Proper breathing can improve the quality of your speaking voice. When you don't breathe properly, you may not be able to project your voice as much as you'd like. Use breathing techniques to help remind you of the proper way to breathe and learn to project your voice so that it's powerful -- not just loud. Finding your diaphragm and learning to use other body parts in speaking will help you improve your technique.
Step 1
Locate your abdominal muscles and practice breathing from your diaphragm, which can help you sustain and project your voice, notes the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Place your hand over your belly and breathe in. Your stomach muscles should be pushed out as your body fills with air. As you speak, make sure your belly rises and falls to ensure you're pulling enough air into your diaphragm so as not to exhaust your vocal cords.
Step 2
Stand up straight and take a few deep breaths. Posture and breathing go hand-in-hand to create the most powerful speaking voice. Straighten your shoulders and push out your chest to stand properly and take in enough air. The better your lung capacity, the better your speaking will be, says Katherine Axtell at Whitman College.
Step 3
Release any tension from your vocal cords by completing a speaking exercise, with the goal being to relieve the tension in your neck and shoulders -- and subsequently your vocal cords -- so you can speak more effectively, notes TotalCommunicator.com. Inhale fully, and then let out all the air while opening your mouth and making a long "Ha" sound until the breath is gone. Concentrate on staying loose in your neck and shoulders, even as you get to the end of the breath. Continue the exercises until you can breathe out without any tension at all.
Step 4
Breathe slowly when you feel nervous before speaking, suggests MindTools.com. If you feel nervous, your voice could shake or you may speak quieter than normal. Relieve your anxiety by breathing in for 10 counts, and out for 10 counts directly before you're asked to speak in public. Focus on steady breaths to take your mind off of your anxiety to help conquer your nerves.
Step 5
Pick a word and breathe out as you speak it. Breathing out while you talk can improve your volume and projection. Practice a speech by asking a friend or family member to walk a room's length away from you. Begin speaking and focus on breathing out when you reach an important word for emphasis and better projection of your voice.
