Trouble with thoughts and speech

completedit

Guys, I'm wondering if anybody could advise me here. So for as long as I can remember I have been a mumbler and incoherent when I speak. If I was describe the feeling it's as if words are getting away from me. I have an idea of what I want to say but nothing is cristalized. I remember someone commenting before about how I never finish sentences. It's like when I speak I'm in a rush and have no control or domain over what I am going to say. It's like when I say something I am so aware and conscious of the words, like they're not projecting. Maybe that's just introverted thought and speaking pattern but feel it causes me to jumble up my words.

Any advice would be sound

lurker2000

If you haven't been to a speech therapist, it would be worth looking into. You may have a small issue with your mouth or tongue which could be sorted out quite easily.

cj maxx

Hi. I think speech therapy or even elocution lessons might help. My mouth can be 2 seconds ahead of my brain and thinking about pronouncing words correctly allows my brain to catch up. Also if I ramble words people seem to lose interest in what I'm saying so when I see this I mutter the rest of the words. It's a circle for me.

8kczg9v0swrydm

I would say you could try working on two things:

1) Work out your speech organs (mouth, tongue, jaw). There are good exercises for this online. This will definitely improve your pronunciation. Try working on the endings of words, which often get lost when people mumble a bit. An easy way to do this is to repeat 'king kong, ding dong' etc loudly, emphasizing the 'ong' sound (in your free time, when you are alone ).

2) Work on your confidence. Easier said then done, I know, and sometimes it may require getting to the root of shyness but I have seen people really turn this area of their life around. Start small - you could try maintaining eye contact in conversations, forcing yourself to speak up, taking up more space when talking (without looking ridiculous) and just generally doing things slower. Don't be afraid of mucking up either, sometimes you just have to launch yourself in.

Just my 2c, best of luck!

completedit

Miles Rancid Lock wrote: »

I would say you could try working on two things:

1) Work out your speech organs (mouth, tongue, jaw). There are good exercises for this online. This will definitely improve your pronunciation. Try working on the endings of words, which often get lost when people mumble a bit. An easy way to do this is to repeat 'king kong, ding dong' etc loudly, emphasizing the 'ong' sound (in your free time, when you are alone ).

2) Work on your confidence. Easier said then done, I know, and sometimes it may require getting to the root of shyness but I have seen people really turn this area of their life around. Start small - you could try maintaining eye contact in conversations, forcing yourself to speak up, taking up more space when talking (without looking ridiculous) and just generally doing things slower. Don't be afraid of mucking up either, sometimes you just have to launch yourself in.

Just my 2c, best of luck!

Hahaha.

I think the second part is so on the money. For me, conversations always feel like I'm on the back foot. I never seem in control. I'm never the one carelessly expressing myself. I rush to finish through what I tend to say. I don't know why this is. I don't know how long I've had this for. I was bullied in primary school but I remember being a lot more brash and cocky when I was in my early teens when I was trying to find myself. Over the years, I retreated into myself a little more. That's fine and good even. But it's one of those things where you ought to be a bit brash and cocky I think. I played sports and mixed but in general, I've always felt on the outside. It's like I'm there but never felt like 'one of the lads', more like an onlooker judging the scenario.

What I notice is that no matter what I consume(entertainment, books, education) I never talk like I know what I'm talking about, even when it's something I've research extensively. I'll always throw in a caveat like 'well I don't know but I think' rather than speaking authoritatively. It's like I'm constantly weighing up my knowledge gap and trying to piece together the missing links. I often think of it as feeling like I have no base knowledge.

ILoveYourVibes

completedit wrote: »

Hahaha.

I think the second part is so on the money. For me, conversations always feel like I'm on the back foot. I never seem in control. I'm never the one carelessly expressing myself. I rush to finish through what I tend to say. I don't know why this is. I don't know how long I've had this for. I was bullied in primary school but I remember being a lot more brash and cocky when I was in my early teens when I was trying to find myself. Over the years, I retreated into myself a little more. That's fine and good even. But it's one of those things where you ought to be a bit brash and cocky I think. I played sports and mixed but in general, I've always felt on the outside. It's like I'm there but never felt like 'one of the lads', more like an onlooker judging the scenario.

What I notice is that no matter what I consume(entertainment, books, education) I never talk like I know what I'm talking about, even when it's something I've research extensively. I'll always throw in a caveat like 'well I don't know but I think' rather than speaking authoritatively. It's like I'm constantly weighing up my knowledge gap and trying to piece together the missing links. I often think of it as feeling like I have no base knowledge.

When you speak alone does this change?

When you speak with different people does it improve?

Lets say you were speaking to your dog ??If you were speaking without thinking to your dog or the wall.. would it still be mumbly?

If not it's a confidence thing.

If you are still a little unclear when speaking alone its an elocution thing.

The elocution thing would probably be easier to fix that the confidence thing.

If it IS a confidence thing i would recommend joining an improv group. It might be hard at first but it will help ..and in a fun real life way. They will give you some speaking exercises ..but honestly you don't speak in exercises in real life ..so improve helps ..because ..its as close to speaking in real life as you can get. You have a topic ..some characters ....that is it ..you make the rest up on the spot.

qwerty13

Is there any chance that you have a hearing difficulty?

The reason I say that is that I know someone has quite bad hearing, all her life, and she pronounces some words slightly oddly - my impression is that she says words as she thinks they are, based on bad hearing / thinking that’s how the word sounds.

I may of course be totally wrong here, but the hearing problem is something that affects my friend in that she’s reluctant to speak in noisy situations - as she feels that it’s happened where she’s not ‘getting’ the full conversation, and that has eroded her confidence in terms of people asking a lot what she means.

ted1

Hows your hand writing ? Does it trail off towards the end of the words ?

You may have verbal dyspraxia, you should see a speech therapist

For the moment try to use your hands to control the speed of your speech.

December2012

If you didn't want to seek the advices of a speech therapist yet, would you consider going along to Toastmasters? They help generally (and apparently in an easygoing way) with public speaking, so you might pick up some tips there?