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169 Five-Minute Topics for a Killer Speech or Presentation

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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.

There are pros and cons to giving a 5-minute presentation. One good thing is the length. Long presentations can easily become boring, and you have a much better chance of keeping your audience engaged from beginning to end than with a 5-minute speech.

In this article:

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Relationships, social media, supernatural, list of topics for a 5-minute speech or presentation.

5 minute speech topics

Choosing a topic is extremely important. To help you getting started, here is a list of some killer topics for 5-minute speech or presentation.

  • Why it’s better to adopt a pet from a shelter
  • Choosing the perfect leash for your dog
  • What is the best food for your pet?
  • How much exercise does your pet need?
  • The horror of puppy mills
  • Bringing back endangered species
  • How long are giraffes in labor
  • Domestication of horses
  • Picking the right vet
  • Sleeping with your dog
  • Why should you get goats in pairs
  • Ethics of zoos
  • The domestication of dogs
  • How to keep a goldfish alive for a long time
  • How to choose the right pet
  • Why cats are so independent
  • When to get a dog
  • What kind of dog is best for a household with children
  • Why therapy animals work
  • How to find the money to go to college
  • How much control should the federal government have over curriculum design?
  • How to choose a college
  • Ideas for narrowing down a career choice
  • When to declare a major
  • Benefits of charter schools
  • Why charter schools are bad
  • Negative effects of school vouchers
  • Attracting the right people to the teaching profession
  • Discipline in the classroom
  • Memory tricks that work
  • Why homework is bad
  • Should students still have to use the books in the library?
  • Why cursive should still be taught in schools
  • Textbooks vs. tablets
  • Benefits of going to a trade school
  • Are there positives to taking a gap year?
  • The problem with low teacher pay
  • Social media in the classroom
  • Benefits of integrating apps into the classroom
  • The importance of attachment
  • How to compromise on names for your kids
  • What is the ideal age to start a family
  • How important are grandparents
  • Traveling with children
  • Strategies for potty training
  • How to help a child with nightmares
  • Middle child syndrome
  • How many kids should you have?
  • How to recognize a gifted child
  • When your child doesn’t like to eat
  • How to encourage good eating habits
  • When to intervene with a bully
  • Being active in your child’s school
  • The benefits of aunts and uncles
  • When family falls apart
  • The first days with a new baby
  • When to call the doctor
  • Caring for an ailing parent
  • Balancing home and career
  • When to start saving for retirement
  • IRA vs. Roth IRA
  • When should you start saving for your children’s college education?
  • Crowdfunded loans vs. the bank
  • How Kickstarter changed everything
  • Using your HSA
  • How to apply for a mortgage
  • Improving your credit score
  • How to negotiate a raise
  • Renting vs. buying
  • How does compound interest work?
  • How to ask for a promotion
  • When is it time to get a new job?
  • What to do when you find out a coworker makes more than you
  • How much of a down payment on a house do you really need?
  • Living on minimum wage
  • Is it better to lease or buy a new car?
  • How to budget for a new car
  • What to do when you lose your job
  • Using credit cards responsibly
  • Is rare meat safe?
  • Vegan vs. vegetarian
  • Microbrews vs. standard brewing
  • How to make your own wine
  • What are hops?
  • Best plants for a backyard garden
  • When to transplant sprouts
  • Bananas and plantains
  • How to make a brine for pickling
  • Where did brunch begin?
  • Why pineapple belongs on a pizza
  • When to order in
  • Planning a menu
  • Meal planning and grocery lists
  • Is free range really better?
  • The perfect macaroni and cheese
  • Growing your own herbs
  • How to make your own pasta
  • How to make cookies that are softer
  • Benefits of drinking black coffee
  • Benefits of a gluten-free diet
  • Is the paleo diet accurate?
  • Effects of not getting enough sleep
  • Are meal subscription services worth it?
  • Downsides to Crossfit
  • Benefits of yoga
  • How to meditate
  • Can therapy change the way your mind works?
  • Are GMOs really dangerous?
  • The truth about diet soda
  • Importance of hydration
  • Why cleanses don’t work
  • Best juice diet
  • Most effective exercise for burning calories
  • Do essential oils really work?
  • The history of television
  • When the railway was king
  • Thwarted assassination attempts
  • The first Olympics
  • Media during World War II
  • Military advancements between World War I and World War II
  • War photographers
  • Things you didn’t learn in history class
  • Historical lies
  • The early Internet
  • Why podcasts are great
  • Most unbiased news channel
  • When do people tune into the news most
  • How relevant are women’s magazines?
  • Cable vs. Netflix
  • How worried should you be about your browsing history?
  • How to limit screen time
  • Why it’s bad to use your smartphone right before bed
  • Apple vs. Android
  • The best age to get married
  • How to get an amicable divorce
  • Finding a roommate
  • Splitting financial responsibilities evenly among the household
  • How to have a happy marriage
  • Choosing your family
  • How to fight effectively
  • Signs of an abusive relationship
  • What to look for in a spouse
  • When to let it go
  • How to overcome self-doubt
  • Faking confidence
  • Becoming comfortable with yourself
  • How to say no
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Controlling anxiety
  • Qualities of a leader
  • The importance of self-care
  • Identifying triggers
  • How to eliminate negativity
  • Making new habits
  • Ethics of posting pictures of your children on social media
  • How Internet ads are tailored to you
  • How to advertise your business on Facebook
  • Privacy and social media
  • How to protect your personal information
  • When to allow your kids to get their own social media accounts
  • Why you shouldn’t post your location on social media
  • How to use a hashtag
  • Uncovering Twitter Bots
  • Snapchat etiquette
  • Proof that aliens exist
  • Debunking crop circles
  • Is Bigfoot real?
  • Proof that ghosts exist

Good 2-Minute Speech Topics for Students

13 All-Time Best TED Talks

23 thoughts on “169 Five-Minute Topics for a Killer Speech or Presentation”

Ideal Teacher

is life really a blessing?

This has helped me so much for my English class thank you!

Why personal (private) rules are helpful

I got an A!!!!!

Risks of abortion Wage gap How social media impacts education/mental health Why it’s important to have a good stable mental health Do teenagers really spend all their time on their phones Gsce requirements unfair or reasonable

Here is a kind of a dense topic, domestic abuse. Why does it happen? What are some ways to identify a abusive relationship? How does it affect families? Why is the abuser abusive?

We have presentation next week. I can’t think about the topic. Please help me!

i want a topic that involves supernatural: HELP

Is water wet?

death, what if the earth loses air entirely for five minutes, what is the most common death.

I have presentation next two day concerning with my classroom. I must choose five topics but i can’t think how to choose these topics. Please! help me

Tanks for giving me an A in drama

so helpful thank you

thanks this helped with my speach at school

i need a best topic to present on that is educational to consumer science and food nutrition students. can i please be assisted

what if the earth stopped spinning pros and cons of being an artist how Gen Z affected slang why people are afraid of the dark why knowing how to play an instrument is beneficial/not needed

Here’s a controversial one: are trans, intersex and non-binary people getting the same right as every else?

I have a presentation this week I don’t understand how to find a good title please help me I’m a diploma student the speech must have more than 10 minutes

How do create presentation for famous place in Sri Lanka

i need something for my oral communication class. it must be attention grabbing and not an argument. please help

I need ideas on a slide show presentation, a kid appropiate topic.

Pls I need more ideas on self help

hi lol i like these topics but i need a trendy one like something new or like a natural phenomene or someth like that… 🙂

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5-minute speech topics: Everything You Need to Know (With Examples)

Hrideep barot.

  • Presentation , Public Speaking , Speech Topics

5-minute speech topics

Coming up with 5-minute speech topics is a more tedious task than researching, framing, and delivering your speech altogether.

It is a general rule that having a fantastically written and presented speech adds less value when the speech topic isn’t interesting and effective enough.

In 5-minute speeches, your topic becomes more crucial as the length of your speech increases compared to any 1–2-minute speeches which are very brief.

How long are 5-minute speeches?

When we talk about how long 5 minutes speeches should be, we are essentially answering the question,

How many words are there in a 5-minute speech?

With an average individual speaking about 130-150 words per minute, 5-minute speeches are usually 650-750 words long .

But to gauge the exact number of words you should speak for your 5-minute speeches, try to understand your pace of speaking. Your pace of speaking is the number of words you can talk in a minute. And then frame the speech accordingly.

How many slides are there in a 5-minute speech?

As a general rule, adding 5-6 slides for your 5-minute presentations is ideal . However, there are compulsions which means you can add as many slides as you wish as long as you are able to present your topic effectively.

What do 5-minute speech topics look like?

Before coming up with a 5-minute speech topic for your speech, you must understand what the topic should look like so as to grab everyone’s attention and instill enough curiosity in them.

Keep your title short. Very lengthy titles are challenging to recall and can be very boring for the audience members. Keeping the title of your article within the limit of 50 characters is usually a good idea.

2. Informative

After reading the above point, you might be tempted to cut down words and that is okay but try to make sure that it doesn’t steal the very essence of the speech. The title should give a brief idea to your audience so that they know what they can expect to gain from your speech.

3. Relevant

Make sure that your topic is relevant to the occasion and preferences of your audience.

How to go about selecting a 5-minute speech topic?

There are 2 ways to find a topic for your 5-minute speech:

  • Research and elimination : When you try to come up with a topic yourself by conducting research about your audience, your own interests, and knowledge areas and then narrow it down to a specific topic, it is the process of research and elimination.
  • Picking a topic from the internet : A very convenient way to choose 5-minute speech topics is to find one on the internet!

Research and Elimination

To find a perfect 5-minute speech topic for yourself, you will have to take into consideration a couple of things while researching. Here is a list of things to consider before selecting a 5-minute speech:

1. Audience

Before selecting a topic for your 5-minute speech, ask yourself “who is my audience?”

The idea is to understand what the majority of your audience would comprise. Are you giving a speech to college students? Or working professionals? Which gender makes the majority of your audience? What ethnicity do they come from?

Answering all these questions will give you an idea of what your audience would likely prefer to hear.

For example, if you have to give a speech on future financial planning, you can focus on retirement planning in case your audience is made up of mid to senior-level working professionals. Or you can focus on the trending investment options like cryptocurrencies and small cases if your audience comprises a young crowd.

2. Occasion

Understand the occasion for which you will be giving the speech. Is it a wedding toast or for a product launch? In both cases, your language, humor, and the same content of your speech would be very different.

A speech for a wedding toast for example would sound more like,

“To all those who know Nisha, I am her best friend. We have been friends since the 2nd grade and have been inseparable since. On this wonderful day, if I am happy to see her as a beautiful bride, I am equally saddened to see her leave all of us behind. But as she always says, She will just be a call away”

On the other hand, a speech for a product launch would look like this,

“Hello and good evening, everybody. We are excited and elated to have you here with us today to experience the magnificence of a new powerful gadget that would be the future of hair drying: Stylion ”

3. Interests

No matter how good a speaker may be, if he or she isn’t passionate about a topic, it will be visible to their audience. This is where the interests of the speaker come into the picture.

Having an immense interest in the topic you would like to speak on is important because it helps you reach the audience and makes the entire process of researching, formatting, and delivering the speech very enjoyable for you!

4. Knowledge

You could be very interested in astrology but if you have no idea how these planetary movements affect individuals’ lives, then giving an effective speech could be challenging.

Besides interest, you also need to have enough knowledge about the topic that you’ll be speaking on so that you have some credible content to deliver passionately to your audience.

The last and the most important factor to take into consideration is the purpose for which you are giving the speech.

Are you trying to educate your audience or sell a product or give them a different perspective on a topic?

Whatever your purpose is, it needs to be taken into consideration so that you can narrow down your topics and select one that perfectly fits your requirements.

Some purposes of 5-minute speeches could be:

Informative speeches are where the speaker tries to inform his audience about the topic. It doesn’t focus on tweaking the audience’s perception in any way. Rather the idea is to share with the audience some facts and statistical figures or events in history with as detailed speech as possible.

An example of an informative speech would be a speech on the Indian freedom struggle.

To Persuade

Persuasion is an act of asking others to behave a certain way or do a certain thing. Oftentimes, politicians and salespersons are famous for using persuasion techniques like rhetoric and metaphors to persuade the crowd to do something.

To celebrate

Wedding toasts are the best example of celebratory speeches. The purpose of these speeches is to s hare an emotional or fun memory or tell stories to the audience in an attempt to enjoy and celebrate the event.

write a good 5 minute speech

How can I talk for 5 minutes straight?

5 minutes is actually a very convenient time to give an effective speech. However, it can seem very daunting to talk for 5 minutes straight if you are trying to memorize your speech by heart.

So the first thing to effectively talk for 5 minutes straight is to avoid memorizing it by heart. You can use various interactive methods like storytelling , using props, or dividing your speech into points to make it easier for you to give your speech for such an extended time.

Create a well-defined outline for your speech and practice it a couple of times in order to make the task of giving 5-minute speeches a little easier for yourself!

All this discussion would suggest that 5-minute speeches are tricky but is that really the case?

Is a 5-minute speech hard?

While from the audience’s perspective, 5-minute speeches are nothing but a blessing; for you as a speaker, 5-minute speeches could actually be a little too less or too much. Thus making it a tad bit difficult to give effective and engaging 5-minute speeches.

If for instance, you are to present your research proposal, then 5 minutes would not do justice to years of your dedicated efforts. While on the other hand, if you are giving a speech on some generic topic like climate change then even 2 minutes would be sufficient to get your point across.

So whether 5-minute speeches are hard or not would depend completely on how you perceive them.

If you do feel that they are difficult then remember the old saying “Practice makes the man perfect!”

5-minute speech outline

Once you come up with a topic for your speech, the next step is to look at its outline. The outline of any speech refers to the way in which you plan on structuring it.

Usually, 5-minute speeches are structured in the format given below:

1. Opening the speech

For a 5-minute speech, you can spend about a minute introducing yourself and the topic you will be speaking about.

Make sure to give the audience a glimpse of what you’ll be talking about so that they get a clear idea of what to expect from your speech.

It is also recommended to start with a very effective and attractive opening line so as to grab the audience’s attention quickly.

A few ways you can open your speech are:

  • Proactive Statements : Provocative statements are the ones where you try to break the audience’s long-held views and later provide an alternative through your speech.

An example of this is

I want to discuss with you this afternoon why you are going to fail to have a good career Larry Smith
  • Imagination : Imagination is a great tool to give your audience a chance to relate to you.

You can begin your speech with the word “imagine” and then proceed to narrate an incident that is relevant to your speech. An example of this is given below.

Imagine a big explosion as you climb through 3000 feet. Imagine a plane full of smoke. Imagine an engine going clack, clack, clack. Rick Elias

Check out the video below to get a more detailed idea about the opening lines.

2. Main body

The main body of any speech is where the main essence of your speech lies. You can structure this segment in 2 ways:

a. Pointer format

In the pointer format, the idea is to divide the main content into smaller parts or points. This helps in allocating specific time to each topic. It also helps in easy recall for the audience members.

b. Flow format

A flow format is one wherein two ideas are not separated by points. Rather there is a flow maintained throughout the speech.

3. Conclusion

It is necessary to summarise your speech in the last one minute. This is also the time wherein you will have to restate your takeaway.

Ending any speech on a high note is always recommended. You can do that by quoting a famous personality or calling for action from the audience members.

Check out the short video below to understand more about closing lines in a speech.

Examples of 5-minute speeches

1. the danger of silence.

Clint Smith has done a great job with his 5-minute TED speech wherein he begins by quoting Martin Luther King Jr . He further establishes credibility when he states that he is a teacher and how the quote inspires him to challenge his students to embrace silence in their life.

He speaks as if it were spoken word poetry , emphasizing events that happened in his life and how they changed him to perceive silence in a different light.

2. 3 Things I learned while My Plane Crashed

Ric Elias has used the most effective technique to get the audience to relate to you, the technique of imagination . He begins his speech by asking the audience members to imagine being a part of a plane crash and to feel all the things that he felt when he experienced a similar incident.

There is the use of good humor as well in his speech, taking a dig at how he didn’t have to ask the flight attendant for anything as they clearly knew they were all about to die. He further jokes about his daughter when he says,

About a month later, I was at a performance by my daughter. First grader, not much of an artistic talent…Yet!

Lastly, He very effectively divides the main content of the speech into 3 points or things that he learned from his experience.

3. Being an Introvert is a Good Thing

Crystal Robello has given this amazing 5-minute speech on How being an Introvert is a good thing.

The speech is worth taking a look into as her speech provides a great argument in favor of introverts and tries to break the long-held view against them by society. She shares her own story adding a personal touch to her speech.

Further, she makes use of rhetorical questions which are questions that do not necessarily require an answer from the audience. Check out the rhetorical questions she uses below:

  • ..and I have opinions. I just didn’t want to share them, but is there anything wrong with that?
  • (mentions famous introverts) Do you think being an introvert has stopped them from achieving their goals or being happy?

Lastly, she ends her speech on a very powerful note by quoting a line from the book Quite and saying,

So the next time you see that quiet kid in the back of the class who doesn’t participate very much, I want you to think “I wonder what wonderful things they are going to come up with next?”

5-minute speech topics

In case you don’t have enough time to go through the entire topic selection process, the second-best option is to select a topic that is available on the internet.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to do another google search.

We have curated a list of 5-minute speech topics so that you can take a look at it and select a topic that suits you!

General 5-minute speech topics

  • Climate Change
  • Domestic Violence
  • Environment
  • Importance of Cleanliness
  • Women’s Day Speech
  • Teachers’ Day Speech

5-minute speech topics depending on the type of the speech

The purpose of your speech defines the type of your speech. A few broad speech types are

  • Informative speech
  • Demonstrative Speech
  • Persuasive speech

Informative Speech Topics

Informative speeches focus on educating or introducing the audience to new concepts or ideas. thus, it provides information about a topic to the audience and doesn’t try to make them believe in a particular viewpoint or opinion., 5-minute informative speech topics:.

