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259 Interesting Speech Topics [Examples + Outlines]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

The most asked question I get almost every day from students is this:

What makes a topic interesting?

Well, the answer is simple. You have to like it yourself, the subject has to be appropriate to the rules of the assignment, to the audience and the setting of the meeting:

In this article:

How To Find An Interesting Topic

Best interesting speech topics, interesting persuasive speech topics, interesting informative speech topics, topics with outline.

1 – Look in magazines, journals, and newspapers for events.

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Current or historical, that does not matter at this point, both are okay – and recent engaging and exciting facts, and perhaps valuable information that attracts the attention.

Articles about subjects that interests you and that are comfortable for you to talk about are good indications.

2 – Jot down any possible idea that comes up for interesting speech topics. I always draft a short list for myself of candidate issues if I am contracted for a public speaking engagement.

And then I skip the ones that are too difficult and too complex to prepare and master in 8 to 10 minutes time.

3 – Review some online books on the subject for more detailed current information about your topic. Or go to a library and ask for books and reference articles about your subject.

Without exception, all librarians I know will help you sorting out the speechwriter subject with their advice and recommendations. For example you choose for an alluring pleasure physical activity or farming and countryside topic.

Try to understand how the author has covered it. What’s his structure? What points, information or arguments are the strongest? What examples and illustrations has she or he used?

4 – Peerless reliable statistics and new discoveries can help writing and refining.

Look for controversies, rare and strange opinions. What do you think of it? What do you want your audience to think of it?

5 – Think about related engaging interpretive hints to talk about. When you view your rough list, try to find new points, different angles of view or just turn your thoughts upside down. Look at the special aspects that surprise the listeners.

>>>  For example try these 2 more detailed summary outlines with main points and subpoints. Use my sample structure to add or otherwise wipe steps and stages you do not need.

>>>  In addition to these patterns, you find more ideas for outlined main points in my Minute Section (in the navigation menu bar right on your left of this portal page). Or move straight to sixty plus lineups for speechwriters.

That can be very enlighting for enhancing public discernment. They also can  see , feel, or even  taste  and  smell  what you try to explain or demonstrate in a couple of minutes.

6 – Look for supporting and also for opposing opinions, plus interesting speech topics statements. Add visual aids where you want to emphasize or to give some prominence to an unimaginable point in your interesting topic idea.

7 – Watch news shows, history documentaries and debating programs – for example, the morning shows and the evening news. They are especially helpful for developing a rough list of wheedling brainstorms.

Interesting Speech Topic Examples

Don’t have time to read our full list of 200+ topic ideas? Here is our list of 10 interesting speech topics.

• Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder
• Children don’t play enough
• Animal testing is necessary
• Girls are too mean to each other
• Men should get paternity leave
• Tattoos are an addiction
• If I had a year to do what I want
• Butterflies: deadly creatures
• How to ruin a date in the first minute
• The meaning of dreams

Here is our list of top interesting persuasive speech topics.

• Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder.
• Hyper active kids don’t need medication.
• Books are always better than the movie.
• Pick up lines do work.
• Televise all court proceedings.
• Suspend referees that are found to show too much bias.
• There is no place for monarchs any more.
• It is false that no one is above the law.
• You tube needs to monitor comments.
• Online friends show more compassion.
• Cross cultural couples respect each other more.
• Graffiti must be recognised as art.
• You can loose weight without exercising.
• Children don’t play enough.
• Carpets are harmful and shouldn’t be in homes.
• Sex education doesn’t work.
• Ban smoking in all public places.
• Women cheat just as much as men.
• Prohibit destruction of rainforests.
• Global warming is a myth.
• Justice is never the same for all.
• Video games are not the blame of violence at school.
• Financial rewards is the only way employees stay loyal.
• The world isn’t only black and white.
• Give girls over 16 contraceptives without parents consent.
• Calories should be included in restaurant menus.
• Sugar tax won’t reduce obesity.
• Pregnancy as a result of rape should be terminated.
• All couples must live together before getting married.
• Animal testing is necessary.
• Children’s beauty pageants are wrong.
• There are not enough cameras in public spaces.
• Freedom of speech rights needs to be rewritten.
• Random DUI test should be done on parents picking up children after school.
• Atheists are more peaceful than religious people.
• Heterosexual men and women can be just friends.
• Adoptive parents need maternity leave too.
• Print advertisements don’t work.
• Click bate headlines are the cause of less followers.
• Don’t give children allowances.
• Stop checking in on social media.
• There would be more divorces if couples didn’t have children.
• Compensate organ donors.
• Celebrities are not role models.
• Do drug tests on welfare recipients.
• Stem cell research is murder.
• People should be considered adults at 21.
• Religion is the cause of war.
• Life was not easier a century ago.
• Men are better forgivers.
• Making substances illegal only makes people want them more.
• Parenting classes must be compulsory.
• Helicopter parents are damaging their children.
• Give working moms special privileges.
• Social media fame is a scam.
• Make paparazzi photographing children a criminal offence.
• Food should never be seen as a reward.
• 6 hours is not enough sleep for an adult.
• People can live without eating meat.
• Curfews do not keep teens out of trouble.
• Electronic textbooks don’t have the same impact as the printed version.
• This generation cannot fix anything.
• Boredom always leads to trouble.
• Girls are too mean to each other.
• Affirmative action isn’t right.
• School system is responsible for low test scores.
• Men should get paternity leave.
• Fast food needs to come with more warnings.
• Killing a murderer is immoral.
• Famous people must stay away from politics.
• Long distance relationships do work.
• Men are the stronger sex.
• Jobs shouldn’t be gender specific.
• Religion won’t die away.
• Women shouldn’t give birth after 40.
• Abortion is murder.
• Tattoos are an addiction.
• Drug addiction is a choice.
• Social media will run it’s course and die out.
• Caesarian sections are safer than normal births.
• There is a connection between science and religion.
• Never pay children for good grades.
• People in open marriages are not happy.
• The soul does exist.
• People’s salaries should reflect their performances.
• English will always be the business language of the world.
• Why you should always put yourself first.
• Earth has not been explored properly.
• Women are more intelligent than they give away.
• Alternatives to evolution exist.
• Prisons create criminals.
• Sick building syndromes exist.
• Strategic defense and ethics do not match.
• The War on Terror is based on a hidden agenda.
• Aging is a threat to pension funding.
• Airline safety restrictions won’t stop terrorists.
• Alcohol advertising stimulates underage alcohol use.
• All humans are spiritual in one way or another.
• Arts express the level of quality in different cultures.
• Atheists do care about Christmas.
• Australian aboriginal tattooing is art.
• Ban the filibuster from Congress.
• Body piercings can cause serious complications.
• Books are outdated.
• Censorship is a violation of freedom of speech.
• Charities must minimize the organizational and overhead costs.
• Child testimonies in abuse cases are not credible.
• Corporal punishment could be ethical, provided that it is proportional.
• Creative expression and creativity are not the same.
• Electronic baby timeshare does help to prevent teen pregnancy.
• English and Spanish should be the only languages in the world.
• Establishing democracy in Iraq is mission impossible.
• Fashion gurus have good reasons to promote skinny girls.
• Female genital mutilation is not unethical when done by cosmetic surgery doctors.
• Feminism will help improve the position of females in Africa.
• Fill in a country … should be condemned as human rights violator.
• Future generations have to keep their jobs until they drop.
• George Orwell was just right when he wrote his novel ‘1984’ … Big Brother is watching us all the time.
• Governments should not own news broadcasting corporations.
• Granting amnesty perpetuates immigration and makes border patrols fruitless.
• Harry Potter books are more popular among elderly persons.
• Hollywood movies have a bad influence on the world.
• Homelessness in rural areas is substantially undercounted compared to metropolitan and suburban areas.
• Hospitality is a valuable instrument to better foreign relationships.
• Houses affected by natural disasters should not be rebuilt.
• International satellite news broadcasting poses a threat to indigenous cultures.
• It is possible to be pro-life and pro-choice.
• It’s a myth that bottled water is better than tap water.
• Journalism codes are no longer respected by journalists.
• Limiting immigration is limiting opportunities.
• Link debt relief of developing countries to carbon emission reduction.
• Local aid to African communities is more effective than national aid.
• Mentally disabled people cannot be executed.
• Motivation courses only have one objective: to fund the instructor’s bank account.
• MP3 music belongs in the free public domain for educational institutions and the general public.
• News programs must be interesting rather than important.
• Open source software is better than Microsoft.
• Parental advisory labels hinder the freedom of speech of artists.
• People have the right to decide about their own life and death.
• Political correctness kills freedom of speech.
• Poverty can be cut by half in this century.
• Princess Diana’s death was not a tragic accident.
• Public insults should be considered as hate speech and should not be protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.
• Right to work laws are useless.
• Robin Hood was a not a hero.
• Sex and sexuality are from different hemispheres.
• Telling lies is a justifiable instrument.
• The local council elections in Cuba are no elections at all.
• The right to privacy is not absolute.
• There is no secure protection of property rights in developing countries.
• There should be cultural content quotas in broadcasting.
• Tobacco and alcohol billboards litter the streets.
• United Nations will never truly exist in Europe.
• Vegetarians would not eat vegetables if they were born in rural Africa.
• We should have a king instead of a president.
• Weblogs are intellectual property and therefore must be legally protected.
• With the current economic situation, we will all be working until we are old and grey.
• Zero tolerance is a useful instrument to prevent violence.

Here is our list of top interesting informative speech topics.

• A comparison of the official definition of terrorism in different parts of the world.
• A week of monastery life.
• Abu Sayyaf links to global terror organizations.
• Architectural movements in the late nineteenth century.
• Armed conflicts in Africa.
• Artificial intelligence opportunities.
• Biochemical weapons explained.
• Bioethics versus human rights.
• Combatting modern slavery.
• Debunking weight loss myths.
• Development goals of the United Nations.
• Everything we can find in our Solar System.
• Five ways to give and donate to charity funds.
• Forms of public diplomacy.
• Fraud detection systems explained.
• How giant sea aquariums are constructed.
• How nepotisms started in the Middle Ages.
• How the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is structured.
• How the American Civil War began.
• How the application for immigration and naturalization works.
• How the CIA can track terrorists.
• How to apply Feng Shui to your bedroom.
• How to outlaw reactionary conservative groups and individuals.
• Is it possible to clone humans?
• Major incidents and consequences in the first decade of this millennium.
• Middle East roadmap for peace.
• Migration trends.
• Offshore installation accidents over the years.
• Racism and cultural diversity in mass media.
• Refugees and forced displacement.
• Result on foreign aid funding in the long term.
• Scientific explanations for the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle.
• State sponsored tyranny explained.
• The 9/11 Commission assignment and its main conclusions.
• The best consumer electronics innovations to date.
• The chain of cargo and freight services at international airports.
• The difference between soft and hard drugs.
• The effect of counter terrorism legislation on ordinary people.
• The European convention on human rights explained.
• The flying fortress called Air Force One.
• The four general goals of the Homeland Security Department.
• The functions of Samurai warriors in Ancient Japan.
• The future of fashion.
• The Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.
• The governing system of rules during the Middle Ages.
• The history of Amtrak.
• The innovative and unique styling of Dodge trucks.
• The long term complications of sunburn.
• The philosophical doctrine of Nihilism.
• The pros and cons of pacifism.
• The relations between federal budget deficit, national debt and trade balance.
• The role of Emperor Akihito in Japan.
• The secrets of crop circles revealed.
• The short history of the second man on the Moon, Buzz Aldrin.
• The struggle to patent computer software.
• The war costs in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Two party system compared multiple party systems.
• What is acne and what are its causes.
• Why the NASA shuttle program was stopped.
• Why the Romans built huge aqueducts in France.
• Venezuela and the constitutional power crisis.
• A diamond exploration certification system will not prevent conflict-diamonds trade.
• Handwriting analysis and how it reveals aspects of your personality.
• Hindu Cinema: not just Bollywood movies.
• How many disasters always happen at Christmas time.
• How sleepwalkers perform the most unusual things while asleep.
• Different lifestyles of generations.
• Importance of sleeping
• What makes me happy
• My ideal trip to Asia
• What would it be like to live with a famous person?
• If I were a volcano
• If l could the queen
• Benefits of being a vegetarian
• How girls worldwide are treated differently
• History of Mainamati in Bangladesh
• Broccoli flavored Oreos
• The Importance of public speaking
• A world without boundaries
• Stars and shooting stars
• How I came to school for the first time
• Conspiracy theories
• The pros and cons of being dead
• Confusing grammar
• When my birthday was there
• Importance of languages
• How to study effectively
• If I walked backwards
• The power of a lie
• Power of words
• If I was invisible
• Why I smile
• Fear of the unknown
• Fashion trends I hate
• Why do we have toes?
• Why I want to be a lawyer (or whatever job u pick)
• How colours affect your mood

Need a topic for your speech about an interesting persuasion statement?

Here are some of the best speech ideas and two easy informative subjects you can alter into a firm convincing claim.

Need other attracting ideas?

Check the navbar on the left and you will find thousands of special hints and tips for your public presentation 🙂

1. Whistleblower Protection Is Not Effective

• Whistleblower laws don’t protect against reprisals, disciplinary measures and spin from superiors.
• Huge companies have enough money to buy legal advice for a long period, laws offer employees no financial shield.
• Legislation often doesn’t address the issue itself, the problem, the allegations often are not investigated.

Another topic for your speech on business could be on fair trade:

2. Is Fair Trade Really Fair?

• Protectionism and markets are often stronger than fair trade appointments.
• Buying products is subsidizing poor farmers and manufacturers in developing countries. It isn’t helping them to make them stronger.
• It is anti-competitive and it undermines the economy in Third World nations.

And what do you think of this explosive persuasive topic for your speech?

3. Nuclear Power Is Dangerous Stuff

• An accident could cause thousands of fatalities and for billions of dollars property damage.
• There is no proper technology to handle radioactive waste material.
• Health risks for people working in the plant and for those who are living nearby could not be foreseen in advance and certainly not at the long term.
• Costs of nuclear plant safety measurements are very high.

And now two informative suggestions for a topic for your speech. But you easily transform them into some of the best speech ideas for persuasion speeches:

4. Checklist Before Taking A New Job

• A bigger company means more interesting job and task opportunities.
• It makes it possible to extend your existing network of trusted contacts.
• Like to travel abroad? Is it a Yes or No?
• How about the probability that you will keep your job – in other words what about the job security? What are the hidden clues?
• Is there a chance you can make you professional dreams and personal goals come true?
• How about the pay? Get all salary information, and decide on how much you want to earn from the start.
• Are there other requirements? Some personal wishes you would like to fulfill?

5. The Advantages Of Working In The Night

• No disturbing by telephone.
• No traffic jam.
• Not being awakened by the alarm clock in early morning hours …

You can think about the disadvantages too … Approach this subject from different sides and you double your opportunities!

89 Medical Speech Topic Ideas [Persuasive, Informative, Nursing]

292 Sports Speech Topics [Persuasive, Informative]

10 thoughts on “259 Interesting Speech Topics [Examples + Outlines]”

Are you in the Now?

Renewable energy pros and cons.

I want to learn the most detailed writing. Am a New student and i need to improve my own My subject is an informative one : Ivorians women teaching in Abidjan universites.

I need more topics to choose from for my oral presentation

Hello, I’d appreciate it if you’d stop perpetuating falseties about global warming and climate change. They are very much real, and putting them on a list like this only further pushes the myth that they are false. These topics are not up for debate.

Some of these are really creative.

#184 made me laugh. As someone who grew up with Harry Potter, perhaps students these days will consider me an older person ha.

Regards, Chris

thaaaank you very much this is help me a lot

Thanks for the ideas!

A lot of these “creative” topics are not only offensive but help push distructive rhetoric.

this helped me out so much.was just sitting there lost about what to speak at the academic decathlon.thanks

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112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

What’s covered:, how to pick an awesome persuasive speech topic, 112 engaging persuasive speech topics, tips for preparing your persuasive speech.

Writing a stellar persuasive speech requires a carefully crafted argument that will resonate with your audience to sway them to your side. This feat can be challenging to accomplish, but an engaging, thought-provoking speech topic is an excellent place to start.

When it comes time to select a topic for your persuasive speech, you may feel overwhelmed by all the options to choose from—or your brain may be drawing a completely blank slate. If you’re having trouble thinking of the perfect topic, don’t worry. We’re here to help!

In this post, we’re sharing how to choose the perfect persuasive speech topic and tips to prepare for your speech. Plus, you’ll find 112 persuasive speech topics that you can take directly from us or use as creative inspiration for your own ideas!

Choose Something You’re Passionate About

It’s much easier to write, research, and deliver a speech about a cause you care about. Even if it’s challenging to find a topic that completely sparks your interest, try to choose a topic that aligns with your passions.

However, keep in mind that not everyone has the same interests as you. Try to choose a general topic to grab the attention of the majority of your audience, but one that’s specific enough to keep them engaged.

For example, suppose you’re giving a persuasive speech about book censorship. In that case, it’s probably too niche to talk about why “To Kill a Mockingbird” shouldn’t be censored (even if it’s your favorite book), and it’s too broad to talk about media censorship in general.

Steer Clear of Cliches

Have you already heard a persuasive speech topic presented dozens of times? If so, it’s probably not an excellent choice for your speech—even if it’s an issue you’re incredibly passionate about.

Although polarizing topics like abortion and climate control are important to discuss, they aren’t great persuasive speech topics. Most people have already formed an opinion on these topics, which will either cause them to tune out or have a negative impression of your speech.

Instead, choose topics that are fresh, unique, and new. If your audience has never heard your idea presented before, they will be more open to your argument and engaged in your speech.

Have a Clear Side of Opposition

For a persuasive speech to be engaging, there must be a clear side of opposition. To help determine the arguability of your topic, ask yourself: “If I presented my viewpoint on this topic to a group of peers, would someone disagree with me?” If the answer is yes, then you’ve chosen a great topic!

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork for what it takes to choose a great persuasive speech topic, here are over one hundred options for you to choose from.

• Should high school athletes get tested for steroids?
• Should schools be required to have physical education courses?
• Should sports grades in school depend on things like athletic ability?
• What sport should be added to or removed from the Olympics?
• Should college athletes be able to make money off of their merchandise?
• Should sports teams be able to recruit young athletes without a college degree?
• Should we consider video gamers as professional athletes?
• Is cheerleading considered a sport?
• Should parents allow their kids to play contact sports?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as professional male athletes?
• Should college be free at the undergraduate level?
• Is the traditional college experience obsolete?
• Should you choose a major based on your interests or your potential salary?
• Should high school students have to meet a required number of service hours before graduating?
• Should teachers earn more or less based on how their students perform on standardized tests?
• Are private high schools more effective than public high schools?
• Should there be a minimum number of attendance days required to graduate?
• Are GPAs harmful or helpful?
• Should schools be required to teach about standardized testing?
• Should Greek Life be banned in the United States?
• Should schools offer science classes explicitly about mental health?
• Should students be able to bring their cell phones to school?
• Should all public restrooms be all-gender?
• Should undocumented immigrants have the same employment and education opportunities as citizens?
• Should everyone be paid a living wage regardless of their employment status?
• Should supremacist groups be able to hold public events?
• Should guns be allowed in public places?
• Should the national drinking age be lowered?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should the government raise or lower the retirement age?
• Should the government be able to control the population?
• Is the death penalty ethical?

Environment

• Should stores charge customers for plastic bags?
• Should breeding animals (dogs, cats, etc.) be illegal?
• Is it okay to have exotic animals as pets?
• Should people be fined for not recycling?
• Should compost bins become mandatory for restaurants?
• Should electric vehicles have their own transportation infrastructure?
• Would heavier fining policies reduce corporations’ emissions?
• Should hunting be encouraged or illegal?
• Should reusable diapers replace disposable diapers?

Science & Technology

• Is paper media more reliable than digital news sources?
• Should automated/self-driving cars be legalized?
• Should schools be required to provide laptops to all students?
• Should software companies be able to have pre-downloaded programs and applications on devices?
• Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
• Should scientists invest more or less money into cancer research?
• Should cloning be illegal?
• Should societies colonize other planets?
• Should there be legal oversight over the development of technology?

Social Media

• Should there be an age limit on social media?
• Should cyberbullying have the same repercussions as in-person bullying?
• Are online relationships as valuable as in-person relationships?
• Does “cancel culture” have a positive or negative impact on societies?
• Are social media platforms reliable information or news sources?
• Should social media be censored?
• Does social media create an unrealistic standard of beauty?
• Is regular social media usage damaging to real-life interactions?
• Is social media distorting democracy?
• How many branches of government should there be?
• Who is the best/worst president of all time?
• How long should judges serve in the U.S. Supreme Court?
• Should a more significant portion of the U.S. budget be contributed towards education?
• Should the government invest in rapid transcontinental transportation infrastructure?
• Should airport screening be more or less stringent?
• Should the electoral college be dismantled?
• Should the U.S. have open borders?
• Should the government spend more or less money on space exploration?
• Should students sing Christmas carols, say the pledge of allegiance, or perform other tangentially religious activities?
• Should nuns and priests become genderless roles?
• Should schools and other public buildings have prayer rooms?
• Should animal sacrifice be legal if it occurs in a religious context?
• Should countries be allowed to impose a national religion on their citizens?
• Should the church be separated from the state?
• Does freedom of religion positively or negatively affect societies?

Parenting & Family

• Is it better to have children at a younger or older age?
• Is it better for children to go to daycare or stay home with their parents?
• Does birth order affect personality?
• Should parents or the school system teach their kids about sex?
• Are family traditions important?
• Should parents smoke or drink around young children?
• Should “spanking” children be illegal?
• Should parents use swear words in front of their children?
• Should parents allow their children to play violent video games?

Entertainment

• Should all actors be paid the same regardless of gender or ethnicity?
• Should all award shows be based on popular vote?
• Who should be responsible for paying taxes on prize money, the game show staff or the contestants?
• Should movies and television shows have ethnicity and gender quotas?
• Should newspapers and magazines move to a completely online format?
• Should streaming services like Netflix and Hulu be free for students?
• Is the movie rating system still effective?
• Should celebrities have more privacy rights?

Arts & Humanities

• Are libraries becoming obsolete?
• Should all schools have mandatory art or music courses in their curriculum?
• Should offensive language be censored from classic literary works?
• Is it ethical for museums to keep indigenous artifacts?
• Should digital designs be considered an art form? 
• Should abstract art be considered an art form?
• Is music therapy effective?
• Should tattoos be regarded as “professional dress” for work?
• Should schools place greater emphasis on the arts programs?
• Should euthanasia be allowed in hospitals and other clinical settings?
• Should the government support and implement universal healthcare?
• Would obesity rates lower if the government intervened to make healthy foods more affordable?
• Should teenagers be given access to birth control pills without parental consent?
• Should food allergies be considered a disease?
• Should health insurance cover homeopathic medicine?
• Is using painkillers healthy?
• Should genetically modified foods be banned?
• Should there be a tax on unhealthy foods?
• Should tobacco products be banned from the country?
• Should the birth control pill be free for everyone?

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can  use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original persuasive speech ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

Do Your Research

A great persuasive speech is supported with plenty of well-researched facts and evidence. So before you begin the writing process, research both sides of the topic you’re presenting in-depth to gain a well-rounded perspective of the topic.

Understand Your Audience

It’s critical to understand your audience to deliver a great persuasive speech. After all, you are trying to convince them that your viewpoint is correct. Before writing your speech, consider the facts and information that your audience may already know, and think about the beliefs and concerns they may have about your topic. Then, address these concerns in your speech, and be mindful to include fresh, new information.

Have Someone Read Your Speech

Once you have finished writing your speech, have someone read it to check for areas of strength and improvement. You can use CollegeVine’s free essay review tool to get feedback on your speech from a peer!

Practice Makes Perfect

After completing your final draft, the key to success is to practice. Present your speech out loud in front of a mirror, your family, friends, and basically, anyone who will listen. Not only will the feedback of others help you to make your speech better, but you’ll become more confident in your presentation skills and may even be able to commit your speech to memory.

Hopefully, these ideas have inspired you to write a powerful, unique persuasive speech. With the perfect topic, plenty of practice, and a boost of self-confidence, we know you’ll impress your audience with a remarkable speech!

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105 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics for Any Project

General Education

Are you struggling to find good persuasive speech topics? It can be hard to find a topic that interests both you and your audience, but in this guide we've done the hard work and created a list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. They're organized into ten categories and cover a variety of topics, so you're sure to find one that interests you.

In addition to our list, we also go over which factors make good persuasive speech topics and three tips you should follow when researching and writing your persuasive speech.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

What makes certain persuasive speech topics better than others? There are numerous reasons, but in this section we discuss three of the most important factors of great topics for a persuasive speech.

It's Something You Know About or Are Interested in Learning About

The most important factor in choosing and creating a great persuasive speech is picking a topic you care about and are interested in. You'll need to do a lot of research on this topic, and if it's something you like learning about, that'll make the process much easier and more enjoyable. It'll also help you sound passionate and informed when you talk, both important factors in giving an excellent persuasive speech.

It's a Topic People Care About

In fourth grade, after being told I could give a persuasive speech on any topic I wanted to , I chose to discuss why the Saguaro cactus should be the United State's national plant. Even though I gave an impassioned talk and drew a life-size Saguaro cactus on butcher paper to hang behind me, I doubt anyone enjoyed the speech much.

I'd recently returned from a family vacation to Arizona where I'd seen Saguaro cacti for the first time and decided they were the coolest thing ever. However, most people don't care that much about Saguaro cacti, and most people don't care what our national plant is or if we even have one (for the record, the US has a national flower, and it's the rose).

Spare yourself the smattering of bored applause my nine-old self got at the end of my speech and choose something you think people will be interested in hearing about. This also ties into knowing your audience, which we discuss more in the final section.

It Isn't Overdone

When I was in high school, nearly every persuasive speech my classmates and I were assigned was the exact same topic: should the drinking age be lowered to 18? I got this prompt in English class, on standardized tests, in speech and debate class, etc. I've written and presented about it so often I could probably still rattle off all the main points of my old speeches word-for-word.

You can imagine that everyone's eyes glazed over whenever classmates gave their speeches on this topic. We'd heard about it so many times that, even if it was a topic we cared about, speeches on it just didn't interest us anymore.

The are many potential topics for a persuasive speech. Be wary of choosing one that's cliche or overdone. Even if you give a great speech, it'll be harder to keep your audience interested if they feel like they already know what you're going to say.

An exception to this rule is that if you feel you have a new viewpoint or facts about the topic that currently aren't common knowledge. Including them can make an overdone topic interesting. If you do this, be sure to make it clear early on in your speech that you have unique info or opinions on the topic so your audience knows to expect something new.

105 Topics for a Persuasive Speech

Here's our list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. We made sure to choose topics that aren't overdone, yet that many people will have an interest in, and we also made a point of choosing topics with multiple viewpoints rather than simplistic topics that have a more obvious right answer (i.e. Is bullying bad?). The topics are organized into ten categories.

