Whether you're giving presentations, recording podcasts, or simply want to speak more confidently, clear articulation is key to being understood. The good news: You can train that! Here I'll show you 5 simple yet effective exercises that are especially suitable for beginners.

Lip flutter — the easy start

This exercise helps you remove tension from your lips, cheeks, and jaw—perfect preparation for any speaking situation.

Here's how:

Breathe in deeply, press your lips together loosely and let the air escape with a “brrr” sound — like a horse snorting. It may look funny, but it relaxes the entire facial muscles. 3-4 repetitions are enough.

Why it helps:

Tight lips often lead to slurred speech. Looseness is the basis for clear sounds!

The cork exercise — for precise articulation

This is one of the most famous speaker exercises — and it works!

Here's how:

Place a cork (or, alternatively, a folded cotton ball) between your teeth without biting. Read aloud a short text or say a sentence like:

“The Potsdam stagecoach cleans the stagecoach box. ”

Then remove the cork and repeat the same sentence — you'll notice how much more clearly you speak!

Why it helps:

With the cork, your tongue must work harder. Without him, the articulation suddenly becomes much clearer.

Tongue twisters — the classics

Tongue twisters train pronunciation, concentration and speed — all at the same time.

Here's how:

Pick a sentence like:

“Fischers Fritz is fishing for fresh fish. ”

First, speak it slowly and very clearly — syllable by syllable. Increase the pace gradually, but always make sure your pronunciation is clear.

More examples:

• “Red herb remains red herb and wedding dress remains wedding dress. ”
• “The Cottbus stagecoach cleans the Cottbus stagecoach box. ”

Why it helps:

This exercise promotes control over articulation muscles and brings more awareness of individual sounds.

Loosen your jaw — against speech blockages

A tight jaw makes pronunciation cumbersome. This exercise provides a remedy:

Here's how:

Open your mouth wide, let the lower jaw circle loosely or swing up and down slightly. You can also hum softly while doing so. Repeat for about 30 seconds.

Tip: Yawning (real or played) also loosens the jaw and provides more resonance in the voice.

Why it helps:

A relaxed jaw gives you more leeway when speaking — this makes articulation more effortless.

Hyphenation training with emphasis

Saying words clearly also means consciously forming every syllable.

Here's how:

Break words down into syllables and speak them slowly, rhythmically and accentuately:

example: “Ar — ti — ku — la — ti — on”.

Increase the pace slowly, always making sure your pronunciation is clear.

variants:

• Switch between loud and quiet
• Listen to yourself or record yourself
• Practice with difficult foreign words or technical terms

Why it helps:

This exercise promotes clarity — especially with complex words or faster speech speeds.

✅ Conclusion: Speaking clearly is not a coincidence, but training

Even if you're not a professional speaker, with a few minutes of practice a day, you can make noticeable progress. Your voice is more convincing, your words are easier to understand — and you are more confident.

🎧 Bonus tip:

Record yourself regularly! Just a short audio on your smartphone shows you where you're indistinc—and where you're improving.