  • The reality of adoption in India
  • Technological developments in organ transplantation
  • The freedom struggle of any country
  • History of body art
  • Women warriors who made a difference
  • The Indian freedom struggles
  • Story of the greens
  • Side effects of Anti-depressants
  • The rise of Adderall uses among college students
  • Impact of diet on Mental health
  • Impact of sleep deprivation on productivity
  • The great resignation
  • The reality of beauty pageants
  • All about sustainable traveling
  • The efficiency of ayurvedic medicine
  • Western influence on traditional yoga
  • Impact of music on mood
  • Why does playing musical instruments keep you healthy?
  • Evolution of the electric guitar
  • COVID restrictions around the world

Demonstrative Speech Topics

The only difference between an informative speech and a demonstrative speech is the use of visuals.

In a demonstrative speech, the speaker tries you help you understand a new topic or information by demonstrating a few fundamentals of the topic to you.

For example, a salesperson trying to pitch his product through his speech would make use of the product to show his audience how that product can make their lives easy.

A few verbs or phrases that you can use in your demonstrative 5-minute speech topics are:

  • N ways to..
  • Structure..

Examples of Demonstrative 5-minute speech topics

  • How to ace a test in 5 days
  • How to make mac n cheese
  • How to Organize a party
  • How to prevent a financial loss
  • How to stop procrastinating
  • How to learn a new language in 30 days
  • How to start a successful business from home
  • How to use chopsticks
  • How to wear a scarf in 5 ways
  • 10 steps to writing a blog
  • 20 ways to add protein to your diet
  • 4 ways to motivate yourself every morning
  • 5 ways to calm your anxiety
  • Top 3 ways to deal with stress
  • 5 ways colors can elevate your mood
  • 3 tips for studying abroad
  • 5 ways to know if someone is lying to you
  • Top 3 tips to take care of your white shoes
  • 10 reasons why people prefer online shopping
  • How to revive a dead plant?

Persuasive Speech Topics

Persuasive speeches are the ones wherein the speaker aims to persuade the audience to do something or act in a certain way. as discussed, it is a very common speech type used by salespeople and politicians., examples of 5 -minute persuasive speech topics.

  • How advertisements trick you
  • Why money can’t buy happiness
  • 21: the only legal age to get married
  • Being vegan and sustainable
  • Why wearing sustainable clothes should be a norm
  • Fast fashion: A compromise on the quality of clothes
  • Why reality TV shows need to stop
  • Impact of online classes on poor grades
  • Why investing early is necessary
  • Dogs over cats
  • Private colleges are not fair
  • Why do schools need to start late
  • Cults need to be banned
  • Global warming is not real
  • We can save our planet
  • Endangered species need to be saved
  • Rainwater harvesting should be mandatory in all houses
  • Why xenotransplantation is unethical
  • Depression is overrated
  • Legalizing prostitution

5-minute speech topics for college students

  • Implications of online dating
  • Are movie reviews an accurate indicator of the movie?
  • Teen depression and suicides
  • Should uniforms be compulsory?
  • Academic stress
  • Moving abroad for education
  • Dangers of substance abuse
  • 5 tips for finding the perfect major
  • Can poverty be eradicated?
  • How can world hunger be curbed?
  • Are electronic vehicles a solution to the pollution problem?
  • Legalizing same-sex marriages
  • Brain drain
  • Impact of meat production on the environment
  • Importance of communication
  • Offers and Benefits of being a college student
  • Cashless economy
  • Need for gun control
  • Is school really a safe place?
  • The dangers of Artificial Intelligence

Motivational 5-minute speech ideas

  • Not giving up: A guide for anyone with depression
  • How I overcame my anxiety
  • You are more than your thoughts
  • 3 Reasons why you need to stop comparing yourself to others
  • 4 techniques to beat procrastination
  • Being a great leader is more than the position
  • Importance of positive thinking
  • Breaking societal stereotypes
  • More than my skin color
  • Embracing everybody
  • Failure: A way to learn and grow
  • Time management and self-growth
  • Self-development: a key to self-growth
  • Consistency over motivation
  • The joy of being in nature

General 5-minute presentation ideas

  • The future of communication
  • Population problem
  • Climate Crisis
  • The melting glaciers
  • Pollution and its solution
  • Changes required in the education system
  • Discrimination and hate crimes
  • The rise in migration and poor housing facilities in urban areas
  • Advantages of Artificial intelligence
  • Everything you need to know about the metaverse

5-minute presentation topics for a job interview

write a good 5 minute speech

  • The future is cashless
  • Data is the new oil
  • Dangers of data privacy
  • women empowerment
  • Gender equality
  • Importance of communication skills
  • The education system in India
  • My biggest accomplishment
  • My role model

5-minute funny presentation ideas

  • How to memorize notes for exams without studying
  • How to pretend to be interested in the conversation?
  • If your boss was honest with you
  • Tips to handle a bridezilla
  • How to prepare a presentation you forgot about?
  • Way to steal your boyfriend’s sweatshirts
  • 4 tips to be the center of attention
  • How to Get a Toddler to stop talking in 383 Easy Steps?
  • How to Live in Your Mom’s Basement?
  • Ways to ruin a date
  • The perfect way to lie
  • When is it okay to give up?
  • 5 things That Are Better Than Doing the Dishes
  • Where to find your missing sock?
  • How do you win in life?
  • Why being a millionaire is overrated?
  • How to bathe a dog?
  • How to order at the subway?
  • How to ask for directions?
  • Top pick-up lines ever used in history

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Finding the right 5-minute speech topic can be a task, but ensuring the audience’s preferences, your own interests, and knowledge areas can help in narrowing down the range of topics to a large extent.

If you do not have enough time to research and narrow down on one topic, you can pick out one topic from a plethora of topics available online.

Hrideep Barot

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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

Image: gourmet sandwich with labels on the top (opening) and bottom (conclusion) slices of bread and filling, (body). Text: Key ingredients for a superb speech 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

write a good 5 minute speech

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

Infographic: The Characteristics of Spoken Language - 7 points of difference with examples.

(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.

Graphic:cartoon drawing of a woman sitting in front of a laptop. Text:How to write a speech: checking tone and language.

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.

Graphic - girl walking across a bridge. Text - Using transitions to link ideas.

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.

Comic Graphic: End with a bang

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.

Graphic: shoal of fish and two hooked fishing lines. Text: Hooking and holding attention

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.

write a good 5 minute 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.

Graphic: Click to read example speeches of all sorts.

Step 9: Rehearsing your speech

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

write a good 5 minute speech

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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write a good 5 minute speech

How to Create an Engaging 5-Minute Presentation

Caroline Forsey

Published: September 15, 2023

A 5-minute speech can feel both incredibly short and infinitely long.

man gives a five minute presentation at work

While this short format encourages audiences to pay more attention, presenters often struggle to fit everything into five minutes even as they navigate nervousness that seems to stretch out each second.

As a result, preparation is key for 5-minute speech success.

But how can you ensure your presentation accomplishes everything it needs to within just five short minutes? We’ve put together an (appropriately condensed) guide on five-minute presentations to help you get started.

→ Free Download: 10 PowerPoint Presentation Templates [Access Now]

How many words are in a 5-minute presentation?

A five-minute presentation is approximately 700 words long. The average person speaks 120 to 160 words a minute, which means the average five-minute presentation is 600 to 800 words.

write a good 5 minute speech

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To calculate your own personal speaking speed (words per minute, or WPM):

  • Make an audio recording of yourself speaking for one minute.
  • Use a free transcription service to generate a text version of your speech.
  • The number of words you spoke in that minute is your personal WPM.

When constructing a longer presentation, you might be more concerned about transitions and keeping the audience engaged with more extensive narrative elements.

In a short presentation, everything you say should directly tie back to your central premise and further advance your main point.

Keeping a tight scope and using your words carefully ensures your time isn't wasted and the audience leaves with a clear, singular takeaway.

How many slides are in a 5-minute presentation?

Five or six slides, or about one per minute, is a good baseline for a 5-minute presentation. Depending on your subject matter, however, you might use up to 20 slides and spend about 10 or 15 seconds on each.

More important than your slide count is what each slide contains. It‘s a good rule of thumb to keep your slides simple and focused on visuals instead of text for a presentation of any length.

This becomes especially important when you’re dealing with a condensed presentation window.

Trying to cram in as much information as possible within a short time frame can be tempting. Resist the urge. Instead, focus on simple, clean visuals that all tie back to your central premise.

You can also use these free presentation templates to arrange your slides in a way that makes the most sense for your delivery and the content of your presentation.

write a good 5 minute speech

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The 5-Minute Speech and How to Write One

write a good 5 minute speech

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5-Minute Speech

Many people feel nervous before giving a speech, and there is added pressure if you have to get your message across in a short space of time. It is a challenge to be sure to include all the various crucial points that make your speech impactful and engaging. 

To overcome this challenge we suggest that you prepare a speech outline that includes all those points that can illustrate your central idea, but which you can cover in the allotted time.

In this article, we will take a quick look at how to write a 5-minute speech having defined all of your core points. Let’s first understand where these types of speeches are required the most. 

When are 5-Minute Speeches Required?

Here are some specific situations where you may be asked to deliver a 5-minute speech. 

Introducing a new employee in the company and letting everyone know about his designation and experience.

Making a special event announcement in the office where you have to describe the importance of that event.

Pitching a service or product to customers with a simple yet effective speech. 

Offering a short speech at the opening of a business such as a real estate company. In this case, you can deliver a strong 5-minute speech along with catchy real estate slogans .

Describing your favorite personality’s contribution to society at a charity event. 

Giving a speech at a wedding or a funeral to describe some special memories.

Besides these situations, there are a number of other situations where you may have to give a quick speech. Therefore, always try to be prepared with simple, sample outlines to deliver speeches that can grab people’s attention . 

How to Write a 5-Minute Speech?

Here are some important points to remember when writing a short speech for any special event.

Consider Your Audience

Before starting to write a speech, you need to first analyze the audience properly. This is necessary because it will help you to prepare a speech that will engage them specifically. It will simplify your selection of words and tone that fit the audience best. 

Create an Outline

Once you understand your audience , shift your focus to the preparation of a strong speech outline. 

You have to keep various factors in mind while creating an overall outline. You need to consider the time limitation, and how to define your thoughts inside the frame. Create an outline that is short, but covers all the points that need to be described to the audience. Do not include what you will say, just stick to the points you need to make for now.

Start with Powerful Words

Now, it is time to start writing your actual speech, opening it with some thought-provoking words. The start of your speech can really make or break your whole presentation. Therefore, try to come up with those words that will grab your audience’s attention. It could be a factual example, an anecdote,  or an inspirational quote. Choose your opening words to influence the audience that you have identified.

Stay Clear with Your Central Message

The central message of your speech should always be loud and clear. Pick words that simplify your message and enhance your audience's understanding, allowing them to remember your speech for a long time.  

Conclude the Speech with Inspirational Words

End your speech with some lines that will invoke positive thoughts among your audience. As a professional speaker , this is your chance to maintain the interest of listeners even after you have concluded your speech. That could be done by making your conclusion powerful and uniquely attractive. It should also include the central message.

Final Words

Public speaking is not easy. It requires you to have complete confidence in your words and body language. It is even more challenging when you have limited time to get your points across and engage your audience. 

Consider the above tips to ensure that your short speeches are powerful and insightful for your audience. These tips will simplify your speech preparation process, allowing you to deliver a great thought-provoking message in 5 minutes or less.

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How to Write and Deliver a 5 Minute Speech: A Comprehensive Guide

Giving a 5 minute speech can be intimidating. With only 300 seconds to capture your audience’s attention, engage them and deliver your message every second counts.

Crafting and delivering a clear, compelling 5 minute speech takes planning and practice. Follow this comprehensive guide to learn how to write, structure, and rehearse a polished 5 minute talk.

Step 1: Define Your Purpose

Before you start writing think about

What is the goal of your speech? Do you want to inform, persuade inspire or entertain?

Who is your audience? What do they already know about your topic? What misconceptions might they have?

What do you want them to think, feel, or do after your speech? What is the one key takeaway?

Having a clear purpose will help you hone your message and choose the right content.

Step 2: Research Your Topic

Conduct research to uncover interesting facts, statistics, examples, and anecdotes to support your speech.

Good sources include:

  • News articles
  • Academic journals
  • Nonfiction books
  • Interviews with experts

Make sure your sources are credible and cite them properly. Gather about twice as much research as you think you’ll need. It will get narrowed down later.

Step 3: Write an Outline

With your purpose defined and research gathered, start structuring your speech with an outline.

Your 5 minute speech should include:

  • Introduction – Grab attention, establish your credibility, state your purpose
  • Body – Main points and supporting details
  • Conclusion – Summarize key points, end memorably

Aim for 2-3 main points in the body elaborated with concise examples.

Step 4: Flesh Out Your Content

Now start filling in your outline with draft speech content:

Introduction – Open with a relevant quote, question, story, or statistic.

Main Points – For each point, include 2-3 sentences explaining/supporting it.

Conclusion – Circle back to your introduction, end with a strong statement.

Shoot for a 1650-1700 word first draft so you have room to refine.

Step 5: Refine and Edit

Once you have a complete draft, you can start trimming and polishing:

Simplify language – Use concise words and avoid jargon.

Cut unnecessary words/sentences – Be ruthless. If it doesn’t directly support your purpose, cut it.

Check timing – Read your speech aloud, making edits until it falls within 4.5-5.5 minutes.

Add visual aids – Charts, photos etc. can enhance your message. But use them sparingly so they don’t distract.

Step 6: Practice for Delivery

To deliver your speech confidently without reading directly from notes, practice it extensively:

Memorize your outline – Know your main points and transitions by heart.

Rehearse out loud – Get comfortable speaking your content. Don’t memorize it word-for-word or it will sound robotic.

Record yourself – Identify areas to improve pacing, volume, filler words (“um”, “like”), etc.

Practice with visual aids – Ensure you can smoothly incorporate charts, slides, or other visuals.

Simulate the event – Practice wearing the clothes and using the equipment you’ll have on the day and get feedback.

Step 7: Prepare for Q&A

Having a Q&A after your speech provides your audience an opportunity to clarify or expand on your message. Be ready for questions by:

  • Considering what questions you might get based on your content
  • Practice answering likely questions out loud
  • Having succinct answers planned for challenging questions
  • Preparing to tactfully defer any inappropriate or irrelevant questions

Step 8: Visualize Success

Right before you speak, build your confidence by:

  • Doing calming deep breathing
  • Imagining yourself speaking smoothly and the audience reacting positively
  • Recalling your hard work preparing and why this message is important

With the right speech preparation, 5 minutes is plenty of time to deliver a powerful message.

By following this comprehensive 8-step guide, you can write and successfully present a polished, impactful 5 minute talk. With practice and experience, speaking briefly but effectively will get easier each time.

The key is being ruthlessly selective about your content, rehearsing extensively, and focusing not just on what you say but how you say it. Master these skills and any audience will be hanging on your every word, even if you have only 300 seconds.

how to write a 5 min speech

How to give a 5-minute speech in English

How to write a 5 minute speech topic?

Before coming up with a 5-minute speech topic for your speech, you must understand what the topic should look like so as to grab everyone’s attention and instill enough curiosity in them. 1. Short Keep your title short. Very lengthy titles are challenging to recall and can be very boring for the audience members.

How hard is it to write a 5 minute speech?

Writing a short speech is often much harder than writing a long one. Because you only have a small amount of time, it can feel like a lot of pressure to deliver important information. Writing a five-minute speech doesn’t need to be a complex task.

How long does it take to prepare a 5 minute speech?

If you want only a five-minute speech, it will take me two weeks to prepare.” Delivering presentations and speeches can be challenging, especially if you have a short time. Covering the essential information you wish to convey and making an impact in these 5 minutes requires much backend work.

How to give a 5 minute speech?

Choose a relevant and exciting topic, organize your thoughts, use supporting materials, and rehearse your delivery. Improving your public speaking skills and making an impact are great reasons to give a five-minute speech. With the proper preparation, you can deliver a powerful message that achieves your goals.

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How to Write an Engaging Five-Minute Speech in 10 Steps

We all get nervous when we have a public presentation coming up, but don’t worry, we can tackle this problem easily. It is possible to create an engaging speech for any occasion, whether it is a presentation at work, a class assignment, or even a toast at a wedding. 

It is possible to do it properly even if you have a tight time frame like 5 minutes. In this blog, we’ll learn how to create an effective speech that will leave any audience wanting more. Now, let’s examine the essence of effective speeches and then break down the 10 steps to write an unforgettable 5-minute presentation.

What Will Make Your Speech Effective?

Keep in mind that an impactful speech is a lot more than just presenting in front of a bunch of people. To create an effective speech you need to ensure a well structured message, so you can inform, persuade, or even inspire your audience. 

Here are some tips to improve your speech:

  • Focus on Clarity: You need to deliver a message that is easy to understand for your audience, you should focus on one central idea and avoid overloading them with information that doesn’t add value. 
  • Engage Your Audience: You will get better results by making your audience feel a connection with you from the beginning of your presentation. Usually making jokes, sharing personal anecdotes, or showing interesting graphics help grab audience attention, and make them feel a connection with your message.. 
  • Good Structure: A good structure will make your speech easier to deliver, and also easier to understand, your audience will be more likely to like your message if they understand it quickly. 
  • Oratory : One of the most important elements is the quality of your delivery, the best presenters in the world are known for their perfect oratory. Sometimes a good oratory can make up for a not so good message, so definitely focus on polishing your speaking skills.