Arts/Culture

• Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance?
• Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Should all national museums be free to citizens?
• Should graffiti be considered art?
• Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature?
• Are paper books better than e-books?
• Should all interns be paid for their work?
• Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work?
• Will Brexit hurt or help the UK's economy?
• Should all people over the age of 65 be able to ride the bus for free?
• Should the federal minimum wage be increased?
• Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory?
• Should Black Friday sales be allowed to start on Thanksgiving?
• Should students who bully others be expelled?
• Should all schools require students wear uniforms?
• Should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms?
• Should students be allowed to listen to music during study hall?
• Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language?
• Should schools include meditation or relaxation breaks during the day?
• Should grades in gym class affect students' GPAs?
• Should teachers get a bonus when their students score well on standardized tests?
• Should children of undocumented immigrants be allowed to attend public schools?
• Should students get paid for getting a certain GPA?
• Should students be allowed to have their cell phones with them during school?
• Should high school students be allowed to leave school during lunch breaks?
• Should Greek life at colleges be abolished?
• Should high school students be required to volunteer a certain number of hours before they can graduate?
• Should schools still teach cursive handwriting?
• What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying?
• Should prostitution be legalized?
• Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver's license?
• Should people be required to shovel snow from the sidewalks in front of their house?
• Should minors be able to drink alcohol in their home if they have their parent's consent?
• Should guns be allowed on college campuses?
• Should flag burning as a form of protest be illegal?
• Should welfare recipients be required to pass a drug test?
• Should white supremacist groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
• Should assault weapons be illegal?
• Should the death penalty be abolished?
• Should beauty pageants for children be banned?
• Is it OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious beliefs?
• Should transgender people be allowed to serve in the military?
• Is it better to live together before marriage or to wait?
• Should affirmative action be allowed?
• Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
• Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples' Day?

Government/Politics

• Should the government spend more money on developing high-speed rail lines and less on building new roads?
• Should the government be allowed to censor internet content deemed inappropriate?
• Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state?
• Should Scotland declare independence from the United Kingdom?
• Whose face should be on the next new currency printed by the US?
• Should people convicted of drug possession be sent to recovery programs instead of jail?
• Should voting be made compulsory?
• Who was the best American president?
• Should the military budget be reduced?
• Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms?
• Should a border fence be built between the United States and Mexico?
• Should countries pay ransom to terrorist groups in order to free hostages?
• Should minors be able to purchase birth control without their parent's consent?
• Should hiding or lying about your HIV status with someone you're sleeping with be illegal?
• Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health?
• Should high schools provide free condoms to students?
• Should the US switch to single-payer health care?
• Should healthy people be required to regularly donate blood?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Should religious organizations be required to pay taxes?
• Should priests be allowed to get married?
• Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned?
• Should the Church of Scientology be exempt from paying taxes?
• Should women be allowed to be priests?
• Should countries be allowed to only accept refugees with certain religious beliefs?
• Should public prayer be allowed in schools?

Science/Environment

• Should human cloning be allowed?
• Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like tigers and monkeys?
• Should "animal selfies" in tourist locations with well-known animal species (like koalas and tigers) be allowed?
• Should genetically modified foods be sold in grocery stores?
• Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?
• Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children?
• Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
• What is the best type of renewable energy?
• Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores?
• Should the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement?
• Should puppy mills be banned?
• Should fracking be legal?
• Should animal testing be illegal?
• Should offshore drilling be allowed in protected marine areas?
• Should the US government increase NASA's budget?
• Should Pluto still be considered a planet?
• Should college athletes be paid for being on a sports team?
• Should all athletes be required to pass regular drug tests?
• Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport?
• Are there any cases when athletes should be allowed to use steroids?
• Should college sports teams receive less funding?
• Should boxing be illegal?
• Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim?
• Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
• Should parents let their children play tackle football?
• Will robots reduce or increase human employment opportunities?
• What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone?
• Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books?
• Overall, has technology helped connect people or isolate them?
• Should self-driving cars be legal?
• Should all new buildings be energy efficient?
• Is Net Neutrality a good thing or a bad thing?
• Do violent video games encourage players to become violent in real life?

3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Your Persuasive Speech

Of course, giving a great persuasive speech requires more than just choosing a good topic. Follow the three tips below to create an outstanding speech that'll interest and impress your audience.

Do Your Research

For a persuasive speech, there's nothing worse than getting an audience question that shows you misunderstood the issue or left an important piece out. It makes your entire speech look weak and unconvincing.

Before you start writing a single word of your speech, be sure to do lots of research on all sides of the topic. Look at different sources and points of view to be sure you're getting the full picture, and if you know any experts on the topic, be sure to ask their opinion too.

Consider All the Angles

Persuasive speech topics are rarely black and white, which means there will be multiple sides and viewpoints on the topic. For example, for the topic "Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?" there are two obvious viewpoints: everyone should be allowed to own a pit bull if they want to, and no one should be allowed to own a pit bull. But there are other options you should also consider: people should only own a pit bull if they pass a dog training class, people should be able to own pit bulls, but only if it's the only dog they own, people should be able to own pi tbulls but only if they live a certain distance from schools, people should be able to own pit bulls only if the dog passes an obedience class, etc.

Thinking about all these angles and including them in your speech will make you seem well-informed on the topic, and it'll increase the quality of your speech by looking at difference nuances of the issue.

Know Your Audience

Whenever you give a speech, it's important to consider your audience, and this is especially true for persuasive speeches when you're trying to convince people to believe a certain viewpoint. When writing your speech, think about what your audience likely already knows about the topic, what they probably need explained, and what aspects of the topic they care about most. Also consider what the audience will be most concerned about for a certain topic, and be sure to address those concerns.

For example, if you're giving a speech to a Catholic organization on why you think priests should be allowed to marry, you don't need to go over the history of Catholicism or its core beliefs (which they probably already know), but you should mention any research or prominent opinions that support your view (which they likely don't know about). They may be concerned that priests who marry won't be as committed to God or their congregations, so be sure to address those concerns and why they shouldn't worry about them as much as they may think. Discussing your topic with people (ideally those with viewpoints similar to those of your future audience) before you give your speech is a good way to get a better understanding of how your audience thinks.

More Resources for Writing Persuasive Speeches

If you need more guidance or just want to check out some examples of great persuasive writing, consider checking out the following books:

• Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire—This collection of great speeches throughout history will help you decide how to style your own argument.
• The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking by Sims Wyeth—For quick direct tips on public speaking, try this all-purpose guide.
• Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds by Carmine Gallo—This popular book breaks down what makes TED talks work and how you can employ those skills in your own presentations.
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman—These two recent speeches by contemporary writers offer stellar examples of how to craft a compelling (and engaging) argument.

Conclusion: Persuasive Speech Ideas

Good persuasive speech topics can be difficult to think of, but in this guide we've compiled a list of 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for you to look through.

The best persuasive speech ideas will be on a topic you're interested in, aren't overdone, and will be about something your audience cares about.

After you've chosen your topic, keep these three tips in mind when writing your persuasive speech:

• Do your research
• Consider all the angles
• Know your audience

What's Next?

Now that you have persuasive speech topics, it's time to hone your persuasive speech techniques. Find out what ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are and how to use them here .

Looking to take your persuasive technique from speech to sheets (of paper)? Get our three key tips on how to write an argumentative essay , or learn by reading through our thorough breakdown of how to build an essay, step by step .

Want a great GPA? Check out our step-by-step guide to getting good grades in high school so you can have a stellar transcript.

Interested in learning about other great extracurricular opportunities? Learn more about job shadowing , community service , and volunteer abroad programs.

Still trying to figure out your courses? Check out our expert guide on which classes you should take in high school.

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

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150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics for Students in 2024

April 1, 2024

Do you know that moment in your favorite film, when the soundtrack begins to swell and the main character stands up and delivers a speech so rousing, so impassioned, it has the entire room either weeping or cheering by the time it concludes? What distinguishes the effectiveness of such a speech is not only the protagonist’s stellar delivery but also the compelling nature of the subject matter at hand. Choosing an effective persuasive speech topic is essential for guaranteeing that your future speech or essay is as moving as these . If this sounds like a tall order, have no fear. Below you’ll find a list of some of the best and most interesting persuasive speech topics for high school students to tackle, from the playful (“Pets for President”) to the serious (“Should We Stop AI from Replacing Human Workers?”).

And if you’re craving more inspiration, feel free to check out this list of Great Debate Topics , which can be used to generate further ideas.

What is a Good Persuasive Speech?

Before we get to the list, we must address the question on everyone’s minds: what is a persuasive speech, and what the heck makes for a good persuasive speech topic? A persuasive speech is a speech that aims to convince its listeners of a particular point of view . At the heart of each persuasive speech is a central conflict . Note: The persuasive speech stands in contrast to a simple informative speech, which is intended purely to convey information. (I.e., an informative speech topic might read: “The History of Making One’s Bed,” while a persuasive speech topic would be: “Why Making One’s Bed is a Waste of Time”—understand?)

And lest you think that persuasive speeches are simply assigned by your teachers as a particularly cruel form of torture, remember that practicing your oratory skills will benefit you in all areas of life—from job interviews, to business negotiations, to your future college career in public policy or international relations . Knowing how to use your voice to enact meaningful change is a valuable skill that can empower you to make a difference in the world.

Components of a Great Persuasive Speech Topic

The ideal persuasive speech topic will inspire the audience to action via both logical arguments and emotional appeals. As such, we can summarize the question “what makes a good persuasive speech topic?” by saying that the topic must possess the following qualities:

• Timeliness and Relevance . Great persuasive speech topics grapple with a contemporary issue that is meaningful to the listener at hand. The topic might be a current news item, or it might be a long-standing social issue. In either case, the topic should be one with real-world implications.
• Complexity . A fruitful persuasive speech topic will have many facets. Topics that are controversial, with some gray area, lend themselves to a high degree of critical thinking. They also offer the speaker an opportunity to consider and refute all counterarguments before making a compelling case for his or her own position.
• Evidence . You want to be able to back up your argument with clear evidence from reputable sources (i.e., not your best friend or dog). The more evidence and data you can gather, the more sound your position will be. In addition, your audience will be more inclined to trust you.
• Personal Connection. Do you feel passionately about the topic you’ve chosen? If not, it may be time to go back to the drawing board. This does not mean you have to support the side you choose; sometimes, arguing for the opposing side of what you personally believe can be an effective exercise in building empathy and perspective. Either way, though, the key is to select a topic that you care deeply about. Your passion will be infectious to the audience.

150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should tech companies regulate the development of AI systems and automation to protect humans’ jobs?
• Should we limit screen time for children?
• Is it ethical for AI models like Dall-E to train themselves on artists’ work without the artists’ permission?
• Should the government regulate the use of personal drones?
• Is mass surveillance ethical? Does its threat to civil liberties outweigh its benefits?
• Are virtual reality experiences a valuable educational tool?
• Do the positive effects of powerful AI systems outweigh the risks?
• Do voice assistants like Siri and Alexa invade individuals’ privacy?
• Are cell phone bans in the classroom effective for improving student learning?
• Does the use of facial recognition technology in public violate individuals’ privacy?
• Should students be allowed to use ChatGPT and other AI tools for writing assignments?
• Should AI-generated art be allowed in art shows or contests?
• Who holds responsibility for accidents caused by self-driving cars: the driver or the car company?

Business and Economy

• Should we do away with the minimum wage? Why or why not?
• Is it ethical for companies to use unpaid internships as a source of labor?
• Does the gig economy benefit or harm workers?
• Is capitalism the best economic system?
• Is it ethical for companies to use sweatshops in developing countries?
• Should the government provide free healthcare for all citizens?
• Should the government regulate prices on pharmaceutical drugs?
• Should the government enact a universal base income?
• Should customers be required to tip a minimum amount in order to ensure food service workers make a living wage?
• Should someone’s tattoos or personal appearance factor into the hiring process?
• Should US workers have more vacation time?
• Is big game hunting beneficial for local communities?
• Should we legalize euthanasia?
• Is it ethical to use animals for medical research?
• Is it ethical to allow access to experimental treatments for terminally ill patients?
• Should we allow genetic engineering in humans?
• Is the death penalty obsolete?
• Should we allow the cloning of humans?
• Is it ethical to allow performance-enhancing drugs in sports?
• Should embryonic stem cell collection be allowed?
• Do frozen IVF embryos have rights?
• Should state and federal investigators be allowed to use DNA from genealogy databases?
• Should the government limit how many children a couple can have?
• Is spanking children an acceptable form of discipline?
• Should we allow parents to choose their children’s physical attributes through genetic engineering?
• Should we require parents to vaccinate their children?
• Should we require companies to give mandatory paternal and maternal leave?
• Should children be allowed to watch violent movies and video games?
• Should parents allow their teenagers to drink before they turn 21?
• Should the government provide childcare?
• Should telling your children about Santa Claus be considered lying?
• Should one parent stay home?
• Should parental consent be required for minors to receive birth control?
• Is it an invasion of privacy for parents to post photographs of their children on social media?

Social Media

• Should social media platforms ban political ads?
• Do the benefits of social media outweigh the downsides?
• Should the government hold social media companies responsible for hate speech on their platforms?
• Is social media making us more or less social?
• Do platforms like TikTok exacerbate mental health issues in teens?
• Should the government regulate social media to protect citizens’ privacy?
• Is it right for parents to monitor their children’s social media accounts?
• Should social media companies enact a minimum user age restriction?
• Should we require social media companies to protect user data?
• Should we hold social media companies responsible for cyberbullying?
• Should schools ban the use of social media from their networks?
• Should we be allowed to record others without their consent?
• Do online crime sleuths help or hurt criminal investigations?

Education – Persuasive Speech Topics 

• Would trade schools and other forms of vocational training benefit a greater number of students than traditional institutions of higher education?
• Should colleges use standardized testing in their admissions processes?
• Is forcing students to say the Pledge a violation of their right to freedom of speech?
• Should school districts offer bilingual education programs for non-native speakers?
• Should schools do away with their physical education requirements?
• Should schools incorporate a remote learning option into their curriculum?
• Should we allow school libraries to ban certain books?
• Should we remove historical figures who owned slaves from school textbooks and other educational materials?
• Should we have mixed-level classrooms or divide students according to ability?
• Should grading on a curve be allowed?
• Should graphic novels be considered literature?
• Should all students have to take financial literacy classes before graduating?
• Should colleges pay student athletes?
• Should we ban violent contact sports like boxing and MMA?
• Should sports leagues require professional athletes to stand during the national anthem?
• Should sports teams ban players like Kyrie Irving when they spread misinformation or hate speech?
• Should high schools require their athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
• Should the Olympic committee allow transgender athletes to compete?
• Should high schools ban football due to its safety risks to players?
• Should all high school students be required to play a team sport?
• Should sports teams be mixed instead of single-gender?
• Should there be different athletic standards for men and women?
• In which renewable energy option would the US do best to invest?
• Should the US prioritize space exploration over domestic initiatives?
• Should companies with a high carbon footprint be punished?
• Should the FDA ban GMOs?
• Would the world be a safer place without nuclear weapons?
• Does AI pose a greater threat to humanity than it does the potential for advancement?
• Who holds the most responsibility for mitigating climate change: individuals or corporations?
• Should we be allowed to resurrect extinct species?
• Are cancer screening programs ethical?

Social Issues – Persuasive Speech Topics

• College education: should the government make it free for all?
• Should we provide free healthcare for undocumented immigrants?
• Is physician-assisted suicide morally justifiable?
• Does social media have a negative impact on democracy?
• Does cancel culture impede free speech?
• Does affirmative action help or hinder minority groups in the workplace?
• Should we hold public figures and celebrities to a higher standard of morality?
• Should abortion be an issue that is decided at the federal or state level?
• Should the sex offender registry be available to the public?
• Should undocumented immigrants have a path to amnesty?
• Do syringe services programs reduce or increase harmful behaviors?
• Should there be a statute of limitations?
• Should those who are convicted of a crime be required to report their criminal history on job and housing applications?

Politics and Government

• Is the Electoral College still an effective way to elect the President of the US?
• Should we allow judges to serve on the Supreme Court indefinitely?
• Should the US establish a national gun registry?
• Countries like Israel and China require all citizens to serve in the military. Is this a good or bad policy?
• Should the police force require all its officers to wear body cameras while on duty?
• Should the US invest in the development of clean meat as a sustainable protein source?
• Should the US adopt ranked-choice voting?
• Should institutions that profited from slavery provide reparations?
• Should the government return land to Native American tribes?
• Should there be term limits for representatives and senators?
• Should there be an age limit for presidential candidates?
• Should women be allowed in special forces units?

Easy Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should schools have uniforms?
• Can video games improve problem-solving skills?
• Are online classes as effective as in-person classes?
• Should companies implement a four-day work week?
• Co-ed learning versus single-sex: which is more effective?
• Should the school day start later?
• Is homework an effective teaching tool?
• Are electric cars really better for the environment?
• Should schools require all students to study a foreign language?
• Do professional athletes get paid too much money?

Fun Persuasive Speech Topics

• Should we allow pets to run for public office?
• Does pineapple belong on pizza?
• Would students benefit from schools swapping out desks with more comfortable seating arrangements (i.e., bean bag chairs and couches)?
• Is procrastination the key to success?
• Should Americans adopt British accents to sound more intelligent?
• The age-old dilemma: cats or dogs?
• Should meme creators receive royalties when their memes go viral?
• Should there be a minimum drinking age for coffee?
• Are people who make their beds every day more successful than those who don’t?

Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

• Is the movie ranking system an effective way to evaluate the appropriateness of films?
• Should the government place a “health tax” on junk food?
• Is it ethical to create artificial life forms that are capable of complex emotions?
• Should parents let children choose their own names?
• Creating clones of ourselves to serve as organ donors: ethical or not?
• Is it ethical to engineer humans to be better and more optimized than nature intended?
• Should we adopt a universal language to communicate with people from all countries?
• Should there be a penalty for people who don’t vote?
• Should calories be printed on menus?
• Does tourism positively or negatively impact local communities?
• When used by non-Natives, are dreamcatchers cultural appropriation?
• Should companies require their employees to specify pronouns in their signature line?
• Should commercial fishing be banned?
• Are cemeteries sustainable?
• Is it okay to change the race, culture, and/or gender of historical figures in movies or TV shows?

I’ve Chosen My Topic, Now What?

Once you’ve selected your topic, it’s time to get to work crafting your argument. Preparation for a persuasive speech or essay involves some key steps, which we’ve outlined for you below.

How to Create a Successful Persuasive Speech, Step by Step

• Research your topic. Read widely and smartly. Stick to credible sources, such as peer-reviewed articles, published books, government reports, textbooks, and news articles. The right sources and data will be necessary to help you establish your authority. As you go, take notes on the details and nuances of your topic as well as potential counterarguments. Research the counterarguments, too.
• Choose an angle. For example, if you chose the topic “Should we limit screen time for children?” your speech should come down firmly on one side of that debate. If your topic is frequently debated, such as abortion, capital punishment, gun control, social media, etc. try to find a niche angle or new research. For example, instead of “Should abortion be legal?” you might consider “Should you be able to order abortion pills online?” Another example: “Should the death penalty be banned?” might become “How long is it ethical for someone to stay on death row?” If you do some digging, even the most cliche topics have incredibly interesting and relatively unexplored sub-topics.
• Create an outline. Your outline should include an introduction with a thesis statement, a body that uses evidence to elaborate and support your position while refuting any counterarguments, and a conclusion. The conclusion will both summarize the points made earlier and serve as your final chance to persuade your audience.
• Write your speech. Use your outline to help you as well as the data you’ve collected. Remember: this is not dry writing; this writing has a point of view, and that point of view is yours . Accordingly, use anecdotes and examples to back up your argument. The essential components of this speech are logos (logic), ethos (credibility), and pathos (emotion) . The ideal speech will use all three of these functions to engage the audience.

How to Practice and Deliver a Persuasive Speech

• Talk to yourself in the mirror, record yourself, and/or hold a practice speech for family or friends. If you’ll be using visual cues, a slide deck, or notecards, practice incorporating them seamlessly into your speech. You should practice until your speech feels very familiar, at least 5-10 times.
• Practice body language. Are you making eye contact with your audience, or looking at the ground? Crossing your arms over your chest or walking back and forth across the room? Playing with your hair, cracking your knuckles, or picking at your clothes? Practicing what to do with your body, face, and hands will help you feel more confident on speech day.
• Take it slow. It’s common to talk quickly while delivering a speech—most of us want to get it over with! However, your audience will be able to connect with you much more effectively if you speak at a moderate pace, breathe, and pause when appropriate.
• Give yourself grace. How you recover from a mistake is much more important than the mistake itself. Typically, the best approach is to good-naturedly shrug off a blip and move on. 99% of the time, your audience won’t even notice!

Good Persuasive Speech Topics—Final Thoughts

The art of persuasive speaking is a tricky one, but the tips and tricks laid out here will help you craft a compelling argument that will sway even the most dubious audience to your side. Mastering this art takes both time and practice, so don’t fret if it doesn’t come to you right away. Remember to draw upon your sources, speak with authority, and have fun. Once you have the skill of persuasive speaking down, go out there and use your voice to impact change!

Looking for some hot-button topics in college admissions? You might consider checking out the following:

• Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
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• Should I Waive My Right to See Letters of Recommendation?
• Should I Use the Common App Additional Information Section?
• High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

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Persuasive Speeches — Types, Topics, and Examples

What is a persuasive speech.

In a persuasive speech, the speaker aims to convince the audience to accept a particular perspective on a person, place, object, idea, etc. The speaker strives to cause the audience to accept the point of view presented in the speech.

The success of a persuasive speech often relies on the speaker’s use of ethos, pathos, and logos.

Ethos is the speaker’s credibility. Audiences are more likely to accept an argument if they find the speaker trustworthy. To establish credibility during a persuasive speech, speakers can do the following:

Use familiar language.

Select examples that connect to the specific audience.

Utilize credible and well-known sources.

Logically structure the speech in an audience-friendly way.

Use appropriate eye contact, volume, pacing, and inflection.

Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions. Speakers who create an emotional bond with their audience are typically more convincing. Tapping into the audience’s emotions can be accomplished through the following:

Select evidence that can elicit an emotional response.

Use emotionally-charged words. (The city has a problem … vs. The city has a disease …)

Incorporate analogies and metaphors that connect to a specific emotion to draw a parallel between the reference and topic.

Utilize vivid imagery and sensory words, allowing the audience to visualize the information.

Employ an appropriate tone, inflection, and pace to reflect the emotion.

Logos appeals to the audience’s logic by offering supporting evidence. Speakers can improve their logical appeal in the following ways:

Use comprehensive evidence the audience can understand.

Confirm the evidence logically supports the argument’s claims and stems from credible sources.

Ensure that evidence is specific and avoid any vague or questionable information.

Types of persuasive speeches

The three main types of persuasive speeches are factual, value, and policy.

A factual persuasive speech focuses solely on factual information to prove the existence or absence of something through substantial proof. This is the only type of persuasive speech that exclusively uses objective information rather than subjective. As such, the argument does not rely on the speaker’s interpretation of the information. Essentially, a factual persuasive speech includes historical controversy, a question of current existence, or a prediction:

Historical controversy concerns whether an event happened or whether an object actually existed.

Questions of current existence involve the knowledge that something is currently happening.

Predictions incorporate the analysis of patterns to convince the audience that an event will happen again.

A value persuasive speech concerns the morality of a certain topic. Speakers incorporate facts within these speeches; however, the speaker’s interpretation of those facts creates the argument. These speeches are highly subjective, so the argument cannot be proven to be absolutely true or false.

A policy persuasive speech centers around the speaker’s support or rejection of a public policy, rule, or law. Much like a value speech, speakers provide evidence supporting their viewpoint; however, they provide subjective conclusions based on the facts they provide.

How to write a persuasive speech

Incorporate the following steps when writing a persuasive speech:

Step 1 – Identify the type of persuasive speech (factual, value, or policy) that will help accomplish the goal of the presentation.

Step 2 – Select a good persuasive speech topic to accomplish the goal and choose a position .

Step 3 – Locate credible and reliable sources and identify evidence in support of the topic/position. Revisit Step 2 if there is a lack of relevant resources.

Step 4 – Identify the audience and understand their baseline attitude about the topic.

Step 5 – When constructing an introduction , keep the following questions in mind:

What’s the topic of the speech?

What’s the occasion?

Who’s the audience?

What’s the purpose of the speech?

Step 6 – Utilize the evidence within the previously identified sources to construct the body of the speech. Keeping the audience in mind, determine which pieces of evidence can best help develop the argument. Discuss each point in detail, allowing the audience to understand how the facts support the perspective.

Step 7 – Addressing counterarguments can help speakers build their credibility, as it highlights their breadth of knowledge.

Step 8 – Conclude the speech with an overview of the central purpose and how the main ideas identified in the body support the overall argument.

Persuasive speech outline

One of the best ways to prepare a great persuasive speech is by using an outline. When structuring an outline, include an introduction, body, and conclusion:

Introduction

Attention Grabbers

Ask a question that allows the audience to respond in a non-verbal way; ask a rhetorical question that makes the audience think of the topic without requiring a response.

Incorporate a well-known quote that introduces the topic. Using the words of a celebrated individual gives credibility and authority to the information in the speech.

Offer a startling statement or information about the topic, typically done using data or statistics.

Provide a brief anecdote or story that relates to the topic.

Starting a speech with a humorous statement often makes the audience more comfortable with the speaker.

Provide information on how the selected topic may impact the audience .

Include any background information pertinent to the topic that the audience needs to know to understand the speech in its entirety.

Give the thesis statement in connection to the main topic and identify the main ideas that will help accomplish the central purpose.

Identify evidence

Summarize its meaning

Explain how it helps prove the support/main claim

Evidence 3 (Continue as needed)

Support 3 (Continue as needed)

Restate thesis

Review main supports

Concluding statement

Give the audience a call to action to do something specific.

Identify the overall importan ce of the topic and position.

Persuasive speech topics

The following table identifies some common or interesting persuasive speech topics for high school and college students:

Persuasive speech examples

The following list identifies some of history’s most famous persuasive speeches:

John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address: “Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You”

Lyndon B. Johnson: “We Shall Overcome”

Marc Antony: “Friends, Romans, Countrymen…” in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Ronald Reagan: “Tear Down this Wall”

Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I a Woman?”

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How to Write a Speech: Top Tips

Ashleigh Ferguson

Table of Contents

9 engaging speech writing tips, what are the different speech types , how to find help writing a speech.

A great speech is impactful and engaging. It should eloquently and clearly express your ideas.

Whatever the topic, a good speech should showcase your authority on a topic and demonstrate excellent communication and leadership skills.

Many people don't know how to write a speech, so the process seems daunting. But there are a few best practices and tips that can make the writing process easier.

In this article, we’ll discuss some best practices to help you write an effective speech that engages and captures your audience.

Public speaking can be nerve-racking. However, having a well-written speech can decrease some of that anxiety.

Even if you’ve never written a speech before, there are still best practices you can follow. 

An engaging speech should be clear, to the point, and follow a logical order. But how do you ensure your speech follows these criteria? Follow these nine engaging speech writing tips.

Know Your Audience

Analyze your target audience to improve the effectiveness of your speech because different audiences will have different expectations. 

Consider your audience’s age, level of understanding, attitudes, and what they expect to take away from your speech, then tailor your message accordingly. 

For example, if your audience members are teenagers, it’s unlikely that references to the ’70s will be effective.

Start With a Clear Purpose

Decide on the main point of your speech, and make sure all your content supports that point. Choose a topic that fits the following criteria:

A topic that is relevant to your audience

A topic you’re excited about

A topic you have reasonable knowledge about

Organize Your Ideas 

Use a speech outline to organize your thoughts and ideas logically. 

Identify the introduction, body, and conclusion of your speech to help you stay focused and make your speech easier to follow.

Use Strong, Clear Language

Choose your words carefully, and use simple language that is easy to understand. Avoid jargon or technical terms that your audience may not be familiar with. 

Again, your word choice will depend on your audience. For example, you’ll want to steer clear of slang when speaking to an older, conservative crowd.

Use Transitions

Speech transitions are words and phrases that allow you to move smoothly from one point to another. Use transitional words and phrases like “besides” to help your audience follow your thought process and understand how your points are connected.

Add Variety to Speech

A speech that is monotonous or lacks variety may cause your audience to lose interest. 

Including a variety of elements in your speech, such as anecdotes, examples, and visual aids, can help keep your audience engaged and interested. 

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice your speech out loud to ensure it flows well and you’re comfortable with the material. Read your speech in front of the mirror or before someone you trust to give you critical feedback. Note the points for improvement, and incorporate them into how you deliver your speech.

