Diction is the way you talk: your enunciation and the types of words and phrases you use.
These exercises are great for actors to practice:
- Yoga hum: Take a deep breath in, then hum while slowly releasing your breath. Do this 5–10 times.
- Dragon’s breath: Stand with your hands on your stomach and take a deep breath in. Release the breath with a “hah!” on fast, sharp exhales.
- Tongue twisters: Go through any catchy tongue twisters you know, such as:
She sells seashells by the seashore.
We surely shall see the sunshine soon.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood
As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood
Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
To practice, say the above tongue twisters slowly and deliberately five times in a row. If you’re able to say them without making a mistake, increase the speed. If you make a mistake, slow back down again. The key with tongue twisters as diction exercises is to only speed up once you’re in control of the words and to go faster and faster until you master them at all speeds.
- Practice vowels and consonants: Practice saying and singing vowels using different consonant sounds at the front, in the middle, and at the end. For example, slowly and clearly say the words “poke,” “toll,” “boat,” “cope,” and “stone” back to back, focusing on keeping that long “o” exactly the same.
- Backstage
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3 people like this
This is great Tammy Hunt You know what's funny? Since I took diction at AADA and we had to learn standard stage speech, I notice others' diction as well. I can tell who has trained and who hasn't . Listen to someone on a podcast who over enunciates or has a hard T it irriatates me. I have to stop listening..