10 Steps to Write an Engaging Five-Minute Speech:

  • Know Your Audience: It is really important to understand your audience before you start writing and structuring your speech, because by knowing them better you can adjust your language, references, and humor to your audience’s interests and knowledge base.
  • Clearly Define Your Objective:   You can’t just go out there without a defined goal, so ask yourself, do you want to inform about a specific topic, persuade them, entertain them, or just commemorate someone? And when you’ve defined your goal you start to create your speech around that goal.
  • Use an Effective Hook: The first 30 seconds in your speech are crucial because your audience will decide if they want to pay attention or not to your speech based on how entertaining you’re from the beginning, so make sure you start with a controversial question, an impactful fact, or even a joke to ensure they’re interested.
  • Structure Your Speech: A common mistake is to write your script without planning the structure, it should be structured with 3 main parts: the introduction, body, and conclusion, and then have smaller parts depending on each speech requirements.
  • Less is More: Unfortunately, five minutes won’t let you elaborate on every single detail. You should try to focus on a single, important idea and explore it with depth rather than breadth.
  • The Power of Storytelling : People connect better with stories, so when you’re explaining something that can be boring or complex try to use anecdotes, stories, or even jokes to back up your point at the same time you make it fun to understand.
  • The Power of Three : Our brain loves patterns, and a good way to take advantage of this is by using the rule of three, list three key points, offer three solutions, or structure your speech around three distinct phases.
  • Speak with Passion and Clarity: Make sure you’re  enthusiastic, and adjust your voice and delivery, to make people connect with this same passion, so they can find your speech more interesting and engaging, but at the same time, don’t forget to speak clearly and at a moderate pace, so you don’t compromise comprehension.
  • Don’t Forget to Practice :  Always practice your speech out loud, you can do it in front of a mirror or ask a friend to listen to you and give you feedback, then use that feedback to polish every aspect of your delivery, timing, and transitions to ensure a high quality delivery.
  • Visual Appeal : Definitely try to incorporate visuals to your speech like slides, data, or you can even draw on a whiteboard while you explain, this is really important because we’re visual creatures and just listening can be boring for many people.

To improve your storytelling even more, find our masterclasses on storytelling here:

https://script-timer.com/lcs-masterclass/

Final Tips and Reminders:

  • Don’t just memorize : If you only repeat from a script, you will sound robotic and boring, instead try to learn the main idea and deliver it with a polished oratory, and allow yourself some natural pauses to better organize in your mind your next words.
  • Conquer Your Nerves: We all get nervous when we have to speak in public, it’s a normal feeling when we are in a situation like this, avoid thoughts that can produce self-doubt and focus on enjoying your presentation.
  • Make Eye Contact: It is crucial to make eye contact with different individuals throughout your speech, so they feel like they’re being part of a conversation with you and the rest of the audience. This demonstrates confidence, and a good oratory, and ensures they connect with you and not only with the message you’re delivering.
  • Breathe: Public speaking for minutes can be physically demanding,since you need to constantly change your tone of voice and pace. Make sure you take conscious breaths to avoid sounding out of breath or rushed, because that will make you look unprepared.
  • The Power of Silence: Make sure you add some strategic pauses to add emphasis to your key points and create a sense of anticipation, this is a great way to ensure you interestingly communicate all your information.

Your Time to Shine!

Keep in mind that creating an engaging 5 minute speech takes a lot of focus, practice, and knowledge, but trust me your rewards will be great and satisfying, and if you apply all the tips and learnings from this blog, you will be able to create an spectacular speech that will make your audience ask you for more.

So get out there, create your best speech, and share your voice! The world needs to hear what you have to say, if you want to take your speeches to the next level, make sure you sign up to Script-Timer.com where you can find an AI script coach, Grammar corrector, AI voice actors, and even classes to improve your storytelling! 

https://script-timer.com/script-timer-ai/

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Inspirational Guide to Writing a 5-Minute Speech

Table of Contents

How to write a five minute speech  is a task that involves precise delivery, detailed planning, and intelligent drafting.

Preparing to deliver a powerful speech in only a few minutes might seem impossible, but it is possible. Writing a compelling and memorable five-minute speech is easy if you understand what makes one work.

Here, we discuss tips and tricks professionals use to write an effective and engaging five-minute speech. With these simple steps and guidelines, you can craft a captivating speech quickly and easily.

Why You Might Need to Give a Five-Minute Speech

A five-minute speech might be necessary for specific situations. Where you’re limited by time, you’ll still need to effectively communicate your points and accomplish your objectives within your allotted time.

Here are some reasons why you might need to give a five-minute speech.

Time Constraints

Giving a five-minute speech allows you to convey your message within the allotted time frame effectively . One reason to give a five-minute speech is that you may be required to do so due to time constraints. You may be given a specific time slot if you are asked to speak at a conference or event where multiple speakers are scheduled. 

Limited Attention Span

Another reason to give a five-minute speech is that it allows you to capture and maintain your audience’s attention . Studies have shown that the average attention span of an adult is around eight seconds. This means making your message clear and concise to keep your audience engaged is important. A five-minute speech lets you do just that by presenting your ideas concisely and straightforwardly. 

Practice and Improvement

Giving a five-minute speech can help you improve your communication skills. It is also an excellent opportunity to practice and improve your public speaking skills. Focus on delivering a clear and compelling message within a shorter period, so you can build confidence and improve your speech. 

Impact and Persuasion

Finally, giving a five-minute speech can be an effective way to make an impact and persuade your audience. By presenting your ideas clearly and concisely, you can more easily convey your message and persuade your audience to take action. It’s possible to win your colleagues’ hearts and minds by giving a short speech.

How to Write a Five Minute Speech

man speaking in front of crowd

Writing an effective five-minute speech can be a daunting task. After all, you want your audience to stay engaged and not become bored or disengaged. It’s crucial to organize your speech as well as possible to make sure that your message gets across to your audience.

The following tips will help you create a five-minute speech that will leave your audience wanting more!

Choose an Interesting Topic

The first step in writing a successful five-minute speech is choosing an interesting and relevant topic. Try to think of something timely or engaging that your audience would find helpful or entertaining. You could also research popular topics from other speakers or news outlets to get ideas. Once you have chosen a subject for your speech, make sure to narrow its scope to fit within the time limit. 

Research Your Topic

Become knowledgeable about the subject by reading related articles, watching videos, and listening to podcasts. Once you’ve identified your topic, start researching it in depth. This research process should help inform your opinion and give you new perspectives on the issue. Additionally, try to pick out key points that may bolster or strengthen your argument. 

Gather Supporting Evidence

When crafting a persuasive five-minute speech, having compelling evidence is essential. Just make sure that any evidence you use is reliable and accurate.

Include examples and facts to back up your statements whenever possible. This will make your arguments more convincing and give your audience a stronger impression. 

Outline Your Speech

Before starting to write, take some time to plan out what you are going to say. Writing an outline helps break down the information into smaller chunks, making it easier to organize when composing the actual speech.

The outline should include the main ideas you plan to discuss as well as any other supporting points during your presentation. Plus, creating an outline beforehand will also save you time in the long run. 

Craft Your Introduction

Your speech’s start should draw the audience in and establish the general tone for the remainder of it. Keep it short, sweet, and memorable. What you say in the introduction will resonate with your audience. Your introduction serves as a good bargaining chip for great content.

Write the Rest of the Speech

Since you have already conceptualized your structure and created a rough outline, it’s time to start filling in the blanks with real content. Make sure the introduction flows seamlessly from your introduction to your conclusions. 

Five-Minutes Speech Example

Good morning, everyone! Today I’m here to talk about the importance of cultivating a collaborative work environment in our office. As we all know, teamwork is integral to any successful business venture. We must foster cooperation and mutual respect to reaching our desired objectives.

I have plenty of professional experience working collaboratively. From facilitating negotiations between stakeholders to encouraging colleagues to unite under common goals, I understand how important it is to nurture cooperation within teams. Furthermore, while working in high-pressure situations, I’ve seen firsthand how camaraderie can help alleviate stress and bring out the best in people.

So let’s start by discussing ways we can increase collaboration amongst ourselves:

First, we must actively listen to each other instead of rushing to judgment or being overly critical. This will ensure that everyone feels comfortable speaking up and sharing their ideas without fear of judgment.

Second, we must always strive to be open-minded and welcoming towards new perspectives as they often present solutions that would otherwise not be considered.

And finally, we should practice respecting one another’s time and workloads. This way, we can ensure that everyone gets their tasks done on schedule without impeding others.

These simple actions can create a workplace culture characterized by harmony and synergy rather than competition and antagonism. So let’s commit to making this happen together – thank you very much for your time!

Learn how to write a five minute speech that captivates your audience. Careful preparation and practice are essential.

Choose a relevant and exciting topic, organize your thoughts, use supporting materials, and rehearse your delivery. Improving your public speaking skills and making an impact are great reasons to give a five-minute speech. 

With the proper preparation, you can deliver a powerful message that achieves your goals. The key is writing with emotion, ensuring each sentence contains at least one uncommon word. This will add interest and uniqueness to your presentation.

Inspirational Guide to Writing a 5-Minute Speech

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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How to Write a Great Five Minute Speech

by Anam Ahmed

Published on 8 May 2019

Writing a short speech is often much harder than writing a long one. Because you only have a small amount of time, it can feel like a lot of pressure to deliver important information. Writing a five-minute speech doesn’t need to be a complex task. Even if you are asked to speak at the last minute, you can outline the speech quickly in your head by relying on a few important speech writing techniques.

5-Minute Speech Topics

In business, there are many situations where you may be asked to give a five-minute speech. Some situations where you may need to give a short speech include:

  • Introducing a new employee to the staff
  • Speaking to staff about key company updates
  • Motivating employees before an important event
  • Providing investors with key business updates
  • Pitching services to customers and prospects

Regardless of what your five-minute speech is on, it’s important to take the time to carefully craft what you’re going to say. You don’t want to go off-topic and risk wasting your allotted time talking about something that isn’t relevant to your audience.

Create an Outline

A simple outline can make a 5-minute speech on anything more effective. Start your outline by creating minute-long sections of your speech. The middle three minutes are reserved for the key points you want to make in your speech. For example, if you’re speaking to employees about company updates, you can use those three minutes to talk about your sales numbers, organizational updates and new offerings.

The last minute of your speech is to sum up the main point of your message. If there is only one thing your audience takes away from your speech, what should it be? That is what you want to focus on in your last minute. For example, you can close by talking about how proud you are of your employees and recognize the hard work they have put in.

The first minute of your speech is reserved for the introduction. It’s often easier to write this section last after you’ve written the rest of your speech because you have a good idea of the themes you’re going to be touching on. Many strong orators start their speeches with a question or a personal story because it helps to make everyone feel at ease. For example, ask the staff whether they have a favorite moment from the last quarter, and share your favorite moment.

Stay Focused on the Topic at Hand

The key to writing a great five-minute speech is to cut out any unnecessary information . Use the time you have wisely by only focusing on the topic at hand. Resist the urge to go on tangents that don’t directly relate to your topic.

For example, when updating employees about the progress of the company, don’t start talking about the exciting marketing plans you have for the next quarter. Reserve that information for a different speaking opportunity as you won’t be able to cover everything in those five minutes.

Rehearse Your Five-Minute Speech Out Loud

Once you have written down your five-minute speech, practice saying it out loud. Time yourself to see how long it is. If you’re going over time, it means you need to cut out some details. If you’re way under five minutes, you have the opportunity to add in more information. If you’re coming in right at five minutes, you’ll still want to cut out some information. It’s always best to have about a 30-second buffer in case you spend more time on a section than you planned for.

Once you’ve got just the right amount of content for your speech, highlight the salient points of each sentence with a highlighter pen to give you visual cues about the speech. This way, you won’t need to read your speech word for word. You can just focus on the highlighted sections to jog your memory about that section and then you can extrapolate the rest. This appears much more natural than reading the entire speech.

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How to Organize Your Five-Minute Impromptu Speech: Building Your Introduction (Part 1)

Coach Mike

What do five minutes feel like to you? You could tell us that it’s made of up 300 seconds, in which time corn on the cob could be microwaved, a round of commercials could be played, and one kilometer be could run – at least for some of us. But the experience of five minutes is relative. It feels a lot longer if you’re waiting in traffic, than if you’re running late for class. So in this article, you’ll learn what five minutes should feel like when making an impromptu speech, by breaking down the different parts of your speech in order to create a structure that’s both organized and timely. All organized speeches have a beginning, middle, and end, also known as the introduction, body, and conclusion. Knowing how to plan the content of these parts is key to reaching a five-minute impromptu speech, especially because of the limitations you’re under with only two minutes of prep time. Why is this important? Two reasons. One: without keeping track of your time, you may end up finishing early and leaving out essential analysis. Two: many of us have a tendency to ramble and go off-topic, confusing both you and your audience in the process. So, as you map out the structure of your speech, you’ll learn how much time to allow for each part, and what content should be included to reach that timing. Let’s start with impromptu introductions, which require five key ingredients. First, the hook. All good speeches should create a strong first impression. For impromptu, hooks generally come in the form of a personal or well-known anecdote that’s related to the meaning of your prompt and thesis. If you choose a famous story, consider picking something simple that you know well, like the plot of a fable you’ve been taught or a movie you’ve watched. These anecdotes are the quickest to think of and can often be told smoothly without much preparation. For instance, if we suddenly asked you to retell the tale of Snow White, or your vacation last summer, you probably remember quite well what happened. In total, you should spend approximately 40 seconds on your hook, which is about six sentences. Second, the transition sentence or sentences. It’s important to link your hook to the prompt so the audience can see how they relate together. This link should be approximately one to two sentences, no more than ten seconds. For instance, let’s say the last sentence of your hook is, “The story of Snow White ends as a happy one, as the princess wakes up after true love’s kiss from her Prince Charming.” You wouldn’t want to immediately follow it with, “This quote by Stephen King says, “The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool.” Why? Because the audience wouldn’t understand how Snow White is related to “innocence” or “liars.” So, ask yourself, what do the story and the quote have in common? Well, if you recall, Snow White was too innocent, trusting the old lying granny who sold her the apple. Let’s try to use this information to link the hook and the quote together. Your transition might be: “Fairytales such as these don’t exist, with innocent people often getting hurt rather than living out their ‘happily ever after.’” Notice how this sentence makes the connection between the hook and prompt by comparing how fairytales are different from real life. Third, the prompt and your interpretation. Even with a transition sentence, it’s helpful to add a dependent clause before you present your prompt. A dependent clause is a group of words that cannot be used alone; they instead provide additional information for the independent clause, which in this case, is your prompt. Avoid directly saying things like, “the prompt I got today is…” Be a little bit more subtle in your language. You could do this one in of two ways. One: link specific parts of the hook directly to the prompt. You could say something like this: “Snow White’s trusting actions are exactly what Stephen King described in his quote…” Two: If your transition sentence is already clear, use a conventional phrase like: “This brings me to today’s quote…”, or “Which is why we see in today’s quote…”, or “This story is fitting with today’s quote…” You can of course replace the word “quote” with proverb, word, or picture, depending on what type of prompt you’re given. Now for your interpretation. If your prompt is a quote or proverb, spending a sentence to explain its meaning is enough. Elaborate on who or what the prompt refers to and what kind of tone it sets. If there are any hidden meanings, then you might add an extra sentence or two. For word prompts, take more time to describe or define it, giving an example of how this word is commonly used. For picture prompts, read off any text, and describe the picture and its purpose. In total, introducing the prompt and your interpretation of it should take about 20 seconds. Fourth: the thesis statement, which its main objective is summed up in one clear, concise, and debatable sentence. This should take no more than five seconds. Finally, your roadmap (also called the preview), which outlines your speech’s three main points. Usually, in other speeches, your roadmap would include your three claims. However, because most impromptu speakers don’t have time to fully brainstorm these claims during prep, it’s common practice to simply introduce the three stories you plan to talk about in two or three sentences, which is your final 15 seconds. The best way to make this short and simple is to create story titles for each example or to refer to the names of the people or groups you plan to talk about. And there you have, five key parts and their timeline for building a one-minute and 30-second introduction. In the second part of this article, you’ll see an example of a good introduction, and then we’ll break down body paragraphs and conclusions.

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Persuasive Speech Topics for a Five-Minute Speech

How to Write a Speech Running for City Council

How to Write a Speech Running for City Council

Persuasive five-minute speeches help high school and college students practice reasoning and public speaking skills. Topics should center on subject matter that's controversial, so students can develop convincing arguments. Teachers, parents and tutors can help students organize their ideas to ensure that the topic is narrow enough to discuss in five minutes. As a student, choose which side of the argument to represent in your speech but provide strong details and supportive, credible evidence to back your views.

Highly Debatable Topics

A persuasive speech requires you to take a strong stance. Select a topic, such as animal rights and scientific experimentation, the distribution of contraceptives in high schools or the cloning of humans, and choose a side to support. Focus your arguments on a specific angle on the topic, so you can effectively cover the material in five minutes. For example, if you're arguing that the cloning of humans is ethical, focus on the benefits of stem cell research and development.

Call to Action

Select a topic that encourages your audience to respond, making a call to action. The goal of a five-minute persuasive speech is to quickly capture your listeners' attention and convince them that their involvement can make a difference . For example, when arguing that junk food in vending machines in high schools contributes to childhood obesity, suggest that your listeners' call the board of education to request healthier vending foods. Or, argue that cities should provide free public Wi-Fi to their residents, and encourage your audience to write or call the mayor's office requesting it. Include reasons, examples and statistics to support your arguments.

Historical Arguments

Choose a controversial incident or topic in history and argue a specific angle . Ensure that the topic is specific rather than broad or generalized so that you can cover it in five minutes. The goal of a short, historical persuasive speech is to quickly and effectively present logical arguments that convince listeners to consider and possibly even support your views. For example, argue that the New Deal wasn't an effective solution to the Great Depression or that the attack on Pearl Harbor was the major turning point in World War II. Or, argue that the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki wasn't morally justifiable.

Avoid Core Values

Choose a topic that strives to change or influence your audience's dispositional beliefs -- judgments that may change over time -- rather than their core beliefs, suggests the peer-reviewed academic resource Writing Commons. In five minutes, you don't have time to try to change your listeners' core values. Avoid topics such as the existence of a higher power or the importance of moral conduct, which are too broad to address in a short time. Opt for topics that your audience might not have considered or may be willing to change their minds about , such as the benefits of video game censorship, dress codes at high schools or school tuition vouchers.

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As curriculum developer and educator, Kristine Tucker has enjoyed the plethora of English assignments she's read (and graded!) over the years. Her experiences as vice-president of an energy consulting firm have given her the opportunity to explore business writing and HR. Tucker has a BA and holds Ohio teaching credentials.