End With a Strong Conclusion

How would you like to leave your audience members: inspired, informed, or mesmerized? Aim to end your speech on a high note. Summarize your main points, and leave your audience with a memorable takeaway.

Edit and Revise

Proofread and revise your speech to ensure it’s well written and error free. Use a grammar checker, such as ProWritingAid, to correct any grammar issues. You’ll also get suggestions on how to improve your sentence structures and transitions.

How to Write a Good Speech Introduction

The introduction can make or break your speech. It’s where you grab your audience’s attention to keep them engaged and state the purpose of your speech. 

An introduction also gives you the opportunity to establish your credibility. You should aim to give your audience a reason to listen to the rest of the speech rather than tuning out.

Here are some tips on how to create a positive first impression.

Start With a Hook

Begin your introduction with a hook that will grab your audience’s attention and make them want to listen. There are several options for a hook:

A statistic

A personal anecdote

Reference to a current or historical event

When thinking of an attention grabber, consider how appropriate and relevant it is to your audience and the purpose of the speech. For example, if you’re giving a speech to an older audience, you can make a historical reference that they can easily relate to.

Provide Context

Provide context by giving your audience some background information about the topic of your speech. This will help them understand the importance of what you are talking about and why they should care.

State Your Thesis

Clearly and concisely state the main point or purpose of your speech. Your thesis should be easy to follow and clearly outline the main argument and your stance. This will give your audience a clear understanding of what they can expect to learn from your presentation.

Preview Your Main Points

Give your audience a sense of the structure of your speech by briefly outlining the key points or arguments you will be making. They’ll know what to expect, and your speech will be easier to follow. 

Keep It Short

Your introduction should be concise and to the point, so don’t spend too much time on it. It’s important to keep your speech brief, and avoid including unnecessary or unrelated information. 

The goal is to engage and interest your audience, not bore them, so aim for a few well-chosen words rather than a lengthy introduction. Aim for your introduction to be about 10-15% of the total length of your speech.

A speech is just like any other piece of writing. You’ll need to identify your purpose, audience, and intention and then write accordingly. There are many types of speeches, and each type has its own expectations.

Let’s look at some of the most popular speeches and how to write them.

How to Write a Short Speech

Short speeches may be the most tedious to write because of how condensed and concise the information has to be. However, if you ever have to give a farewell, birthday tribute, or just a quick welcome, there are still some tips available to make your speech great.

Start by identifying your topic, title, and the purpose of your speech, which will set the foundation of your outline. Then, determine the main points of your speech; keep it short with two to three points. Remember, a short speech is typically less than ten minutes long, so keep your points concise and to the point.

Since you have limited time to make the most impact, incorporate powerful words or other engaging elements. For example, you could throw out a thought-provoking question or anecdote, which will grab your audience’s attention and keep them engaged.

Finally, once you’ve written your speech, review it for brevity and clarity. 

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

How to Write a Presentation Speech

A presentation speech is used to inform, persuade, explain, or demonstrate a particular topic.

Presentation speeches are well structured and follow a logical flow. They have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Use transition words and phrases to help your speech flow smoothly and prevent it from appearing disjointed.

You can use ProWritingAid to organize your speech and make it even clearer. ProWritingAid’s transition report will show you whether you’re using transitions effectively in your speech.

How to Write a Debate Speech

A debate is a formal argument on a particular topic. Debate speeches are persuasive since the aim is to convince the audience to agree with a stance.

Like most other speeches, a debate speech also follows the introduction, body, conclusion outline. This format helps the audience follow the speaker’s point in a linear and logical way.

When writing your introduction, clarify your stance so it’s clear to the audience. Anyone reading or listening to your speech shouldn’t have any doubt about your position on the topic. Take some time to prepare a solid opener, which can be an interesting fact, a personal story, or even a powerful quote.

The introduction also gives you the opportunity to explain terms your audience will need to understand throughout the speech. You should also provide an overview of your main points, but don’t spend long divulging too much.

Each body paragraph should cover a main point, whether that’s a key idea or a main claim, and each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence. The topic sentence is an initial sentence that summarizes the idea being presented. 

Your conclusion should be a simple and clear reiteration of the points you made in the thesis statement and body paragraphs. Add an attention-grabbing element to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Remember to use strong and emotive language throughout your speech, which makes it more likely for your audience to feel emotionally connected to your stance.

Always use transition words and phrases to maintain a logical flow between your arguments. Finally, edit and proofread your work for any potential grammar, punctuation, or spelling mistakes.

How to Write an Elevator Speech

An elevator speech is a brief speech that’s used to pitch a product, service, expertise, or credentials.

You have 30–60 seconds to persuade someone to act how you’d like: the same time as a quick elevator ride.

An effective elevator speech should contain an introduction, a clear value proposition, and a strong conclusion. 

Your introduction should be polite and clear. Briefly explain who you are, what you do, and what you are offering. For example, if you’re pitching your expertise, condense your background into two sentences. Include things that will make your audience remember you.

End your speech with what you want to achieve. What are you trying to accomplish with this speech? Perhaps it’s a job opportunity, a follow-up meeting, or an internship.

Once you’ve written your speech, be sure to revise it for brevity. Then practice and record yourself to ensure you don’t go over the time limit.

Writing a good speech takes time, but these tips are a good start to improving your speech-writing process. If you encounter writer’s block, look up popular speeches for inspiration. Ask someone you trust to give you feedback once you’ve written your speech.

Finally, while ProWritingAid can’t write your speech for you, it can help you write in a cohesive and logical manner. It highlights any grammar, spelling, and punctuation issues. It also shows you suggestions on how to improve your sentence structure, transition, pacing, and readability, so your next speech can be impactful and memorable.

Ashleigh Ferguson is a Copywriter on the ProWritingAid Team. With an affinity for learning new things, you can always count on her to know some random fact. She’s a self-proclaimed ‘Fix-it Felix’ and a newly minted ‘candle lady’.

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How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech

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The purpose of a persuasive speech is to convince your audience to agree with an idea or opinion that you present. First, you'll need to choose a side on a controversial topic, then you will write a speech to explain your position, and convince the audience to agree with you.

You can produce an effective persuasive speech if you structure your argument as a solution to a problem. Your first job as a speaker is to convince your audience that a particular problem is important to them, and then you must convince them that you have the solution to make things better.

Note: You don't have to address a real problem. Any need can work as the problem. For example, you could consider the lack of a pet, the need to wash one's hands, or the need to pick a particular sport to play as the "problem."

As an example, let's imagine that you have chosen "Getting Up Early" as your persuasion topic. Your goal will be to persuade classmates to get themselves out of bed an hour earlier every morning. In this instance, the problem could be summed up as "morning chaos."

A standard speech format has an introduction with a great hook statement, three main points, and a summary. Your persuasive speech will be a tailored version of this format.

Before you write the text of your speech, you should sketch an outline that includes your hook statement and three main points.

Writing the Text

The introduction of your speech must be compelling because your audience will make up their minds within a few minutes whether or not they are interested in your topic.

Before you write the full body you should come up with a greeting. Your greeting can be as simple as "Good morning everyone. My name is Frank."

After your greeting, you will offer a hook to capture attention. A hook sentence for the "morning chaos" speech could be a question:

• How many times have you been late for school?
• Does your day begin with shouts and arguments?
• Have you ever missed the bus?

Or your hook could be a statistic or surprising statement:

• More than 50 percent of high school students skip breakfast because they just don't have time to eat.
• Tardy kids drop out of school more often than punctual kids.

Once you have the attention of your audience, follow through to define the topic/problem and introduce your solution. Here's an example of what you might have so far:

Good afternoon, class. Some of you know me, but some of you may not. My name is Frank Godfrey, and I have a question for you. Does your day begin with shouts and arguments? Do you go to school in a bad mood because you've been yelled at, or because you argued with your parent? The chaos you experience in the morning can bring you down and affect your performance at school.

Add the solution:

You can improve your mood and your school performance by adding more time to your morning schedule. You can accomplish this by setting your alarm clock to go off one hour earlier.

Your next task will be to write the body, which will contain the three main points you've come up with to argue your position. Each point will be followed by supporting evidence or anecdotes, and each body paragraph will need to end with a transition statement that leads to the next segment. Here is a sample of three main statements:

• Bad moods caused by morning chaos will affect your workday performance.
• If you skip breakfast to buy time, you're making a harmful health decision.
• (Ending on a cheerful note) You'll enjoy a boost to your self-esteem when you reduce the morning chaos.

After you write three body paragraphs with strong transition statements that make your speech flow, you are ready to work on your summary.

Your summary will re-emphasize your argument and restate your points in slightly different language. This can be a little tricky. You don't want to sound repetitive but will need to repeat what you have said. Find a way to reword the same main points.

Finally, you must make sure to write a clear final sentence or passage to keep yourself from stammering at the end or fading off in an awkward moment. A few examples of graceful exits:

• We all like to sleep. It's hard to get up some mornings, but rest assured that the reward is well worth the effort.
• If you follow these guidelines and make the effort to get up a little bit earlier every day, you'll reap rewards in your home life and on your report card.

Tips for Writing Your Speech

• Don't be confrontational in your argument. You don't need to put down the other side; just convince your audience that your position is correct by using positive assertions.
• Use simple statistics. Don't overwhelm your audience with confusing numbers.
• Don't complicate your speech by going outside the standard "three points" format. While it might seem simplistic, it is a tried and true method for presenting to an audience who is listening as opposed to reading.
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How to write a speech that your audience remembers

Whether in a work meeting or at an investor panel, you might give a speech at some point. And no matter how excited you are about the opportunity, the experience can be nerve-wracking . 

But feeling butterflies doesn’t mean you can’t give a great speech. With the proper preparation and a clear outline, apprehensive public speakers and natural wordsmiths alike can write and present a compelling message. Here’s how to write a good speech you’ll be proud to deliver.

What is good speech writing?

Good speech writing is the art of crafting words and ideas into a compelling, coherent, and memorable message that resonates with the audience. Here are some key elements of great speech writing:

• It begins with clearly understanding the speech's purpose and the audience it seeks to engage. 
• A well-written speech clearly conveys its central message, ensuring that the audience understands and retains the key points. 
• It is structured thoughtfully, with a captivating opening, a well-organized body, and a conclusion that reinforces the main message. 
• Good speech writing embraces the power of engaging content, weaving in stories, examples, and relatable anecdotes to connect with the audience on both intellectual and emotional levels. 

Ultimately, it is the combination of these elements, along with the authenticity and delivery of the speaker , that transforms words on a page into a powerful and impactful spoken narrative.

What makes a good speech?

A great speech includes several key qualities, but three fundamental elements make a speech truly effective:

Clarity and purpose

Remembering the audience, cohesive structure.

While other important factors make a speech a home run, these three elements are essential for writing an effective speech.

The main elements of a good speech

The main elements of a speech typically include:

• Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for your speech and grabs the audience's attention. It should include a hook or attention-grabbing opening, introduce the topic, and provide an overview of what will be covered.
• Opening/captivating statement: This is a strong statement that immediately engages the audience and creates curiosity about the speech topics.
• Thesis statement/central idea: The thesis statement or central idea is a concise statement that summarizes the main point or argument of your speech. It serves as a roadmap for the audience to understand what your speech is about.
• Body: The body of the speech is where you elaborate on your main points or arguments. Each point is typically supported by evidence, examples, statistics, or anecdotes. The body should be organized logically and coherently, with smooth transitions between the main points.
• Supporting evidence: This includes facts, data, research findings, expert opinions, or personal stories that support and strengthen your main points. Well-chosen and credible evidence enhances the persuasive power of your speech.
• Transitions: Transitions are phrases or statements that connect different parts of your speech, guiding the audience from one idea to the next. Effective transitions signal the shifts in topics or ideas and help maintain a smooth flow throughout the speech.
• Counterarguments and rebuttals (if applicable): If your speech involves addressing opposing viewpoints or counterarguments, you should acknowledge and address them. Presenting counterarguments makes your speech more persuasive and demonstrates critical thinking.
• Conclusion: The conclusion is the final part of your speech and should bring your message to a satisfying close. Summarize your main points, restate your thesis statement, and leave the audience with a memorable closing thought or call to action.
• Closing statement: This is the final statement that leaves a lasting impression and reinforces the main message of your speech. It can be a call to action, a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or a memorable anecdote.
• Delivery and presentation: How you deliver your speech is also an essential element to consider. Pay attention to your tone, body language, eye contact , voice modulation, and timing. Practice and rehearse your speech, and try using the 7-38-55 rule to ensure confident and effective delivery.

While the order and emphasis of these elements may vary depending on the type of speech and audience, these elements provide a framework for organizing and delivering a successful speech.

How to structure a good speech

You know what message you want to transmit, who you’re delivering it to, and even how you want to say it. But you need to know how to start, develop, and close a speech before writing it. 

Think of a speech like an essay. It should have an introduction, conclusion, and body sections in between. This places ideas in a logical order that the audience can better understand and follow them. Learning how to make a speech with an outline gives your storytelling the scaffolding it needs to get its point across.

Here’s a general speech structure to guide your writing process:

• Explanation 1
• Explanation 2
• Explanation 3

How to write a compelling speech opener

Some research shows that engaged audiences pay attention for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Other estimates are even lower, citing that people stop listening intently in fewer than 10 minutes . If you make a good first impression at the beginning of your speech, you have a better chance of interesting your audience through the middle when attention spans fade. 

Implementing the INTRO model can help grab and keep your audience’s attention as soon as you start speaking. This acronym stands for interest, need, timing, roadmap, and objectives, and it represents the key points you should hit in an opening. 

Here’s what to include for each of these points: 

• Interest : Introduce yourself or your topic concisely and speak with confidence . Write a compelling opening statement using relevant data or an anecdote that the audience can relate to.
• Needs : The audience is listening to you because they have something to learn. If you’re pitching a new app idea to a panel of investors, those potential partners want to discover more about your product and what they can earn from it. Read the room and gently remind them of the purpose of your speech. 
• Timing : When appropriate, let your audience know how long you’ll speak. This lets listeners set expectations and keep tabs on their own attention span. If a weary audience member knows you’ll talk for 40 minutes, they can better manage their energy as that time goes on. 
• Routemap : Give a brief overview of the three main points you’ll cover in your speech. If an audience member’s attention starts to drop off and they miss a few sentences, they can more easily get their bearings if they know the general outline of the presentation.
• Objectives : Tell the audience what you hope to achieve, encouraging them to listen to the end for the payout. 

Writing the middle of a speech

The body of your speech is the most information-dense section. Facts, visual aids, PowerPoints — all this information meets an audience with a waning attention span. Sticking to the speech structure gives your message focus and keeps you from going off track, making everything you say as useful as possible.

Limit the middle of your speech to three points, and support them with no more than three explanations. Following this model organizes your thoughts and prevents you from offering more information than the audience can retain. 

Using this section of the speech to make your presentation interactive can add interest and engage your audience. Try including a video or demonstration to break the monotony. A quick poll or survey also keeps the audience on their toes. 

Wrapping the speech up

To you, restating your points at the end can feel repetitive and dull. You’ve practiced countless times and heard it all before. But repetition aids memory and learning , helping your audience retain what you’ve told them. Use your speech’s conclusion to summarize the main points with a few short sentences.

Try to end on a memorable note, like posing a motivational quote or a thoughtful question the audience can contemplate once they leave. In proposal or pitch-style speeches, consider landing on a call to action (CTA) that invites your audience to take the next step.

How to write a good speech

If public speaking gives you the jitters, you’re not alone. Roughly 80% of the population feels nervous before giving a speech, and another 10% percent experiences intense anxiety and sometimes even panic. 

The fear of failure can cause procrastination and can cause you to put off your speechwriting process until the last minute. Finding the right words takes time and preparation, and if you’re already feeling nervous, starting from a blank page might seem even harder.

But putting in the effort despite your stress is worth it. Presenting a speech you worked hard on fosters authenticity and connects you to the subject matter, which can help your audience understand your points better. Human connection is all about honesty and vulnerability, and if you want to connect to the people you’re speaking to, they should see that in you.

1. Identify your objectives and target audience

Before diving into the writing process, find healthy coping strategies to help you stop worrying . Then you can define your speech’s purpose, think about your target audience, and start identifying your objectives. Here are some questions to ask yourself and ground your thinking : 

• What purpose do I want my speech to achieve? 
• What would it mean to me if I achieved the speech’s purpose?
• What audience am I writing for? 
• What do I know about my audience? 
• What values do I want to transmit? 
• If the audience remembers one take-home message, what should it be? 
• What do I want my audience to feel, think, or do after I finish speaking? 
• What parts of my message could be confusing and require further explanation?

2. Know your audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for tailoring your speech effectively. Consider the demographics of your audience, their interests, and their expectations. For instance, if you're addressing a group of healthcare professionals, you'll want to use medical terminology and data that resonate with them. Conversely, if your audience is a group of young students, you'd adjust your content to be more relatable to their experiences and interests. 

3. Choose a clear message

Your message should be the central idea that you want your audience to take away from your speech. Let's say you're giving a speech on climate change. Your clear message might be something like, "Individual actions can make a significant impact on mitigating climate change." Throughout your speech, all your points and examples should support this central message, reinforcing it for your audience.

4. Structure your speech

Organizing your speech properly keeps your audience engaged and helps them follow your ideas. The introduction should grab your audience's attention and introduce the topic. For example, if you're discussing space exploration, you could start with a fascinating fact about a recent space mission. In the body, you'd present your main points logically, such as the history of space exploration, its scientific significance, and future prospects. Finally, in the conclusion, you'd summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of space exploration in advancing human knowledge.

5. Use engaging content for clarity

Engaging content includes stories, anecdotes, statistics, and examples that illustrate your main points. For instance, if you're giving a speech about the importance of reading, you might share a personal story about how a particular book changed your perspective. You could also include statistics on the benefits of reading, such as improved cognitive abilities and empathy.

6. Maintain clarity and simplicity

It's essential to communicate your ideas clearly. Avoid using overly technical jargon or complex language that might confuse your audience. For example, if you're discussing a medical breakthrough with a non-medical audience, explain complex terms in simple, understandable language.

7. Practice and rehearse

Practice is key to delivering a great speech. Rehearse multiple times to refine your delivery, timing, and tone. Consider using a mirror or recording yourself to observe your body language and gestures. For instance, if you're giving a motivational speech, practice your gestures and expressions to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

8. Consider nonverbal communication

Your body language, tone of voice, and gestures should align with your message . If you're delivering a speech on leadership, maintain strong eye contact to convey authority and connection with your audience. A steady pace and varied tone can also enhance your speech's impact.

9. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience keeps them interested and attentive. Encourage interaction by asking thought-provoking questions or sharing relatable anecdotes. If you're giving a speech on teamwork, ask the audience to recall a time when teamwork led to a successful outcome, fostering engagement and connection.

10. Prepare for Q&A

Anticipate potential questions or objections your audience might have and prepare concise, well-informed responses. If you're delivering a speech on a controversial topic, such as healthcare reform, be ready to address common concerns, like the impact on healthcare costs or access to services, during the Q&A session.

By following these steps and incorporating examples that align with your specific speech topic and purpose, you can craft and deliver a compelling and impactful speech that resonates with your audience.

Tools for writing a great speech

There are several helpful tools available for speechwriting, both technological and communication-related. Here are a few examples:

• Word processing software: Tools like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors provide a user-friendly environment for writing and editing speeches. They offer features like spell-checking, grammar correction, formatting options, and easy revision tracking.
• Presentation software: Software such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is useful when creating visual aids to accompany your speech. These tools allow you to create engaging slideshows with text, images, charts, and videos to enhance your presentation.
• Speechwriting Templates: Online platforms or software offer pre-designed templates specifically for speechwriting. These templates provide guidance on structuring your speech and may include prompts for different sections like introductions, main points, and conclusions.
• Rhetorical devices and figures of speech: Rhetorical tools such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and parallelism can add impact and persuasion to your speech. Resources like books, websites, or academic papers detailing various rhetorical devices can help you incorporate them effectively.
• Speechwriting apps: Mobile apps designed specifically for speechwriting can be helpful in organizing your thoughts, creating outlines, and composing a speech. These apps often provide features like voice recording, note-taking, and virtual prompts to keep you on track.
• Grammar and style checkers: Online tools or plugins like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor help improve the clarity and readability of your speech by checking for grammar, spelling, and style errors. They provide suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and overall tone.
• Thesaurus and dictionary: Online or offline resources such as thesauruses and dictionaries help expand your vocabulary and find alternative words or phrases to express your ideas more effectively. They can also clarify meanings or provide context for unfamiliar terms.
• Online speechwriting communities: Joining online forums or communities focused on speechwriting can be beneficial for getting feedback, sharing ideas, and learning from experienced speechwriters. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and improve your public speaking skills through collaboration.

Remember, while these tools can assist in the speechwriting process, it's essential to use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style. The most important aspect of speechwriting remains the creativity, authenticity, and connection with your audience that you bring to your speech.

5 tips for writing a speech

Behind every great speech is an excellent idea and a speaker who refined it. But a successful speech is about more than the initial words on the page, and there are a few more things you can do to help it land.

Here are five more tips for writing and practicing your speech:

1. Structure first, write second

If you start the writing process before organizing your thoughts, you may have to re-order, cut, and scrap the sentences you worked hard on. Save yourself some time by using a speech structure, like the one above, to order your talking points first. This can also help you identify unclear points or moments that disrupt your flow.

2. Do your homework

Data strengthens your argument with a scientific edge. Research your topic with an eye for attention-grabbing statistics, or look for findings you can use to support each point. If you’re pitching a product or service, pull information from company metrics that demonstrate past or potential successes. 

Audience members will likely have questions, so learn all talking points inside and out. If you tell investors that your product will provide 12% returns, for example, come prepared with projections that support that statement.

3. Sound like yourself

Memorable speakers have distinct voices. Think of Martin Luther King Jr’s urgent, inspiring timbre or Oprah’s empathetic, personal tone . Establish your voice — one that aligns with your personality and values — and stick with it. If you’re a motivational speaker, keep your tone upbeat to inspire your audience . If you’re the CEO of a startup, try sounding assured but approachable. 

4. Practice

As you practice a speech, you become more confident , gain a better handle on the material, and learn the outline so well that unexpected questions are less likely to trip you up. Practice in front of a colleague or friend for honest feedback about what you could change, and speak in front of the mirror to tweak your nonverbal communication and body language .

5. Remember to breathe

When you’re stressed, you breathe more rapidly . It can be challenging to talk normally when you can’t regulate your breath. Before your presentation, try some mindful breathing exercises so that when the day comes, you already have strategies that will calm you down and remain present . This can also help you control your voice and avoid speaking too quickly.

How to ghostwrite a great speech for someone else

Ghostwriting a speech requires a unique set of skills, as you're essentially writing a piece that will be delivered by someone else. Here are some tips on how to effectively ghostwrite a speech:

• Understand the speaker's voice and style : Begin by thoroughly understanding the speaker's personality, speaking style, and preferences. This includes their tone, humor, and any personal anecdotes they may want to include.
• Interview the speaker : Have a detailed conversation with the speaker to gather information about their speech's purpose, target audience, key messages, and any specific points they want to emphasize. Ask for personal stories or examples they may want to include.
• Research thoroughly : Research the topic to ensure you have a strong foundation of knowledge. This helps you craft a well-informed and credible speech.
• Create an outline : Develop a clear outline that includes the introduction, main points, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Share this outline with the speaker for their input and approval.
• Write in the speaker's voice : While crafting the speech, maintain the speaker's voice and style. Use language and phrasing that feel natural to them. If they have a particular way of expressing ideas, incorporate that into the speech.
• Craft a captivating opening : Begin the speech with a compelling opening that grabs the audience's attention. This could be a relevant quote, an interesting fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.
• Organize content logically : Ensure the speech flows logically, with each point building on the previous one. Use transitions to guide the audience from one idea to the next smoothly.
• Incorporate engaging stories and examples : Include anecdotes, stories, and real-life examples that illustrate key points and make the speech relatable and memorable.
• Edit and revise : Edit the speech carefully for clarity, grammar, and coherence. Ensure the speech is the right length and aligns with the speaker's time constraints.
• Seek feedback : Share drafts of the speech with the speaker for their feedback and revisions. They may have specific changes or additions they'd like to make.
• Practice delivery : If possible, work with the speaker on their delivery. Practice the speech together, allowing the speaker to become familiar with the content and your writing style.
• Maintain confidentiality : As a ghostwriter, it's essential to respect the confidentiality and anonymity of the work. Do not disclose that you wrote the speech unless you have the speaker's permission to do so.
• Be flexible : Be open to making changes and revisions as per the speaker's preferences. Your goal is to make them look good and effectively convey their message.
• Meet deadlines : Stick to agreed-upon deadlines for drafts and revisions. Punctuality and reliability are essential in ghostwriting.
• Provide support : Support the speaker during their preparation and rehearsal process. This can include helping with cue cards, speech notes, or any other materials they need.

Remember that successful ghostwriting is about capturing the essence of the speaker while delivering a well-structured and engaging speech. Collaboration, communication, and adaptability are key to achieving this.

Give your best speech yet

Learn how to make a speech that’ll hold an audience’s attention by structuring your thoughts and practicing frequently. Put the effort into writing and preparing your content, and aim to improve your breathing, eye contact , and body language as you practice. The more you work on your speech, the more confident you’ll become.

The energy you invest in writing an effective speech will help your audience remember and connect to every concept. Remember: some life-changing philosophies have come from good speeches, so give your words a chance to resonate with others. You might even change their thinking.

Boost your speech skills

Enhance your public speaking with personalized coaching tailored to your needs

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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How to write a good speech in 7 steps

By:  Susan Dugdale  

- an easily followed format for writing a great speech

Did you know writing a speech doesn't have be an anxious, nail biting experience?

Unsure? Don't be.

You may have lived with the idea you were never good with words for a long time. Or perhaps giving speeches at school brought you out in cold sweats.

However learning how to write a speech is relatively straight forward when you learn to write out loud.

And that's the journey I am offering to take you on: step by step.

To learn quickly, go slow

Take all the time you need. This speech format has 7 steps, each building on the next.

Walk, rather than run, your way through all of them. Don't be tempted to rush. Familiarize yourself with the ideas. Try them out.

I know there are well-advertised short cuts and promises of 'write a speech in 5 minutes'. However in reality they only truly work for somebody who already has the basic foundations of speech writing in place.

The foundation of good speech writing 

These steps are the backbone of sound speech preparation. Learn and follow them well at the outset and yes, given more experience and practice you could probably flick something together quickly. Like any skill, the more it's used, the easier it gets.

In the meantime...

Step 1: Begin with a speech overview or outline

Are you in a hurry? Without time to read a whole page? Grab ... The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist And come back to get the details later.

• WHO you are writing your speech for (your target audience)
• WHY you are preparing this speech. What's the main purpose of your speech? Is it to inform or tell your audience about something? To teach them a new skill or demonstrate something? To persuade or to entertain? (See 4 types of speeches: informative, demonstrative, persuasive and special occasion or entertaining for more.) What do you want them to think, feel or do as a result of listening the speech?
• WHAT your speech is going to be about (its topic) - You'll want to have thought through your main points and have ranked them in order of importance. And have sorted the supporting research you need to make those points effectively.
• HOW much time you have for your speech eg. 3 minutes, 5 minutes... The amount of time you've been allocated dictates how much content you need. If you're unsure check this page: how many words per minute in a speech: a quick reference guide . You'll find estimates of the number of words required for 1 - 10 minute speeches by slow, medium and fast talkers.

Use an outline

The best way to make sure you deliver a perfect speech is to start by carefully completing a speech outline covering the essentials: WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW.

Beginning to write without thinking your speech through is a bit like heading off on a journey not knowing why you're traveling or where you're going to end up. You can find yourself lost in a deep, dark, murky muddle of ideas very quickly!

