I speak so fast that people don't understand — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

I speak so fast that people don't understand

Comments

  • shzar
    shzar Community member Posts: 2 Listener
    Hi, I am 32 years old woman. From my childhood till now, I speak so fast that people don't understand. And I am aware of it. Sometimes I speak clear and slow, everyone can understand. But mostly I speak fast, could not speak some word because of the pressure of speech. At that time everything gets mixed and I feel embarrassed when people need to ask again. I looks like I can't open my lips and tongue properly at that time. I don't know what is this problem.
  • Fundamentalist
    Fundamentalist Community member Posts: 133 Courageous
    Hi, Shzar, Fm here. I also speak too fast & I can't help it and it really annoys me  when some folk can't understand what I'm saying especially as it often sounds clear to me and they start some infuriating routine and start really winding me right up because they keep demanding that I repeat it and I'm simply not going to. So you shouldn't be embarrassed about something that's not your fault. No-one should feel guilty or embarrassed about anything they were born with. I was born with a whole multitude of appalling faults and serious problems and I never feel embarrassed or guilty about any of it because none of it's my fault. I can't help what I was born with. So don't take any nonsense off anyone because you have a speech problem. You have a right to the same respect as anyone else. Having disabilities doesn't make anyone contemptible as far too many think. If anyone takes that attitude with me they get told, excuse ME, I can't help having the "wrong kind" of disability! Fm.
  • hope
    hope Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    Hope, Fundamentalists I wish that I could be same as u but I'm 52 speak fast also talk about 10 things at once as of me adhd which at 40 diagnosed I am sick of being fobbed off like I'm a fool but now when it comes to serious stuff as I getting anywhere with really important thing in me life I write it down but some thank me but still I get next person in the hospital seeing about me multi illnesses so everybody thanks because I never knew that It is not just me . Thanks everyone omg......I'm still going on ! Oh sorry 
  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,671 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello everyone, have you considered seeing a speech therapist?  My daughter saw a speech therapist when she was younger to support her and they were wonderful.  You can find more information about Speech and Language Therapists here.

    I am naturally quite a fast speaker, and I get overenthusiastic and jumble my thoughts out of my mouth in a weird order sometimes! But as I also do public speaking, I wanted to find a way to manage this.  I started recording myself when I do talks at events or on the radio and listening back.

    I listened for which parts of my language and speech were difficult to understand/jarring/distracting and worked on them.  I also listened to other people whose voices I like and I find interesting and soothing to listen to how they speak.

    One thing I picked up on was the speed and so I make a conscious effort to slow down and take pauses. I found lowering the volume of my voice also slowed me down. The other was I say 'erm' a lot in between words, I think I use that as a way for my mouth to catch up with my brain! But it was quite distracting and made me sound like I didnt know what I was talking about, so I focussed on that too, whenever I feel like I would say 'erm', I take a pause.

    I found that I am quite conscious of my accent too, I am from Sheffield and have a fairly broad Yorkshire accent.  When I was doing public speaking I found I was trying to sound posher than I am and that made me sound nervous and not like myself, So these days, I embrace my Northern accent and dont try and 'south up' and feel much more confident in it.

    Obviously, I am not always speaking in a measured way, at home and with friends I don't think about it.  But in situations where I feel it is important that I come across clearly, I stop and think and use the lessons I learnt to ensure people can understand me.


    Scope
    Senior online community officer
  • Fundamentalist
    Fundamentalist Community member Posts: 133 Courageous
    Hi from Fm. You're dead right to show off your accent, I think regional accents give a person a bit of character whereas trying to be "posh" just spoils it. I'm from down south but I can do all sorts of regional accents, my favourite one is northern Ireland and last time the coppers arrested me I pretended I was from there just to wind them up and when they asked me my name I said Ian Richard Kyle Paisley as they were only young coppers who were not that experienced and they fell for it totally and wrote it all down as they had never heard of the late and great Reverend Ian Paisley and it made them look like right berks when they got to the station. I find Mr. Paisley a great inspiring figure as he wouldn't take any nonsense from anyone and I really like his great outspoken hard line firebrand style and how he really got people told. I think you should be really proud of being from Sheffield as it's a legendary steel town and the birthplace of stainless steel. Just think of how many millions of tables worldwide must be laid with stainless steel cutlery made in Sheffield. I don't buy cutlery unless it's made there and I've got plenty of it proudly engraved as made in Sheffield. And look at all the famous razor blades made there too. This is the land that industrialised the world and our engineering heritage is number one, second to none! We're not called Great Britain for nothing. I'm fiercely proud to be British born and I have a big union jack on my wall at home. Rule Britannia! Fm.

Brightness