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How to Write an Amazing 5-Minute Speech Quickly

Posted 5 years ago

Public speech – these 2 words are enough to make even the best and the brightest at any company get sweaty palms and shaky knees. It is easy to understand why – we are definitely not all born natural public speakers. It takes A LOT of confidence to get up in front of a room full of people and carry the spotlight. In this week’s story, professional speaker Patricia Fripp offers tips on how to put together a fabulous 5-minute speech. With Patricia’s tips, this should help ease the pressure of any public speaking you may have to participate in.

by Patricia Fripp

Want to deliver a memorable 5-minute presentation? Want to put it together fast? If your goal is to create an incredible 5-minute presentation and put it together quickly, I suggest you look within the body of your longer presentations and pull out one well-developed idea.

For example, most speakers tell stories in their presentations, and many speakers tell great stories. What world-class speakers understand is that when you tell stories about people, you need to let those people speak. World-class speakers use dialogue in their storytelling. They don’t simply report on what people have said. Instead they actually include people’s spoken words. Do that, add a good opening, and close with a call for action. And voila! You have a memorable presentation.

Don’t report on the dialogue; use the dialogue. Don’t say, “I had a conversation with my boss and we were talking about . . .” That’s reporting on the dialogue. Instead, deliver the dialogue. Pat Wynn called and said “Patricia, as you know we are a 2 billion dollar software company with aspirations of being 20 billion. We have just bought our major competitor and are having a very important kick-off sales meeting with 1500 sales people at the Bellagio. 40% of them were acquired. They did not choose to work with us, so this a very important meeting. We want them to know they are at the right company at the right time, and the strategy is sound. The work you’ve done with our engineers and leaders has been fabulous. Now we want you to work with our president.

“He’s not a bad speaker. He’s an engineer, a little shy, brilliant, but we don’t have any corporate rock stars. We want you to write him a speech and turn him into a rock star. And you have 4 hours.”

Bernard was a magnificent gentlemen who charmed me from the moment we met. I started by saying, “How do you do? If you had time for one sentence rather than 45 minutes, what would you say?” He said, “This is a brand new company.” I said, “Good, write that down. ‘Welcome to our brand new company.’ Now, whose idea was it to be a company?” As we informally talked through his speech, people came around saying, “It’s been 5 1/2 hours, and Bernard’s still with Patricia.” That was because he had started to realize the impact he could have. And then we began talking about corporate citizenship. There had been a tsunami recently. The sales people had donated $360,000 to help, and the company had matched it. It was obvious that Bernard was passionate about this. He believed in corporate responsibility and corporate citizenship. Unfortunately his speech was beginnning to get boring.

If we had aleady developed a deeper relationship, I would have been quite comfortable saying, “Your speech is getting boring.” But this was the first time we had worked together, and I wanted to boost his confidence. He didn’t realize he could be a rock star. So I asked, “Bernard, how do you explain corporate citizenship to your children?” He said, “It was the day after Christmas, and I sat both of my children down and said, ‘You are very lucky children. You have generous parents, and you have even more generous grandparents. Perhaps you would like to give us one of your gift certificates or one of your presents, and we’ll take the money and give to the children who no longer have homes.'” He said, “I was so proud of my 14-year-old son. He came back the next day and said, ‘Papa, how much do I give? I could give you all of my savings, all of my pocket money, and all of my Christmas presents, and it still wouldn’t be enough to make a difference. What do I give?’ And Bernard said, “I told him, ‘Oh, you never give it all. You just give enough that it hurts a little.'”

By now I hope you agree that adding dialogue to your stories makes them come alive and helps you add emotion. I challenge you to revisit every story and make your characters speak. This is Patricia Fripp with my best suggestion for how to put together a 5-minute presentation.

speech

Patricia Fripp is known as THE Presentation Skills expert! Companies hire Patricia when they want to gain the competitive edge that comes from perfecting conversations and presentations.

Named “One of the 10 most electrifying speakers in North America” by  Meetings and Conventions  magazine, Patricia delivers high-content, entertaining, dramatically memorable presentations. She has won and been awarded these designations by the National Speakers Association: Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), CPAE, Hall of Fame keynote speaker, and the Cavett Award (considered the Oscar of speaking). Patricia is a past president, and the first female president, of the over 3,500-member National Speakers Association. She is a member of the highly prestigious Speakers Roundtable, an invitation-only group of highly regarded professional speakers, authors, and consultants. Patricia teams up with her brother, legendary guitarist of King Crimson, Robert Fripp, for  Fripp and Fripp presentations on “How to Be a Hero for More Than One Day” and “Beginner to Master.” She is the author of  Make It So You Don’t Have to Fake It!  and  Get What You Want!  and co-author of  Speaker’s Edge ,  Speaking Secrets of the Masters  and  Insights Into Excellence .

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write a good 5 minute speech

You will find 20 excellent short speech topics below that work when time is limited. Choosing a meaningful short speech topic may difficult in some circumstances.

As Mark Twain once said

If you want me to give a 2 hour presentation, I am ready today. If you want only a 5 minute speech, it will take me 2 weeks to prepare.

Because it's infinitely harder to communicate ideas and make an impact in a short space of time.

This, then, makes it that much more important to choose the right short speech topic.

Choose the wrong theme for your speech and you will struggle to deliver a presentation that covers it adequately. Choose the right topic, however, and you can create something powerful that will stick in the minds of your listeners, even if you are only able to speak for a few minutes.

Tips for Creating a Short Speech

  • Pick something you feel strongly about. It's easier to make an impact in a short time when you speak with real passion.
  • Pick something your audience is interested in too! All the passion in the world won't engage your listeners if the topic hold no interest for them!
  • Consider speaking about a personal experience. Heartfelt emotions will be more keenly felt by your audience than those mustered up solely for the purpose of your speech!
  • Focus on keeping your phrases brief and your words simple. See this page for help with this . A short speech is not the place for meandering thoughts and complicated sentence structures. Conciseness is key!
  • Make sure your speech still includes the three key elements of any good presentation - a strong introduction , body and conclusion.
  • Clearly identify the purpose of your speech. Is it to inform? Educate? Motivate? Criticize? Explain? Make sure that every word you write supports your overall purpose.
  • Think hard before choosing a persuasive topic - this can be one of the most difficult types of speeches to deliver in a short space of time! It's not impossible, though - so be sure to have a strong argument if you want to convice people to think differently about something in only 5 minutes or so!
  • Create a good title (if you will have the opportunity to use one).

Example Formats for Your Short Speech

Here's a simple template for a short persuasive speech...

SUPPORTING REASONS

   1. _________    2. _________    3. _________

   For example....

   Treating All Children as 'Winners' - Regardless of Success - is Harmful

- SUPPORTING REASONS

   1. It is not a reflection of real life.    2. It stifles competitiveness.    3. It does not reward hard work and achievement.

- CONCLUSION

For example....

  • It is not a reflection of real life.
  • It stifles competitiveness.
  • It does not reward hard work and achievement.
  • Whilst no one should be criticized for failure, success should be recognized and honored in order to encourage competitiveness in our children.

- INTRODUCTION

   Have you always wondered how to make a paper plane that actually flies?

- CLEAR STEPS TO DEMONSTRATE

    Fly the plane!

Demonstrations make great short speeches because these are very visual and thus make a big impact - but time yourself beforehand to be absolutely sure that you can complete your demonstration in the time allowed! Choose a good short speech topic like the ones listed below to ensure a successful presentation.

Problem and Solution

Divide this speech into 2 parts.

  • First, set out the problem.
  • Then, present the solution .

The problem part should be the longest . This may sound illogical, but it gives the solution more impact when the problem is presented in detail. Describe the problem as vividly as possible and the audience will be looking forward to hearing your ingenious solution!

Short Speech Topics

20 Short Speech Topics

  • How social media is uniting the world
  • Why pets are better than children
  • 5 things to do with a Raspberry Pi
  • How to solve the problem of online trolls
  • My wish for humanity
  • How to take the perfect selfie
  • Why we should all be vegan
  • If I were an animal I'd be a______
  • A day in the life of a dollar bill
  • The butterfly effect (how one tiny change in circumstances can alter the course of your life - focus on one example)
  • 5 ways to save time in the kitchen
  • If I had 5 minutes to talk to Donald Trump I would _____
  • What advice I wish someone gave my parents before I was born
  • Why the Gettysburg Address is the best speech ever written
  • Online dating - cringeworthy or cool?
  • My most embarrassing moment
  • If I won the lottery I would _____
  • Why ______ is the best book ever written
  • Why it's sometimes necessary to lie
  • How to write a short speech (they won't be expecting that one!)

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Recent topics for speech on Best Speech Topics. These topics represent what is on the mind and will engage your audience with insights on contemporary issues.

Here is a smart list of artificial intelligence speech topics to inform or persuade an audience. Learn about the issues AI presents and get ideas.

Artificial Intelligence Speech Topics to Inform or Persuade

Here is a smart list of artificial intelligence speech topics to inform or persuade an audience. Learn about the issues AI presents and get ideas.

Interesting Speech Topics For Students on Personal Growth and Development - ideal for high school and college students

Interesting Speech Topics For Students on Personal Growth

Interesting Speech Topics For Students on Personal Growth and Development - ideal for high school and college students

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333 Informative Speech Topics To Rock Your Presentation

A powerful presentation covers a compelling topic that sparks your interest and hooks the audience. Use this master list to find your next great speech idea.

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You have been assigned a speech, presentation, or essay, but you have no clue what to talk about. A powerful presentation begins with a compelling topic that sparks your interest and hooks the audience. But you also need to discuss something you feel excited to research and discuss. 

This guide contains 333 informative speech topics for your next presentation, plus pro tips for delivering the best presentation possible.

What Is An Informative Speech?

Informative speeches aim to teach or instruct the audience about a topic. They include objective information and fact-based research but can incorporate a unique perspective, compelling storytelling , or a powerful take-home message. Unlike a celebratory wedding toast or an inaugural speech , informative speeches are written specifically to educate.

The six key types of informative speeches are: 

  • Definition speeches : This speech aims to explain a concept or theory. For example, a speech topic starting with “What is…?” is usually a definition-type informative speech. 
  • Explanatory speeches : These speeches explain how something works. For example, an explanatory speech could explain how your brain processes information or how an electric car works. 
  • Demonstrative speeches : These classic “how-to’s” show the audience how to perform a task and often include a visual presentation. For example, students could teach their classmates how to be more productive or cook a healthy meal.  
  • Comparative speeches : When a speaker compares or contrasts two alternative things, they help the audience understand the similarities or differences between two topics. For example, a comparative speech may weigh the pros and cons of private versus public schools. 
  • Descriptive speeches : This informative speech describes a person, place, or thing and explains why the subject is essential. For example, a student may teach their classmates about a historical figure, or an entrepreneur may give a descriptive speech about the specifics of their product idea.
  • Persuasive informative speeches : Although persuasive speeches are often categorized separately, some informative speeches can cross over into persuasion by using evidence to convince the audience why a particular method or perspective is better than its alternatives. For example, a salesperson may give a presentation to convince clients to buy their services, or a mental health advocate may give a speech to persuade people to do yoga more regularly. 

How To Pick An Informative Speech Topic: The Five W’s

Whether you want to give a top-notch school speech assignment or a groundbreaking TED Talk , the best informative speeches have one thing in common: they deliver a purposeful message with a captivating delivery. You must understand the basic who, what, when, where, and why to pick the perfect topic. 

  • Who: Before you start looking for topics, you should know who your audience is. A college speech class is a far different audience than a room of conference attendees. Consider what your audience is interested in, why they should care about your speech and their level of knowledge about the topic. If you talk about something too basic, they may be bored, but if you discuss something too technical, they may have difficulty understanding your speech. 
  • What: Consider your passions and existing knowledge about a subject. The “what” of your speech is the meat of the presentation. Imagine a three-circle Venn diagram. The three circles are labeled: “things I am interested in,” “things my audience cares about,” and “things I can research.” The center point where these three circles overlap is the sweet spot for your speech topic. 
  • When (Length): The length of your speech can drastically impact how in-depth you dive into the topic. A five-minute speech should cover a niche topic or a high-level concept. A thirty-minute to an hour-long presentation can teach about a more detailed topic. 
  • Where: If you’re giving a speech in a meeting room at an office, your performance will likely be very different from speaking on stage in a large auditorium. Consider where you will be speaking and what kind of technology (projector, large screen, whiteboard, etc.) you will have available. The geographic location of your speech can also determine your selection of a local or regional topic relevant to the community. 
  • Why: Most importantly, you should know the purpose of your speech. If your goal is to get a good grade, it may help you pay more attention to following the teacher’s rubric. If your goal is to convince the audience to make a lifestyle change or donate to an important cause, you should structure your speech with the core “why” in mind. 

The best speeches combine a simple message with charismatic delivery, an easily digestible structure, and something the audience can relate to. The essence of a great speech is that it arouses something in the audience, such as the motivation to take action or to see things in a new way.

List of Informative Speech Topics: 333 Ideas to Spark Your Creativity

In an informative speech, it is essential to have plenty of evidence or data to support your claims. But even the most well-researched presentation can feel hollow without the passion for delivering it authentically. 

As you explore ideas for your speech, you should naturally gravitate toward intriguing and exciting topics. Giving a speech about something you think your teacher or colleagues will like (rather than what you’re truly interested in) could ultimately be inauthentic or boring. Take note of what makes your heart beat a little faster and follow that curiosity . 

Easy Informative Speech Topics

If you’re in a pinch, choose a speech topic that doesn’t require extensive explanations to get the point across. It may be a good idea to avoid anything controversial or technical. Instead, choose a straightforward demonstrative or descriptive topic with a wide range of online information.

  • How to improve your communication skills
  • The most memorable speeches in history
  • Why you should buy an electric car 
  • The most popular cars of the year
  • How to read body language  
  • Top habits of successful people
  • The most famous actors in history
  • The benefits of time in nature
  • Lesser known presidents
  • Most popular breeds of dogs
  • The worst natural disasters in the world 
  • How to eat healthier  
  • Harmful impacts of technology
  • How to survive without electricity 
  • The richest people in the world 
  • The top companies in the world
  • Child geniuses and prodigies
  • How does sugar influence the body?
  • The history of Disneyland
  • How to break bad habits
  • Top beauty products for younger skin
  • How to do your homework faster 
  • How to be more productive  
  • High school students should do these 5 things before graduating
  • Why high school students should take a gap year before college
  • The best healthy snacks 
  • Why you should go vegan
  • How to be more confident  
  • How to start a business
  • Fashion through the decades 

Pro Tip : Start your speech with an attention-grabbing hook that draws the audience in to listen. Try not to start by mentioning a technical difficulty (“Is this microphone working?”) or saying a lackluster nicety (“Thanks for having me.”).

Instead, try starting with:

  • A story: “I’m here for a reason. And It’s an interesting story….”
  • A big idea: “The single most important thing I want to share with you today is….”
  • A quirky one-liner or interesting fact: “You might have always thought….”

Here is a guide on How to Start a Speech: Best and Worst Speech Openers . 

You can also watch our video to learn the best (and worst) speech openers:

Informative Speech Topics for College

If public speaking isn’t scary enough, college speech classes can be brutal. You want to impress your professor without thoroughly embarrassing yourself in front of your peers. These topics are scholarly without being boring. 

  • How you can reduce your carbon footprint
  • Different forms of learning
  • The truth about microplastics and possible alternatives
  • How to ace a college test 
  • Why schools shouldn’t give homework 
  • America’s fastest-growing cities
  • The differences between female and male communication
  • The best marketing tactics
  • The importance of education for a country’s economy 
  • Ethical questions of artificial intelligence
  • Unique ways to stop global climate change
  • How to live to be 100
  • Benefits of E-learning
  • History of education in America
  • How to eradicate poverty
  • The real picture of foster care in America
  • How to decide on a college major
  • Pros and cons of the current education system
  • Economics of urban versus rural development
  • The history of agriculture 
  • How ancient Egyptians built the pyramids
  • How to prevent the top 5 leading causes of death in America
  • Understanding industrial hemp
  • Pros and cons of remote work
  • How college students can become millionaires by age 50 with monthly investing
  • How to start an organic garden
  • Private vs. public school
  • The importance of discipline
  • The most useful websites for college students
  • Where does public university funding come from

Fun Informative Speech Topics

Most people don’t realize that playful topics like video games and reality TV can still be informative. These less serious subjects have the potential to become great speeches that invoke laughter, excitement, or new perspectives. 

  • Can procrastination be good for you?
  • Myth or reality? We only use 10% of our brains
  • The funniest commercials of all time
  • Bizzare sports you didn’t know existed 
  • How snake venom attacks the body
  • What will humans look like in the future? 
  • Weirdest medical facts
  • The strangest phobias 
  • Secrets to a great relationship
  • The fastest cars in the world 
  • What causes hiccups
  • Evidence of life on Mars 
  • The world history of tattoos 
  • Why college students love fast food 
  • The evolution of video games 
  • How cryptocurrency can change finance 
  • Where do stereotypes come from?
  • The most bizarre conspiracy theories 
  • The most influential musicians of our time
  • Top craziest amusement park rides in the world
  • The most fun things to do when you’re bored
  • History of tattoo art
  • The seven wonders of the world
  • How to survive an annoying roommate
  • The truth about reality shows
  • How to create a bucket list
  • The secrets behind the best TV shows 
  • Weirdest foods taste surprisingly delicious
  • How to talk to people you don’t like 

Interesting Informative Speech Topics

The most viral TED Talks combine a compelling or unique idea with exceptional nonverbal delivery. These interesting topics are sure to get your audience thinking.

  • The neuroscience of attraction
  • Mind-blowing facts about volcanoes
  • The psychology of selling things 
  • Why you should turn your lawn into a garden
  • Proof that aliens are real/fake 
  • How to start a business for under $100
  • The history of America from a minority perspective 
  • How technology affects our brains
  • What would happen to the economy if everyone grew their own food?
  • The science and ethics of genetic modification 
  • How the electric car originated 
  • Elon Musk’s rise to success 
  • What is neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)?
  • How deaf people talk with emotion 
  • Why smiles are contagious 

Informative Speech Topics About Science

From biology to chemistry to genetics, science encompasses many subjects. Where modern technology meets cutting-edge discoveries, these topics are for inquisitive researchers who want to dig into the data. 