Pulling together a speech overview or outline is a much safer option. It's the map you'll follow to get where you want to go.

Get a blank speech outline template to complete

Click the link to find out a whole lot more about preparing a speech outline . ☺ You'll also find a free printable blank speech outline template.  I recommend using it!

Understanding speech construction

Before you begin to write, using your completed outline as a guide, let's briefly look at what you're aiming to prepare.

• an opening or introduction
• the body where the bulk of the information is given
• and an ending (or summary).

Imagine your speech as a sandwich

If you think of a speech as a sandwich you'll get the idea.

The opening and ending are the slices of bread holding the filling (the major points or the body of your speech) together.

You can build yourself a simple sandwich with one filling (one big idea) or you could go gourmet and add up to three or, even five. The choice is yours.

But whatever you choose to serve, as a good cook, you need to consider who is going to eat it! And that's your audience.

So let's find out who they are before we do anything else. 

Step 2: Know who you are talking to

Understanding your audience.

Did you know a  good speech is never written from the speaker's point of view?  ( If you need to know more about why check out this page on  building rapport .)

Begin with the most important idea/point on your outline.

Consider HOW you can explain (show, tell) that to your audience in the most effective way for them to easily understand it.   

Writing from the audience's point of view

To help you write from an audience point of view, it's a good idea to identify either a real person or the type of person who is most likely to be listening to you.

Make sure you select someone who represents the "majority" of the people who will be in your audience. That is they are neither struggling to comprehend you at the bottom of your scale or light-years ahead at the top.

Now imagine they are sitting next to you eagerly waiting to hear what you're going to say. Give them a name, for example, Joe, to help make them real.

Ask yourself

• How do I need to tailor my information to meet Joe's needs? For example, do you tell personal stories to illustrate your main points? Absolutely! Yes. This is a very powerful technique. (Click storytelling in speeches to find out more.)
• What type or level of language is right for Joe as well as my topic? For example if I use jargon (activity, industry or profession specific vocabulary) will it be understood?

Step 3: Writing as you speak

Writing oral language.

Write down what you want to say about your first main point as if you were talking directly to Joe.

If it helps, say it all out loud before you write it down and/or record it.

Use the information below as a guide

(Click to download The Characteristics of Spoken Language  as a pdf.) 

You do not have to write absolutely everything you're going to say down * but you do need to write down, or outline, the sequence of ideas to ensure they are logical and easily followed.

Remember too, to explain or illustrate your point with examples from your research. 

( * Tip: If this is your first speech the safety net of having everything written down could be just what you need. It's easier to recover from a patch of jitters when you have a word by word manuscript than if you have either none, or a bare outline. Your call!)

Step 4: Checking tone and language

The focus of this step is re-working what you've done in Step 2 and 3.

You identified who you were talking to (Step 2) and in Step 3, wrote up your first main point.  Is it right? Have you made yourself clear?  Check it.

How well you complete this step depends on how well you understand the needs of the people who are going to listen to your speech.

Please do not assume because you know what you're talking about the person (Joe) you've chosen to represent your audience will too. Joe is not a mind-reader!

How to check what you've prepared

• Check the "tone" of your language . Is it right for the occasion, subject matter and your audience?
• Check the length of your sentences. You need short sentences. If they're too long or complicated you risk losing your listeners.

Check for jargon too. These are industry, activity or group exclusive words.

For instance take the phrase: authentic learning . This comes from teaching and refers to connecting lessons to the daily life of students. Authentic learning is learning that is relevant and meaningful for students. If you're not a teacher you may not understand the phrase.

The use of any vocabulary requiring insider knowledge needs to be thought through from the audience perspective. Jargon can close people out.

• Read what you've written out loud. If it flows naturally, in a logical manner, continue the process with your next main idea. If it doesn't, rework.

We use whole sentences and part ones, and we mix them up with asides or appeals e.g. "Did you get that? Of course you did. Right...Let's move it along. I was saying ..."

Click for more about the differences between spoken and written language .

And now repeat the process

Repeat this process for the remainder of your main ideas.

Because you've done the first one carefully, the rest should follow fairly easily.

Step 5: Use transitions

Providing links or transitions between main ideas.

Between each of your main ideas you need to provide a bridge or pathway for your audience. The clearer the pathway or bridge, the easier it is for them to make the transition from one idea to the next.

If your speech contains more than three main ideas and each is building on the last, then consider using a "catch-up" or summary as part of your transitions.

Is your speech being evaluated? Find out exactly what aspects you're being assessed on using this standard speech evaluation form

Link/transition examples

A link can be as simple as:

"We've explored one scenario for the ending of Block Buster 111, but let's consider another. This time..."

What follows this transition is the introduction of Main Idea Two.

Here's a summarizing link/transition example:

"We've ended Blockbuster 111 four ways so far. In the first, everybody died. In the second, everybody died BUT their ghosts remained to haunt the area. In the third, one villain died. His partner reformed and after a fight-out with the hero, they both strode off into the sunset, friends forever. In the fourth, the hero dies in a major battle but is reborn sometime in the future.

And now what about one more? What if nobody died? The fifth possibility..."

Go back through your main ideas checking the links. Remember Joe as you go. Try each transition or link out loud and really listen to yourself. Is it obvious? Easily followed?

Keep them if they are clear and concise.

For more about transitions (with examples) see Andrew Dlugan's excellent article, Speech Transitions: Magical words and Phrases .

Step 6: The end of your speech

The ideal ending is highly memorable . You want it to live on in the minds of your listeners long after your speech is finished. Often it combines a call to action with a summary of major points.

Example speech endings

Example 1: The desired outcome of a speech persuading people to vote for you in an upcoming election is that they get out there on voting day and do so. You can help that outcome along by calling them to register their support by signing a prepared pledge statement as they leave.

"We're agreed we want change. You can help us give it to you by signing this pledge statement as you leave. Be part of the change you want to see!

Example 2: The desired outcome is increased sales figures. The call to action is made urgent with the introduction of time specific incentives.

"You have three weeks from the time you leave this hall to make that dream family holiday in New Zealand yours. Can you do it? Will you do it? The kids will love it. Your wife will love it. Do it now!"

How to figure out the right call to action

A clue for working out what the most appropriate call to action might be, is to go back to your original purpose for giving the speech.

• Was it to motivate or inspire?
• Was it to persuade to a particular point of view?
• Was it to share specialist information?
• Was it to celebrate a person, a place, time or event?

Ask yourself what you want people to do as a result of having listened to your speech.

For more about ending speeches

Visit this page for more about how to end a speech effectively . You'll find two additional types of speech endings with examples.

Write and test

Write your ending and test it out loud. Try it out on a friend, or two. Is it good? Does it work?

Step 7: The introduction

Once you've got the filling (main ideas) the linking and the ending in place, it's time to focus on the introduction.

The introduction comes last as it's the most important part of your speech. This is the bit that either has people sitting up alert or slumped and waiting for you to end. It's the tone setter!

What makes a great speech opening?

Ideally you want an opening that makes listening to you the only thing the 'Joes' in the audience want to do.

You want them to forget they're hungry or that their chair is hard or that their bills need paying.

The way to do that is to capture their interest straight away. You do this with a "hook".

Hooks to catch your audience's attention

Hooks come in as many forms as there are speeches and audiences. Your task is work out what specific hook is needed to catch your audience.

Go back to the purpose. Why are you giving this speech?

Once you have your answer, consider your call to action. What do you want the audience to do, and, or take away, as a result of listening to you?

Next think about the imaginary or real person you wrote for when you were focusing on your main ideas.

Choosing the best hook

• Is it humor?
• Would shock tactics work?
• Is it a rhetorical question?
• Is it formality or informality?
• Is it an outline or overview of what you're going to cover, including the call to action?
• Or is it a mix of all these elements?

A hook example

Here's an example from a fictional political speech. The speaker is lobbying for votes. His audience are predominately workers whose future's are not secure.

"How's your imagination this morning? Good? (Pause for response from audience) Great, I'm glad. Because we're going to put it to work starting right now.

I want you to see your future. What does it look like? Are you happy? Is everything as you want it to be? No? Let's change that. We could do it. And we could do it today.

At the end of this speech you're going to be given the opportunity to change your world, for a better one ...

No, I'm not a magician. Or a simpleton with big ideas and precious little commonsense. I'm an ordinary man, just like you. And I have a plan to share!"

And then our speaker is off into his main points supported by examples. The end, which he has already foreshadowed in his opening, is the call to vote for him.

Prepare several hooks

Experiment with several openings until you've found the one that serves your audience, your subject matter and your purpose best.

For many more examples of speech openings go to: how to write a speech introduction . You'll find 12 of the very best ways to start a speech.

That completes the initial seven steps towards writing your speech. If you've followed them all the way through, congratulations, you now have the text of your speech!

Although you might have the words, you're still a couple of steps away from being ready to deliver them. Both of them are essential if you want the very best outcome possible. They are below. Please take them.

Step 8: Checking content and timing

This step pulls everything together.

Check once, check twice, check three times & then once more!

Go through your speech really carefully.

On the first read through check you've got your main points in their correct order with supporting material, plus an effective introduction and ending.

On the second read through check the linking passages or transitions making sure they are clear and easily followed.

On the third reading check your sentence structure, language use and tone.

Double, triple check the timing

Now go though once more.

This time read it aloud slowly and time yourself.

If it's too long for the time allowance you've been given make the necessary cuts.

Start by looking at your examples rather than the main ideas themselves. If you've used several examples to illustrate one principal idea, cut the least important out.

Also look to see if you've repeated yourself unnecessarily or, gone off track. If it's not relevant, cut it.

Repeat the process, condensing until your speech fits the required length, preferably coming in just under your time limit.

You can also find out how approximately long it will take you to say the words you have by using this very handy words to minutes converter . It's an excellent tool, one I frequently use. While it can't give you a precise time, it does provide a reasonable estimate.

Step 9: Rehearsing your speech

And NOW you are finished with writing the speech, and are ready for REHEARSAL .

Please don't be tempted to skip this step. It is not an extra thrown in for good measure. It's essential.

The "not-so-secret" secret of successful speeches combines good writing with practice, practice and then, practicing some more.

Go to how to practice public speaking and you'll find rehearsal techniques and suggestions to boost your speech delivery from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist

Before you begin writing you need:.

• Your speech OUTLINE with your main ideas ranked in the order you're going to present them. (If you haven't done one complete this 4 step sample speech outline . It will make the writing process much easier.)
• Your RESEARCH
• You also need to know WHO you're speaking to, the PURPOSE of the speech and HOW long you're speaking for

The basic format

• the body where you present your main ideas

Split your time allowance so that you spend approximately 70% on the body and 15% each on the introduction and ending.

How to write the speech

• Write your main ideas out incorporating your examples and research
• Link them together making sure each flows in a smooth, logical progression
• Write your ending, summarizing your main ideas briefly and end with a call for action
• Write your introduction considering the 'hook' you're going to use to get your audience listening
• An often quoted saying to explain the process is: Tell them what you're going to tell them (Introduction) Tell them (Body of your speech - the main ideas plus examples) Tell them what you told them (The ending)

TEST before presenting. Read aloud several times to check the flow of material, the suitability of language and the timing.

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60 Interesting Public Speaking Topics to Engage Your Audience

If you’re the type of person who gets head spinningly, palms-sweaty nervous when asked to make a public speech, you’re certainly not alone. As intimating and intimidating as it may seem, it’s true that having the ability to confidently stand in front of an audience and deliver a speech can be a super useful tool. Not only could it bring you better marks in school, it’ll also come in handy in future job applications, leadership positions, and even in everyday conversation. Now that you’re serious about conquering public speaking , the next step is knowing what to say. We’ve got your back on this one. Here’s a list of 60 interesting public speaking topics which promise to keep your audience engaged and eager to hear what you have to say. Customize them however you please, add more information and ideas of your own, and let your ideas do the talking! Let’s get going!

Interesting Public Speaking Topics

Public speaking provides a unique opportunity for speakers to share their opinions, experiences, and knowledge in an interesting way. Interesting public speaking topics can range from controversial to informative, from historical to present day, from fun to serious. When selecting a topic , it’s important to consider the interests of your audience as well as what you can provide appropriate supporting information on. Controversial or opinion-based topics can be engaging, but it’s important that all sides of the argument are presented fairly and no one in the audience is disparaged or excluded. Additionally, providing both sides of an argument here helps inform your audience and may even expose them to different perspectives. Informative topics are great for teaching audiences about specific subjects or movements, while delivering the information in an entertaining and interesting way. Explain how each piece fits into the bigger picture and build suspense throughout your talk. Additionally, if you have personal stories associated with the topic, by all means include them; these stories help make your presentation more memorable and engaging for your audience. Historical topics provide excellent fodder for a public speaking engagement; beyond teaching about specific events that occurred in our past, you can also shed light on important dates in history or major events of the past century. Providing context helps bring to life lessons from those points in time that still influence us today. Current events are also great platforms for public speaking – highlighting what is happening now provides a powerful connection between speaker and audience as everyone is probably equally (or almost equally) knowledgeable about it—and if not? You get to teach them! When presenting current events as your topic, make sure you use up-to-date sources and highlight any compliance changes or other political matters that could affect your audience directly. Now let’s move on to discuss current events as an interesting public speaking topic…

Current Events

When it comes to public speaking, current events make for a highly engaging topics. Depending on the agenda and purpose of the speech, current events can be used either to inform and educate the audience or to galvanize support and motivate action. When dealing with current events, speakers should strive to remain impartial while bringing forth both sides of the argument. For example, if the event is to discuss international trade policy in light of recent tariffs disputes between major trading partners, speakers should present both advantages and disadvantages of increased tariffs. Understanding the core issue at hand without commenting on the efficacy of each side’s policies is key in order to maintain an impartial outlook. Similarly, when addressing a complex social issue like discrimination against minority groups or income equality, it is important to provide a sober and nuanced overview of the issue while ensuring that all sides are properly represented. Naturally, as certain issues become particularly salient in the public debate , more detailed analysis may be necessary in order to provide a full account of the situation. With that said, presenters must always exercise caution when discussing hot-button topics so as not to alienate any portion of their audience. Finally, speakers may choose to conclude their discussion by proposing a plan for action or connecting their topic with wider implications for society. As such, choosing current events as one’s topic allows for an opportunity to create real change that can have tangible benefits for members of their audience. With this potential impact in mind, let us now explore creative ideas that are just as interesting but offer a different approach.

10 Current Events Topics

• COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on society, economy, and healthcare systems
• Climate change and environmental issues, including wildfires, hurricanes, and rising sea levels
• Global politics and international relations, including tensions between countries and geopolitical conflicts
• Technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence, automation, and the future of work
• Social justice movements, including Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, and their impact on society
• Mental health and wellbeing, including the effects of the pandemic on mental health and access to mental health services
• Education and the challenges of remote learning and hybrid learning models
• Immigration and refugee crises, including the global response and the impact on individuals and communities
• Economic inequality and the wealth gap, including the effects of the pandemic on job losses and income disparities
• The role of media and technology in shaping public opinion and discourse, including issues of censorship and misinformation.

Fun Public Speaking Topics

Public speaking can be an incredibly effective method of communication and expressing ideas to an audience. When selecting a topic for a public speaking event, it is important to choose one that will be engaging, exciting and entertaining . Fun public speaking topics are a great way to captivate your audience’s attention. Some fun topics popular today include conspiracy theories, humorous anecdotes and weird trivia questions. In addition to topics that can evoke laughter, you could opt for a conversation-like approach by selecting topics tailored towards discussing or debating current events or pop culture trends. This type of discussion creates a sense of involvement amongst your listeners, as they are likely to have their own opinions on the subject matter at hand. Knowing the interests of your audience makes it easier to pick one of these types of interesting conversation starters. Yet another type of enjoyable public speaking topic is one related to personal experience. By sharing stories from your own life you can create a connection with your audience because they realize you are not only knowledgeable about academic subjects but also about human experiences. For example, you could talk about how traveling abroad changed your perspective or how volunteer work with animals opened up new opportunities in your life. No matter what route you take, having a fun element in each speech encourages conversations , making it more engaging for the listener.

Here are 10 fun topics for public speaking:

• The science of laughter and how it can improve mental and physical health
• The history of popular board games and how they have evolved over time
• The art of cake decorating and how to create beautiful and delicious desserts
• The world of cosplay and the art of creating intricate costumes
• The benefits of travel and tips for planning the perfect vacation
• The world of online gaming and the rise of esports
• The history of memes and how they have impacted popular culture
• The art of mixology and how to make creative cocktails at home
• The joys and challenges of pet ownership and the benefits of having a furry friend
• The world of improv comedy and how to master the art of improvisation.

These fun public speaking topics spark imagination and interest from all those involved in the discussion. While brainstorming ideas, it is important to keep in mind that the topic should contain enough material to elaborate upon while maintaining a lighthearted spirit; balance is key!

Controversial Public Speaking Topics

Controversial public speaking topics can be excellent ways to engage your audience and spark a lively discussion. It is best to keep the language used respectful, as well as being mindful of the makeup of the audience you are presenting to. Popular controversial public speaking topics range from opinions about current events and politics, religion, gender roles and LGBTQ issues, amongst other things. When debating each side of the argument, it is important to make sure that one doesn’t invalidate or insult the opposing views.

Here are 10 controversial public speaking topics:

• Gun control and the right to bear arms
• Abortion and reproductive rights
• Capital punishment and the death penalty
• Immigration policy and border control
• Affirmative action and equal opportunity employment
• LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality
• The legalization of marijuana and other drugs
• Animal rights and animal testing
• Freedom of speech and hate speech laws
• Climate change and the role of humans in causing and combating it.

No matter which topic you decide to explore, controversial public speaking topics provide a great opportunity for learning experiences. With great research beforehand, ambitious speakers can use these occasions to inform their audiences in meaningful ways. Moving on to the next section, motivational public speaking topics have become increasingly popular within the last several years. This type of speech aims to inspire its audience by inciting positive feelings and emotions while promoting an inspiring idea or action plan.

Key Points to Remember

Controversial public speaking topics can be engaging to an audience, but the language used should remain respectful regardless of opinions held. Popular topics include current events, politics, religion, gender roles, and LGBTQ issues. When debating both sides of a controversial argument, it is important not to insult or invalidate another viewpoint. Controversial public speaking gives speakers a great opportunity to enhance learning experiences with thorough research and information .

Motivational Public Speaking Topics

Motivation is a powerful tool that can influence and inspire people to realize their potential and reach unseen levels of success. When applied effectively, motivational public speaking topics can be incredibly impactful and help an audience take action on ideas they can implement in their daily life. The key to delivering an effective motivational talk is to focus on the idea of progress. Talk about how something good can be accomplished over time if dedication and hard work are continually applied. Present stories of real-life successes, as well as struggles, to illustrate these points and increase the audience’s engagement level. Make sure to inject positive energy into your speech by outlining strategies the audience can use to stay motivated while achieving their goals. By presenting topics in a motivational manner, you can help ensure that members of your audience feel encouraged, empowered, and inspired. If you are debating a controversial topic, make sure to present both sides of the argument within the same motivating framework.

Here are 10 motivational public speaking topics:

• Overcoming obstacles and achieving success
• Finding purpose and meaning in life
• Building self-confidence and self-esteem
• The power of perseverance and determination
• Mindfulness and living in the present moment
• Overcoming fear and taking risks
• The importance of setting and achieving goals
• Turning setbacks into opportunities for growth
• Developing a positive mindset and attitude
• The benefits of gratitude and appreciation in life.

Keeping these important principles in mind will allow you to deliver a compelling motivational presentation that helps your audience believe in themselves and develop clear directions for taking action. Taking the right steps today will bring better results tomorrow — this is a concept worth discussing during your talk.

Historical Topics for Public Speaking

History is a rich and complex tapestry of events, ideas, and movements that have shaped the world we live in today. Exploring historical topics can help us gain a deeper understanding of our collective past, and shed light on the challenges and triumphs of human experience. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the Civil Rights Movement, there are countless historical topics that continue to fascinate and inspire us. In this list, we explore ten historical topics that offer a glimpse into the great events and movements that have shaped our world.

Here are 10 historical topics to talk about:

• The fall of the Roman Empire and its impact on European civilization
• The French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte
• The Industrial Revolution and its impact on society, economy, and technology
• The American Revolution and the birth of the United States of America
• The Renaissance and its impact on art, science, and culture
• The colonization of the Americas and the impact on indigenous populations
• The World Wars and their impact on global politics and international relations
• The Age of Exploration and the impact of European colonization on the world
• The Civil Rights Movement and the fight for racial equality in the United States
• The Cold War and the global tension between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Persuasive Speech Topics

Persuasive speeches are designed to convince the audience to take a particular action, adopt a certain viewpoint, or support a specific idea. These speeches can be powerful tools for effecting change and promoting important causes. From protecting the environment to advocating for social justice, persuasive speech topics cover a wide range of issues that are relevant to our world today. In this list, we explore ten persuasive speech topics that can inspire and motivate audiences to take action and make a positive impact on the world around us.

Here are 10 persuasive speech topics:

• The importance of recycling and reducing waste to protect the environment
• The benefits of meditation and mindfulness for mental health and well-being
• The need for stricter gun control laws to reduce gun violence
• The importance of early childhood education for future success
• The benefits of a plant-based diet for health and the environment
• The need to address income inequality through progressive taxation
• The importance of access to affordable healthcare for all individuals
• The need for comprehensive sex education in schools
• The benefits of renewable energy sources for a sustainable future
• The need for increased support for mental health resources and services

Public speaking is not always an easy task. Whether you are presenting a persuasive or informative speech, it can be difficult to keep your audience interested and engaged. In order to do this, it is essential to choose the appropriate public speaking topics. The fifty-plus interesting public speakings topics suggested in this article can provide plenty of inspiration and help you deliver a powerful message to your audience. Whether you take a light-hearted approach or focus on a more serious subject matter, picking the right public speaking topics can make all the difference. Larger philosophical questions may prove intimidating and impractical as public speaking topics, while trivial conversation starters may bore your audience before they even start listening. To get the most out of your speeches, it is important to pick a topic that walks the line between engaging your listeners without making them uncomfortable or unsure of how to respond. It is also imperative that you develop solid argumentation and presentation skills if you want to succeed in public speaking. An entertaining speech must still provide solid facts and evidence while at the same time grabbing the attention of your listeners. A good balance between interesting content and persuasive rhetoric should help make any speech successful.

Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

What are some creative public speaking topics.

Creative public speaking topics can range from the exploration of current trends, to unique takes on traditional topics. For example, if discussing the current state of education, one could focus on the trend of more expensive tuition for higher education and dive into the implications this has for students and the job market, or discuss emergent strategies for providing greater access to educational opportunities in economically disadvantaged areas. Additionally, one could explore the current technology landscape and how it will shape future generations, or investigate developments in artificial intelligence that are redefining our understanding of what “intelligence” means. One could also take a more artful approach to public speaking and open up a dialogue about the power of creativity in solving problems or elicit discussion around empathy as a form of communication. Ultimately, creative public speaking topics are limited only by creative thought and provide an exciting opportunity for speakers to present inspiring ideas in entertaining ways.

What are some tips for choosing public speaking topics?

Some tips for choosing public speaking topics include: 1. Choose topics that are relevant to your audience. Make sure the topic is of interest to them and will keep their attention. 2. Research the topic thoroughly before speaking. Knowing the subject matter well will make it easier to engage your audience. 3. Select a topic that is both challenging and interesting. While choosing a subject that people might be familiar with can be safe, make sure it is still engaging and stimulating. 4. Avoid topics that are too controversial or sensitive. Refrain from such topics as they could lead to arguments or displeasing reactions amongst the audience members. 5. Expand on popular material but don’t plagiarize other speakers’ ideas. People like new concepts and appreciate hearing new information so challenge yourself to come up with something original!

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121 Top Persuasive Speech Topics

Ever found yourself tongue-tied when trying to convince someone of your brilliant idea? Or maybe you’re just looking for a topic that will spark lively debate in your next class or meeting. A powerful persuasive speech can change minds, influence decisions, and even inspire action. But where do you start?

This blog features 121 persuasive speech topics carefully selected to cover a wide range of interests, from current events and social issues to personal beliefs and ethical dilemmas.

Table of Contents

What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

A good topic is one that you, as the speaker, are passionate about. Your enthusiasm will naturally shine through, making your speech more engaging and persuasive. If you genuinely believe in what you’re saying, your audience is more likely to be swayed by your arguments. A persuasive speech is not just about presenting facts; it’s about connecting with your audience on an emotional level and inspiring them to see things from your perspective.

A good persuasive speech topic sparks interest and encourages critical thinking. It should be a subject that people care about, with actual implications and potential for debate. A complex topic with multiple facets allows for deeper exploration and the opportunity to present a well-rounded argument. Controversial topics that aren’t black and white are particularly effective as they invite diverse perspectives and encourage the audience to question their assumptions.

Equally important is the availability of credible evidence to support your claims. A strong persuasive speech relies on factual information from reputable sources, not just personal opinions or anecdotes. The ability to back up your arguments with solid evidence adds weight to your message and makes it more convincing.

121 Persuasive Speech Topics

Crafting a truly compelling persuasive speech requires a delicate balance. It’s a challenge to discover a topic that both captivates your audience and genuinely excites you. Your chosen subject should be fresh, unique, and thought-provoking, yet it must avoid crossing the line into offense. This balancing act can make finding the perfect topic feel like an elusive pursuit.

To help you on this journey, we’ve curated a list of persuasive speech topics, thoughtfully organized by category. This diverse assortment aims to spark your creativity and lead you toward a subject that resonates deeply with both you and your listeners.

Arts and culture

• Is graffiti art? 
• Should art classes be mandatory for all students?
• Should we continue reading classic literature that is offensive? 
• Should there be a distinction between ‘high’ and ‘low’ literature?
• Are romcoms and erotica series like Fifty Shades of Grey empowering for women?
• Is reading actually more beneficial than watching TV or playing video games?
• Is there any benefit or relevance to teaching high school students Shakespeare?
• Should video games be considered a high form of entertainment?
• Are biopics of deceased musicians and artists ethical?
• Is modern music really worse than old?
• Should paparazzi be banned and unable to sell their photos?
• Should post-secondary education be free?
• Should a year between high school and college be mandatory?
• Is it fair to take cell phones away from kids in middle/high school while they are in class?
• Should school uniforms be mandatory in all high schools?
• Should cursive writing still be taught in schools?
• Do fraternities and sororities actually serve their purpose? 
• Should programming and coding be introduced to young students?
• Should school lunches be free?
• Is college/university necessary anymore?
• Does the education system prepare students for adult life?
• Should gyms be mandatory for all students?
• Should schools do a better job teaching students a second language?
• Should schools teach sign language?
• What age should students be taught sex education?
• Should distant learning be encouraged or avoided at all costs?
• Is animal testing ethical?
• Is drinking coffee unethical?
• Are animal shelters that allow euthanization ethical?
• Should more people try to adopt a vegetarian/vegan diet?
• Is the death penalty ethical? 
• Can racism ever truly be eliminated?
• Can the prison system genuinely contribute to the improvement and rehabilitation of individuals?
• Should justice systems and incarceration facilities focus on rehabilitation over punishment? 
• Should cosmetic plastic surgery be covered by insurance?
• Are morals objective or subjective?
• Should zoos and circuses be banned?
• Should fur coats be illegal?
• Are censorship laws ethical?
• Is it ethical to genetically modify embryos? 
• How should we address the homelessness crisis, and who is responsible for it? 
• Should minors who commit violent crimes be charged and tried as adults?

