Articulation is the process of creating vocal expression with the

right tone, volume, pitch, and quality. It is the way you formulate
clear, distinct speech sounds.
Diction is the way you talk: your enunciation and the types of
verbiage (words and phrases) you use.

Diction and articulation exercises help you:

 Speak clearly: Speaking clearly is a necessary component.

Diction exercises help you to articulate better and express
yourself with greater expressiveness.
 Speak with more variety: Warming up your vocal cords
allows you to create more variety in your speech and avoid
the same monotone.
 Breathe right: Taking strong breaths with an open
diaphragm provides better support for your voice and
allows you to speak better for longer periods of time.

Exercise 1

1. The “Hum.” Inhale. Begin to hum while slowly exhaling all of your
air. Do this five times.
2. The “Ha.” Stand and place your hands on your abdomen. Breathe
in by expanding your stomach outward; you are now breathing from
your diaphragm. Repeat ”ha” with each exhale, pushing in your
abdomen with every syllable. Repeat.

Exercise 2

Repeat the following phrases aloud, paying special attention to clear

articulation.
 A big baby buggy with rubber buggy bumpers.
She sells seashells by the seashore.
Double bubble gum bubbles double.

Each sixth chick sat on a stick.

Of all the saws I ever saw, I never saw a saw saw like that saw.

Does your shirt shop stock socks with spots?

I bought a box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and biscuits-

mixed.

Eat fresh fried fish free at the fish fry.

Theophilus, the thistle sifter, while sifting a sifter full of thistles,

thrust three thousand thistles through the thickness of his thumb.

The sixth sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.

Sixty-six sick chicks.

Truly rural.

Strange strategic statistics.

Tie twine to the tree twigs.

Lemon liniment.

Which wily wizard wished wicked wishes for Willy?

Fetch me the finest French-fried freshest fish that Finney fries.

Shy Sarah saw six Swiss wristwatches.

One year we had a Christmas brunch with Merry Christmas Mush to

munch. But I don’t think you’d care for such. We didn’t like to
munch mush much.
 While we waited for the whistle on the wharf, we whittled
vigorously on the white weatherboards.

Grass grew green on the graves in Grace Gray’s grandfather’s

graveyard.

Pete Briggs pats pigs. Briggs pats pink pigs. Briggs pats big pigs. Pete
Briggs is a pink pig, big pig patter.

Amidst the mists and coldest frosts / With stoutest wrists and
loudest boasts / He thrusts his fists against the posts / And still
insists he sees the ghosts.