  • How your brain works
  • History of space exploration
  • How solar panels work
  • The evolution of plants
  • Fascinating origins of plant medicines
  • How DNA evidence is used
  • How galaxies are formed 
  • How science is influenced by corporations 
  • Why dinosaurs really went extinct
  • The oldest fossils ever found 
  • How does the human brain work?
  • The effects of music on the brain  
  • The life of Albert Einstein
  • How earthquakes can be predicted
  • The craziest scientists in history
  • What is CRISPR?
  • Potential cures for cancer 
  • What is epigenetics?

Pro Tip : Google Scholar and PubMed are two excellent resources for peer-reviewed scientific literature. Accredited institutions conduct these studies and have undergone the rigor of the scientific method. They even include easy copy-and-paste citations if you need to turn in a bibliography with your speech.

Informative Speech Topics about Animals 

From cuddly pets to the alien-like mystery creatures of the deep ocean, animals are universally fascinating. 

  • How to train a dog
  • The most dangerous animals in the ocean
  • How elephants use plants to medicate themselves 
  • The science behind the fastest animals in the world
  • Can depression be treated with emotional support animals?
  • Comparing reptiles versus mammals
  • The strongest animal in the world
  • Top 10 strangest animals on Earth
  • Comparing human and primate brains
  • Animals that have their own languages
  • Ethical questions with animal testing
  • What causes animals to become extinct? 
  • How to adopt a cat
  • Pros and cons of the pet adoption system
  • Is it kind to keep a monkey as a pet?

Informative Speech Topics Sports

Fitness, sports medicine, and professional sports teams are just scraping the surface regarding this subject. You can talk about the inspiring life of your favorite player or game history. The speech topics are perfect for anyone who loves to sweat and cheer.

  • How sports teach kids discipline 
  • The importance of physical activity for stress relief
  • Why companies should promote workplace fitness programs  
  • Top-paying careers in sports 
  • How people with disabilities can still play sports
  • Football culture in the American south 
  • The importance of sports for children’s socialization
  • The role of sports and masculinity in young boys 
  • Gambling problems in sports
  • What makes a great sports coach? 
  • The best football players of all time 
  • How yoga can complement workouts
  • How to prevent sports injuries 
  • The best physical therapy for college athletes
  • The life of Michael Jordan
  • Game-changing athletes in history 
  • Lebron James’ secret to success  
  • How Jackie Robinson transformed baseball 
  • The best nutrition for athletes, based on science
  • Top vegan athletes in the world 
  • Why cheerleading is/isn’t a real sport
  • Controversial moments in the Olympics 
  • Modern controversies about transgender athletes 
  • The most extreme sports in the world
  • How hockey changed my life
  • Pros and cons of CrossFit
  • Why swimming is one of the healthiest workouts
  • How adult hobby sports can improve socialization
  • Daily exercise improves mental health 
  • The best at-home workouts
  • Top marketing strategies used by the Super Bowl
  • How the Olympics promotes international peace 
  • Should pro athletes have salary caps?
  • How college athletes go pro
  • Top female athletes in the world
  • Interesting sports from around the world
  • Why height is not the most important factor in basketball
  • Why soccer is the most popular international sport
  • Why women’s soccer gets less media coverage than men’s
  • The best solo sports for introverts 
  • How handicapped people can still play sports 
  • The most inspirational handicapped athletes 

Bonus Tip: Level Up Your Speech With Stage Presence

Did you know that public speaking is actually a skill? Many people struggle with stage anxiety because they feel they ‘missed the memo’ on public speaking or they are lacking because they do not have a natural stage presence. Not true!

Stage presence and public speaking are skills you need to be taught—very few people have them naturally. 

Watch our video to learn 7 steps to overcome stage fright and beat performance anxiety:

Here are all the aspects of public speaking you can master.

  • How to make a first impression with an audience
  • How to have stage presence
  • Powerful body language
  • How to speak with a commanding voice
  • What to do with your hands while speaking

For every speaking skill you add to your toolbox, the less speaking anxiety you will feel.

If you want help really diving into your presentation skills, be sure to sign-up for our course…

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  • Communicate with Confidence
  • Achieve Your Goals

Have a question about the presentation or People School? Email Science of People support .

Cultural Informative Speech Topics

Learning about different cultures can drastically expand your viewpoint of the world. These speech ideas cover everything from language to ancient history to pop culture. 

  • How to learn about local culture while traveling
  • The importance of workplace culture
  • How to build a positive corporate culture 
  • How social media connects and promotes culture 
  • The oldest cultures in the world 
  • Modern versus traditional gender roles 
  • How women have transformed corporate leadership 
  • The dangers of hustle culture
  • How social media culture impacts self-esteem
  • How to learn from watching movies
  • The rise of podcasts and their role in modern culture 
  • The role of social media in business 
  • How immigrants maintain cultural traditions in their new countries
  • Ancient archeological artifacts you’ve never heard of
  • Native American spiritual traditions
  • Holy herbs and plants across global cultures
  • How to make an African tribal basket
  • The portrayal of black culture in the media
  • Culture of Scandinavia
  • Burial rituals in ancient Mesopotamia 
  • History and meaning of the Om symbol
  • The history of Buddhism
  • How to show respect in Japanese culture
  • The cultural history of African Americans 
  • Chinese traditional foods 
  • Top 10 foreign dishes you have to try before you die
  • The most important spiritual symbols in the world
  • Generational differences in Mexican culture
  • The symbolism of marigolds in Mexican traditions
  • What is Dia De Los Muertos?  

Want to radically improve your presentation skills? Watch our video for 10 presentation ideas:

Informative Speech Topics About History

They say, “history repeats itself.” Consider giving a unique or lesser-known perspective about historical events for a thought-provoking speech. Use museum artifacts and first-hand accounts to guide your points. 

  • The Civil Rights Movement
  • The oldest civilizations in the world
  • Nelson Mandela’s historical impact
  • The truth about colonization and Thanksgiving 
  • How the Industrial Revolution impacted the environment 
  • The real story of the Titanic 
  • The craziest criminals in history  
  • What caused the Great Depression? 
  • What schools get wrong about black history 
  • Religion during the age of the Aztecs
  • Archeological evidence of aliens
  • Ancient history of dogs and wolves 
  • What caused the Salem witch trials?
  • The American Revolution
  • The role of Christianity in slavery
  • Human rights violations throughout history
  • How life changed for Native Americans after colonization 
  • The role of urbanization on the changing American landscape
  • The cowboy era: myths and truths 
  • The American Constitution
  • The most influential people in world history
  • Forming of the United Nations
  • What caused World War I?
  • Financial panics and recessions throughout history
  • The Prohibition era 
  • What led to consumerism in society? 
  • The Vietnam War
  • The California Gold Rush
  • The true story of Pocahontas
  • Little-known facts about Mexican history

Informative Speech Topics About Music

Music is the soundtrack to our lives. Beyond mere entertainment, its impact dives into the roots of culture, identity, and brain function. Here are some exciting ways to incorporate your love of music into an informative speech. 

  • How music can help mental health 
  • Why you should learn an instrument
  • How listening to music improves your productivity
  • Genres of music 
  • Links between classical music and IQ
  • Why do people bond over music 
  • Rarest instruments in the world
  • The easiest instruments to play
  • Best country musicians of all time
  • How hip hop music has shaped culture in America
  • Evolution of rap and hip hop 
  • The origins of rock n’ roll in southern blues music
  • The history of opera
  • The best electronic dance music
  • The impact of reggae music
  • How punk rock got its start 
  • How folk music shaped Appalachia 
  • Country music hall of fame
  • Must-see musical landmarks around the world
  • Importance of gospel music
  • The ethics of sampling other artist’s music
  • How music shapes subculture 
  • Has social media made record companies obsolete?
  • The importance of musical education in public schools
  • Music as a form of protest
  • How sad music helps you overcome heartbreaks
  • Why music shapes generations
  • How dancing can change your mindset
  • From the phonograph to iPhone: History of music machines

Health Informative Speech Topics

The ever-changing landscape of health offers a wealth of resources. Leave an impact on your audience by inspiring them to improve their eating habits or approach healthy living in a new way. Be sure to find the right sources for these speeches to make sure you are citing correct health science.

  • How to extend your lifespan 
  • Links between diet and mental illnesses 
  • How to cook healthy food on a budget 
  • Why a daily walk outside can transform your health
  • History of herbal medicine 
  • Let food be thy medicine: From Hippocrates to modern day food pyramid
  • Why you should do yoga for 15 minutes a day
  • Benefits and drawbacks of a vegetarian diet
  • The healthiest fruits in the world 
  • What is really in processed food?
  • Is weight lifting or cardio better for burning fat?
  • How agriculture affects our health
  • The gut microbiome
  • The dangers of pesticides in our food system
  • How soil health impacts human health 
  • Who controls the food system? 
  • The science behind keto diets
  • The dangers of low-fat diets
  • Top 5 best foods for brain function
  • The daily habits of the healthiest people in the world
  • Differences in definitions of health
  • European versus American food ingredients 
  • The role of fats in brain function 
  • How to fix a headache
  • The benefits of magnesium
  • The best supplements, according to science 
  • The main signs of a stroke
  • The chronic disease epidemic in America 
  • How to lose weight the healthy way
  • Why you should avoid eating seed oils
  • Why you should stop eating gluten 
  • How to prevent arthritis
  • The real causes of diabetes
  • Is meat actually bad for you? Pros and cons
  • How to stop the mental health epidemic 
  • How dental health impacts your digestion
  • Amazing benefits of black seed oil
  • The Harvard Longevity Project: Why happy people live longer
  • Ancient health remedies from around the world
  • Why you should eat fermented foods
  • Causes of cancer and how to prevent it
  • Why people should donate their organs
  • Effects of radiation
  • The healthiest cultures in the world 
  • Why obesity is a modern problem
  • How to have stronger bones
  • Healthcare access for minorities
  • Why fast food restaurants are addictive
  • Pros and cons of salt
  • How to overcome stress
  • The dangers of e-cigarettes
  • People need to drink more water
  • The insurance and healthcare system in America
  • How friendships improve your health
  • Why couples should exercise together
  • Benefits of dark chocolate
  • Dangerous food additives you’ve never heard of
  • Easy ways to improve your nutrition
  • How to reverse hair loss
  • Secrets to have healthy hair
  • Benefits and drawbacks of stem cell research 
  • Why you should stop drinking soda
  • How to reduce asthma attacks
  • Health benefits of ginger
  • Why you should drink tea

Key Takeaways: Find Inspiration for a Speech

Any informative topic can be used to craft a speech, but a showstopping presentation requires thinking outside the box and approaching your speech from a unique point of view. Before you settle on a topic for your next speech, be sure that your speech idea is:

  • Authentically interesting : Discussing something that doesn’t spark your interest is no use. Choose a topic or idea that you actually care about for an authentic and passionate delivery. 
  • Relevant to your audience : If you don’t know your audience, you might as well be speaking to a wall. Professional presenters understand the general knowledge level of their audience and what information will be valuable or interesting to them. 
  • Easy to research : Obscure topics can be alluring and challenging to research. Choose a topic that has plenty of information available in books or online. Be sure to use reputable sources and cite them when necessary.
  • The proper length : The depth and detail of your speech ultimately depend on the length of time you have to talk. Pick a subject that you can thoroughly describe in the allotted time frame.  

Once you narrow down a few of your favorite topic ideas, start brainstorming how you want your speech to impact the audience. Use these 10 Presentation Ideas That Will Radically Improve Your Presentation Skills , such as:

  • Why you should save the best for first and last
  • How to design epic presentation slides
  • Why you shouldn’t over-rehearse
  • How to own the stage 

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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!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

write a good 5 minute speech

Examples

5 Minute Self Introduction Speech

5 minute self introduction speech generator.

write a good 5 minute speech

What can you do within five minutes? You can do several things for sure, and one of those is giving a 5-minute self-introduction speech. Public speaking, especially a timed one, is overwhelming. What should I say? What are the things I should or should not share? Those questions might be running to your mind right now. Learn the answers to these questions by reading this article. 

4+ 5 Minute Self Introduction Speech Examples

 1. 5 minute self introduction speech template.

5 Minute Self Introduction Speech Template

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2. Sample 5 Minute Self Introduction Speech

Sample 5 Minute Self Introduction Speech

Size: 83 KB

3. Basic 5 Minute Leader Speech

Basic 5 Minute Leader Speech

Size: 141 KB

4. Public Communication Speech

Public Communication Speech

Size: 103 KB

What Is a 5 Minute Self Introduction Speech?

As stated in the name, a 5-minute self-introduction speech is an informative speech about yourself with a time limit of five minutes. In this duration, you can talk freely about yourself. You can share facts about your strengths and weaknesses. Your hobbies, your accomplishments, and your future goals are also a good addition. You can include everything appropriate for the occasion or context. 

How to Compose a 5 Minute Self Introduction Speech

Whether you are a student given the assignment of introducing yourself during the beginning of the school year, or a newly hired employee assigned to do the same in your office, your speech will always be one the people will remember about you. To avoid them seeing you in a bad light, write your self-introduction speech in advance. 

1. Create Your Speech Outline

Before devising a proper introduction or body of your speech, create an outline first. This step is essential for structuring your thoughts. In this outline, you would write down the personal information or the stories you want to share. Decide which part of the speech the information would be appropriate to share. If you do not know how to create one, there are sample blank outline templates on the internet. 

2. Write an Engaging Introduction

Introductions, from essay writing to speech writing , are always an essential part. Considering that it would be the first thing you listeners will hear, it will also be where they would judge whether to listen to you attentively or not. To capture their attention as early as the start of your speech, make your hook compelling. Do not forget to include your greeting and saying your name as a part of your introduction.

3. Construct the Body of Your Speech

In introducing yourself, avoid enumerating irrelevant facts about yourself like a robot. Before the date of your speech, conduct an audience analysis . Doing this would help you determine what appropriate information or stories you can tell to fit the situation. If you are doing it in front of professionals, you should include things that would sell yourself. On a more casual occasion, such as in a classroom, you can share a fascinating story in the body of your speech. 

4. Record Yourself

After writing your speech, record yourself while doing it. If it ends up lasting longer than 5 minutes, then you should revise and trim it down a little. This action will also serve as a practice to get your tongue familiar with your speech and avoid stuttering. It is better to deliver an extemporaneous speech than to read a manuscript. Avoid looking down at your script too much. You should prepare index cards and glance at them casually. 

What is an elevator pitch?

Elevator pitch or sometimes called an elevator speech mostly lasts for 30 seconds. Within that short time, the speaker should explain a concept or an idea or introduce something that should be comprehensive to the audience. People give this type of speech in introducing themselves or an organization.

What is a telegraphic speech?

The field of psychology explains telegraphic speech as the form of communication 2 to 3-year-olds use to communicate. This speech belongs in the two-word stage in the process of a child’s language development. Telegraphic speech is often two to three words and consists of a noun and a verb. “I hungry” and “Mommy come” are some examples of it.

What are the dos and don’ts in self-introduction?

If you have a complicated name, it is one of the dos to spell your name. Another tip in introducing yourself is to state your origin, in case some people live in the same neighborhood as you, then you can start establishing a connection instantly. In contrast, one of the don’ts you should remember is exaggerating your accomplishments.

When you enter a new environment, the first thing that comes to mind to most people is how to develop a rapport with other people. The best way to do it is to leave a lasting impression. Come up with a self introduction speech that would be worthwhile for their 5 minutes. 

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200 Best 5 Minute Speech Topic Ideas

write a good 5 minute speech

Sourav Mahahjan

write a good 5 minute speech

Love it or hate it, speeches and presentations are bound to come your way in school and college days. They are given as assignments or included in extracurricular events. The intention is to develop public speaking skills in students and provide them a platform to showcase their talent. If you have been assigned the task to deliver 5 minute presentations then the first question will obviously be “what topic should I choose?”

Selecting a good topic is the most tricky part as it forms the backbone of your presentation. If you are jiggling your brain for an interesting topic for speech, you’ve landed on the right page. Here we’ve compiled 200+ intriguing and easy topics for presentation. Scroll through the topic ideas and jot down the ones that spike your interest. Then brainstorm and pick the most suitable one and half of your battle will be won!

List of 5 Minute Speech Topics.

Here’s a comprehensive list of 5 minutes presentation topics across 16 categories:

Speech Topic Ideas Related To Science and Technology

  • Is AI creating or destroying jobs?
  • Will artificial intelligence overpower human intelligence?
  • Explaining Genetic modification 
  • India’s space missions -lessons we’ve learned
  • How to use Chat GPT correctly?
  • Breakthrough inventions of 21st century
  • Biological Warfare and Its Consequences
  • Steps for cybersafety
  • Intelligent Irrigation techniques in middle eastern countries
  • Techniques and Benefits of rainwater harvesting
  • Technological unemployment
  • The future of 3D Printing
  • Electrical vehicles in India - Present and future

Speech Topics on Politics and Current Affairs

  • Is democracy only a myth in present times?
  • Vote bank politics in India
  • How to prepare for civil services examinations?
  • Student Politics- boon or bane
  • Increasing influence of social media in elections
  • LGBTQA+ Laws in India 
  • Evolving international relations of India
  • De-dollarization
  • India’s G20 Presidency 2023 -reflections
  • Rising cyber warfare
  • Impact of Russia-Ukraine crisis on India
  • Electronic voting - is it trustworthy?
  • Crisis management lessons the world needs to learn after Covid 19

Business Related Speech Ideas

  • Is a 4-day work week feasible?
  • Decoding startup wave in India
  • Benefits of moonlighting
  • Passive income ideas
  • Evolution of HR policies after Covid 19
  • Strategies for building inclusive workspaces
  • Benefits and risks of investing in cryptocurrency
  • The rise of gig economy
  • Market research - a crucial requirement for success
  • 5 best marketing strategies of all time
  • Should unpaid internships be banned?
  • How to avoid layoffs?