Environment

• Can we ever live in a truly ‘green’ and environmentally friendly society?
• Should plastic water bottles be banned?
• Are businesses responsible for implementing environmentally friendly production and products?
• Should there be a carbon tax?
• Should electric cars be mandatory in the near future?
• Should we switch to entirely renewable energy?
• Do low-income families have the same duty to be eco-conscious as high-income families do? Should plastic bags and single-use plastic be completely banned?
• Should car racing be banned?
• Should fast fashion be banned?
• Is capitalism a functional, ethical economic system? 
• Should everyone, despite their income, be taxed at the same rate?
• Can we introduce another economic system to our society? 
• Should each state, the federal government, or individual companies be responsible for setting living wages?
• Should the minimum wage be doubled?
• Should everyone adapt to the four-day workweek?
• Should people who make under a certain amount per year not be taxed at all?
• Should governments encourage and reward people for shopping locally? 
• Should advertisements be banned during TV and media programming aimed at kids?
• Has modern consumerism gone too far?
• Do we actually live in a truly democratic society?
• Should there be a minimum wage or a living wage?
• Should the legal voting age be decreased?
• Does the pay gap exist?
• Are younger politicians more effective?
• Should there be stricter gun laws?
• Should presidents be able to serve more than two terms?
• Should everyone get the day off to vote?
• Should political party funding be regulated?
• Should political smear campaigns be banned?
• Is there political bias in mainstream media?
• Should you date someone with opposing political views? 
• Is the government spending too much on the military sector?
• Are individuals solely responsible for their own health?
• Should prescription medications be free?
• Should sugary drinks like pop be taxed at higher rates?
• Should Starbucks be allowed to advertise its high-calorie and high-sugar drinks?
• Should the government regulate the prices of fruits and vegetables?
• Should fast-food restaurants regulate and reduce their portions?
• Should gym memberships be free?
• Should the government change and restructure the workweek to reduce stress?
• Should nurses be paid more?
• Should smoking be banned?
• Should insurance companies fully cover rehabilitation stays for health issues such as eating disorders?
• Should the pay for professional teams be based on audience viewership? 
• Are professional sports getting too violent? 
• Are athletes overpaid?
• Is cheerleading empowering or exploitative? 
• Should children be allowed to compete in competitive sports?
• Should we spend millions on the Olympic Games?
• Do people place too much importance on high school and college football?
• Should alcohol and tobacco ads be banned during sports?
• Is betting on sports teams ethical?
• Should high school and college athletes be paid?

Social media

• Should there be an age limit on social media?
• Should cyberbullying have the same repercussions as in-person bullying?
• Are online relationships as valuable as in-person relationships?
• Does “cancel culture” have a positive or negative impact on societies?
• Are social media platforms reliable information or news sources?
• Should social media be censored?
• Does social media create an unrealistic standard of beauty?
• Is regular social media use damaging real-life interactions?
• Is social media distorting democracy?

Science and technology

• Is paper media more reliable than digital news sources?
• Should automated/self-driving cars be legalized?
• Should schools be required to provide laptops to all students?
• Should software companies be able to have pre-downloaded programs and applications on devices?
• Should drones be allowed in military warfare?
• Should scientists invest more or less money in cancer research?
• Should cloning be illegal?
• Should societies colonize other planets?
• Should there be legal oversight of technology development?
• Should students sing Christmas carols, say the pledge of allegiance, or perform other tangentially religious activities?
• Should nuns and priests assume genderless roles?
• Should schools and other public buildings have prayer rooms?
• Should animal sacrifice be legal if it occurs in a religious context?
• Should countries be allowed to impose a national religion on their citizens?
• Should the church be separated from the state?
• Does freedom of religion positively or negatively affect societies?
• What makes a hero?
• Are we headed toward World War III?
• Did humans really land on the moon?
• Are serial killers born or made?
• Can good and evil be separated neatly?
• Is canceling culture a positive or negative thing?
• Can money buy happiness?
• How to become a millionaire?
• How to become more confident?
• How to live to be 100?
• How to survive an apocalypse?
• Do extraterrestrial beings exist?
• Why should students start investing at 16?
• The true history of… (events of your choice, such as the Chernobyl disaster, the Black Plague, Salem Witch Trials, etc.)

How to Choose a Persuasive Speech Topic?

It’s essential to choose a topic that not only interests you but also resonates with your audience. Begin by brainstorming ideas that you are passionate about or issues you feel strongly about. Consider current events, social issues, or controversial topics that spark debate.

Narrow down your options by researching the potential topics. Gather information from reputable sources to ensure you have enough material to support your arguments. Evaluate the relevance and significance of each topic for your target audience. A persuasive speech should aim to inform, influence, or motivate the listeners, so choose a topic that will engage them.

After narrowing your choices, analyze the feasibility of each topic. Consider the time limit for your speech and the resources available for research. Choose a topic that you can adequately address within the given time frame and for which you can gather sufficient evidence to support your claims.

Most importantly, choose the topic that you believe will have the most impact on your audience. A persuasive speech should leave a lasting impression, so choose a topic that you can present with conviction and enthusiasm. Consider the potential counterarguments and be prepared to address them effectively. With careful consideration and research, you can choose a persuasive speech topic that will captivate your audience and leave them pondering your message.

10 Elements of a Good Persuasive Speech Topic

A persuasive speech aims to convince the audience to agree with your viewpoint. To achieve this, a well-written persuasive speech incorporates several key elements:

1. Compelling topic

The foundation of a persuasive speech lies in choosing a topic that is relevant, interesting, and has the potential to spark debate. It should be a subject you are passionate about and knowledgeable about, as this will enhance your credibility and enthusiasm.

2. Clear thesis statement

A concise and well-defined thesis statement serves as the backbone of the speech. It clearly outlines your stance on the topic and provides an outlook for the arguments that will follow.

3. Strong introduction

The introduction is crucial to capture the audience’s attention and establish your credibility. It should begin with a hook, such as a thought-provoking question, a surprising statistic, or a relevant anecdote, to pique the audience’s interest.

4. Well-structured body

The body of the speech is where you’ll present your arguments and supporting evidence. Each argument should be logically organized and supported by credible sources, statistics, examples, or personal anecdotes.

5. Effective use of rhetorical devices

Rhetorical devices such as repetition, parallelism, rhetorical questions, and analogies can enhance the impact of the speech and make it more persuasive. They help to emphasize key points, create emotional appeal, and engage the audience.

6. Appealing to emotions (pathos)

Connecting with the audience on an emotional level is important for persuasion. The speaker (you) can evoke emotions such as empathy, fear, hope, or anger by using vivid language, personal stories, or powerful imagery.

7. Establishing credibility (ethos)

Your credibility is critical to gaining the audience’s trust. This can be achieved by demonstrating expertise on the topic, citing credible sources, and presenting oneself as confident and knowledgeable.

8. Logical reasoning (logos)

A persuasive speech should be grounded in logical reasoning. The arguments presented should be coherent, well-supported, and free of fallacies. Using data, statistics, and expert opinions can reinforce the logical appeal of the speech.

9. Addressing counterarguments

Acknowledging and addressing opposing viewpoints shows that you have considered different perspectives and strengthened your argument. By refuting counterarguments effectively, you can further convince the audience of your stance.

10. Strong conclusion

The conclusion is the final opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the audience. It should summarize the main points, reiterate the thesis statement, and end with a call to action or a powerful closing statement that resonates with the audience.

How to Create a Persuasive Speech

Creating a persuasive speech involves a strategic approach that combines compelling content, effective delivery, and a deep understanding of your audience. It’s not just about stating your viewpoint; it’s about addressing an argument that resonates and motivates others to see things your way.

Begin by choosing a topic that you’re passionate about and that holds relevance for your audience. Thoroughly research your topic to gather credible evidence, statistics, and expert opinions to support your claims. A well-informed speech is more likely to persuade.

Organize your speech into a clear and logical structure. Start with a strong introduction that grabs attention and establishes your credibility. State your thesis clearly, outlining the main points you’ll address. The body of your speech should coherently present your arguments, using evidence and examples to back up each point. Conclude with a summary and a call to action that inspires your audience to adopt your viewpoint.

Practice your speech beforehand to ensure you’re comfortable with the material and can speak with confidence and conviction. Maintain eye contact with your audience, use appropriate gestures, and modulate your voice to keep them engaged. Consider using visual aids, such as slides or props, to enhance your presentation.

Tailor your language and approach to your specific audience. Consider their demographics, beliefs, and values to ensure your message resonates with them. Use persuasive techniques such as emotional appeals, logical reasoning, and personal anecdotes to connect with your listeners on a deeper level.

From the Desk of Yocket

Persuasive speech topics are the heart and soul of any effective discourse that aims to influence an audience’s beliefs or actions. A well-chosen topic can spark curiosity, start a debate, and leave a lasting impact on listeners. It’s important to choose a subject that not only resonates with your passions and knowledge but also holds relevance and interest for your intended audience.

Finding the balance between personal connection and audience appeal is key. A topic that genuinely excites you will naturally translate into a more engaging and persuasive presentation. Whether it’s a pressing social issue, a controversial policy, or a lesser-known historical event, the right topic can be a catalyst for meaningful dialogue and inspire others to see the world from a new perspective. The possibilities are vast, and the power to influence through persuasive speech is invaluable for anyone seeking to make a difference.

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Persuasive Speech Topics: The Best 150 Ideas

Plus, a step-by-step guide for writing and delivering your speech.

Persuasive speech topics can inspire an audience and influence change in your community, town, or city. Whether you are giving a presentation at a large conference or converting a college essay into a speech to be given at your high school's auditorium, delivering a persuasive speech is not an easy task. We are here to guide you through this difficult process and provide you with 150 persuasive speech topics that can help you prepare your own inspirational presentation.

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Article Contents 13 min read

The art of persuasion.

The art of oratory is one of the oldest and most compelling persuasion tactics in human history. The power of speech has been used for centuries by men and women to negotiate peace, start revolutions, and inspire generations. At the source of change, we often witness a great speaker or speech that affected people’s worldviews. King Solomon, Socrates, Cicero, Elizabeth I, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, were all powerful speakers who changed the course of human history.  

Luckily, not every persuasive speech happens on such a grand scale. You do not have to become Napoleon to change the lives of people who hear what you have to say. You might have experienced this yourself – perhaps you have had a teacher who instilled in you a great passion for the study of physics during his lectures? Or you happened to attend a political, grassroots gathering where you heard a speech that changed your attitude towards homelessness or poverty. Or maybe your classmate's presentation revealed something about a novel you were reading in class that made you reflect on your own life and the people in it.

The power of a speech lies in your conviction and delivery of the topic you choose to discuss. A persuasive speech topic can be anything you are passionate about. Yes, it is true; whether you want to discuss the repercussions of the Cuban Revolution or analyze the power of K-pop in popular culture, it is up to you to enthrall the audience with your topic. The key to any successful speech is your confidence and enthusiasm. So, let’s start by examining what makes a speech persuasive.

To deliver a speech takes a lot of guts – not everybody is comfortable with public speaking. But to deliver a good speech takes conviction. Think of it like this: you must believe in the importance of your speech topic to discuss it. This must be something you care about and believe in; otherwise, your topic must be something that drives your curiosity, and you believe that it must be examined further.

Conviction stirs your desire to share this topic with others – you are convinced that other people will similarly find this topic fascinating! Whether it is the importance of recycling or bike lanes, the conviction is what will become the backbone of a successful and persuasive topic choice, as well as drive your desire to give a speech in the first place.

With conviction comes passion. These two elements of a successful speech are intimately intertwined. If you believe in the importance of something, you will be passionate about sharing it with the public.

If we look at some of the most famous speeches in human history, you will notice that conviction and passion are the driving force that makes these speeches legendary. Whether it's Cicero's defense of the Republic in the Roman Senate or Martin Luther King's speech in the defense of civil rights almost two millennia later, both these speakers believed in the importance of their convictions and were passionate about sharing their beliefs. In these cases, even despite the threats of death.

Unbiased Expertise

Conviction and passion should also drive your need to know everything there is to know about your topic. To give a persuasive speech, you must not only show confidence and excitement but demonstrate that you are an expert in the topic of your choice. Granted, if you are a high school student or an undergraduate who's been assigned to deliver a speech in less than 2 weeks, you are not going to become a world-renowned expert in your subject matter. However, as I pointed out, your speech topic should be something you are already passionate about, so you must have done some research and have some knowledge of your topic.

A persuasive speech should be based on facts. It should deliver arguments and counterarguments to show many sides of the issue you choose to discuss. For example, if you choose to discuss the importance of bike lanes, you can present several arguments in support of creating more bike lanes in your town or city, such as safety, decrease in traffic, environmental benefits, etc. However, make sure to include arguments that also show the other side of the issue, such as having to close down several major streets in your city to reconstruct the roads to fit in the new bike lanes and the side-effects of construction for businesses. Presenting both sides of the issue will show your comprehensive knowledge of the topic and demonstrate your professionalism.

Using the bike lanes topic as an example, I want to emphasize that showing unbiased research and knowledge of your topic can win the audience’s favor. You can, and should, still have your own opinion on the matter and defend your conviction in the speech but presenting the audience with both sides of the story is a tactic that will make them trust you.

Additionally, knowing both sides of the coin shows that you have come to your conviction after long and thorough research. You are not just presenting an uneducated opinion.

Taking care of the substance of your speech is the first step. While learning how to properly deliver your speech may seem less important, even the most well-researched and factually based speech will seem weak if the orator does not engage the public.

Though they certainly help your confidence, conviction and passion do not always result in strong delivery. This is understandable since public speaking is not everyone’s forte. While you may be animated and absorbing when you speak of your topic with friends, gripping an audience full of strangers is different.

There are three potential goals of any persuasive speech:

To familiarize your audience with a topic they have never considered before and inspire them to research it on their own. "}]" code="timeline1">

When you think about it, these objectives are pretty ambitious. Delivery plays a huge part in achieving these goals. It will be hard to move your audience to pursue any of these goals without clear articulation, professionalism, and charisma.

Strong delivery can be developed. Yes, there are those to whom oratory skills come more naturally, but this is rather an exception than the rule. Many successful orators were terrified of public speaking but worked hard to overcome their fears. A good example of this is King George VI of England. Before taking the throne in 1936, he was already an infamously bad speaker. The King trained to keep his speech impediment and nerves at bay once he was crowned and delivered one of the most inspiring speeches against Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich at the beginning of World War II.

Now that you know what makes a speech topic persuasive, let's go over a step-by-step formula that will help you choose the right topic for you. 

• Brainstorm where your convictions lie and what you are passionate about. You must reflect on what interests, hobbies, news, events, individuals, and activities of yours could be developed into a persuasive, strong narrative. 
• Narrow these down to 2 or 3 topics that are particularly important or riveting to you. 
• Now comes the practical side of the brainstorming process: take a moment to think whether preparing a comprehensive and compelling speech on this topic is feasible in the amount of time you have available. Consider the following questions: Are the topics of your choice well researched by you? Do you know these topics well? If you are not well-versed in the topic of your choice, do you have enough time to do research to present a comprehensive and complete narrative? Do you have enough time to form a well-developed stance about this topic? A thesis? Will you be able to cover several sides of this topic in the amount of time you have available?
• If you have answered “No” to these questions regarding each of the topics you had in mind, you must go back to the drawing board. 
• If you have come up with a topic that results in a positive response to all the questions mentioned in step 3, you might have found the winner.
• Start by developing a thesis, i.e., the main message of your speech. Without a thesis, you will not have a strong speech. 
• Develop arguments that endorse your thesis and support them with facts. Remember, a strong speech must be based on facts, rather than opinions and unsubstantiated statements.
• Research counterarguments to your thesis. While you may not personally support these, you must present a well-rounded picture of the issue you are discussing. 
• You can finish off your speech by responding to the counterarguments in a way that reinforces your thesis. Don't forget to re-emphasize your main message in the closing paragraphs of your speech.

Know your audience

It is always a good idea to know who your audience is. Whether you are giving a speech in your high school, or traveling to attend an undergraduate conference, reflect on who will be listening to your speech. Before you sit down to write it, consider whether you can give yourself the freedom to use technical language, jargon, or make inside jokes on the matter. In general, I would advise you to avoid overly technical or niche language. It is never a good tactic for making a persuasive speech – this might alienate a large part of your audience.

However, if you are delivering a speech to a like-minded audience, you may use "industry lingo". For example, if you are delivering a speech at a video game convention, it is likely that many, if not most, attendees will be familiar with the terms and vocabulary you use. You will be able to strengthen your speech by using language that unites you with your audience. In this case, you are encouraged to engage the public by making inside jokes, using niche terminology, and creating a relatable experience with your speech.

Knowing your audience will allow you to develop a language for your speech. It will also allow you to gauge how deep you can delve into the topic of your choice. For example, if you are a young physics aficionado who is giving a lecture on black holes to your sophomore classmates, you might want to consider the fact that many of them have never studied physics in depth. This may help you shape your speech into something accessible and interesting for others.

If you are unsure about who your audience might be, try researching it. It is always good practice to know whom you will be addressing. Not only will it help you prepare the speech, but it will also ease your anxiety about the day of your speech delivery.

Hook the audience

Your opening sentences can hook the audience and guarantee their attention. While it will be the substance of your speech that keeps them listening to you, the opening must be captivating for your speech to have a chance for success.

So, what do I mean by hooking the audience with your opening? For example, you can state a shocking statistic about your topic. It will be especially impactful if it is related to your audience’s experiences, geographical area, community, or hot-topic issue. Here’s an example for an opening sentence for a speech about the importance of bike lanes:

“Last year, the city of Toronto recorded 715 serious accidents involving cyclists, with over 5% of these accidents resulting in a fatality."

Now, if I was living in Toronto, I would be surprised to hear such information; especially, if I have never thought about this before. I am saddened by this statistic and would like to learn how we can help prevent these accidents.

Let’s examine another opening. This time, we will consider a speech topic involving a historical event. For example, if you are captivated by the mystery of Princess Anastasia of the Russian royal family, the House of Romanov, you might start your speech thusly:

“The question of whether the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova survived the brutal execution of her entire family by the Bolsheviks is one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century.”

This sentence performs several tasks:

The opening sentence is your chance to establish yourself as the expert! You will seem like the authority on this topic, especially if you can pronounce the Princess's name without mistakes. "}]" code="timeline2">

Coming up with a strong opening sentence is not easy, but very worthwhile for delivering a persuasive speech. If you are having trouble finding the right opening sentence, you do not need to wait to start writing your speech. If you are stuck, move on to the main body of your speech and return to creating a captivating opening later.

To be persuasive, your speech must have a thesis. A thesis is the main argument you are trying to convince your audience of, or simply put, the purpose of you giving the speech. Without a thesis, your speech will be aimless, chaotic, and most likely, unengaging.

And while you can write your introduction after the main body of your speech is ready, you cannot write your speech without a thesis. It will be the landmark, the leading light, of your speech. Everything you say and every fact and argument you include in your essay must support your thesis. Certainly, you will be able to bring up alternative points of view later in the speech, but as we already discussed, your objective is to persuade the audience that your thesis is the correct one.

Let’s return to our bike lanes example. If you are a proponent of bike lanes, your thesis should be more than “Bike lanes are good”. While this can be considered a thesis, it is pretty thin. Instead, find a way to make your thesis compelling, include a supporting statistic, or a benefit of having bike lanes. For example: 

“Having more bike lanes in our city will not only reduce traffic by X% but also allow our city to be at the forefront of the environmentally friendly initiatives happening all over our country.” 

This thesis is clear and introduces the audience to some of the main points of the speech. The listeners get a concise prelude to what the speech is about and what it stands for.

Research and Arguments

Research is always conducted before you sit down to write. While you may have some general knowledge about your topic, remember that you are trying to be as persuasive as you possibly can be. This means that you need the latest statistics, the most up-to-date information, and the strongest support from experts in the field. 

Tip: keep in mind your thesis as you are writing. All your arguments and facts must be in support of the main purpose of your essay. While you should present alternative points of view in your speech to make it well-rounded and unbiased, a strong speech must contain arguments that make it clear that your thesis is the correct one.

Concluding your speech has a twofold purpose. In addition to persuading the audience of your thesis, you must complete your narrative. Give the audience some closure about the topic. On the other hand, you must leave them even more interested in learning about your research. In other words, they must be compelled to explore on their own.

Tip: your conclusion cannot be a dry summary of your thesis and arguments. While you must restate your thesis in the conclusion, you are strongly encouraged to incite an emotional response from your audience. For example:

“More bike lanes will alleviate the heavy traffic and relieve our city from car fumes and soot. It is our responsibility to start making our city more eco-friendly. These small steps will inspire even more initiatives across our hometown and lead to a brighter, greener, future."

In this example, the audience is not only reminded of the main purpose of the speech but is also encouraged to think of other green initiatives that can help their town. The author does a good job of invoking responsibility for the future to encourage their audience to act. 

Want to learn how to choose persuasive speech topics? Check out our infographic:

Now, let’s go over 150 persuasive speech topics that can inspire your own essay and presentation! Note that these are questions that should help you form ideas, arguments, and most importantly, theses. Rather than giving you the thesis upfront, we are encouraging you to come up with your own opinion and answers to these questions.

Your speech should be between 15 to 20 minutes long. Anything longer may lose your audience's attention. If applicable, don't forget to factor in some time after your presentation for questions from the audience.

The best way to approach the choice of topic is to reflect on your convictions and passions. If you are truly interested in a topic, your excitement will be felt by the audience.

Of course, you must be interested in your topic, first and foremost. Secondly, your speech must demonstrate a level of expertise and knowledge that will allow the audience to believe that you know what you are talking about. Thirdly, your delivery will have a great effect on whether you succeed in persuading the audience. Even a well-researched speech will suffer from poor delivery.

Firstly, only practice can really help you improve. Once you have written your speech, read it over several times. Do not memorize it, but rather, remember the structure, the flow of your arguments, your main points. Then start practicing pronouncing your entire speech in front of the mirror. Do this until you are quite confident with the content of the essay. Then, you can start practicing with family members, your friends, and classmates. Ask for their feedback: can they hear you well? Are you being articulate? Does your speech have a logical flow? Did they understand your thesis? Their feedback can help you modify not only your content, but also your presentation.

Your speech should take the form of an academic essay: introduction, main body, and conclusion.

Your speech must have a thesis, otherwise it will be meandering and pointless. A thesis will guide you and keep your essay/presentation well-structured. A thesis is what you will be arguing for (or against, if it's a negatively stated thesis) throughout your speech. And while you can include some alternative points of view in your speech, your thesis will inform every argument you make in the speech.

Typically, you should avoid using overly technical language. Even if you are presenting at a professional conference in front of peers, there is a chance that some of your audience will be unfamiliar with the professional terminology. To be inclusive, you should avoid niche language.

To be frank, there is no such thing. You can make a great speech on any topic of your choosing! Your research, your delivery, and your passion will determine whether your speech is successful.

Acknowledging opposing views and presence of debate will demonstrate your thorough knowledge of the topic. Additionally, you will demonstrate that you came to your conclusion/thesis after researching the topic, rather than simply forming an uneducated opinion.

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How to Speak on Any Topic

Last Updated: March 19, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Deb DiSandro . Deb DiSandro is the Owner of Speak Up On Purpose, an organization dedicated to improving and teaching public speaking. Deb has over 30 years of experience as a national speaker and has presented at the Erma Bombeck Writer’s Conference and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. She was awarded the National Speakers Association Member of the Year 2007 and has been published in Writer's Digest, Daily Herald, Women's Day, and Better Homes & Gardens. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 226,282 times.

Whether you’re addressing a large crowd or a single person, speaking on any given topic takes confidence, focus, and clarity. The trick to speaking on the spot is structure. If you have a clear layout, you can make remarks on virtually any subject. To speak in public effectively, try to relax, use concise language, and make strong eye contact. Since making impromptu remarks requires improvisation, prepare indirectly by making a daily effort to broaden your knowledge.

Easy Ways to Talk About a Topic in Any Situation

• Introduce the topic with an opening statement or brief story.
• Make eye contact to engage your audience.
• Use simple and direct language.
• Adapt the speech to your audience.
• Restate the main points at the end of your speech.

Delivering Impromptu Remarks

• You shouldn’t try to write out your remarks in full. Just jot down a few key words to help you remember your main points.

• Suppose you’re asked to talk about a work project at a company meeting. You might start with a joke to introduce the problem the project addresses: “As a member of the design team, I want to personally thank all engineers present for not staging an all out mutiny due to the ongoing specification problems.”
• After breaking the ice, get straight to the point: “We understand your frustrations, and we’ve established new software solutions and pricing protocols to prevent future miscommunications.”
• Avoid making jokes like, “Three guys walked into a bar…” Instead, stick with funny or absurd comments that relate to your own personal experience, but keep it brief.

• For instance, if your assigned topic is how dogs improve quality of life, you could open with a story about rescuing your pooch.

• If you’re presenting a school project, you might say, “Despite their friendship and philosophical commonalities, Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre held contrasting ethical views. I’ll start by discussing their similarities, then I’ll explain their quarrel over whether political justice warrants violence.”
• For this example, you could spend 1 to 2 minutes on the philosophers’ similarities, a minute or so on each of their ethical stances, and another minute clarifying the differences between their perspectives.

• You can adapt this structure for any topic, so keep it in mind any time you’re asked to make off the cuff remarks.

Speaking in Public Effectively

• If you know you’re speaking in advance, practicing your speech can help ease your nerves.
• If you’re speaking on the spot and practicing isn’t an option, focus your thoughts on your remarks’ structure. Concentrate on your headline or argument, list your main points, and try not to let your nerves distract you.

• For instance, if you’re speaking to professionals well-versed in your field, you don’t need to explain basic terms. However, if your audience is less experienced, you’ll need to limit technical language and define any necessary jargon.

• For example, if you’re listing your main points, you could count with your fingers to distinguish each point. If you’re drawing a comparison, you could use your hands to indicate “on one hand, this,” and “on the other hand, that.”

• For instance, instead of, "We've developed new software for processing custom orders that will enhance interdepartmental communications, leading to a more efficient, streamlined manufacturing process," you could just say, "We'll be switching to a more user-friendly program that should prevent future miscommunications."
• Conversational doesn’t necessarily mean casual. If your remarks need to be professional or academic, you can still keep your tone formal by avoiding slang, sentence fragments, and contractions. "The team identified 10 new frog species," is both concise and academic. "The team found a lot of new kinds of frogs," is informal.

• If making direct eye contact makes you nervous, look at points just above the audience. It’ll look like you’re making eye contact, but you won't actually be locking eyes with anyone.

Preparing to Speak on the Spot

• At the start of your remarks, state your argument or headline, then list your evidence or examples 1 by 1: “This is the case because of x, y, and z.”
• Explain each example in the main body of your speech. For brief remarks, you might only have 30 seconds to a minute for each example. For a longer speech, you might be able to spend a few minutes on each one.
• Conclude by restating (using different wording) your argument and evidence: “As x, y, and z show, this is the case.”

• Read books, magazines, and newspapers. Watch documentaries about topics such as nature and technology, and listen to podcasts like Radiolab , StarTalk , and 99% Invisible .
• To broaden your knowledge, read, watch, and listen to informative content on a range of subjects.
• If you’re involved in a particular field or occupation, stay up to date on your discipline and think of topics you might be asked to discuss.

• Read newspapers, and pay attention to local, national, and international news. Research a topic if it’s confusing or you want to learn more. For instance, if you’re interested in a 500-word story, look online for long-form articles that delve into the details.
• Try to keep up with a range of topics, such as politics, international affairs, business, and entertainment.
• Remember to fact check news stories, look for reputable news sources, and try to find sources from multiple perspectives.

