Speaking Skill Analysis

Can You Master These Speaker Skills?

Speaking skill analysis is a comprehensive look at both the public speaker and the delivery. Our analysis will cover three areas of the speech. Use these to grade your self or be graded to attain constant and never ending improvement.

How To Master Speaker Skills

When giving a speech, it will be impossible to include all of the speaking skills in the same speech. These skill sets need to be second nature to attain speech mastery.

Speaking skill analysis covers the three pillars of a great speech.

Speaking Skill: Consider the Content

Note: this section looks at the speaking skill analysis of what is said. However it should be noted in developing public speaking skill sometimes the skills are synergistic. Some of the speaking skills actually hold up two separate pillars.

For instance, gestures are a part of how we say and at the same time a part of us as a presenter. For this section, focus on words. The choice of words, how they are said and how they are used. The speaking skill analysis is considering the purpose of the speech in connection with the use of words.

• Informative to the Audience
• Persuasive speech


• Motivational speech


• Informative presentation
Did presenter inform you on the subject being discussed?
Did you walk away with an understanding of subject?
Was it practical, useable, relevant for the audience type.
• Introduction capture attention and interest
• Introduction suitable for theme
• Introduction of appropriate length
• Understandable
Is the meaning clear, is it understandable.
Was the information understandable to the audience type?
Was it presented at the understanding level of the audience?
Was it expressed in simplest terms while still maintaining meaning?
Were unfamiliar terms explained?
Quantity of material appropriate for time and subject?


• Theme emphasized
Repetition of key words
Repetition of key ideas
• Logical development of subject matter
Order of material presented reasonable
Material relevant to theme
Necessary material not excluded
• Coherence
Was each point connected to the next logically?
• Coherence through connectors
  Were transitional expressions or connectors used?
  Was coherence appropriate for understanding by audience?

• Repetition to aid memory

Spaced repetition of main points

Repetition of difficult to understand material

Repetition to emphasize (emphasis)

• Main points clearly discernible
Appropriate number of main points
Main points developed appropriately
Sub-points linked to main points
• Type of argument used
Did argument fit material?
Did argument fit speaker?
• Was argument convincing
Was a foundation laid?
Appropriate proof given (were appropriate proof tests used)
Was summary effective
• Audience helped to reason
Was explicit goal discernible?
Was implicit goal discernible?
Common ground maintained?
Development of points suitable?
Application to audience suitable?
• Illustrations suitable for material
Simple and understandable
Application clearly presented
Linked to main points for emphasis
• Illustrations suitable for audience
Appropriate for audience background
Appropriate content
• Conclusion effective and suitable
Conclusion fits theme of talk
Conclusion reviews the unique pre-sell proposition
Conclusion calls audience to action
• Conclusion of appropriate length
Speaking Skill: How it’s Said
Note: this section the speaking skill analysis looks at how words are used, not from the definition standpoint, rather the manner of speech.

You could use a wrench to hammer a nail, but not very effectively. If words were tools, the speaking skill analysis considers how effective what is being said matches the purpose of saying it throughout the lecture.

• Conversational delivery
Conversational expressions used in delivery
Conversational style of delivery
If colloquialisms were used, were they appropriate to audience or subject matter?
• Fluency
• Pronunciation
• Correct word usage

• Modulation
Variable use of power
Variable use of pace
Variable use of pitch
Modulation appropriate for emotion or thought
• Enthusiastic Delivery
Enthusiasm through animated delivery
Enthusiasm appropriate to material
Enthusiasm appropriate to motivation or persuasion
• Sense stress
Appropriate words stressed
Appropriate us of stress presenting principal ideas
• Warmth, feeling
Warmth manifested in facial expression
Warmth manifested in tone of voice
Warmth and feeling appropriate to subject matter
• Gestures
Descriptive gestures
Emphatic gestures
• Volume
Loud enough to be comfortably heard
Volume appropriate to circumstances
Volume appropriate for material
Correct use of microphone
Ability to adapt to microphone failure
Ability to adapt to microphone feed back
• Proper Pausing
Pause to punctuate
Pause to change thought
Pause for emphasis
Pause for circumstances that require it
• Timing
• References properly introduced
• References read with emphasis
See above regarding emphasis
• Audience encouraged using handouts
By recommendation
By identifying hand out appropriately
By identifying place in text being discussed
By allowing time to find place in text
Attention focused on reason for using handout
• Reference application made clear
• Material adapted for the specific “job to be done” of the audience
Expressions made understandable for the audience
Appropriate sections selected
Practical value of hand out material highlighted
• Visual Contact with Audience maintained by use of notes

Maintain eye contact with audience

Contact maintained by direct address
• Use of outline
• Use of Manuscript
• Reading to Audience
Reading with emphasis
Right words stressed
Effective method of emphasis used


• PowerPoint Presentation

Effectively used of electronic visual aids
Visual aid made interesting
Visual aid correlated with handout
Effective handling of equipment failure
Avoiding unnecessary regressions

Speaking Skill: The Presenter

Note: This speaking skill analysis looks at the presenter and how he communicates with his appearance. Although debated, rapport and charisma are speaking skill qualities that can be learned by a speaker. This section starts with the basics.
• Confidence and poise

Specific material
Informative to your audience
Material of practical value
Accuracy of statement
Additional clarifying material


• Confidence and poise

Poise manifest in physical bearing
Poise shown by controlled voice
• Personal appearance
Proper attire and grooming
Proper posture
Neat equipment
No inappropriate facial expression
• Power Point Presentation
Appropriate Graphics
Appropriate Font for ease of reading
Appropriate lay out of graphics.
Graphics in good taste
• Other Visual Aids
Appropriate Graphics
Appropriate Font for ease of reading
Appropriate lay out of graphics.
Graphics in good taste

In addition to speaking skill analysis of a speech there are other types of speech analysis.The science of critical thinking applied to speeches creates another type of analysis. This analysis is related to the message, its truthfulness and impact. It is equally important in a world so full of information. Although speaking skill analysis can look at the parts, it is the whole that is considered. However it is not part of our focus so will not be covered in depth here.

Some notable comments on the subject...

"I have advocated for 30 years that, in order to preserve our democracy and protect ourselves against demagogues, we should have courses in schools on how to watch TV, how to read newspapers, how to analyze a speech, how to understand the limitations of each medium and make a judgment as to the accuracy or the motives involved."

Walter Cronkite, retired news anchor for CBS television network.

"It is no longer enough to simply read and write. Students must also become literate in the understanding of visual images. Our children must learn how to spot a stereotype, isolate a social cliché and distinguish facts from propaganda, analysis from banter, important news from coverage."

Ernest Boyer, past president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and former U.S. Commissioner of Education.

Speechmastery.com: The Speaking Skill Analysis Website

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