Speech Ideas Related To Literature

  • Reapplying Benjamin’s ‘Work of Art in the Age of Technological Reproducibility’ in present times
  • Portrayal of illness in literary works
  • Neo orientalism
  • Literary Journalism
  • The rising craze of fan fiction
  • Nihilism in post covid texts
  • Eco-feminism
  • LGBTQA+ Literature in India
  • Exploring Kafkaesque style
  • Relation between painting and literature
  • Disability literature
  • Is third world literature an unethical concept?

Social Sciences Speech Topics

  • Language Politics in India
  • Importance of protecting minority cultures in India
  • Taboos in modern society
  • Weird festivals around the world
  • Socialism vs Communism
  • Is capitalism declining?
  • Internationalism
  • Busting myths around Hippie cultures
  • The need to expand the concept of gender equality -LGBTQA+ perspective
  • How to address the problem of Generation gap?
  • Art influences of Mughal dynasty in India
  • The changing nature of terrorism in modern times

Speech Topics on Sports

  • Can digital games be included in sports?
  • Reviewing the success of Khelo India Youth Games
  • Does India need a caste based quota in cricket?
  • Ethical issues in gender testing for athletes
  • Mental health of sportsmen - how to take care?
  • Challenges of women in sports in India?
  • Should animal sports be banned?
  • Reviewing the impact player rule in cricket
  • Consequences of intervention of politics in sports?
  • 5 lessons you’ve learned from your favourite sports personality
  • How do sports help build character in children?
  • Fan etiquettes - necessary or loss of freedom?
  • Should betting be made illegal worldwide?

Speech Ideas on Health

  • Alzheimer’s disease: Causes, Precaution, Cure
  • The truth about protein powders
  • Good home workout exercises
  • Yoga for women
  • Tips to maintain consistency in exercises
  • Importance of knowing basic nutrition
  • Will Functional Medicine revolutionize healthcare
  • Pros and Cons of intermittent fasting
  • Busting diet and exercise myths
  • Different types of diets
  • Managing mental health in the age of social media
  • 10 ways to improve mental health

Art and Design Speech Topics Ideas

  • Influence of different cultures on Indian art
  • Can digital creations be considered as art?
  • Therapeutic effects of doing mandala arts
  • History of highly popular mandala arts
  • Arts born out of fusion of different art forms
  • 5 good apps for editing photos
  • Unique arts around the world
  • Graffiti - vandalism or art?
  • Controversies around mental health of artists
  • Free art vs controlled art - which do you support?
  • Fine arts as occupation in India
  • Has social media contributed to reviving arts?

Psychology Speech Topics

  • Fascinating facts about human brain
  • How does music affect the brain?
  • Types of anxiety disorders
  • Effects of violent video games on children’s minds
  • Surviving through ADHD - Case study discussion
  • Psychologist vs Psychiatrist vs Counsellor
  • Why should psychology not turn into hard science?
  • Psychological impacts in Covid 19 patients
  • Pros and cons of digital tools in assessment and treatment of psychological disorders
  • Fetishes in teens
  • Role of psychology in marketing
  • Symptoms of bipolar disorder
  • Understanding multiple personality disorder

Films and Media Speech Titles

  • Bollywood is collapsing - myth or reality?
  • Negative consequences of actors endorsing harmful products
  • How did film award functions lose their credibility and relevance?
  • Have news channels turned into entertainment channels?
  • Should tv debates be banned?
  • Fake nature of reality shows
  • Rising interference of politics in movies
  • The role of daily soaps in strengthening stereotypes on women
  • Ethical questions in documentaries
  • Reviewing the impacts of lack of film certification laws in OTTs
  • 5 all-time favourite ads
  • Lowered news media standards and its undesirable effects

Speech Topic Ideas on Social Media

  • Is text messaging affecting teen literacy?
  • Necessity strict laws to curb the spread of fake news on social media?
  • Twitter vs Instagram 
  • How to reduce the use of social media by children?
  • Tips to tackle social media addiction
  • Can social influencer be seen as a full-time professional job?
  • New exciting career options in social media
  • How to do social media marketing effectively?
  • Decoding metaverse
  • How has social media influenced politics
  • Social media and stalking
  • Ethical issues behind posting animals’ and baby pictures’ and videos on social accounts
  • Social media activism

Educational Speech Topics Ideas

  • Is the Indian Education system creating only workers and no entrepreneurs?
  • Explaining NEP
  • Effectiveness of teachers’ training programmes
  • Importance of education field visits
  • The use of AI in teaching - pros and cons
  • Why are standardized tests not relevant?
  • Should differently abled children be taught in the same schools as other students?
  • Importance of sex education
  • Viewing sports as an integral part of education
  • Should online degrees be banned?
  • Bullying - consequences and how to reduce it?
  • Reviewing ‘Beti bachao beti padhao’ scheme

Speech Topics on Environment

  • Endangered species on Earth
  • Decoding climate change
  • Light pollution
  • E-waste management 
  • The dangerous effects of bush burning and its alternatives
  • Explaining 7 Rs of sustainability
  • Animal rights - success or failure
  • Role of UN in protecting environment
  • Acidification of ocean
  • Rainwater harvesting techniques that can be implemented in every household
  • Plastic roads - the road ahead to recycle plastic
  • Decoding rising sea levels as an effect of global warming

Lifestyle and Fashion Speech Topic Ideas

  • Monsoon skin care routine
  • How to style for summers
  • Tips to choose the best gifts
  • Books to help you deal with changes in life
  • Self care tips
  • Books for beginner readers
  • Habits of successful people
  • Winter clothing and accessories trends
  • Pop vs pastel colours - what to opt for and when?
  • Benefits of having a hobby
  • Unknown traditional fashion styles around the world
  • Tips to practise mindfulness

Food Related Speech Topics

  • Exploring cultures through food
  • Famous ancient dishes of India
  • History of French fries
  • Steps to avoid food wastage
  • Healthy fast food - myth or reality
  • Decoding non veganism
  • Ill-effects of a vegan diet
  • Weird dishes around the world
  • Culinary arts in children’s food
  • Easy ways to go gluten-free
  • Daily inflammatory foods you should avoid
  • Popular restaurants in your city

Life Skills Speech Ideas

  • Digital literacy in senior citizens
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Time management techniques
  • Tips for Stress management
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Critical thinking vs creative thinking
  • Strategies to maintain work-life balance
  • 7 simple ways to improve mental well-being
  • Reading food labels for healthy choices
  • How to inculcate self discipline?
  • Setting SMART goals
  • Benefits of SWOT Analysis

We hope that you might have got some interesting topics for presentation from the above list. These thoughtful yet easy presentation topics will surely hook your audience and earn you pats on your back. You can also reserve some good ideas for future speeches or suggest topics to your friends.

If you require further help for writing your speech you can reach out to our experts for assistance. We have some of the best writers in the industry who are highly qualified and experienced in academic writing. We at The Assignment Ninjas specialize in crafting customized essays in a short time and ensure a smooth experience for our clients. Get top quality speech at your fingertips and be ready to rock the presentation and secure high grades!

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How to Write and Deliver a Compelling Narrative Speech (With Examples)

  • The Speaker Lab
  • August 8, 2024

Table of Contents

If you want to elevate your public speaking game, storytelling is one of the best ways to do so. By weaving captivating tales into your presentations, you’ll forge a powerful emotional bond with your audience in a way you can’t with mere data and statistics. Not sure where to begin? Look no further than these narrative speech examples , designed to spark your creativity and help you craft your own compelling narratives.

From personal anecdotes to historical tales, these examples will demonstrate the power of storytelling to engage, persuade, and inspire. You’ll also see how great speakers use vivid language, descriptive details, and relatable characters to draw their listeners in and keep them hanging on every word. So get ready to take notes, because you’re about to unleash your inner storyteller!

What Is a Narrative Speech?

If you’ve ever been captivated by a great story, then you know the power of storytelling. A narrative speech is a type of speech that uses a personal story or narrative to engage the audience and illustrate a point. It’s one of the most effective ways to connect with your listeners on an emotional level.

Elements of a Good Narrative Speech

So, what makes a good narrative speech? First and foremost, it needs to have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Your story should have a strong opening that hooks the audience, a compelling middle that builds tension and keeps them engaged, and a satisfying conclusion that ties everything together.

If you want your story to pack a punch, don’t skimp on the specifics. Describe what you experienced using the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. When you paint a vivid picture with your words, your audience will feel like they’re right there with you, experiencing every thrilling moment firsthand.

Benefits of Giving a Narrative Speech

But why bother with a narrative speech in the first place? Because stories have the power to change hearts and minds. They allow you to connect with your audience on a personal level, making your message more memorable and impactful. Think about it—when was the last time a list of facts and figures moved you to tears or inspired you to take action? Probably never. But a well-told story? That can stay with you for a lifetime.

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How to Choose a Topic for Your Narrative Speech

Now that you’ve unlocked the potential of narrative speeches, the next step is selecting the perfect topic. Look for a narrative that not only resonates with you on a personal level but will also strike a chord with your audience.

Brainstorming Ideas

Start by brainstorming speech topics that are meaningful to you. Think about pivotal moments in your life, lessons you’ve learned, or challenges you’ve overcome. Consider stories that highlight your values, passions, or unique experiences.

One brainstorming technique is to make a list of “firsts”—first love, first job, first big failure, etc. These moments often make for compelling stories because they’re relatable and emotionally charged.

Narrowing Down Your Options

Once you have a list of potential topics, it’s time to narrow them down. Ask yourself which stories are most relevant to your audience and the message you want to convey. Which ones have the most dramatic arc or the most valuable lessons?

You also want to consider your comfort level with each story. Some stories may be too personal or emotionally raw to share in a public setting. Others may not have enough substance to sustain a full speech. Trust your gut and choose the story that feels right for you.

Ensuring Your Topic Is Engaging

Finally, make sure your chosen topic is engaging and compelling. A good story should have some sort of conflict or tension that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. It should also have a clear theme or message that resonates with listeners.

To determine if your story is a crowd-pleaser, put it to the test by sharing it with your inner circle. As you weave your narrative, watch closely for signs of engagement or boredom. Then, afterwards, ask for feedback on how you can improve your narrative speech—and don’t be afraid to ask for examples of how you might re-write specific sections. Jot down these suggestions and use them to fine-tune your story, ensuring it’s a hit with any audience.

Crafting an Outline for Your Narrative Speech

Now that you’ve nailed down your topic, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and craft a speech outline . Trust us, having a clear roadmap will make all the difference when it comes to delivering your message with confidence and clarity.

Introduction

Begin your speech with a hook, something that will pique your audience’s interest and encourage them to keep listening. Oftentimes, speakers like to use a shocking statistic or a captivating anecdote to kick things off.

For example, if your narrative speech is about overcoming a fear of public speaking , you might start with something like, “Imagine standing in front of a room full of people, your heart racing, your palms sweating, your mind going blank. That was me, just a few years ago.”

The body of your speech is where you’ll tell your actual story. Break it down into clear, chronological segments with smooth transitions between each part. Use vivid details and sensory language to bring the story to life.

As you’re writing, consider incorporating dialogue, humor , or suspense to keep the audience engaged. You might also use rhetorical devices like repetition or metaphor to drive home your key points.

As you wrap up your story, consider the bigger picture. What insights did this journey reveal to you? How have you grown as a person because of it? Think about the key takeaway you want to leave with your readers—something that will stick with them long after they’ve walked away.

End with a call-to-action or a thought-provoking question that encourages the audience to reflect on your message. You might also circle back to the opening anecdote or question to create a sense of closure.

Incorporating Characterization Techniques

To make your story more engaging, consider incorporating characterization techniques. This means giving your characters distinct personalities, motivations, and quirks that make them feel like real people.

Firstly, bring your characters to life through their conversations. The words they choose, their facial expressions, and even their body language can speak volumes about who they are and what makes them tick.

Secondly, to help your audience visualize your characters, use rich descriptions of their physical attributes, fashion choices, and distinct behaviors. Paint a picture of what they look like, how they present themselves through their attire, and any idiosyncrasies that define who they are. By bringing your characters to life, you’ll make your story more relatable and memorable for the audience.

In order to create a narrative speech that truly stands out , you’ll need to put in the time and effort to refine your craft. The reward? An opportunity to share a personal story that not only entertains but also motivates and inspires your audience, forging a connection that lasts long after the final word is spoken.

Delivering Your Narrative Speech Effectively

Before we get to narrative speech examples, let’s take a look at speech delivery. Speech delivery isn’t just about the words you say, but how you say them. Your body language, eye contact, and vocal delivery all play crucial roles in engaging your audience and making your story memorable.

In addition, practice until you can recite your story in your sleep. When you know your content like the back of your hand, you can focus on engaging with your listeners and making your words come alive.

Practicing Your Speech

Rehearsing your speech is of utmost importance. It’s a step that many speakers overlook, but it can make a world of difference in your delivery. When you practice, you familiarize yourself with the flow of your story, allowing you to speak more naturally and confidently.

One technique you find particularly helpful is recording yourself delivering the speech. When you watch the playback, you can identify areas where you need to improve your vocal variety, adjust your speaking rate , or refine your body language. It’s a powerful tool for self-critique and growth as a speaker.

Engaging Your Audience

When you take the stage, your focus should be squarely on those who have gathered to hear you. Eye contact is just the beginning; truly engaging your audience means creating a genuine connection and making them feel like they’re right there with you, experiencing your story firsthand. Try using words like “we” and “us” to make your audience feel included. Asking questions can also get them thinking about what you’re saying.

Using Props and Visual Aids

Your narrative speech may revolve around your words, but don’t underestimate the impact of a carefully selected prop or visual aid. These tools can make abstract ideas tangible, evoke strong emotional responses, and ensure your message lingers long after you’ve left the stage.

However, it’s important to use these tools judiciously. Overreliance on props or visuals can distract from your message and undermine your credibility as a speaker. When selecting props or creating visual aids, always ask yourself: does this add value to my story, or is it just a gimmick?

Overcoming Nervousness

Even seasoned speakers get the jitters sometimes. Before stepping up to the mic, take a moment to ground yourself with some breathing exercises. Visualize yourself delivering your story with confidence and poise, and watch as that nervous energy transforms into pure charisma on stage.

Remember, your listeners are your biggest supporters. They’ve gathered to hear your unique perspective and leave feeling uplifted. Rely on the effort you’ve put in, breathe deeply, and allow your fervor for your message to radiate throughout the room.

Examples of Compelling Narrative Speeches

Great speakers have always known the secret to capturing an audience’s attention: storytelling. Whether it’s an ancient Greek orator spinning a yarn or a modern-day TED Talker sharing a personal journey, the ability to craft a compelling narrative is what sets the best speakers apart. So, what do these narrative speeches look like in action? Let’s dive into some narrative speech examples that have educated, inspired, and motivated people across the ages.

Inspirational Stories

Inspirational stories are those that uplift and motivate us to be our best selves. They often involve overcoming adversity, achieving a seemingly impossible goal, or making a positive difference in the world. Take, for example, Amy Purdy’s narrative speech about the power of imagination. In case you aren’t familiar with the name, Amy Purdy is a Paralympic snowboarder who lost both her legs below the knee due to bacterial meningitis. In her TED talk, she shares her journey of resilience and adaptation, showing how she turned a devastating setback into an opportunity to inspire others.

Humorous Anecdotes

Want to instantly connect with your audience? Try sprinkling in some humor. A well-timed joke or absurd anecdote can break the ice and leave your listeners in stitches. Keep them on their toes with unexpected twists, and they’ll be hanging on your every word.

Darren LaCroix, a professional speaker, frequently uses humorous stories in his talks. Take a look at how he uses his stories of failure in this speech to motivate his crowd to chase their dreams.

Emotional Tales

Emotional tales have a way of grabbing our hearts and not letting go. These stories frequently revolve around individual challenges, the pain of loss, or powerful moments of clarity that reshape a person’s path forward.

One example of an emotional narrative speech is Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address , in which he shares three personal stories that shaped his philosophy on life and work. From his adoption story to his battle with cancer, Jobs’ tales are raw, honest, and deeply moving.

Motivational Narratives

Ever heard a story that made you want to jump up and take on the world? That’s the power of a motivational narrative. These inspiring tales feature everyday people doing incredible things—conquering challenges, chasing their passions, and proving that with hard work and determination, anything is possible.

If you want to hear an inspiring tale, check out J.K. Rowling’s Harvard Commencement Speech . She shares her personal journey of failure and resilience, and how she used her imagination to create one of the most adored book series ever. It’s a beautiful story about the power of storytelling and never giving up on your dreams.

Want to hook your audience, tug at their heartstrings, and spur them to action? Take a look at some narrative speech examples from those who’ve mastered the craft. But as you do, don’t forget: your story, told in your unique voice, is the most powerful tool you have. Share it boldly, and watch as it transforms lives.

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FAQs on Narrative Speech Examples

How do you start a narrative speech.

Kick off with a hook that grabs attention. Maybe share an unexpected fact, ask a thought-provoking question, or launch into the heart of your tale.

What is an example of storytelling?

An example would be recounting how overcoming acute anxiety before a big job interview taught resilience and self-confidence.

Dive straight into setting the scene or introduce your main character in action. Let listeners feel they’re right there with you from the get-go.

What are examples of narrative speech?

Narrative speeches might explore personal growth through volunteering experiences or share humorous anecdotes about learning to drive. They weave personal stories to engage and enlighten audiences.

Storytelling is a timeless art that has the power to captivate, inspire, and transform. By studying these narrative speech examples, you’ve seen firsthand how weaving narratives into your presentations can create an emotional connection with your audience and make your message unforgettable.

In order to engage your audience, focus on your characters. Additionally, include details that engage the senses. And don’t be afraid to get a little personal. After all, your own experiences can be the most powerful stories of all.

With these tips in mind, go forth and tell your stories with passion, authenticity, and purpose. Your audience is waiting to be inspired by the narratives only you can tell. Happy storytelling!

  • Last Updated: August 6, 2024

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How to Write the Perfect Maid of Honor Speech

write a good 5 minute speech

As the maid of honor at your sister’s or friend’s wedding, one of your most important maid of honor duties will be to deliver a speech at the wedding reception. 