Speaking Tips and Sample Responses

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• ↑ https://debate.uvm.edu/NFL/rostrumlib/impcox0998.pdf
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVilJUulnjQ&t=117s
• ↑ https://www.scienceofpeople.com/how-to-start-a-speech/
• ↑ https://www.speechanddebate.org/how-to-judge-impromptu/
• ↑ http://www.speaking.pitt.edu/student/public-speaking/audienceadaptation.html
• ↑ http://www.speaking.pitt.edu/student/public-speaking/basics.html
• ↑ https://study.com/academy/lesson/preparing-an-impromptu-speech-topic-choice-outline-preparation-practice.html
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201107/10-tips-talk-about-anything-anyone

About This Article

Public speaking requires confidence, focus, and clarity, and with a little practice, you’ll be able to speak on just about any topic! At the beginning of a speech, give a short, attention-grabbing statement summarizing what you’re about to say. For a more personal speech, you could start with an anecdote that relates to what you’re going to talk about. For example, if you're speaking at an animal shelter fundraiser, you could tell a story about the first dog you rescued. If you start to get nervous, take slow, deep breaths to calm yourself. Make eye contact with the audience, but shift your gaze every 10-15 seconds so you’re not staring. Make sure to restate your main points at the end of your speech, since this will emphasize what you’ve just said. To learn how to structure your speech to make it more effective, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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• How To Write A Speech

How to Write a Speech: A Guide to Enhance Your Writing Skills

Speech is a medium to convey a message to the world. It is a way of expressing your views on a topic or a way to showcase your strong opposition to a particular idea. To deliver an effective speech, you need a strong and commanding voice, but more important than that is what you say. Spending time in preparing a speech is as vital as presenting it well to your audience.

Read the article to learn what all you need to include in a speech and how to structure it.

Table of Contents

• Self-Introduction

The Opening Statement

Structuring the speech, choice of words, authenticity, writing in 1st person, tips to write a speech, frequently asked questions on speech, how to write a speech.

Writing a speech on any particular topic requires a lot of research. It also has to be structured well in order to properly get the message across to the target audience. If you have ever listened to famous orators, you would have noticed the kind of details they include when speaking about a particular topic, how they present it and how their speeches motivate and instill courage in people to work towards an individual or shared goal. Learning how to write such effective speeches can be done with a little guidance. So, here are a few points you can keep in mind when writing a speech on your own. Go through each of them carefully and follow them meticulously.

Self Introduction

When you are writing or delivering a speech, the very first thing you need to do is introduce yourself. When you are delivering a speech for a particular occasion, there might be a master of ceremony who might introduce you and invite you to share your thoughts. Whatever be the case, always remember to say one or two sentences about who you are and what you intend to do.

Introductions can change according to the nature of your target audience. It can be either formal or informal based on the audience you are addressing. Here are a few examples.

Addressing Friends/Classmates/Peers

• Hello everyone! I am ________. I am here to share my views on _________.
• Good morning friends. I, _________, am here to talk to you about _________.

Addressing Teachers/Higher Authorities

• Good morning/afternoon/evening. Before I start, I would like to thank _______ for giving me an opportunity to share my thoughts about ________ here today.
• A good day to all. I, __________, on behalf of _________, am standing here today to voice out my thoughts on _________.

It is said that the first seven seconds is all that a human brain requires to decide whether or not to focus on something. So, it is evident that a catchy opening statement is the factor that will impact your audience. Writing a speech does require a lot of research, and structuring it in an interesting, informative and coherent manner is something that should be done with utmost care.

When given a topic to speak on, the first thing you can do is brainstorm ideas and pen down all that comes to your mind. This will help you understand what aspect of the topic you want to focus on. With that in mind, you can start drafting your speech.

An opening statement can be anything that is relevant to the topic. Use words smartly to create an impression and grab the attention of your audience. A few ideas on framing opening statements are given below. Take a look.

• Asking an Engaging Question

Starting your speech by asking the audience a question can get their attention. It creates an interest and curiosity in the audience and makes them think about the question. This way, you would have already got their minds ready to listen and think.

• Fact or a Surprising Statement

Surprising the audience with an interesting fact or a statement can draw the attention of the audience. It can even be a joke; just make sure it is relevant. A good laugh would wake up their minds and they would want to listen to what you are going to say next.

• Adding a Quote

After you have found your topic to work on, look for a quote that best suits your topic. The quote can be one said by some famous personality or even from stories, movies or series. As long as it suits your topic and is appropriate to the target audience, use them confidently.  Again, finding a quote that is well-known or has scope for deep thought will be your success factor.

To structure your speech easily, it is advisable to break it into three parts or three sections – an introduction, body and conclusion.

• Introduction: Introduce the topic and your views on the topic briefly.
• Body: Give a detailed explanation of your topic. Your focus should be to inform and educate your audience on the said topic.
• Conclusion:  Voice out your thoughts/suggestions. Your intention here should be to make them think/act.

While delivering or writing a speech, it is essential to keep an eye on the language you are using. Choose the right kind of words. The person has the liberty to express their views in support or against the topic; just be sure to provide enough evidence to prove the discussed points. See to it that you use short and precise sentences. Your choice of words and what you emphasise on will decide the effect of the speech on the audience.

When writing a speech, make sure to,

• Avoid long, confusing sentences.
• Check the spelling, sentence structure and grammar.
• Not use contradictory words or statements that might cause any sort of issues.

Anything authentic will appeal to the audience, so including anecdotes, personal experiences and thoughts will help you build a good rapport with your audience. The only thing you need to take care is to not let yourself be carried away in the moment. Speak only what is necessary.

Using the 1st person point of view in a speech is believed to be more effective than a third person point of view. Just be careful not to make it too subjective and sway away from the topic.

• Understand the purpose of your speech: Before writing the speech, you must understand the topic and the purpose behind it. Reason out and evaluate if the speech has to be inspiring, entertaining or purely informative.
• Identify your audience: When writing or delivering a speech, your audience play the major role. Unless you know who your target audience is, you will not be able to draft a good and appropriate speech.
• Decide the length of the speech: Whatever be the topic, make sure you keep it short and to the point. Making a speech longer than it needs to be will only make it monotonous and boring.
• Revising and practicing the speech: After writing, it is essential to revise and recheck as there might be minor errors which you might have missed. Edit and revise until you are sure you have it right. Practise as much as required so you do not stammer in front of your audience.
• Mention your takeaways at the end of the speech: Takeaways are the points which have been majorly emphasised on and can bring a change. Be sure to always have a thought or idea that your audience can reflect upon at the end of your speech.

How to write a speech?

Writing a speech is basically about collecting, summarising and structuring your points on a given topic. Do a proper research, prepare multiple drafts, edit and revise until you are sure of the content.

Why is it important to introduce ourselves?

It is essential to introduce yourself while writing a speech, so that your audience or the readers know who the speaker is and understand where you come from. This will, in turn, help them connect with you and your thoughts.

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The Secret of Choosing Successful Speech Topics

Imagine you are scheduled to deliver a speech in two weeks. At first, you are excited about the opportunity. Very soon, however, a feeling of dread overwhelms you — what will your speech topic be?

Conventional wisdom says to talk about what you know, but conventional wisdom is only partially correct.

This article reveals three questions you must ask before choosing your speech topic , and how the answers lead you to great speech topics for you and your audience.

The Secret Three Questions

Before considering a speech topic, ask yourself these three questions:

• Am I an expert on this topic? It isn’t necessary to know everything about a topic, but you do need to know more about the topic than your audience to be seen as a credible speaker. Your knowledge must cover not only what you plan to say, but go beyond that so that you are able to comfortably handle questions afterward.
• Am I passionate about this topic? Passion for spreading your knowledge about a topic is the fuel that will power your speech delivery. Your posture, your gestures, your eyes, your facial expressions, and your energy level are all elevated when you talk about topics you enjoy. Likewise, all of these suffer when you talk about topics that you find mundane.
• Does my audience care about this topic? If your audience doesn’t see value for themselves in your topic, there are two possibilities. Either they don’t show up, or they show up and tune out. In either case, you are wasting your breath. Every successful speech must contain explicit value for your audience.

Imagine you had an encyclopedia full of potential speech topics. (Actually, you do!) Based on the answers to the three questions above, you could sort every one of them into one of eight speech topic zones. Seven of these zones are flawed, but one is golden!

Zone 1: Perfect Speech Topics

Synopsis : You possess both knowledge and passion for the topic, and your audience wants you to share both.

This is the perfect combination, and the smart speaker draws speech topics from this zone all the time . Your knowledge of the topic assures that you’ll be confident. Your love of the topic assures that you’ll be passionate. On top of that, you have an enthusiastic, open audience.

Whether you end up speaking about topics in this zone by strategy or by luck, you’re in a great position to succeed. Speak and change the world!

But, what if you have to give a speech, and your topic isn’t in Zone 1? Does this mean you are destined to fail? Sometimes you are, and sometimes you aren’t. Read on to find what you can do to move topics into Zone 1 before you deliver them.

Zone 2: Content-Rich, but Passion-Free Speech Topics

Pros : Your expertise is solid, and your audience craves your knowledge. That’s a great fit.

Cons : There’s nothing about the topic that excites you. Consequently, speeches in this zone tend to be delivered with a monotone voice and body language which betrays your disinterest. In short, Zone 2 topics are snore-fests.

Can you transform this into a Zone 1 Topic?

Rediscover what motivated you to become an expert in the topic, and find your passion again.

Your audience is coming in with novice eyes, and this topic is full of exciting unknowns. Try to see the topic from their perspective. If you find this difficult, ask potential audience members what interests them about the topic. Their responses should rekindle your passion by reminding you that the topic is full of questions that need to be answered — and you have the answers!

Zone 3: Great Speech Topics for a Different Audience

Pros : You are an expert, and you love sharing that expertise with anyone who will listen.

Cons : Unfortunately, your audience does not fall within that group.

There are two very different approaches you can take:

• You’ve got to find the value for your audience. A great way to do this is by finding common ground between your speech topic and a subject that the audience does care about. Draw parallels, craft metaphors, and you can make this speech topic interesting to your audience.
• Save this speech topic for a different audience. Out there, somewhere, there’s an audience that shares your passion and wants to hear what you have to say. You’ve just got to find them.

Zone 4: Fascinating Speech Topics You Know Nothing About

Pros : Both you and your audience are really excited about the lessons waiting to be revealed.

Cons : Unfortunately, you don’t know your stuff well enough to impart wisdom or convey meaning. Indeed, your audience may know as much or more than you!

With these speech topics, you are standing in extremely fertile ground. Again, there are two approaches you can take:

• Develop your expertise. It won’t happen overnight, but through hard work you can make it happen. Your passion and an eager audience (which have made this a Zone 4 topic) provide excellent motivation for you to succeed.
• Admit the limits of your expertise, and ditch the traditional speech format for one where you are facilitating discussion instead. Under your leadership, the discussion can lead the audience to explore issues, brainstorm new ideas, and discover solutions collectively.

Zone 5: Speech Topics Someone Else Should Deliver

Pros : The audience is enthusiastic and receptive.

Cons : These speech topics don’t excite your heart or your intellect.

Probably not, at least not for a long, long time. You need to develop some expertise, but that’s hard to do without passion for the topic. Cultivating passion is difficult without minimal expertise. You might eventually get there, but you would be more effective digging into other speech topics. Leave this topic for someone else to deliver.

Whatever you do, don’t try to bluff your way through a Zone 5 speech. The audience will sense your lack of knowledge and passion, and your credibility will be shattered.

Zone 6: Speech Topics that Don’t Even Interest You

Pros : You are an expert on the subject.

Cons : Neither you or your audience care.

It will be very difficult. You’ll either have to kindle your own passion, or find meaning for the audience. If you get either one, that will help you with the other.

But, as with Zone 5, you should probably devote your energy elsewhere.

Zone 7: Personal Hobbies, Not Speech Topics

Pros : You are fascinated by the topic.

Cons : You are not yet an expert, and your audience does not share your fascination.

Surprisingly, maybe. Having passion for a topic provides great motivation, and can motivate you to develop your own expertise, as well as seek out reasons why the audience should care. Compared to Zone 5 and Zone 6, Zone 7 is most likely to produce useful speech topics for you.

Zone 8: “Like-Watching-Paint-Dry” Topics

Pros : Eight is a nice number. (Er… no pros.)

Cons : You don’t know the material, or care about it much either. Your audience is apathetic too.

No, you can’t. Don’t waste your time.

Example Scenario

Sadly, talks which fall into this dead zone are quite common. Think of mandatory seminars which employees must attend in the workplace. Perhaps your company purchased a training module, and it’s your job to deliver it to your fellow employees. You don’t know the topic very well, and it doesn’t excite you. Your audience’s attendance is mandatory, but they don’t really want to be there either.

A Multitude of Speech Topics for You

Okay, here’s your homework:

• Brainstorm a list of topics. Don’t censor yourself. It can be anything that you could possibly talk about, or that you’ve ever heard of someone talking about.
• Am I an expert on this topic?
• Am I passionate about this topic?
• Is my audience interested in this topic?
• The topics in Zone 1 are your best candidates. If there are none in Zone 1, check Zones 2, 3, and 4, and figure out what you need to do to get them into Zone 1.

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30 comments.

Love this degree of analysis Andrew. A great guide for speakers looking to do new speeches weekly (Toastmasters) or speakers looking at ways to retool.

Hi Andrew, great article! We’ve posted it on our facebook page, check it out: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Toastmasters-in-Pune/148767611833746 Regards, Nikhil Sheth, ACB, ALB Toastmasters Club of Pune, India

Fantastic “thought experiment”. I love the use of the venn diagram and how you brought crystal clarity to an important question.

Hi, Andrew —

I come at this topic of topic choice from the point of view of professional speakers and executives who speak about topics related to their careers. That’s why I would say that you should only talk about subjects that you’re passionate about. Beyond that, a successful speech comes in the intersection between the right audience, the right topic, and the right speaker. So I like your analysis in that sense. Even great speakers can miss-fire if the topic is wrong or the audience is not interested. If you’re a speaker getting ready to carry out a speech assignment, then ask yourself, what is the problem the audience has for which my information/expertise/interest is the solution? Then you’ve got a much better chance of connecting.

Great article on finding and evaluating speech topics. Excellent treatment of a complex subject. I am always confident about recommending “six minutes” to active as well as aspiring speakers. Thanks and keep up the great work!

Nice article, and nice organisation of speech topics!

I would argue however, that the most important aspect to consider is relevance to your audience. I appreciate that speakers communicate better on topics that they really care about, but even an enthusastic speaker wouldn’t be able to hold an audience’s attention on irrelevant content. Of course, presentations should ideally satisfy all three criteria – but in practice, I’m sure that these defining lines aren’t quite so clear. In this case, I’d suggest that it’s more important to focus on producing content that will keep the audience riveted, rather than something that would keep you rivited – and lack of specific knowledge of a topic just calls for more research!

The “sets” diagrams are truly wonderful, especially the first one, it’s so good that if you have just printed that diagram and no text that everyone would have gotten the message.

It’s so simple that it’s brilliant and I had to ask myself wondered “why didn’t I think of that?”

Hi Andrew I always struggle when I’m looking for speech topics. Like the idea of the three test questions – that should help.

As Rich said – “Love the degree of analysis” – thanks for taking the time.

I have followed your blog for a long while. I find your tips invaluable. I was a finalist in the World Championship of Public Speaking in 2008 and am writing a book on the psychology of public speaking. I am asking vistors to my blog at http://www.charliewilsonphd.com to comment on the chapters as I write them. I am including your site on my links page. Thanks for all your work. Charlie

Nice advice Thanks a lot This really helped!

Great article Andrew! Just the method I always teach to my students.

Unfortunately, as we were vividly reminded of in our club last week, there is also Zone 0 – the “Please Don’t Go There Zone”. This Zone is for topics that might actually overlap with one or more of the above zones, but that can range from the slightly inappropriate, to the highly uncomfortable, to the downright offensive.

I think this is a matter of context. There is no topic that should never be discussed, even publicly; indeed, controversial, uncomfortable topics are typically controversial and uncomfortable because they are the most pertinent topics. However, some contexts are more constructive than others. The orator should take care to ensure that he is delivering his or her speech in a context that would ensure its constructiveness.

its amazing the different steps to follow inorder to come out with a standard speech. it really needs some hard work and constant trainning

I am a new member in a skill development club. learning the article, I must say that such valueable piece of information really help those who are preparing to kick off carrier development. Expecting more articles in future.

Awesome analysis! easy to understand and concrete action/improvement to follow..I can find my contest speech belonging to type 3. I will try something to make it better. 🙂 Thx so much!

from my heart to your’s ; thank you so much

Andrew, This list is a goldmine, and should be given to every budding speaker who is starting out at toastmasters (or in another similar speaking environment). I think the struggle sometimes is dealing with speeches when you really don’t have a choice on the topic and it doesn’t fit into zone 1. For example, at work.

For such circumstances, it can be a useful skill to learn to speak about topics that you aren’t passionate about. Don’t you agree that for some of us, as least some of the time, we need to think about how we can deliver the topic our audience wants to hear about, even if turning it into a topic we love isn’t possible?

When you aren’t passionate about the topic itself, I think it is critical to be passionate about sharing your knowledge with others. Focus on the benefits for your audience in gaining the knowledge, or perhaps the benefit to your shared organization if more people learned a skill that you can teach.

If you neither love the topic, nor care about sharing the knowledge, I think it is extremely difficult to be effective… just as it is difficult to do anything effectively when not motivated.

Hi Andrew, I love the Venn Diagram and think this method will help my fellow toastmasters. I’m giving a speech on how to generate Speech Topics/ideas and was wondering if I could use your Venn Diagram (I’ll reference your web site??). thanks!

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This was very helpful. I’ve done my ice breaker speech, now have to find another topic for speech #2. I have so much to learn.

Very useful short article. The topics categorized into zones is simple and easy to use. Thanks.

May I print this article and use it as a handout for a volunteer training with a prison Toastmasters Club?

Jane Scheidnes

Great topic and presentation. I am a Mentor for a new club, where most members are on Speech 2 or 3 after 6 months, and trying to show them there is so much more – getting them to pursue their next, next, next, … beyond, past speech 10.

Am a beginner, I really like the tips have got from this page. It will be nice if example is attached.

I am an online student and I love to listen to TedTalks and great speeches. I am also a mature student (51yrs old) so I have listened to some great and not so great messages and speeches.

Hi, Andrew. I’ve been presenting to speeches – particularly Storytelling – for forty-six years and I find your article on The Secret of Choosing Successful Speech Topics, the best and most in-depth one I’ve ever read. The illustrations shown with the inter-twining circles make your message very clear. Congratulations on a splendid article.

Hi Andrew, I love this article and the brilliant way it breaks down the model/framework. Its not just another fancy model but very relevant and meaningful and provides ‘food for thought’ for someone looking to choose a topic. I too have some dilemma when choosing topics for presentations or writing blogs, etc. Sometimes I have a gut feeling or sense that a particular topic may not sync well with audience, but it can be kept for future. This model helps to see if something doesnt make sense or if it can be kept for future or if I as a speaker/presenter has to do more preparations to increase my knowledge of the topic or to boost my passion in it. Overall its a wonderful model with meaningful insight one can use to pic topics. Thanks

Recent Tweets

Need help to choose a speech topic? Read the article below! https://t.co/n3jhSCMmqo — @MetrospeakersTM Oct 20th, 2015

“Conventional wisdom says to talk about what you know, but conventional wisdom is only partially correct.” https://t.co/76fQQEOZiL — GoReact (@GoReact) May 23rd, 2016

#TuesdayTips Good article by @6minutes about selecting subject matter for speeches. https://t.co/9vpX73cKBl — PitchVantage (@pitchvantage) Jun 7th, 2016

Having trouble deciding on the topic of your next speech? @6minutes shares the secret of choosing successful topics: https://t.co/qC9zdDO57Y — Release Your Voice (@ReleaseUrVoice) Jun 21st, 2016

How to Choose Speech Topics: The Definitive Guide https://t.co/l5B1lXDcsj by @6minutes — @LuisaOtero825 Jul 14th, 2016

Still working out your next speech topic? Check out this fantastic guide on how to choose a topic #toastmasters #gss https://t.co/hdjxkJ5CGz — GSS Toastmasters (@Gros_sq_tm) Sep 7th, 2016

Retweeted GSS Toastmasters (@Gros_sq_tm): Still working out your next speech topic? Check out this fantastic… https://t.co/L0zmHeDe0Y — Oke’ Toastmasters (@oketoast) Sep 10th, 2016

How to Choose Speech Topics: The Definitive Guide https://t.co/GTN0htSAp7 — Lisa F Kosak (@LisaKosak) Sep 10th, 2016

Having trouble finding a topic for your next speech? Here’s some great tips on how to find the perfect topic: https://t.co/kHUJi5Hc9M — Cogito Toastmasters (@CogitoTM) Nov 17th, 2016

Public #speakingfear — what will your speech topic be? This article can help. https://t.co/lPyQQX8QAu #leader — Lauren Sergy (@lsergy) Jul 31st, 2018

11 Blog Links

links for 2010-11-07 | MYAM's Blog — Nov 7th, 2010

Here are the top Recent Communication Blog Postings from around the Web « TJWALKER INTERACTIVE — Dec 4th, 2010

Geek Speaking » Selecting the Right Speech Topic — Dec 9th, 2010

Tyneside Speakers Club » Speechwriting Hocus Pocus: Summoning Your Magical Powers — Dec 14th, 2010

Toastmasters Prepared Contest 2011: Midrand Club | 3DFX — Mar 13th, 2011

Mr. Price's Grade 8 - Speech Assignment — Jan 11th, 2012

week #3 | Danuta Hinc English 391 Spring 2013 — Feb 1st, 2013

How to find a new Speech Topic? » Hamburg Power Speakers — Feb 11th, 2013

Tweak Your Lessons | Tweak Your Slides — Mar 14th, 2013

4 Steps to Finding a Speech Topic that Clicks — Apr 14th, 2013

All things Infographic | Tweak Your Slides — Jul 30th, 2013

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Speech Structure: The Complete OBC Guide

What makes a great speech? The content, of course, but also the structure. All great speakers overlay their content on a well-known structure. 

Your speech structure is the glue that binds your points together. Without it, you cannot really have the impact you desire to have on the audience.

The beauty of this is that a good structure is so subtle it is almost invisible. Its effectiveness is only evident in its impact.

Speech writing can be intimidating for some, however, we have incorporated plenty of speech examples to get a complete understanding. We aim to explain a proper structure that can be applied to any of your speeches.

There are four things you need to keep in mind about this:

Table of Contents

What is the purpose of your speech?

Can too much content be harmful, who is the audience, informative speech, persuasive speech, argumentative speech, demonstration speech, humorous speech, strong statement, visual prop or demonstration, personal anecdote, problem or strong statement, summary on writing your introduction:, credibility, cause and effect:, problems and solutions:, lucky number three, summary on writing your body:, call to action, inspirational, key takeaway, summary of writing your conclusion:, meta description:, picking the right topic.

The content of a speech can largely determine how the audience receives it. For this, you will need to accurately assess who is going to be listening to your speech. There are some questions you need to ask before sitting down to write this speech.

Do you intend to introduce a concept or argue on a controversial topic? Is your purpose of imparting knowledge or guiding the audience through a demonstration? It is essential to have your intentions cleared; otherwise, you can risk creating a speech with no direction.

We understand that as daunting as speaking can be, it is, at the same time, fascinating. When you pick a topic that you are passionate about, it is easy to find yourself packing the speech with all kinds of information. However, in doing so, you can overwhelm your audience.

There is such a thing as too much information. You need to make sure that whatever information you do include is impactful and influential. Aim for something short but memorable. Pick one takeaway message and gear your speech towards that objective.

While it is vital to pick a topic that interests you, it is equally important to make sure that it can grab the audience’s attention. What is the target demographic for your speech? What is the setting for this speech? Is it a particularly controversial topic?

This is important because as humans, most people are likely to be more interested in your presentation if it benefits them somehow. At the same time, you have to consider the setting.

For instance: an office setting would not be the right setting for a controversial social speech. If your speech includes demonstration and requires volunteers, you need to ensure that this is an audience willing to participate.  

Do you understand the various types of speeches?

Before you pen down your presentation, stop to wonder whether you understand the different types of speeches. Understanding what kind of speech you are going for can help you better structure it for maximum efficiency:

An informative speech intends to explain complex topics to your audience by providing engaging information. This can include objects, events, procedures, and more. It is better if you pick a topic that you are interested in so that your enthusiasm shines through.

When you give an informative speech, you are merely trying to educate your audiences about a particular topic. You refrain from becoming too argumentative as it might come across too strong for your listeners. If this is the type of speech you intend to give, you can check out 100 Informative Speech Topics and Ideas to make your job easier. 

A persuasive speech intends to convince the audiences of your viewpoint. It uses compelling points to sway the listener’s opinions. The primary purpose of this type of speech is to affect the audiences’ thought process and persuade them to think about changing how they feel about a topic.

Some examples of a persuasive speech can be a politician’s speech, an animal activist’s speech, and so on. As you can see, the goal here is to persuade and obtain something ultimately. A politician might want to sway your vote in their favor, whereas ani activist has a cause that they’d like to advocate for.

If this is the type of speech you intend to give, you can check out 237 Easy Persuasive Speech Topics and Guide to better plan your speech.

An argumentative speech is more or less a persuasive speech. However, a persuasive speech does not always have to be argumentative. The purpose of an argumentative is to alter how the audience views a subject. 

Changing the audience’s opinion is not an easy job. This is why you need to not only pick a persuasive topic but also believe in it. You need a strong claim along with irrefutable points to support it. 

The best argumentative speeches utilize issues relating to current events. You can see this in the media in the form of mostly social, ethical, political, or religious arguments. Your arguments should make use of logic and realistic examples. Some examples of this type of speech can be: Dress codes shouldn’t be mandatory, Space exploration is a waste of money, etc.

If you’d like to see more topic ideas for an argumentative speech, you can browse the 200 Argumentative Speech Topics and ideas: A Complete Guide . 

A demonstration speech, true to its name, demonstrates to the audience how something works. This type of presentation is more common for high school or college students. It makes use of props and useful body language to properly guide the audience through an activity.

This type of speech can fall under informative speech as you are informing the listeners on a task. While this type of speech is considered a basic speech, it is an excellent way to practice your expository speaking.

If this is the type of speech you’d like to give, here’s a list of 279 Demonstration Speech Topics and Ideas: A Complete Guide , so that you can better perfect your speech.

A humorous speech is the perfect light-hearted solution for adding a fun twist to your speech. This type of presentation aims to entertain the audience. A humorous speech can incorporate any of the above examples. It is, thus, very versatile. And what’s more? You get to have just as much fun delivering it!  

The thing to keep in mind with this kind of speech is that you need to pick a proper topic. You intend to garner a joyful response to its best not to pick a sensitive topic. To help you out, you can browse the 300 Funny Speech Topics to Tickle Some Funny Bones! to structure your humorous speech.

Writing the Introduction (Opening)

The introduction of your speech is vital to the success of your speech. It is what sets the tone of your entire speech. It determines whether or not you grab the attention of the listeners. You will get only one chance to charm your audience and make sure they follow the rest of your speech.

So, how can you make this happen? There are a few different ways you can approach this:

Asking a question is an excellent way to grab your audience’s attention. It piques their curiosity and ensures that they will listen to get an answer to said question. The question can be either rhetorical or literal. For instance, “Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to live in a world without technology?” or “Have you ever felt broken-hearted?”.

Either the audience resonates with your question, or it generates curiosity. This is also a great way to get some audience participation. If you say, “With a show of hands, how many of us here have tried to change our habits and failed?” you can not only garner interest but also physically get the audience invested in your speech.

A question is a great way to get your listeners thinking about your topic while introducing your topic, all in a matter of seconds!

A strong statement is also an excellent way to create a compelling introduction. You must know Martin Luther King’s iconic, “I have a dream.” The intensity that radiates from that sentence immediately captures an audiences’ attention and creates a commanding presence.

