daniel Goleman first introduced in his 2000 HBR article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” and explains when to use each one. The good news is that personality is not destiny. Even if you’re naturally introverted or you tend to be driven by data and analysis rather than emotion, you can still learn how to adapt different leadership styles to organize, motivate, and direct your team.

Much has been written about common leadership styles and how to identify the right style for you, whether it’s transactional or transformational, bureaucratic or laissez-faire. But according to Daniel Goleman, a psychologist best known for his work on emotional intelligence, “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

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critic’s notebook

Melania Trump Reappears, in Black

At the Log Cabin Republicans’ fund-raiser, the former first lady stepped into the campaign spotlight, just as her husband’s hush-money trial begins.

By Vanessa Friedman

The author has been covering the fashion of politics and politics of fashion in the United States and abroad since before the smartphone era.

On Saturday, the day after the jury was impaneled for former President Donald J. Trump’s hush-money trial in New York , Melania Trump finally returned to the presidential campaign trail. The occasion: the Log Cabin Republicans’ fund-raiser at Mar-a-Lago, at which Mrs. Trump was the guest of honor and addressed the room.

Yes, she’s officially back. And as ambiguously as ever.

While Mrs. Trump’s words on unity and equality may have been directed to the audience in the ballroom, the outfit she chose for the occasion — a covered up black Michael Kors pantsuit with a leather belt wrapped tightly twice around her waist — seemed to be speaking to a different forum entirely. One scrolling past the images she and the event’s organizers posted to their social media feeds and focused on what was going on in a courtroom farther north, where she conspicuously has yet to appear but where her ghostly presence hovers over the proceedings.

After all, in the psychographic geography of dress, black (the color of seriousness, of doom, of downtown, of ninjas, of mourning) is not exactly what one might expect at a Palm Beach party. At a New York event, on the other hand …

It’s not even what Mrs. Trump herself has been wearing at her recent unofficial forays into the public eye: the floral pink she wore to accompany her husband to an earlier fund-raiser, for example, or the variations on white she wore to cast her primary vote and for Easter. It’s not the polka dots she wore back in 2022, when Mr. Trump announced his third bid for president.

Black, one Palm Beach denizen said, is almost “never seen” locally. Mrs. Trump didn’t even wear black to the memorial for Rosalynn Carter , the only former first lady in attendance to eschew the color, opting instead for gray tweed Dior.

Yet there she was, in her much ballyhooed 2024 debut for her husband’s campaign, one that she and her team knew would be keenly watched — in black. The import was either funereal or fighting ready, depending on your perspective. Either way, it wasn’t neutral.

All of which suggests that once again, Mrs. Trump is preparing to use the semiology of dress to tweak and tease the watching world. Just as she did when Mr. Trump was in the White House and what she wore became a sort of Rorschach test for what she thought and the state of her relationship. Remember the Hillary Clinton-esque white suit she wore to Mr. Trump’s first State of the Union, after the Stormy Daniels news broke? Not to mention the notorious “I really don’t care, do u?” jacket ? Her policy has always seemed to be: Speak rarely and wear an evocative outfit.

So it was over the weekend.

Beyond the color, the suit, strictly tailored, structured, was not the more relaxed shirt-dressing or jumpsuits Mrs. Trump has often favored since she has been in Florida. Rather, it harked back to her wardrobe during her time in Washington , when she seemed to sheathe herself in the protective casing of clothes. Back then, she was almost always buttoned up, quasi-military, like a luxury shield against the expectations and eyeballs that came with the job of political, and presidential, spouse.

Even before the Log Cabin Republicans event, she had donned an Army-inspired coatdress complete with epaulets and gold buttons for an interview with Fox News Digital . It called to mind the Army-green Alexander McQueen skirt suit Mrs. Trump had worn to soldier through her speech at the 2020 Republican Convention .

Now, once again, she looks as if she’s getting ready to fight. The question is: Against whom?

Vanessa Friedman has been the fashion director and chief fashion critic for The Times since 2014. More about Vanessa Friedman

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Elon Musk’s battle over the Sydney church stabbing video is not about freedom of speech. It’s to titillate his followers

The X owner was always going to turn the video removal request into a glib culture war fought with 4chan-style memes and late-night missives

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T his battle was never about the removal of a single violent video for Elon Musk – it was always going to turn into a glib culture war fought with 4chan-style memes and late-night missives featuring Musk as the free speech antihero fighting Woke Governments of the World. At least, that is how he wishes to portray it to his more than 180 million followers.

Musk on Tuesday responded to an interim court order from Australia’s eSafety Commission requesting that X hide graphic and distressing videos of the recent Sydney stabbing within 24 hours with a Wizard of Oz meme: it’s all shits and giggles over at X. In further posts, he took aim at the eSafety commissioner, claiming she wants “ authority over all countries on Earth ”, after labelling her a “Commissar” for requesting the removal of the video in the first place, which depicted an attack that the NSW police have since classified as a terrorist incident.

Musk also found the time to mock the prime minister, Anthony Albanese , in between briefing his lawyers, to entertain and titillate his followers. If anyone wants to see a 16-year-old-boy allegedly attack bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel with a knife they should damn well have the right to. Governments of the world be damned.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Musk would like us to believe that this is about freedom of speech. Except it isn’t, at least not in any straightforward sense if we look at his record: Musk routinely bans and censors accounts he doesn’t agree with. In 2022, for example, he banned the accounts of several high-profile journalists from CNN, New York Times and The Washington Post who had been critical of him in the press, and suspended the accounts of several journalists earlier this year who had been critical of Israel’s war in Gaza. He has also banned journalists who are critical of his companies , sometimes with no explanation and fired an employee for being critical of his company on X . In 2022, he banned an account tracking the whereabouts of his own personal jet using publicly available data, along with other accounts belonging to journalists who had retweeted that data – and banned the personal account of the teenager who started it, Jack Sweeney.

The list could go on. Though he describes himself as a “free speech absolutist”, Musk’s approach to moderation and censorship has been anything but. These late-night tweet storms, banning sprees and ludicrous lawsuits are not designed to protect free speech, or even to uphold the US constitution (which does not and should not apply to Australians anyway). They are designed to silence his critics and entertain his followers.

One might argue that Musk has every right to make fun of our laws and our government on his own timeline and on his own dime. He bought the platform for billions of dollars, he can do what he wants over there. He also has the right to ban the accounts of people he doesn’t agree with and launch lawsuits if our government irritates him. Meme away. But the platform he took over is a global platform, and what happens on it consequently impacts 421 million users, 5.8 million of whom are Australian.

As we saw during the aftermath of the Bondi attack last week when a false name and identity of the attacker went viral on X and the wrong name even made it on to a Channel Seven report, posts on X can have real-world adverse consequences on our soil. Likewise, extremely violent content has the potential to exacerbate distress and cause riots or further violence – as we saw after the Wakeley attack when a riot broke out outside the Sydney church.

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The video that Musk has been asked to remove depicts a violent terrorist act: it really is that simple. The Australian eSafety commissioner has asked that it be removed globally, and this is a fair and reasonable request. Rather than complying, as Meta has done, Musk has decided to go to war with the eSafety commission – ostensibly to defend his rather warped understanding of freedom of speech, but really to titillate his followers. Australians have every right to be incensed by this.

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