When you’re a podcaster; voice tone, pitch, and inflection are important factors in how your words are interpreted. You only have your voice to get your message across, making this a very valuable skill to have as a podcaster. It’s essential to be aware of how you sound when you’re speaking and make sure that your voice is projecting the right message.
For example, if you’re angry, it’s best to lower your voice and speak slowly. This will help project a sense of authority and make it clear that you’re not someone to be messed with. If you’re trying to be friendly or reassuring, on the other hand, you’ll want to speak in a higher tone and use more inflection. This will make your words sound softer and more inviting. You should avoid speaking in monotone, especially if you’re reading aloud. This can make your speech sound dull, which can hurt the way people perceive what you have to say.
The pitch in your voice can be the difference between someone who is willing to listen to your podcast again or say goodbye. If your pitch is too high or too low, it can change the engagement level of your listener. It’s important to be in tune with the pitch of your voice and how to control it from reaching very high or very low levels, this is based off how much tension is put on your vocal cords when you speak.
Inflection is how you change your voice through your speech. An upward inflection is when there is a change in pitch going from a lower to a higher note within the vowel. In most cases this change in pitch indicates questioning, insincerity, surprise, or suspense.
On the other hand, a downward inflection is when there is a change in pitch going from a higher to a lower note within the vowel. This change in pitch usually indicates confidence, finality, power, and certainty. Knowing how to fluctuate the sound of your voice can help you execute your message in the way it is intended.
This doesn’t mean that you need to put extra emphasis on every single word or syllable when you speak. You’ll need to find your own “speaking sweet spot” to get this right. Also, consider the natural pitch of your voice. This is the tone you would use if you were speaking spontaneously about something interesting to you. If you’re not sure what this sounds like, play around with different pitches and see which ones feel most comfortable for you.
If you can bring these elements together, you’ll be able to speak with the right voice tone and inflection for any situation. Your words will be more positive and meaningful, which is bound to affect your audience positively. If you want some additional insight on tone, pitch and inflection in your speech check out this article for more useful tips.
If you are starting a podcast and need some additional coaching around how to improve your tone pitch inflection and pausing, Reach out to us we provide coaching in all these areas to help your voice on the podcast be more engaging.