Similarly, an excellent example of this type of opening is from Larry Smith’s speech. “I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you’re going to fail to have a great career.” This immediately generates intrigue and curiosity. That’s what you’re going for.

This statement does not have to just be cold facts. It can be a part of a personal story as well. For instance, the statement “Last week, I found out that my childhood friend got in a car accident” is bound to create a powerful silence. If your speech has such a strong emotive statement, you can use it in your introduction to engage your audience better.

Another helpful tip that goes with a strong statement in silence. Give your listener’s a chance to absorb the statement that you have put in front of them with a couple of seconds of silence before diving in further.

A prop can be a fantastic addition to your speech. Not only does it help emphasize your point, but it also helps the audience stay focused on your speech. Props are especially good for a demonstrative speech. Or you can simply incorporate demonstrations as part of your speech.

Body language speaks much louder than words can for us humans. This is why using colorful bags, a deck of cards, colored papers, etc. can be so effective as an opener for your speech. Once, I attended a speech where the speaker brought a heavy bag and simply set it on the table, talking about the bag. The audience was hooked, waiting eagerly till the end to find out what was in the bag.

A quotation can be the perfect way to capture your audience’s attention. It also helps set a tone for the speech that is to come. The quote you pick can be a well-known saying such as “They say all that glitters is not gold, well I beg to differ.” Doing so, you can ignite curiosity.

Similarly, you can also quote a person or a publication and tie it to your speech. For instance, for a motivational speech, you can take the example of someone like Bill Gates- “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” When you use a quote from a big name, you will definitely get people wanting to hear and learn more.

Humor is always a great tool to have in your arsenal. A good icebreaker can warm the listeners up to you and make them more receptive to the rest of your speech. Humor is a very endearing trait for a skilled speaker. Some ideas for your opening can be:

“It’s the funniest thing. As I was coming up to the stage, I began thinking we actually have quite a lot in common. None of us have a clue about what I’m going to say!”

“I know we are all busy, and I want to honor your time. So I will make sure to be accurate and brief, no matter long it takes me.”

The great thing about using humor is that it works on your audience subconsciously. You seem at ease with yourself and radiate confidence. You have to remember that for humor to be effective; it has to be effortless. If you seem unsure about your lines, the audience is sure to pick up on it.

A strong statistic will always add validity to your speeches. Presenting the audience with irrefutable facts backed up by a strong source is a surefire way to gain credibility. It can also add gravity to the scale of the issue that you want to draw attention to. 

However, it is easy to overdo things when it comes to numbers. It can be tempting to add strong statistics to the rest of your speech as well. But remember, the strongest points are ones that linger in an audience’s mind. If you give them too many numbers, none of them will stick out in their heads, and they are bound to feel lost.

Some examples can be: “Look to your right. Now, look to your left. One in three women and one in four women are known to have suffered physical violence. A statement like this not only ignites awareness but also physically makes your listener feel involved in your speech.

An anecdote is a short story taken from your life itself. The story usually adds to the theme of your story. Short and light-hearted anecdotes can add a lot of enthusiasm and charm to your speech. However, you don’t have to make them humorous. Even more, touching stories can be equally, if not more engaging.

When used correctly, a personal anecdote makes for the perfect introduction that draws your listeners towards your central message. Not only does it create empathy, but it also sparks interest. If you don’t have a personal anecdote itself, you can go for a third-person anecdote that speaks to you as well.

Opening with a problem can make for a strong opening. This method generates interest and keeps the audience listening with the promise of an upcoming solution. Try to aim for a problem that caters to a wider demographic for a higher relatability.

Problems that relate to current events can have a better draw. For instance: “Why should remote working be implemented even after quarantine?”

In a similar vein, a powerful statement can be an excellent way to capture your audience’s attention. A statement, when paired with silence, can make for an effective tool. Example: “The top 20% of our society makes 80% of all the money. Would you like to be part of this 20%? If so, I’m going to give you some pointers on how you can align yourself in that direction. Does that sound like something you might be interested in?”

• Your opening plays a big role in whether or not you can grab your listener’s attention straight off the bat.
• Give your audience a reason to pay attention by clearly stating the purpose of your speech.
• If you are giving a speech regarding a field you have some experience with, remember to establish credibility early on.
• Give a short highlight reel of your main points.
• Quotations or powerful statements are a great way to catch the audience’s attention.
• Including current events or statistics will make your speech seem more relevant to a wider range of listeners.
• Asking a question will get your audience more involved and add intrigue to the rest of your presentation.

Structuring your content (Body)

The body of your speech will hold all of your main points. Since this is the longest section of your speech, you need to ensure that it is interesting enough to keep everyone’s attention. Depending on the objective of your speech, you will need to add examples, opinions, and facts to back up your points. What helps during this time is proper organization.

Here are some things you want to keep in mind while drafting the body of your speech:

No matter how much you believe in your point, you still need to give your audience a credible reason to take your word for it. This can be done by adding examples, detailed descriptions, statistics, and so on. Always remember to credit the source when using a statistic. You can also add a strong testimonial to add a touch of personalized support if that applies to your objective.

Transitions

When you have a lot of content packed into your speech, transitions become vital to the effectiveness of your speech. You can consider these as points of a refresh in your speech. Here, the audience can reengage and follow along more attentively. 

The best transitions are always invisible. They can seamlessly add flow to your speech without giving any indication of such to your audience. There are many ways to incorporate this into your speech. 

Some examples can be:

A connective transition is where you reiterate a previous point and introduce a connecting point. The way this method works is that it rehashes an important aspect while relating it to what’s next.

The most effective way to use this is in a problem/solution module. This is where you begin by stating a problem and transition towards a solution.

Example: Now that we’ve understood the various negative effects of junk food, let me tell you how we can plan a better diet to combat obesity.

When you do this, you are providing a summary of the problem and swiftly leading them towards a solution. If you jump straight to the next section, it can feel rushed. Besides, pauses are another important element of speech delivery.

Keywords, as the name suggests, have a certain draw to them. These are words that are central to the theme of your speech. Repetition is a very effective tool in conveying your message. 

For instance: If your speech is about the scarcity of running water in rural communities, you can draw attention by repeating the factors that cause this issue. Doing so will also let you explain in better detail these factors while keeping your audience hooked to the main theme.

Content Approach

Depending on your speech, there are various ways to approach how you frame your content. We all know that content is king; however, without the right approach, it’s easy for your message to get lost along the way. This is why it’s so important to keep your subject matter relevant and interesting. Make sure the content is as compact and concise as you can make it. Some of the methods by which you can ensure this is as follows:

Cause and effect is a great way to present your ideas. This method works best for explaining events and consequences or results. Make sure to include all the appropriate details to add emphasis. The element of ‘what’s next’ is what keeps the audience hooked to your speech. As you unfold a cause and follow it with the effects, it will feel both interesting as well as rewarding to your audience.  

Problem and solution is a speech method as old as time. But it is so because of its reliability. This approach works best for a motivational speech. This type of speech intends to address a problem and offer a systematic solution that benefits the listeners. It is also a common approach for pushing an audience to buy into a service or product. You pose a problem and then offer a solution, including a whole package. Make sure the solution you offer is versatile so that it applies to a wider range of people, thereby increasing appeal.

A narrative approach is excellent for anybody who wants to sharpen their storytelling skills. The important ingredients for a narrative speech are chronology and a simple organization pattern. Typically, any story will have a beginning, middle, and end. Going in order, with smooth transitions will make your story easy to follow. 

This type of speech is most effective for presenting events, life lessons, experiences, rituals, and personal beliefs. Try to stick to the core of the story without too many unnecessary details. Just because a narrative includes storytelling does not mean it can’t have an end goal. For instance: a personal experience of failure might be a great story of caution for the listeners.

The most important thing for a successful narrative speech is build-up. You want your audience to be invested, to care about what comes next, to raise the stakes so that when you provide the conclusion, it is that much more effective. You must always ask yourself, “What do I want the audience to remember after this speech?”.

The best way to write this would be to outline a sketch of events that are relevant to your narrative. After that, you can think about the best way to escalate the stakes. Remember that eye contact is an important visual medium in a narrative speech. It will help your audience connect better to your story.

The number three is impactful. Even the general structure of a speech is divided into three parts: Opening, Body, and Conclusion. When you want to make a point that people remember, you should consider splitting it into three, where the first two act as a build-up while your final point brings the unexpected impact.

The best thing about this method is that you can apply it to just about any kind of speech. This, in fact, adds more structure to your speech and makes it more easily digestible. The key ingredient here becomes balance and transition. Make sure you focus on all three elements of your story equally, so it does not feel rushed. Add in a seamless transition to make your story structure seem effortless.  

• Make sure you have designed your content to suit your audience.
• Divide your body into easily digestible sections so that your main points come across clearly.
• Stress on keywords and clever repetitions to drive your point home.
• Work on your transitions to establish clear sections but a seamless switch to keep your listeners hooked.
• When using facts or statistics, always back it up with a credible source.

Closing your speech (Conclusion)

The conclusion is vital to the success of your speech. This is the parting thought that you will be leaving your audience with, so you have to make sure that it’s a good one. The conclusion is where you reiterate your key point. This is why there is so much importance put on a conclusion to be powerful enough to stay in your memory.

Here are some possible ways you can approach your conclusion:

A call-to-action refers to a statement or material that intends to encourage the listener or viewer to take the initiative. It can also be considered as instruction as it usually directs the audience towards something. 

The most effective way to approach this is to manage both your energy as well as your tempo. While it is essential to maintain a clear and well-enunciated speech throughout, when you reach a conclusion, you are going to want to speed up just a little bit. 

What this does is add a sense of urgency to the message that you are giving. Similarly, higher energy makes the audience resonate and respond equally. They will associate this high energy with your message and remember your speech for longer.

Some examples of this can be: “As we can see, the effects of depression can be life-threatening. So I encourage each and every one of you to go home today and reach out to your friends, talk to them and open up a platform where they know they can come to talk to you for anything. Because you’d rather hear their problems than hear about their death.”

For speeches that are over 5-6 minutes long, the audience can sometimes lose track of the earlier points. This is why it is necessary to summarize your main points before you leave the stage. You don’t have to take them through the entire story, but make sure you include the keywords that trigger in them the memory of that portion. 

You can do this by saying something along the lines of “Let me briefly run you through what we discussed” or “So, we talked about three main things today.” This not only does a great job of reiterating and reconfirming your main points but also signals to the audience that you are drawing towards the end of your presentation.

Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.

Even though you might be well familiarized with your speech, it is safe to assume that most of the audience is hearing it for the first time. For this reason, you need to drive your point home by essentially drilling it into their minds. Now, you can’t simply repeat the central theme over and over as that isn’t an effective strategy. But there can be an art to repetition as well.

You should aim to rephrase and reinforce your central idea as you conclude your speech. Don’t go for a word-for-word repetition, but aim to reframe your key themes and arguments. Paraphrasing, in this way, makes sure that you capture the essence of your speech without running the risk of boring your listeners with identical sentences.

We don’t even need to look too far for examples of this method. In Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, he used this method of repetition paired with a rising momentum to create impact. Repetition works best when it is subtle and works on the listeners subconsciously.

Ending your speech on a light note is a great way to brighten moods and make sure the audience remembers your message. Your joke can also be a good way to repeat your central message. If you do decide to end with a humorous story, remember to carve out more time for it. Make sure your conclusion doesn’t distract from your main message.

Some people tend to get too excited and give away the upcoming punchline. Remember that the most effective humor approach is one you don’t see coming. How you can add the subtlety to your conclusion is by following this formula:

Set up – pause – Build up – pause – Punchline

Motivational conclusions are always an upbeat way to close your speech. You will be leaving the stage on high energy that is sure to be contagious. This also ensures that your audience will be taking a piece of your conclusion with them, making sure that it is not only memorable but also useful.

There are many ways to approach an inspirational closing. You can go with an anecdote, a quote, a poem, and so on. The purpose is to give a push, to add strength, to ignite a can-do attitude. 

The trick to a powerful inspirational speech is emotion. Humans are excellent at empathizing. If you can adequately emote throughout your story, adding drama into your storytelling, then it is bound to have a more substantial effect. Vocal variety can also be an excellent element for this. Alter your tempo to weave excitement into your story. You can also use smart pauses to add more intrigue. 

Your facial expressions play a significant role in how the audience receives your speech. Whether it is a sad or happy story, make sure that your face conveys it. It can be addictive to have the audience’s attention like this, but don’t get too greedy. Remember to end on your highest note, leaving a lasting impression. 

There are many types of speeches out there. For instance: you might think that a humorous speech is just that: humorous. But think again. All the best speeches have at least one key takeaway.

A takeaway message is quite similar to an inspirational conclusion. The question you have to ask yourself is this: What is the purpose of my speech? Even if you’ve got a fantastic anecdotal story to share, you have to remember that the audience will always wonder what they are getting from the speech. That will be your takeaway.

For an effective conclusion, you have to step back and overview your speech. From your introduction to the body, what is the message you are trying to convey? Make sure your conclusion reflects it. For example: if your speech is about a drowning story, you can probably try to include what you could’ve done and how the audience can avoid being in a similar situation.

A call-back is a fun twist to add to your conclusion. There is a reason why a circle is one of the most pleasing shapes; it gives you a sense of completion. Even if you aren’t aware of it, it works on your mind subliminally. An effective way to conduct this method is to find a way to tie your ending to your introduction.

You can understand a call-back as a reference. It doesn’t have to be limited to just the introduction; you can reference the body of your speech as well. This not only makes for a great repetition tool but also adds a feeling of completion into your presentation.

However, you should pick something that the audience can connect to. This helps create a special and unique bond as if it were an inside joke just between you two. 

• Signal your audience when you’re drawing to your conclusion.
• Add trigger transitions like “In conclusion,” “In summary,” “That brings us towards the end,” and so on.
• Try to end on a high note with something memorable.
• Write your conclusion last so that it complements your introduction.
• Try to paraphrase your words without repeating the same words over and over.
• Your audience is more likely to remember your speech if you end with something useful to them or with a call to action.
• Leave on an attention-grabbing note. 

Wrapping Up:

A speech typically has one of four purposes: to inform, to entertain, to instruct, or to persuade. To deliver an effective speech, you need to first make sure you understand what your objective is. Then, you can follow our guidelines to construct a solid structure and deliver a well-rounded and impactful presentation. Now that you know how to create an effective speech structure, you are ready to dominate the stage!  

The best speech structures are invisible and effective. Learn the tips and tricks to deliver the perfect opening, body, and conclusion and wow the stage.

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Guide to Choosing a Successful Speech Topic

January 5, 2018 - Dom Barnard

Choosing a speech topic can sometimes feel harder than giving the actual speech. We provide a simple framework for filtering down the number of possible topics to speak about.

When deciding on a speech or presentation topic, you might naturally want to talk about something you know very well. Although this is important, it’s only part of the equation when deciding on a suitable speech topic.

You need to ask yourself three questions about the topic, linking your expertise, passion and the audience.

Three questions to ask yourself

When deciding on a speech topic, ask yourself these three questions:

• How much do I know about the topic?  Your audience needs to recognise you as a credible speaker and being knowledgeable about your topic is an easy way to do this. A good understanding will help you explain difficult parts of the topic and give you more confidence during the questions and answers session.
• Am I passionate about the topic?  Your passion on the topic will affect all areas of your delivery, including  body language ,  eye contact  and energy levels. If you are interested in the topic, you’ll engage with the audience better and generally make for a more interesting speech.
• Will the audience be interested in the topic?  If the audience doesn’t see how they can learn something useful from your topic, they’ll either not turn up or switch off early during the speech. Remember that your speech topic needs to contain value for the audience.

Write down a list of possible speech topics in line with the type of speech or presentation you are giving – is it a TED talk? A  commencement speech ? A conference presentation? A talk at your local club? Once you have this list, go through each of the three questions and put them into the segments of the Venn diagram above. Of course, the middle of the Venn diagram contains the topics you want to talk about.

What type of audience will you be speaking to?

In order to talk about a topic your audience care about, you’ll need to perform a quick  analysis of your audience . There are several methods to do this, including:

• Find out if there are any other speakers and their topics if possible (if they are very technical, it give you an idea of the type of audience)
• Look at the event social media and read through previous comments
• Contact the event host to ask for more information about the types of audience that usually attend (for example, how many are international)
• Find out the size of the audience (this may determine the structure of your speech, including where to do the question and answer session, whether to include humour etc.)

There are a few audience characteristics which might determine the speech topic you select, including:

• Average age
• Gender (will it be a mostly female audience?)
• Ethnic background
• Types of career (is it a business focussed event?)
• Knowledge of the topic

Segment 1: Great speech topics

Topic segment : You are knowledgeable and passionate about the topic, and the audience is interested in it as well.

This is the perfect combination, and a good speaker draws speech topics from this segment all the time. Your knowledge of the topic assures that you’ll be confident. You enjoy talking about the topic so you’ll be passionate about it. On top of that, you have an enthusiastic, open audience.

When you end up speaking about topics in this segment, you’ll have a high chance of delivering a memorable and engaging speech.

Segment 2: Good content but lacking enthusiasm

Topic segment : You know the topic well and your audience finds it interesting, however you lack enthusiasm for the topic.

Speeches in this segment will lack enthusiasm and might be delivered in a monotone voice with poor body language.

An example of a topic in this segment

When you finish a large body of research, for example towards the end of a PhD, you’ll usually have to present the results to an audience. The audience are usually invested in your topic and interested to hear about what you have to say. You also know plenty about the topic as you’ve spent years researching it.

How to make this a segment 1 topic

• Ask yourself what motivated you to learn about the topic in the first place. Try and find that enthusiasm again.
• You can try asking your potential audience what gets them excited about the topic. This might spark some interested in the topic again for you as you’ll understand the benefit you are giving the audience. You can also guide your presentation around the audience answers and you now know what they are excited by.

Segment 3: Great speech topics for a different audience

Topic segment : You know and find the speech topic interesting, however your audience does not.

Perhaps you are the creator of an open source project for a new programming language. You may well love what you are developing and know everything about it. However if you are speaking at a local conference, the audience may not be as enthusiastic.

• You’ve analysed your audience and find that the audience doesn’t care much for this topic. You need to understand how you can link the topic to something your audience will find interesting, through storytelling, metaphors, diagrams and any other suitable method.
• If you use body language and eye contact well, you might be able to engage the audience even if the topic isn’t of too much interest to them.

A topic in this segment is best saved for a different audience. If you find the  right event  and audience, this would a great topic to talk about and you’ll be both passionate and informed about the topic.

Segment 4: Interesting topics you know nothing about

Topic segment : This is a topic both you and your audience find interesting, however your knowledge for the topic is lacking.

You may not know enough about the topic for you to appear credible in the eyes of the audience. Your lack of knowledge on the topic may get revealed in the  questions and answers session  after the speech.

Imagine you’ve recently taken up a new hobby, impressionism painting, for example, and want to talk about tips for impressionist artists at a local gallery. You may love the topic and so will your audience, however as you’re new to the hobby, you won’t have any expertise in it.

This is one of the best segments to be in and there are a few approaches you can take to bring yourself into the middle segment:

• Build up your knowledge of the topic over time. If you have a big event such as a TED Talk coming up and a few weeks before you’re speaking, a topic in this segment could work well. Your passion and an engaged audience provide excellent motivation for your speech to succeed.
• If you’re speaking to a smaller group, you can try to facilitate a discussion between yourself and the audience members. You might  start by giving a short speech  which opens up some conversation points and then letting the audience discuss new ideas and solutions.

Segment 5: Speech topics someone else should deliver

Topic segment : You audience care a lot about this topic, however you neither know or care about it.

• This is a tough topic to bring into segment 1. You need to be passionate about the topic in order to learn about it. Sometimes when you start learning a topic, you’ll find yourself becoming more passionate the better you understand it. However this takes time and you’re better leaving this topic for someone else to deliver.

Don’t try to wing this topic. You’ll be shown up in the questions and answers session, as well as lack enthusiasm while delivering the speech. Your credibility will be ruined.

Segment 6: Topics you know but don’t interest you

Topic segment : You know this topic well but neither you nor your audience find it interesting.

• You can try to find your passion for the topic and link it to your audience’s interests. This is going to be difficult and you’ll be better off finding another topic.

Segment 7: Personal hobbies, not speech topics

Topic segment : A speech topic you find interesting but don’t know much about and your audience doesn’t find it too interesting.

• Of the three outer segments, this is the easiest to convert to a great speech topic. Having passion for a topic provides great motivation, and can motivate you to develop your own expertise, as well as seek out reasons why the audience should care.

Segment 8: Topics neither you nor your audience care about

Topic segment : Disaster zone – you don’t know about the topic or care much about it, and neither does your audience.

This would be very difficult. It’s best to choose another topic and not to waste your time on topics in this segment.

Talks that fall into this dead segment are quite common. After taking a train the trainer course, you might be asked to coach other employees at your company which is mandatory for them to attend. You don’t know the topic very well, and it doesn’t excite you. Your audience’s attendance is mandatory, but they don’t really want to be there either.

To read more about these different segments, read  The Secret of Choosing Successful Speech Topics .

Exercise for speech topic selection

Here’s a simple exercise to categorise your speech topics and get a better idea of how the Venn diagram works.

Start by brainstorming around 25 ideas for topics off the top of your head (use these  21 persuasive speech topics  as a starting point). Give each of these a number for the segment on the Venn diagram by asking yourself the three questions.

How many are in the centre? Which are in two of three segments? Think about how or if you could get these into the centre segment. Perhaps if you’re not an expert on the topic, as we mentioned previously you could do additional research around it. Or if your audience doesn’t find the topic interesting, you could tweak it and come at it from a different angle, maybe adding in humour, to engage them better.

Module 4: Organizing and Outlining

The topic, purpose, and thesis.

Before any work can be done on crafting the body of your speech or presentation, you must first do some prep work—selecting a topic, formulating a purpose statement, and crafting a thesis statement. In doing so, you lay the foundation for your speech by making important decisions about what you will speak about and for what purpose you will speak. These decisions will influence and guide the entire speechwriting process, so it is wise to think carefully and critically during these beginning stages.

I think reading is important in any form. I think a person who’s trying to learn to like reading should start off reading about a topic they are interested in, or a person they are interested in. – Ice Cube

Questions for Selecting a Topic

• What important events are occurring locally, nationally and internationally?
• What do I care about most?
• Is there someone or something I can advocate for?
• What makes me angry/happy?
• What beliefs/attitudes do I want to share?
• Is there some information the audience needs to know?

Selecting a Topic

“The Reader” by Shakespearesmonkey. CC-BY-NC .

Generally, speakers focus on one or more interrelated topics—relatively broad concepts, ideas, or problems that are relevant for particular audiences. The most common way that speakers discover topics is by simply observing what is happening around them—at their school, in their local government, or around the world. This is because all speeches are brought into existence as a result of circumstances, the multiplicity of activities going on at any one given moment in a particular place. For instance, presidential candidates craft short policy speeches that can be employed during debates, interviews, or town hall meetings during campaign seasons. When one of the candidates realizes he or she will not be successful, the particular circumstances change and the person must craft different kinds of speeches—a concession speech, for example. In other words, their campaign for presidency, and its many related events, necessitates the creation of various speeches. Rhetorical theorist Lloyd Bitzer [1] describes this as the rhetorical situation. Put simply, the rhetorical situation is the combination of factors that make speeches and other discourse meaningful and a useful way to change the way something is. Student government leaders, for example, speak or write to other students when their campus is facing tuition or fee increases, or when students have achieved something spectacular, like lobbying campus administrators for lower student fees and succeeding. In either case, it is the situation that makes their speeches appropriate and useful for their audience of students and university employees. More importantly, they speak when there is an opportunity to change a university policy or to alter the way students think or behave in relation to a particular event on campus.

But you need not run for president or student government in order to give a meaningful speech. On the contrary, opportunities abound for those interested in engaging speech as a tool for change. Perhaps the simplest way to find a topic is to ask yourself a few questions. See the textbox entitled “Questions for Selecting a Topic” for a few questions that will help you choose a topic.

There are other questions you might ask yourself, too, but these should lead you to at least a few topical choices. The most important work that these questions do is to locate topics within your pre-existing sphere of knowledge and interest. David Zarefsky [2] also identifies brainstorming as a way to develop speech topics, a strategy that can be helpful if the questions listed in the textbox did not yield an appropriate or interesting topic.

Starting with a topic you are already interested in will likely make writing and presenting your speech a more enjoyable and meaningful experience. It means that your entire speechwriting process will focus on something you find important and that you can present this information to people who stand to benefit from your speech.

Once you have answered these questions and narrowed your responses, you are still not done selecting your topic. For instance, you might have decided that you really care about conserving habitat for bog turtles. This is a very broad topic and could easily lead to a dozen different speeches. To resolve this problem, speakers must also consider the audience to whom they will speak, the scope of their presentation, and the outcome they wish to achieve. If the bog turtle enthusiast knows that she will be talking to a local zoning board and that she hopes to stop them from allowing businesses to locate on important bog turtle habitat, her topic can easily morph into something more specific. Now, her speech topic is two-pronged: bog turtle habitat and zoning rules.

Formulating the Purpose Statements

“Bog turtle sunning” by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Public domain.

By honing in on a very specific topic, you begin the work of formulating your purpose statement . In short, a purpose statement clearly states what it is you would like to achieve. Purpose statements are especially helpful for guiding you as you prepare your speech. When deciding which main points, facts, and examples to include, you should simply ask yourself whether they are relevant not only to the topic you have selected, but also whether they support the goal you outlined in your purpose statement. The general purpose statement of a speech may be to inform, to persuade, to inspire, to celebrate, to mourn, or to entertain. Thus, it is common to frame a specific purpose statement around one of these goals. According to O’Hair, Stewart, and Rubenstein, a specific purpose statement “expresses both the topic and the general speech purpose in action form and in terms of the specific objectives you hope to achieve.” [3] For instance, the bog turtle habitat activist might write the following specific purpose statement: At the end of my speech, the Clarke County Zoning Commission will understand that locating businesses in bog turtle habitat is a poor choice with a range of negative consequences. In short, the general purpose statement lays out the broader goal of the speech while the specific purpose statement describes precisely what the speech is intended to do.

Success demands singleness of purpose. – Vince Lombardi

Writing the Thesis Statement

The specific purpose statement is a tool that you will use as you write your talk, but it is unlikely that it will appear verbatim in your speech. Instead, you will want to convert the specific purpose statement into a thesis statement that you will share with your audience. A thesis statement encapsulates the main points of a speech in just a sentence or two, and it is designed to give audiences a quick preview of what the entire speech will be about. The thesis statement for a speech, like the thesis of a research- based essay, should be easily identifiable and ought to very succinctly sum up the main points you will present. Moreover, the thesis statement should reflect the general purpose of your speech; if your purpose is to persuade or educate, for instance, the thesis should alert audience members to this goal. The bog turtle enthusiast might prepare the following thesis statement based on her specific purpose statement: Bog turtle habitats are sensitive to a variety of activities, but land development is particularly harmful to unstable habitats. The Clarke County Zoning Commission should protect bog turtle habitats by choosing to prohibit business from locating in these habitats. In this example, the thesis statement outlines the main points and implies that the speaker will be arguing for certain zoning practices.

• Bitzer, L. (1968). The rhetorical situation. Philosophy & Rhetoric , 1 (1), 1 – 14. ↵
• Zarefsky, D. (2010). Public speaking: Strategies for success (6th edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. ↵
• O’Hair, D., Stewart, R., Rubenstein, H. (2004). A speaker’s guidebook: Text and reference (2nd edition). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. ↵
• Chapter 8 The Topic, Purpose, and Thesis. Authored by : Joshua Trey Barnett. Provided by : University of Indiana, Bloomington, IN. Located at : http://publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html . Project : The Public Speaking Project. License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• The Reader. Authored by : Shakespearesmonkey. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/shakespearesmonkey/4939289974/ . License : CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial
• Image of a bog turtle . Authored by : R. G. Tucker, Jr.. Provided by : United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bog_turtle_sunning.jpg . License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright

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150+ Good Persuasive Speech Topics for Top Performance

Issue presentation in the form of speech is aimed at success when you have good persuasive speech topics . Effective persuasive speech topics exist and you can become familiar with them. Glean worthy persuasive speech ideas composed by specialists from a reputable persuasive essay writing-service and ensure impressive speech.