Some MOHs prepare their speeches months in advance. But some procrastinate because they don’t know how to begin to write a speech, what to include, or how long it should be.  

We've got you covered if you’re getting ready to write your speech! And you don’t have to be an expert in speech writing to nail the delivery on your bestie’s special day!

Here’s how to write a maid of honor speech, plus tips on how to deliver your speech on the big day: 

Write an Introduction

Begin your speech by saying good evening (or good afternoon), introducing yourself, and describing yourself in relation to the bride and to the couple. 

Wedding guests that don’t know you will want to know if the bride is your:

Once you’ve explained who you are, wrap up your introduction. Thank the mother and father of the bride, her partner, and any other family members who had a role in hosting or paying for the wedding.  

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Talk About Your Personal Relationship with the Bride

After your introduction, give some details and personal anecdotes about your relationship with the bride. 

You can do so by:

In this portion of the speech, it’s okay to show your sense of humor, be sentimental, or both! Don’t pressure yourself into writing the funniest speech ever or writing a speech that will have every guest in tears. The key is to keep it lighthearted and heartfelt.

This is not the moment to spill lifelong secrets or attempt to embarrass the bride or her new spouse. So steer clear of certain topics, such as drunken girls’ nights out, bachelorette party antics , sex, and ex-relationships or previous marriages. 

It’s not the time to tell inside jokes, either. No one in the room will understand what you’re talking about, and you could lose the crowd's attention. 

Talk About Your Relationship With the Bride’s New Spouse

write a good 5 minute speech

Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Philadelphia | Derek Kerzner

You don’t have to go into lengthy detail about your relationship with the bride’s new spouse, but it’s nice to include a sentence or two about them. You could mention how you first met the bride’s partner or when you realized they were her perfect match!

Talk About the Couple as a Pair

Towards the end of your speech, show support for the newlyweds and their relationship by talking about them as a couple. 

You can talk about things like:

Finish Your Speech With a Wedding Toast

write a good 5 minute speech

Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Birmingham | Brittany Driver Anderson

Finally, wrap up your amazing speech with a toast to the happy couple! You should literally raise a glass and cheers, encouraging all the wedding guests to follow suit. 

More Speech Tips for Writing an Amazing Maid of Honor Speech

When writing a speech, timing is everything! 

Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind when putting together your MOH speech:

Keep It Short and Sweet 

The ideal length for a wedding speech is about 2-5 minutes. Anything longer than that, and you could start losing the crowd. Plus, the longer your speech, the less time you’ll have for partying and dancing!

No matter how long your history with the bride is, don’t overcomplicate things or tell endless stories in your speech. All you need is one good one.

Practice Ahead of Time 

Practice delivering your speech to a fellow member of the wedding party or your own partner and ask for feedback. 

If you want your speech to surprise everyone , practice it with anyone not invited to the wedding that you trust to give honest feedback. This could be your mom or even a coworker.

Even if you’re 100% confident in the words you’ve penned, it’s a good idea to at least practice it in front of a mirror. When practicing aloud, set a timer. If the speech is too long, make some edits to keep it under five minutes.

Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute 

Writing your speech at least a few weeks before the wedding is best. That’ll give you plenty of time to practice it and make changes as needed. 

It’s also important to know that there’s no such thing as a perfect maid of honor speech. Just be yourself, and write the best speech you can!

Related: Matron of Honor vs Maid of Honor: What's the Difference?

Tips for Delivering a Great Maid of Honor Speech

write a good 5 minute speech

Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Charleston | Source

Nervous about public speaking? 

Don’t worry — a lot of people are! Here’s a tip to get you through the moment. And no, it doesn’t require you to imagine everyone in the room in their underwear.

Instead of speaking to the crowd, speak directly to the couple. Focusing solely on the couple can help ease your nerves and make it easier to deliver your words.

One final tip for all you MOHs out there:

Don’t drink too much alcohol before your speech!

It’s best to wait until you finish your speech to start serious partying. Consuming too many drinks beforehand may make you slur your speech, speak too fast, or appear lethargic. 

You want to appear energized and happy… not under the influence. 

Writing a maid of honor speech can be a fun experience, and delivering it on the wedding day should be an even greater one! The bride has already honored you by asking you to be her MOH. 

Your wedding speech is the time to honor her in return with kind, heartfelt words and well wishes for a long and happy marriage. It’ll be a moment the two of you will never forget.   

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How to Write a Eulogy: 5 Short Eulogy Examples

Knowing how to write a eulogy doesn’t come naturally. Especially in times of grief. Here are some examples to help you prepare

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Madhu is an experienced content writer with four years of experience in writing marketing content for the tech i...

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Updated on: August 12, 2024 · 15 min read

What makes a good eulogy?

Step-by-step guide on how to write a eulogy, do’s and don’ts for writing a eulogy, tips for delivering a eulogy at a funeral or memorial service, 5 short eulogy examples.

Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences one can go through. If you’re reading this to prepare a eulogy for someone in your life, we’re sorry for your loss and here to help.

A eulogy is a speech given at a funeral to remember and honor the dead. It’s one way of showing appreciation and respect for the lasting memory of an impactful family member, true friend, or loved one. 

We’ve put together this guide to help you through this often-overwhelming process. Let's get into how to write a eulogy, complete with examples.

A young woman sits at her kitchen table and looks at her open laptop as she writes a eulogy for a family member. The strongest eulogies will evoke the person’s personality through sincere storytelling.

In funeral speeches, every person deserves to be remembered in a way that honors their impact on the people around them. What this looks like depends on your relationship with the person you speak of. 

The strongest eulogies will evoke the person’s personality through sincere storytelling. Sharing a fond memory of your loved one can help you and others remember everything that made them special to you. 

While this is undoubtedly sad, your eulogy doesn’t have to be. If your loved one had a vibrant and gregarious personality, try to capture their essence in your speech. Speaking about your loved one positively with personal stories can help the rest of the audience remember their own fond memories.

Use the following step-by-step guide to write a eulogy for your loved one that is personal and memorable. The deceased will sometimes have a letter of last instruction or final wishes . If this is the case for your loved one, try to take a look at that document before deciding how to write a eulogy for them.

Write down any funny stories, feelings, or memories you have about the deceased. Remember that this can be a personal story or anecdote about your relationship with your loved one. In this first step, it is OK to write down anything and everything.

2. Organize your thoughts

Now is the time to shape your thoughts into a rough outline. Draft a structure that allows you to have an introduction, middle, and conclusion. 

Sort all your different fond memories in a way that can best showcase your loved one’s personality in a relatable way. 

Eulogies are typically between 5 and 15 minutes, so make sure to consider that when drafting your outline.

3. Consider the introduction

Begin with your relationship with the deceased, any notable life milestones, or any particularly personal stories you want to share.

The introduction should highlight your relationship with the deceased. You can then tie in any personal stories in the middle, but people should know why you are speaking and giving this eulogy. 

Decide what you’re going for in your speech, and use your introduction to create a suitable environment.

4. Flesh out the middle 

Here is where you can cover the important parts of the deceased’s life. You can share personal stories from others, achievements, the impact on their community and family members, and more. It can be a good place to share some fond memories about your loved one and how your relationship grew through different memories together.

5. Decide on your conclusion 

There’s no wrong way to end a funeral speech. Some end with a poem, a quote, funny stories, or a summary of the deceased’s impact on their community. 

The conclusion should encapsulate the individual’s spirit and legacy. How you do that is up to you.

6. Review and revise 

Part of what it means to write a eulogy or is to start the healing process for you and everyone attending the funeral or memorial service. 

  • Tell a story: If you have any heartfelt stories or fond memories of the deceased, take this time to share them with the other attendees. You're encouraged to talk about someone’s qualities and personality in a funeral speech, but you can enhance each trait by sharing a personal story through their life events.
  • Be honest: Nobody’s perfect. You can humanize the deceased by being honest about the good and the bad so long as you’re coming from a place of love. Don’t try to glorify your loved one by painting a false picture of them.
  • Write for your strengths: It’s okay to speak in simple and complex language. There’s no right tone. Be true to yourself when writing your speech so that your delivery is authentic. You can practice delivering your speech so you know what feels right to say.
  • Prepare a backup reader: It’s common for folks to feel emotional at a funeral or memorial service. If you fear you’ll be too emotional on the day itself to give the speech yourself, a backup reader can help deliver your words for you.
  • Mention the deceased’s family members by name: Family members are a part of the deceased’s legacy; this is a simple yet effective way to honor them.

Don'ts

  • Wing it: Winging a eulogy might seem like a path to being genuine and straightforward in your approach. In reality, it often leads to speaking insensitively or incoherently. Make sure to prepare what you want to say.
  • Dwell on touchy subjects like the cause of death, legal issues, and family disputes: It’s bad form to talk poorly about the dead, and people might not take kindly to controversial subjects like the aforementioned.
  • Go over on time: Most eulogies last 5 to 15 minutes, and going much longer than that risks cutting another part of the service short. Stay respectful of others’ time and keep the focus on honoring the deceased’s legacy. Taking too long in your speech can inadvertently take away from the rest of the service.
  • Practice the speech: This is a good way to manage nerves on the funeral or memorial service day and ensure a smooth delivery.
  • Check your timing: You should have a rough idea of your speech's length before delivering it. Remember that other people may be speaking, or the funeral service might be on a strict schedule. You don’t want to cut into others’ time
  • Speak clearly: Try your best to manage your emotions, and use notes as needed. No one is expecting you to be perfect here, so just do your best.

We’ve compiled a variety of eulogies that people have written for their loved ones for you to take inspiration from. 

Eulogy for Marilyn Monroe by Lee Strasberg

Lee Strasberg was a mentor to the late great Marilyn Monroe. His funeral speech is an excellent showcase of how to speak about someone you had a mentor relationship with.

“Marilyn Monroe was a legend.

“In her own lifetime, she created a myth of what a poor girl from a deprived background could attain. For the entire world, she became a symbol of the eternal feminine.

“But I have no words to describe the myth and the legend. I did not know this Marilyn Monroe. We gathered here today, knew only Marilyn—a warm human being, impulsive and shy, sensitive and in fear of rejection, yet ever avid for life and reaching out for fulfillment.”

Starsberg starts the speech by acknowledging Marilyn Monroe’s relationship with the general public and juxtaposing that with his relationship with the famous actress. This effectively answers the question of why he was giving one of the funeral speeches at this memorial service.

“Others were as physically beautiful as she was, but there was obviously something more in her, something that people saw and recognized in her performances and with which they identified. She had a luminous quality—a combination of wistfulness, radiance, yearning—to set her apart and yet make everyone wish to be a part of it, to share in the childish naïveté which was so shy and yet so vibrant.

“Now it is at an end. I hope her death will stir sympathy and understanding for a sensitive artist and a woman who brought joy and pleasure to the world.

“I cannot say goodbye. Marilyn never liked goodbyes, but in the peculiar way she had of turning things around so that they faced reality—I will say au revoir. For the country to which she has gone, we must all someday visit.”

This fitting tribute describes how Strasberg saw Monroe. Not a larger-than-life figure with the world at her feet, but an ambitious and relatable young actress who faced the world head-on.

This was a beautiful way of humanizing Marilyn Monroe as more than just a famous person who has died and teaching the audience something they may not have known about the late public figure. 

Eulogy for Steve Jobs by Mona Simpson

Mona Simpson was Steve Jobs’ little sister whom he didn’t meet until she was 25 years old. Her loved one’s eulogy is an honest picture of a man with strengths and weaknesses that made him who he was.

“I want to tell you a few things I learned from Steve during three distinct periods over the 27 years I knew him. They’re not periods of years but of states of being: his full life, his illness, and his dying.

“Steve worked at what he loved. He worked really hard. Every day. That’s incredibly simple but true. He was the opposite of absent-minded.

“He was never embarrassed about working hard, even if the results were failures. If someone as smart as Steve wasn’t ashamed to admit trying, maybe I didn’t have to be.”

This part of Simpson’s eulogy effectively shows how Jobs was an inspiration to her, as he had been to many people across the world.

“For an innovator, Steve was remarkably loyal. If he loved a shirt, he’d order 10 or 100 of them. In the Palo Alto house, there are probably enough black cotton turtlenecks for everyone in this church.

“He didn’t favor trends or gimmicks. He liked people his own age.

“His philosophy of aesthetics reminds me of a quote that went something like this: ‘Fashion is what seems beautiful now but looks ugly later; art can be ugly at first, but it becomes beautiful later.’

“Steve always aspired to make beautiful later. He was willing to be misunderstood.”

Simpson’s funny story about Jobs’ famous black turtlenecks gave everyone in the audience a fond memory to latch on to. The quote is another great way of capturing somebody’s essence through art.

“Before embarking, [Steve] looked at his sister Patty, then for a long time at his children, then at his life’s partner, Laurene, and then over their shoulders past them.

“Steve’s final words were:

“OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.”

This eulogy is as unique as Steve Jobs himself. As the audience, we are left on a note of mystery and wanting to know more. It is a beautiful way of capturing Jobs’ remarkable, sometimes eccentric, personality.

Eulogy for Steve Irwin by Bindi Irwin

Losing a parent at any age can be unimaginably difficult. Bindi Irwin had to write a touching eulogy for her father when she was only eight years old. Her heart and authenticity shined through, showing how to write a eulogy without needing fancy words to honor someone you love.

“My Daddy was my hero—he was always there for me when I needed him. He listened to me and taught me so many things, but most of all he was fun. I know that Daddy had an important job. He was working to change the world so everyone would love wildlife like he did. He built a hospital to help animals, and he bought lots of land to give animals a safe place to live.

“He took me and my brother and my Mum with him all the time.

“We filmed together, caught crocodiles together, and loved being in the bush together. I don’t want Daddy’s passion to ever end. I want to help endangered wildlife just like he did.

“I have the best Daddy in the whole world, and I will miss him every day. When I see a crocodile, I will always think of him, and I know that Daddy made this zoo so everyone could come and learn to love all the animals. Daddy made this place his whole life, and now it’s our turn to help Daddy.”

Eulogy for Muhammad Ali by Billy Crystal

Here is an excerpt from Billy Crystal’s eulogy for Muhammad Ali. It shows a touching, heartwarming, and hilarious way of how to write a eulogy using funny stories without being inappropriate.

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, we’re at the halfway point. I was clean-shaven when this started.

“Dear Lonnie (Ali’s wife), family, friends, Mr. President, members of the clergy, all of these amazing people here in Louisville. Today, this outpouring of love and respect proves that 35 years after he stopped fighting, [Muhammad Ali] is still the champion of the world.”

“He was a tremendous bolt of lightning created by Mother Nature out of thin air, a fantastic combination of power and beauty. We’ve seen still photographs of lightning bolts, ferocious in its strength, magnificent in its elegance. And at the moment of impact, it lights up everything around it so you can see everything clearly. 

"Muhammad Ali struck us in the middle of America’s darkest night, in the heart of its most threatening gathering storm. His power toppled the mighty foes, and his intense light shined on America, and we were able to see clearly: injustice, inequality, poverty, pride, self-realization, courage, laughter, love, joy, and religious freedom for all. 

“My friends, only once in a thousand years or so do we get to hear a Mozart, or see a Picasso, read a Shakespeare. Ali was one of them, and yet at his heart, he was still a kid from Louisville who ran with the gods and walked with the crippled and smiled at the foolishness of it all. He is gone, but he will never die.

“He was my big brother.”

The eulogy beautifully concludes with a metaphor symbolizing Muhammad Ali’s impact on so many people.

While there are aspects of this eulogy that might not be relatable to everyone, it shows how to appropriately take a lighthearted tone in your speech while staying respectful of the deceased, even if you're not a family member.

Eulogy for Gerald Ford by Jimmy Carter

Gerald Ford, once a political rival to Jimmy Carter, turned out to be a true friend. President Carter’s speech was professional and inspiring, and it befitted of a tribute to a former president.

"'For myself and for our nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land.' Those were the first words I spoke as president. And I still hate to admit that they received more applause than any other words in my inaugural address.

“You learn a lot about a man when you run against him for president, and when you stand in his shoes and assume the responsibilities that he has borne so well, and perhaps even more after you both lay down the burdens of high office and work together in a nonpartisan spirit of patriotism and service."

“In fact, he was given a thorough briefing almost every month from the head of my White House staff or my national security adviser. And Jerry never came to the Washington area without being invited to have lunch with me at the White House.”

President Carter was in a unique position to speak about President Ford. Their 1976 battle for the Oval Office was defined by mutual respect above all else. This is another effective way of answering why President Carter was chosen to give this eulogy.

“I still don't know any better way to express it than the words I used almost exactly 30 years ago. For myself and for our nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he did to heal our land.”

Tying the opening message into the closing statement is a surefire way to make an impact on the audience. It’s especially powerful when you’re sharing your direct experience with the deceased.

You can’t go wrong in taking inspiration from any of these examples. Take note of the structures of each, and pick one that feels right for you and your loved one.

Can you write your own eulogy?

Sometimes, a person’s estate planning documents will include a personal eulogy or list of things they’d like mentioned at their funeral. For those who have an estate plan, this can provide a final opportunity to have your loved ones hear a special, heartfelt message.

Who should deliver a eulogy?

A relative or friend usually will deliver a eulogy for a person's life events.

Because of time constraints and emotions, families often choose a close friend or family member, like a child or sibling, to write a eulogy.

Is it OK to read a written eulogy?

Yes, it is OK to read a written eulogy. Emotions run high on the day of a funeral, and it’s easy to forget what you were going to say. Choosing to write a eulogy down can be a great way to ensure that you get your message across.

Can there be more than one eulogy?

Yes. There is no set number of people who deliver eulogies at a funeral. In smaller ceremonies, one or two people may deliver a eulogy, while some ceremonies—like Muhammad Ali’s—can have as many as nine people. 

How long should a eulogy be?

There is no set time limit for how long a eulogy should take. That being said, the time it takes to deliver a eulogy is typically between 5 to 15 minutes. This is to respect the time of the service and other speakers.

What is appropriate to share in a eulogy?