List of Persuasive Speech Topics

Diverse disciplines, scopes of study, and types of research questions are here in the immense list of top-notch persuasive speech topics . If you have little practice in such assignments and wonder how to write a persuasive essay , start with easy persuasive speech topics to trace the logic of formulating stellar ideas for your issue presentation. 

Easy persuasive speech topics

Need simple persuasive speech topics ? Check good-sounding persuasive speech ideas .

• Yoga practices for higher productivity.
• Pitfalls of excessive sleep.
• Positive attitude to negative situations.
• Reading effectiveness for enlarging the vocabulary.
• It is crucial to stay hydrated in hot seasons.
• Is tech detox possible?
• Minimum food processing.
• Time management is impossible without discipline.
• Why is missing breakfast harmful?
• Device-free time for rebooting the nervous system.

Fun persuasive speech topics

How to create a professional performance on light-hearted persuasive speech topics ? Funny persuasive speech topics may be smart and informative.

• Fast food is fast and nutritional.
• Feed scrolling is a portion of happiness.
• Benefits of having a pet.
• Extreme sports are valuable for your brain.
• Neural connections are guaranteed on trips to unfamiliar places.
• Hugs for mental health.
• Jokes attract attention.
• Your favorite superheroes define your hidden strengths.
• Self-expression through acquaintances on the street.
• Video games require a lot of energy.

Persuasive speech topics for high school

If you start your performance in front of an audience in high school, get effective persuasive speech topics for students . Select appropriate persuasive topics .

• The place of first part-time employment.
• Practices of honing creativity for a sharp mind.
• Physical activity significance.
• Secure Internet use.
• Plagiarism is taboo in academic papers.
• Busy schedules no longer work.
• Time for self-reflection is a priority.
• How to resist and avoid pressure while a teen?
• Eating habits start from the environment at home.
• Uniforms are outdated.

Persuasive speech topics for college

There is a vast bulk of persuasive speech topics for college students . Select persuasive speech topics coherent with your major.

• Remote classes’ advantages.
• Virtual learning for technical students.
• Internship programs for obtaining practical background.
• The issue of access to quality education.
• Extracurricular activism is crucial.
• Team-building skills value.
• Technology enhances learning progress.
• Respectful communication between learners and teachers.
• Self-expression in social networks.
• Free choice of disciplines or universal educational programs?

Unique persuasive speech topics

Great persuasive speech topics are here for your decent performance. All the persuasive speech topics are custom and consider various relevant subjects for effective speech.

• Cryptocurrency trading’s risks and benefits.
• Trips recharge your batteries.
• Lack of ocean exploration.
• Internet access makes humanity vulnerable.
• Financial statements determine the company’s value.
• AI defines diagnosis more rapidly.
• Positive emotions’ effect on financial well-being.
• Future of transportation.
• Ethical issues in the fashion industry.
• AI is effective for future trend tracing.

Controversial persuasive speech topics

If you believe no authentic interesting persuasive speech topics are remaining, look through the following ones. Find your perfect persuasive topics .

• Surveillance systems are crucial for security.
• Sports tournaments: Match-fixing issue.
• Potential for gene engineering.
• Smart contracts popularity.
• Nuclear weapons still define the level of state power.
• Cultural beliefs don’t equal tolerance.
• Public safety grounds.
• Decision-making under pressure should have no place.
• Effectiveness of permissiveness for children.
• Setting up subsidiaries to minimize taxes.

Mental health persuasive speech topics

What about persuasive speech topics on mental wellness? Such topics for persuasive speech won’t leave you indifferent.

• Emotional health is a priority.
• Mental fitness exercises.
• Psychological balance is impossible in the current instability.
• Cognitive functions of active lifestyle.
• Awareness of teens about mental health is critical.
• Access to mental healthcare.
• Techniques of combating anxiety at the initial stages.
• The cruciality of a healthy environment at home.
• Self-care practices.
• Social contribution to the mental state of individuals.

Sports persuasive speech topics

Persuasive speech topics on sports for successful results. Fitness, nutrition, and habits are among persuasive speech ideas .

• The usefulness of morning exercises.
• Motivational externalities for regular sports.
• Encouraging the youth to active lifestyle habits.
• Swimming effectiveness for all the muscle groups.
• The origin of sports disciplines is complex.
• Potential risks of uncontrolled physical activity.
• Expensive and free sports.
• Individual training methods.
• Why is focus on accurate exercise technique and execution crucial?
• Sports nutrition supplements.

Policy persuasive speech topics

Figure out concise persuasive speech topics . Policies in various fields may be included in topics for a persuasive speech .

• Corporations’ actions toward greener economies are insufficient.
• Financial literacy programs’ implementation in schools.
• Universal healthcare insurance.
• The living wage calculation practices.
• The legal fight against monopolies.
• Punishment for online data theft.
• Urban areas expansion.
• Harmonization of sustainable economy regulations.
• Legal work conditions regulation.
• International childcare programs.

Problem solution persuasive speech topics

Seeking good persuasive topics ? Opt for proven persuasive speech topics from savvy authors.

• Anxiety: Meditation practices.
• Debt burden: Routine economic management techniques. 
• Inequality: Tolerance regulation.
• Uncontrolled migration: Laws implementation on intellectual worker flows.
• Transaction insecurity: Encrypted payment gateways application.
• Lack of educational progress: Foreign practices adoption.
• Digital gaps: Government programs for those with little access to technology.
• Inflated prices: International cooperation for fostering stability.
• Lack of motivation: Hobbies for daily relaxation.
• High corporate taxes: Legal tax optimization methods. 

Social media persuasive speech topics

Surfing the social networks most users reflect little on their functions, hidden consequences, and potential benefits that are potential persuasive speech ideas . Check other effective persuasive speech topics in the field.

• Online platforms for sharing perspectives and widening horizons.
• Social networks’ effect on mental stability.
• Idealized pictures give people complex.
• Procrastination preventive measures.
• Techniques to keep prolonged focus without distraction.
• Excessive access to news takes much positive energy.
• Unhealthy content consumption.
• Advertising campaign algorithms.
• Sensitive information privacy issue.

Popular persuasive speech topics

The below list of persuasive topic ideas will become your magic wand when you search for the most stellar persuasive speech topics .

• Is the effectiveness of paper writing justified for technical students?
• Regular fitness for mental peace.
• Expression of political stance in the conditions of ineffective democratic order.
• There is no place for single-use plastic on the planet.
• Food security in the age of resource scarcity.
• Local companies can displace large corporations.
• Quality is a priority in food choice.
• Debates on voting age.
• Deformation of the international labor market.
• Risks of cashless payments.

Environmental persuasive speech topics

The relevant challenges everyone faces at least impliedly are an appropriate choice for persuasive speech topics . Most good persuasive speech topics cover pressing issues.

• Consequences of ozone layer depletion on human skin.
• Drinking water shortage: Threats for human body functioning.
• Upcycling trend in the media space.
• Investments in electric car production.
• Natural disasters’ effect on agriculture.
• Urban trends for increasing oxygen production for fresh air in cities.
• Zero-waste green eating.
• Government incentives for plastic recycling.
• Private zoos for breeding endangered species.
• Consumerism and industrial waste.

Political persuasive speech topics

Politics, governments, voting procedures, and other major persuasive speech topics in the niche can sound more professional when you rely on persuasive speech ideas from skilled authors.

• Conflict of interests between election campaigns.
• Electoral reforms in developed economies.
• Gender and age discrimination in accessing power.
• Ethical standards for election campaigns in mass media.
• Universal organizations for preventing human rights violations.
• The effect of government policies on the economy’s development.
• Freedom of thought expression.
• Effectiveness and risks of multi-party governments.
• Democratic institution management by modern society.
• Technological progress in the voting system.

Music persuasive speech topics

Glean some creativity from the fascinating examples of persuasive speech topics on music. Consider that persuasive topics for speech should be in tune with your interests and competence.

• Music in psychology.
• Trends of the world order and their correlation with music trends.
• Technological advances and music production.
• Cognitive functions of sounds.
• Methods of determining the level of the person’s emotional intelligence based on their music tastes.
• Songs in the cultural diversity.
• Foreign language learning practices with the use of materials of international musicians.
• Self-expression in the music industry.
• The effect of live performance on concerts on the perception of music.
• Stereotypes about the recorded and edited music.

Agriculture persuasive speech topics

If your major is agriculture, the below persuasive speech topics will undoubtedly prove relevant. 

• Sustainability in food production is the way out of the environmental crisis.
• Pesticides are major contributors to soil degradation.
• Proper use of organic fertilizers provides a rich harvest.
• Governmental subsidies and other incentives for farmers.
• The cruciality of adjustments to agricultural education due to climate change.
• Analyzing the feasibility of the “economy of scale” principle in farming.
• Depletion of water resources is caused by increased agricultural activity.
• Gene mutation of livestock.
• Biotechnologies in the agricultural sector.
• The future of food produced with 3D printing.

It is no longer a challenge to find persuasive speech topics when they are gathered in one article.

Opt for interesting persuasive speech topics and create an impressive issue presentation without stress!

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Developing a Topic

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You may start with a broad topic, and not be sure how to focus it. By exploring background information you can learn about a topic and its parts. As you read through background information, consider if you can focus your topic in the following ways:

• Geographically - limit by a region, country, state, or city like Florida or England
• Chronologically - limit by a time period like the 20th century or medieval times
• People or Groups - limit to a specific person or group such as Genghis Khan or civil rights activists
• Current or Historical Events - limit to a particular event such as the the 2016 presidential election or the fall of the Berlin Wall
• Specific Examples - limit to specific examples of a broad topic. For example, instead of music , consider hip-hop or electric guitar .

Topic Resources

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These library databases provide useful lists and compilations of topics you may wish to explore for a speech. Once you have chosen a topic, they will also provide background information.

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Scroll down to the Suggested Topics area to choose a subject area and find relevant topics and news articles:

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Click the  Browse Issues link the white menu bar to find a comprehensive list of topics that link to resources.

The following book titles contains multiple topics, either generally or within a discipline area. Looking through these books may help you decide on a topic, and can provide background information once you have chosen a topic.

Books may be found using the call numbers. Unless otherwise noted, print books are in the Reference Collection on the second floor of the Library, and are for in-library-use only. eBooks may be read online after logging in.

Credo Reference for Background Information

Background information can help you learn about the history, scope, depth, and breadth of your topic. It can be useful to help you understand a subject, as well as give you information to help you narrow a topic.

Access Credo  |  Video Tutorial  |  How to Cite

Credo Reference is a online database that contains the full text of more than 900 online reference books. The results in this database will give you brief information about subjects and help you learn more as you narrow your topic. You can also use the mind map feature to explore related topics.

Credo also has a collection of Overviews and Pro/Con Arguments that you may find useful for persuasive and other speeches, as well as the AllSides Dictionary .

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30+ Correct Ways to Answer “Why did you choose this topic?”

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking , Speech Topics

Imagine you have already aced your presentation on a topic and you are feeling very confident about yourself. But the very next minute your confidence dwindles as the evaluator asks you “Why did you choose this topic?”

In today’s time, choosing a topic has become very easy. Your next speech topic is barely a click away, especially with the plethora of topics available on the internet. You are free to choose any! In fact, we have listed down a couple of links you can check to find topics for your speech.

Sites you can find speech topics:

• Demonstrative Speech Topic Ideas
• Informative Speech Topic Ideas
• Humorous Speech Topic Ideas

But the real challenge begins when you have to justify your reason for choosing the topic.

To understand how to answer “why did you choose this topic?”, you need to first understand why the question was asked to you.

Why do people ask this question?

Whenever you are asked the reason for choosing a particular topic, there are a few things that the evaluator assesses based on the way you answer, they are:

1. To get to know you better

Often in an interview, the interviewer might want to know more than the information provided to them through your resume.

Asking you questions like “Why did you choose this topic?” or “why did you choose this career?” would help them understand where you are coming from, and what shaped your decision to select the topic or career. It will also help them gauge your confidence.

2. To assess your decision-making skills

Choosing a topic from a vast trench of topics requires good decision-making skills. The evaluator thus tries to understand whether you made the decision to choose the topic yourself or were influenced by your family, friends, or even the internet.

3. To understand your perspective on the topic

Yet another reason why an evaluator would ask you to justify your reason for choosing a topic is to understand your perspective on it.

So, for example, if we talk about the availability of vegan meat in India, you might have your brand that is working towards manufacturing such meat or might have any other story that inspired you to start consuming vegan meat. These stories would help them understand your stand on the topic.

This makes it important for you to choose the right topic for your presentation, interview, or even your college assignment. so the question that pops in our heads at this point is,

How do you choose a topic?

While you can always go quickly on google and select a topic from the internet, curating a unique topic specifically for you will help you identify with the topic better. This would also make it easier for you to answer the question, “Why did you choose this topic?”

There are a couple of models you can make use of to choose your topic. Check it out below and use the one that suits you the best.

IRK stands for Interest, Relevance, and Knowledge . When you are looking for a topic, try to find one that fits into all the 3 categories.

A topic that interests you or a topic that you are curious about would bring in the element of passion in the way you deliver it.

But interest isn’t the only factor for a perfect topic, you must also have enough knowledge about the topic!

And lastly, the topic that you find interesting and have enough knowledge about must be relevant to the event where you’ll be presenting the presentation or speech.

We have studied about The Ws since school. The Ws are What, Which, When, Where, Whose, and How .

Let’s assume you are given a broad topic of climate change to present. You can start by understanding what climate change is? Then figure out which location would you like to focus on (Let’s assume you choose South Asia). The next couple of questions to narrow down your topic would be:

• Where in Asia has the impact of climate change been worse?
• When did the effects begin affecting the living species?
• Whose efforts helped in restoring the area concerned?
• How did the person carry out their efforts?

This would give you a very defined idea of the topic that you might want to talk about and also help you frame the outline of your speech.

PESTLE model

PESTLE stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal . The idea of using the PESTLE model is to try and understand your topic from the various perspectives mentioned in the model.

So, if your broad topic is Abortion, you might want to see if there have been any big movements and political views on the same or check the social acceptance of the idea. You can also see the technological developments that have taken place over the past couple of years or the legality of abortion across various nations.

How to answer why did you choose this topic?

All of the previous discussions bring us to finally understanding how to answer why did you choose the topic?

A few things you must keep in your mind while answering the question are:

• Be confident and back your answer with enthusiasm.
• Link your answer to either your past positive decisions or your future plans.
• Focus on the positives rather than the negatives.
• Avoid saying things that might not be an as acceptable response to the question. This would include saying that you chose the topic,
• For Financial Benefits
• Because it is what was expected of you
• Because someone asked you to

The correct way to answer “Why did you choose this topic?”

1. it interests you.

The most widely acceptable and popular answer to the question is to say that you chose the topic because it interests you the most.

2. There is not enough research on the topic

Another way of putting across your answer is to tell the evaluator that there isn’t much research in the area of your topic provided there isn’t really as much research. This reason especially holds good when you are asked why did you choose this topic while presenting your research.

While we might have all heard of the impact music has on our moods and how it is also used to heal through music therapy. however, a lesser known fact was how music helps us in maintaining social bonds. This is something I felt required a little more focus considering the lack of research on the topic and hence decided to choose this particular topic.

3. To back a point of view

For any topic there are usually many people giving in their point of view and presenting your topic by backing one of the views is a good justification for selecting that specific topic.

We see political parties promising to work towards manintaing a more greener environment but they soon fail to meet the criteria after aging control. However, what if there was an entire political party with the main focus on saving the greens. This group who also happen to be the third largest party in Australia, the Greens.

4. To make a difference

Is the topic chosen by you about some burning issue? A political movement? An issue that needs urgent attention from the public? Then stating that you had selected the topic because you wanted to make a difference can turn out as a very favorable answer!

More sample examples for answering why did you choose this topic?

After carrying out thorough research on the broad topic provided to us, I found this particular topic most intriguing and it attracted me to both learn more about it and also share my learning with everyone.

Ever since junior school, I had been interested in music. But for years it simply stayed like a hobby for me until later in my college when after attending a lecture on Psychology, I realized how music had a huge impact on our moods and emotions. This intrigued me to further dwell on the topic, gain a thorough understanding of the same and present it here so that it can reach more people.

While trying to find a topic for the presentation, I realized that people tend to look at the issue from a very singular point of view. This encouraged me to look for and offer a different perspective on the same topic which is the reason why I chose this particular topic.

After being constantly bombarded with the issue through news channels, newspapers, and social media, I decided to take a look into it. Reading through a couple of articles, I realized that the issue indeed needs to be addressed and wanted to share my own opinion or say on the topic.

People also ask:

Why did you choose this college/ university.

While in informal settings like when a friend asks you this question, you can be brutally honest about why you chose the particular college. however, if you are asked the same question during the college interview, you might want to avoid saying a few things.

The college has a 100 percent good placement report and I realized the Return on Investment is a part of your college would be really good.

• The college is well known for the lavish parties and trips taken by the students which is something I find really interesting and fun. This is the reason why I would want to be a part of this college.
• After hearing that the college has a policy of little to no attendance, I realized this is the best college.
• It is the nearest college to my home.

Examples of Correct ways to answer why did you choose this college/ university

1. class size.

One of the factors that could’ve motivated you to join the college or university could be the class size. You could either like the large class size and the diversity it brings with itself or you may like the smaller class size offered by the college which would ensure more individualized attention from the faculty.

After being a part of a huge class during my under graduation, I realized how easy it is to feel lost in a huge crowd. I was therefore looking for a college that not only offers best-in-class courses and faculty but also one wherein the class size is considerably less which would ensure that every student gets a say in the lecture. After realizing that your per class intake is 50 students, I realized this college was the perfect fit for my overall growth.

2. Specified or specialized course

At times some colleges offer courses that are specific or unique to that particular college. They might even have certain subjects that other colleges aren’t offering. If you find this to be the case then feel free to point it out as one of the reasons why you would want to be a student of that college.

I had always found immense interest in understanding brand management. However, I had always dreamed of working for a luxury brand but was not able to find a course that specifically catered to luxury brand management until I came across an advertisement for your Post Graduate Diploma in Luxury Brand Management and realized that it came with not only the perfect course.

3. The exposure provided through diversity

If the college is well known for welcoming students from various backgrounds then add the point of diversity in your answer!

Having lived in the same city since I was very young, I was looking for a college that catered to a diverse crowd as I believe diverse people broaden each other’s mindsets. Seeing the university’s emphasis on diversity and equal opportunity for all, I realized that this college is the one from where I’d want to graduate.

Are you planning to join a college because you had come across a very influential professor who happens to work there and might teach you as well? Great! don’t forget to mention them when answering “why did you choose this college?”

5. Check the college’s recent achievements

Another way you can answer the question is by pointing out the college’s recent achievements (if any). this would also show the panel that you have done your research and have kept yourself up to date with the college.

Besides the world-class curriculum and faculty of the college, the recent title of the best college in the city as per the StudentsPOV report motivated me to enroll myself in the college and be a part of such an institute that is always setting new benchmarks for itself.

Why did you choose this course?

There are 2 main situations besides many others where you may face this question of “Why did you choose this course?”

• During an interview for a job or university
• To justify your interest in enrolling in the course

Sample answer you can give for the question are:

After enrolling myself in the research methodology course during my first year of college to collect some mandatory credits, I realised my inclination towards research and pursued further courses in the field. That was also when I realized that I’d want to pursue my career in the field of research.

I had always found my inclination towards writing, however I saw it more like a hobby until we were introduced to the professional writing course in my college. Th course helped me understand the broad scope of the field and the diverse roles available for me to explore. I figured my interest in copywriting but I realize I would need proper training before joining in the workforce and believe that the course on copywriting offered by your organization will help me get a step closer to my dreams.

Why did you choose this company?

The question of “why did you choose this company?” or “why do you want to work for this company?” comes into the picture during job interviews. And while we might be tempted to be honest, sometimes being a little too honest may cost you that job.

A few things that are a big no when you are answering this question are:

• I would want to work for this company as the company is known for compensating its employees very well/ beyond what other similar companies offer.
• I just needed a job.

Instead, you might want to try and be a little more formal and polished while delivering your answer. Here are a few ways in which you can begin the answer and then follow it up with your distinct and relevant skill sets or experiences.

Examples for the correct way of answering why did you choose this company?

I see it as an opportunity to contribute my level to a fast-moving company by (talk about your skills here)…

As a fresher, I look forward to working with an organization as it offers me the opportunity to learn and bring into practice all the theoretical knowledge I have gained in the past 4 years. I believe your esteemed organization would help me achieve my goals and help me contribute my level best towards the organization.

As a fresher, I look forward to being a part of a company where I can apply the knowledge and skills that I have gained during my college days. I want to work for your organization as it has always maintained a good track of success and also encourages young minds to grow and contribute to the organization in their unique way.

I believe I have the skill sets and experience required to succeed in the role and the company because…

Why did you choose this career?

While we just discussed the answer to “Why did you do this job?”, there is a huge difference between a career and a job and hence the answer for both would be different too.

A few very common ways to answer “Why did you choose this career?” are:

1. Inspired by family or friends

Family and friends happen to influence most of our major life decisions and a career is one such big decision that may have been influenced by your family.

I had always found some interest in the field of Human Resource Management but had not explored the field until one of my aunts encouraged me to take a deeper look at field. Being in the field, made me realize the broad scope it has, and that intrigued me to pursue the field after graduation.

2. A teacher or mentor suggested you

Another influential figure in our lives is our teachers. Ask yourself, the career that you are pursuing right now or the one you plan on pursuing, are they because your teacher suggested you at some point? if yes, point it out!

During one of the counseling sessions, my professor randomly suggested that I should try my hands on Marketing as a career option rather than focusing on Finance which I initially believed was meant for me. She even helped me find an internship in marketing which changed my entire career trajectory for I instantly fell in love with the field and have been contributing to it for the past couple of years.

3. Interest in the field

Did you choose your career just because you were always interested in it or found yourself somehow interested in it? Amazing! time to say it in your answer.

During my last year in college, I had selected Interior designing as one of my minor subjects and had no idea that I would enjoy the subject so much that I would end up pursuing the field full time. I have worked with XYZ organization and later at QPR organization as an interior designer and have enjoyed every bit of it while learning to be a better interior designer every day.

4. Inspired by a book or documentary

How many times has it happened that you are reading a book or watching a movie and end up relating to a character on a very personal level?

What if we said that at times the characters are so influential that people follow in their career footsteps. If you are someone who has done it too, why not let the evaluator know? (Plus points if they turn out to be a huge fan of the show too!!)

Growing up I watched a lot of Friends (the series) and loved the character of Monica. The thing I loved most about her character was her job and how she would also be constantly making food for friends and family. Inspired by her character, I started cooking and realized my love for cooking. It further encouraged me to pursue my degree in culinary arts.

Why did you choose this research?

When it comes to the reason for choosing a research topic or even a topic for your presentation, you can about how the topic interests you or has been in news lately and that intrigued you to study it further or anything else that holds true for you.

A couple of examples to choose a particular topic for your research have been given below

1. To Raise Awareness

your research could’ve focused on raising awareness on issues like mental health or health in general, accidents, and more. All of these topics help raise the awareness of the listeners.

After encountering tons of people who would define depression as their casual once in a while feeling of sadness, I realised that it was important to asses just how many people actually understand and can define the mental health disorders which is the reason why I chose this topic.

2. To Study a Different Perspective

You might want to take a little different route than the one taken by other researchers by studying a different perspective.

3. For a more in-depth understanding of the field

Assuming you are an expert in your field, then there might not be many unexplored subjects or areas by you. Which means that you gain a more in-depth understanding of your area of study.

4. An opportunity to interact with people

Research especially if it involves taking a lot of interviews would allow you to interact with people.

5. To put forth a new idea or launch a new product

Why did you choose this source.

At times the evaluator may also ask you the reason for choosing a particular source. Having a good idea about all your sources is hence always recommended.

A few ways to answer “Why did you choose this source?” are:

1. Subject matter

Make sure all the sources you mention are somewhere related to your research topic.

So if you are writing a research paper on the subject of “

2. It is a credible source

Credible sources are the ones that are accepted by everyone because of the trust in the organization that collects the data. Most government websites and documents are considered credible sources.

3. To fit in the budget of the study

At times you might not be able to access sophisticated sources due to a very limited budget of the study. In such cases you are free to let the evaluator know in a polite manner about the limited budget.

4. Geographic coverage

Another possible reason for adding a particular source to your research is the geographical coverage.

Even though two studies might have same results, due to the geographical location, everything changes.

We chose this source as unlike other sources, this study focuses on Indian population from the city of Chandiarh and Delhi while our study focus son a similar topic focusing on a sample based out of Mumbai.

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Final Words

Choosing a topic for your presentation or speech is the easiest task but justifying why you chose the topic is where the task gets challenging.

Understanding why the question is being asked to you and framing your answer accordingly can help you land the job or college that you may be looking forward to get into.

Take your time to understand what is it about the topic that intrigues you the most and frame your answer accordingly. If you are not able to come up with anything at the moment, go through the examples given the blog again and see how you can frame an answer for yourself on similar lines!

For more such informative content, don’t forget to check out Frantically Speaking .

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Writing a speech

Topic outline.

The purpose of a speech is often to inform or persuade an audience. 

Speeches are usually written to be spoken directly to an audience and can be used to entertain, influencing the listeners that the viewpoint of the speaker is correct. 

Speeches can also be used to encourage the audience to take action or to change their behaviour in some way; for example, to join a particular school club or society, or to recycle more. 

The ways you use language and vocabulary when writing the words of a speech will depend on the audience and the purpose you are writing for; for example, in a speech to a group of teachers and parents giving your views on a recent proposal, formal language is most appropriate.

• think about the audience that the speech is for  – are you giving your speech to a group of people you know, or do not know, or a mixture of both? If you know your audience well, you may be able to relax a little, but a speech is still a formal kind of talk and would usually not include slang
• whether your audience are likely to disagree with what you say – you will need to consider any possible objections and deal with them. Use language carefully to make objections seem less significant; for example, using phrases like ‘A few people may still think, however’
• the reason you are giving this speech and how you feel about this topic  – try to imagine the words of your speech as you would speak them out loud. Your tone of voice must match your message, so choose words that appeal to the emotions of your listeners. Focus on what you want your audience to know and feel by the end of your speech
• how to engage your listeners  – f or example, you might use inclusive words or phrases like ‘we’, ‘all of us’ and ‘our’ to make your listeners feel that you are all on the same side.
• Plan where you want to finish your speech and how you will get there before you start writing – t h e structure of a speech is usually in three parts. For example: 
• An opening that grabs your audience's attention and makes the overall topic of your speech clear  – for example, pose a question to the audience where you can predict the answer.
• A well-structured, supported and developed argument –  for example, to support your argument you might use real life examples or anecdotes.
• A powerful conclusion  –  for example, group your final words or ideas in threes to help make them memorable or end with a thought- provoking question or image and thank your audience for listening.
• Organise your ideas into paragraphs as appropriate – this will help you to develop and support your points convincingly, to build your argument and/or offer a full explanation of a particular point of view.
• S how the connectio ns between ideas in sentences and paragraphs  –  where a new point or idea follows on from what you have already said you might use linking words or phrases such as, ‘in addition’, ‘likewise’ or ‘similarly’.
• Select activity Example of a speech Example of a speech

• Select activity Resource Resource