This is an answer that mostly depends on your preference for how to write a eulogy. If you’re going to add a funny story to your eulogy, make sure it’s something that everyone can laugh at and won’t make anyone feel uncomfortable. Be respectful of the fact that this is a time of grieving, and speak from a place of love. 

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32 Most Inspiring Speeches In Film History

There's nothing better to fire you up than an inspiring speech.

Kurt Russell in Miracle

A lot of great speeches come from sports movies, but that's not the only genre that can make us want to run through walls. Some speeches are so good it has us rooting for the bad guys. Most are by the good guys though, and we'll follow those good guys anywhere. Here is our list of the most inspiring speeches in film history. 

Bill Pullman in Independence Day

Independence Day - President Witmore

President Thomas J. Whitmore's ( Bill Pullman ) speech in Independence Day has become one of the most iconic film moments of the last 50 years. While the movie can be polarizing, some people can't get enough of it, others hope to never see it again. Still, it's hard to find anyone who truly hates the speech and that moment in the film. If you ever find yourself fighting against annihilation by a bunch of E.T.s, this is the speech for you. 

Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October

The Hunt For Red October - Captain Ramius

If you thought you could never get fired up about the Soviet Union picking a fight on the United States during the Cold War, check it out. When Captain Marko Ramius ( Sean Connery ) tells his crew that the salad days of the Cold War are not behind them, and the United States will "tremble again - at the sound of our silence," it makes you want to stand up and fight for communism. At least for a brief moment. 

Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday

Any Given Sunday (Coach D'Amato)

It's used at almost every professional football game in America, almost every Sunday, because in Any Given Sunday , Coach D'Amato implores his team and the rest of us to claw for every inch we can. It might not be Pacino's most award-winning role, but that scene... that scene is some of his finest and most enduring work. 

russell crowe in gladiator

Gladiator (Maximus)

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius." If those words don't immediately fire you up, it's time to check for a pulse. Audiences spend most of Gladiator waiting for Maximus ( Russell Crowe ) to finally get his revenge on that conniving Commodus ( Joaquin Phoenix ) and finally we get it. Maximus will have his vengeance, in this life or the next.

Billy Bob Thornton in Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights (Coach Gaines)

In Friday Night Lights , Coach Gaines ( Billy Bob Thornton ) tells us how to be perfect. It has nothing to do with the final score, or winning. It's about how we treat each other and ourselves. It's about telling the truth and not letting anyone down. Live in the moment, "with joy in your heart." That's what makes us perfect. The swelling music by Explosions in the Sky only adds to the drama of the moment. 

While he doesn't say "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose," (that comes from the TV show), he does mention his clear eyes and his full heart and afterward, none of us lose. 

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Kenneth Branagh in Henry V

Henry V (Henry V)

It's not just one of the most inspiring speeches in film history, it's one of the most famous speeches in human history. When William Shakespeare wrote the words to the famous St. Crispin's Day Speech in Henry V , he could not have known that it would be used for centuries afterward to inspire men. For we few, we lucky few, we can watch the speech brilliantly delivered by Kenneth Branagh in one of his finest roles , in his film version from 1989. 

John Belushi in National Lampoon's Animal House

Animal House (Bluto)

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" Of course it wasn't! Bluto (John Belushi) does a lot to inspire the brothers of the Delta house in Animal House but nothing more so than his speech after "Wormer dropped the big one" and suspended the fraternity. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, the men of Delta are inspired to have the best time of their lives, and Wormer? He's a dead man! Marmalard? Dead! Niedermeyer...

Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind

Gone With The Wind (Scarlett O'Hara)

Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) is not the most sympathetic movie character of all time. In fact, she ranks close to the bottom in that category, but you can't deny the power of her speech just before the end of the first part of the movie. Her family's plantation, Tara, is in shambles, her mother is dead, and her father has lost his mind. When all hope is lost, she promises herself she will fix it, and she will "never be hungry again."

American Ferrera in Barbie

Barbie (Gloria)

It's truly a show-stopping moment in Barbie when Gloria ( America Ferrera ) lays out what it's like to be a woman in today's world. The entire essence of the movie's message is summed up in that brilliant speech. It makes everyone want to jump up on their feet and applaud. It's a moment that will forever live in cinema history. 

Robin Williams as Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting screenshot

Good Will Hunting (Sean Maguire)

It's not just the words that matter. It takes a special actor to deliver a speech like Sean Maguire's in Good Will Hunting . Thankfully there was the great Robin Williams. In a speech that is meant to devastate and inspire Will (Matt Damon), Williams tells him everything he is doing wrong but manages to show him how he can fix it, and open up an entirely new world for himself. It's cutting and loving. And brilliant. "Your move, chief."

Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in LOTR

Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King (Aragorn)

Like so many other battle scenes in movies, Aragorn's (Viggo Mortensen) speech at the Black Gates in Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King has us willing to fight to the death with our fellow soldiers. There is nothing like a leader riding back and forth on horse inspiring his troops. 

Braveheart

Braveheart (William Wallace)

Always remember, that no matter how badly you are treated by a tyrannical English king, he can never take your freedom! William Wallace (Mel Gibson) brilliantly reminds us of that in Braveheart . While it's easy to mock the poor history telling in the movie (and we argue if it was really one of the best movies of 1995 ), you can never say that the speech Wallace gives before the biggest battle in the movie won't have you ready to take on the entire British Empire. 

Keira Knightly in Pirates of the Caribbean : At World's End

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Elizabeth)

Speeches made by leaders to inspire men in battle aren't unique in movies. What makes the speech unique in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is that the speech is made by a woman. Elizabeth's (Keira Knightly) speech isn't a lot different than a lot of its ilk, but it's more inspiring to hear it from a woman because we've never heard that before. So hoist the colors! 

Bill Murray in Stripes

Stripes (John Winger)

John Winger (Bill Murray) is the biggest misfit in a platoon filled with them in Stripes . He's the least likely to inspire the rest with a razzle-dazzle speech firing them up, yet that's exactly what he does before their graduation from boot camp. Bill Murray has some of the best lines in movie history, and this speech is near the top of them. 

Kurt Russell in Miracle

Miracle (Herb Brooks)

"Great moments are born from great opportunity." That is something we can all stand to remember. In Miracle , Herb Brooks inspires his rag-tag team of college kids to defeat maybe the greatest hockey team ever assembled in the Soviet National Team at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The movie is based on a true story and while it's impossible to know exactly with the real Brooks said, if it was anywhere close to what Russell delivers, it's no surprise we all believe in miracles today. 

Rocky vs Drago in Rocky IV

Rocky IV (Rocky Balboa)

The Cold War inspired a lot of movies, even sports movies like Rocky IV . Early in the Rocky series, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) wasn't a man of many words, but at the end of Rocky IV , he finds some of the most inspiring words of the whole series, imploring all of us to get along, despite our differences. 

The main characters in Vegas.

Swingers (Trent)

What's a good friend if not someone to pep you up when you're feeling low? That's exactly who Trent (Vince Vaughn) is to Mike (Jon Favreau) in Swingers . Not only does he take him to Vegas for a night of fun, on the way home, after the trip doesn't pep Mike up as much as it should, Trent explains exactly why Mike is so money, and he doesn't even know it. 

Peter Finch stands in the newsroom, looking mad as hell, in Network.

Network (Howard Beale)

It's scary just how much a movie like Network , released almost 50 years ago is still so relevant. We don't need Howard Beale (Peter Finch) to tell us just how bad things are, we just need to him to inspire us to go to the window, open the window and yell to the world that we're not going to take it anymore! 

The Goonies kids

The Goonies (Mikey)

"The Goonies never say die!" When all seems lost in the Goonies quest to rescue their neighborhood from developers, Mikey (Sean Astin) reminds them all exactly how far they've come in the quest for One-Eyed Willie's gold. We don't get a lot of inspirational speeches from kids, but when we do, we love them. 

Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz in Clueless, classroom monologue

Clueless (Cher)

When Cher (Alicia Silverstone) compares her garden party to a refugee crisis, your inclination is to think she's an airhead. But like so many before and after her, there is kind of a subtle brilliance to her thought process. She takes what she knows and uses that to find the emotion we should all feel for her side of the argument. 

Sean Penn stands smiling in a doorway in Milk.

Milk (Harvey Milk)

Milk , based on the true story of Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), is inspiring in and of itself, but Milk's speech on the steps of San Fransisco City Hall at the Gay Pride Rally is a masterpiece. 

Brad Pitt in Troy.

Troy (Achilles)

In another classic example of a military leader inspiring his troops, Achilles' (Brad Pitt) speech reminding his men that they are lions, is enough to get anyone to storm the beaches of Troy. There's a reason the story has been told for thousands of years. 

Sally Field in Norma Rae.

Norma Rae (Norma Rae)

The best thing about Norma Rae's (Sally Field, in one of her best roles ) speech in Norma Rae is that the most important word isn't spoken at all. She simply holds up a sign that says "Union" in the middle of her sweatshop. That's all she needs to "say" to get everyone in the textile mill to agree. It's brilliant. 

Matthew McConaughey in We Are Marshall

We Are Marshall (Jack Lengyel)

We Are Marshall tells the tragic and heroic story of the 1971 Marshall University football team. At the end of the 1970 season, a plane carrying most of the team and its coaches crashed in North Carolina. Before the start of the next season, the new coach, Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey) makes a speech at a memorial for some of the lost players and what he says about never forgetting the past but looking to the future will bring a tear to anyone's eyes.

Reese Witherspoon - Legally Blonde

Legally Blonde (Elle Woods)

More than 20 years after the first Legally Blonde movie was released Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) continues to inspire us. With an address like the one she makes at the end of the movie, as she's graduating, it's easy to see why. "You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself."

Chris Evans in Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame (Captain America)

In a room full of superheroes, leave it to Captain America to make the hype speech. In Avengers: Endgame , that's exactly when Cap (Chris Evans) psyches the cadre up for their mission to reverse the Snap. "Whatever it takes."

Gene Hackman in Hoosiers

Hoosiers (Norman Dale)

When tiny Hickman High School makes it to the Indiana State Basketball Finals, they are facing a huge school, in a huge arena. Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) takes only a minute or so to lay out what will make them successful, and a minute is all he needs. It's why Hoosiers one of the best sports movies ever made. 

Sean Astin in Rudy

Rudy (Rudy)

The speech in Rudy is a little different. Rudy really has no audience, save for one person, but that doesn't stop him from delivering a first-rate speech that any Notre Dame alum gets goosebumps when they hear it, including the parts he lifted from the great Knute Rockne.

Elliot Page and J.K. Simmons in Juno

Juno (Mac MacGuff)

When Juno MacGuff (Elliot Page) is wondering what her future holds, her father Mac MacGuff (J.K. Simmons) explains simply and succinctly, "The best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are." We couldn't have said it better ourselves. 

Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver.

Stand And Deliver (Jaime Escalante) 

Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos) is a no-nonsense math teacher who is determined to get the most from his students. He decides he needs to raise the level of expectations inside and outside of the classroom and he starts by breaking down when he is going to be so hard on his students, to get the most out of them. All they need is ganas – motivation. 

Sylvester Stallone in Rocky Balboa

Rocky Balboa (Rocky)

Leave it to Rocky to make a speech in 2006's Rocky Balboa meant to inspire his son to inspire all of us together. It's pure Rocky, leave it all out, don't accept things you don't like, and never make excuses, no matter how hard it is. And it seems like this was advice he took to heart when it became a struggle to make the film . 

David Wenham in 300

300 (Dilios)

Dilios (David Wenham) fires up the Spartans like no other person could. It's truly one of the great hype speeches in film history. It's exactly what you would expect from a civilization of warriors. Whether it really happened or not is irrelevant. The message is the same, "Remember us."

From sports to war, love to education, and beyond, a great speech raises goosebumps like nothing else in film can. These examples are some of the best speeches we've used to inspire us. 

Hugh Scott is the Syndication Editor for CinemaBlend. Before CinemaBlend, he was the managing editor for Suggest.com and Gossipcop.com, covering celebrity news and debunking false gossip. He has been in the publishing industry for almost two decades, covering pop culture – movies and TV shows, especially – with a keen interest and love for Gen X culture, the older influences on it, and what it has since inspired. He graduated from Boston University with a degree in Political Science but cured himself of the desire to be a politician almost immediately after graduation.

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write a good 5 minute speech

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Independence Day 2024: Inspiring 2-Minute Short Speech Ideas For Students & Teachers

As India prepares to celebrate its 78th Independence Day on August 15, 2024, students across the nation will have the opportunity to reflect on and honor the legacy of freedom and sovereignty.

This day marks a pivotal moment in India's history, commemorating the end of British rule and the birth of a free nation. Schools, colleges, and other institutions will host various events, including motivational speeches, to celebrate this significant occasion.

Independence Day 2024 Inspiring 2-Minute Short Speech Ideas For Students amp amp Teachers

Significance of Independence Day

Independence Day is more than just a national holiday; it's a time to remember the sacrifices of our freedom fighters and to celebrate the values of democracy, unity, and justice that form the foundation of our nation. It represents the end of over two centuries of colonial rule and the beginning of a new era marked by self-rule and sovereignty.

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Long Speech Ideas for Students

Speech 1: honoring the struggle for freedom.

Good Morning, respected teachers, esteemed guests, and dear friends!

Today, we gather to celebrate a monumental day in our history-Independence Day. On August 15, 1947, India emerged as a free nation after years of colonial oppression. This day reminds us of the struggles and sacrifices of our legendary leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, and countless others who fought tirelessly for our freedom.

Their relentless efforts and undying spirit were instrumental in breaking the chains of British rule. It is a day to honor their memory and reflect on the journey that led us to this point. As we celebrate, let us pledge to uphold the values they fought for and work towards a future of peace, progress, and prosperity.

We should remember the historic moment when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru first hoisted the Indian flag on the Red Fort, a moment that brought tears of joy to many. Let us commit ourselves to preserving the dignity and progress of our homeland by following the principles laid down by our forefathers.

May we always cherish our freedom and strive to make our country a better place. Thank you, and Jai Hind!

Speech 2: The Spirit of Independence

Good Morning to everyone present here!

As we celebrate our 78th Independence Day today, it is a time to reflect on the principles of freedom, unity, and democracy that our nation was built upon. On this day in 1947, India gained its independence, thanks to the tireless efforts of our freedom fighters who envisioned a land of liberty and justice.

Independence Day is not only about celebrating our past but also about embracing our responsibilities as citizens. It is a reminder of the progress we have made and the challenges we still face. Let us pledge to contribute positively to our nation and work towards making it a better place for future generations.

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Together, let us celebrate the achievements of our country and continue to strive for excellence in every field. Let's honor the legacy of our heroes by building a strong, united, and prosperous India. Happy Independence Day to all!

Short Speech Ideas for Students

Speech 1: celebrating freedom.

Good Morning, everyone!

Today, we celebrate Independence Day, a day that marks the end of colonial rule and the birth of our free nation. It's a time to honor our freedom fighters and the values of democracy and unity that define us as a nation.

As we enjoy the festivities, let's remember the struggles of those who fought for our freedom and work towards making our country a better place. Let's continue to uphold the values of liberty and equality and strive for a brighter future for all.

Happy Independence Day!

Speech 2: A Day of Unity

Good Morning!

Independence Day is a special day that brings us all together to celebrate our nation's freedom. It's a time to reflect on our past, appreciate our present, and look forward to a promising future.

Let's use this day to remind ourselves of the importance of unity and patriotism. Together, we can contribute to our nation's growth and prosperity. Wishing everyone a happy and meaningful Independence Day!

Tips for Crafting Effective Independence Day Speeches

1. Start with a Powerful Quote or Historical Context: Capture your audience's attention by beginning with a relevant quote or a brief history of Independence Day.

2. Highlight Key Events and Sacrifices: Emphasize significant events and the sacrifices made by freedom fighters.

3. Celebrate Achievements and Address Challenges: Discuss the progress India has made since gaining independence and acknowledge ongoing challenges.

4. Inspire Action and Patriotism: Encourage your audience to contribute positively to the nation and embrace their responsibilities as citizens.

5. End with a Hopeful Vision: Conclude your speech with an optimistic outlook for the future and a call to action. one can also start and end the speech with a quote.

Independence Day is a time for remembrance, reflection, and celebration. It's an opportunity for students to express their patriotism and commitment to the values that define our nation. Let's celebrate Independence Day 2024 with pride and a renewed dedication to building a better future for India.

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Speech On Spirituality in English for School Students

write a good 5 minute speech

  • Updated on  
  • Aug 10, 2024

Speech On Spirituality

In a world often characterised by noise and chaos, spirituality offers a quiet retreat for the soul. It is a journey inward, a quest for meaning, connection, and purpose. This blog is your compass as you navigate the vast expanse of spirituality through a speech on spirituality. Whether you are a seasoned seeker or just beginning your exploration, you will find insights, inspiration, and practical guidance to enrich your spiritual path. Let’s embark on this transformative journey together.

Also Read: Essay on Uniform Civil Code

 5 Minute Speech on Spirituality

‘Good morning, respected teachers and dear friends. Today, I am delighted to share with you some thoughts on a profound and essential aspect of our lives—spirituality. Spirituality is often defined in various ways, depending on personal beliefs and cultural contexts. At its core, spirituality is about seeking a deeper connection with something greater than ourselves, which could be a higher power, nature, or the universe. It transcends religious affiliations and is about finding purpose, meaning, and peace in our lives. It’s an inward journey that fosters self-awareness, compassion, and a sense of unity with the world around us.

Why is spirituality important? In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, we often find ourselves overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, and a sense of emptiness. Spirituality offers a sanctuary from this chaos. It provides us with a sense of purpose and helps us navigate life’s challenges with resilience and grace. Engaging in spiritual practices can lead to improved mental and emotional well-being, fostering a sense of inner peace and contentment. It also provides a framework for making ethical decisions and leading a life that is in harmony with our deepest values and beliefs.

Living a spiritual life doesn’t mean retreating from the world; rather, it involves integrating spiritual principles into our daily existence. It means being mindful of our actions, cultivating compassion for others, and striving to live authentically. A spiritual life is characterized by a commitment to personal growth, self-reflection, and an ongoing quest for understanding. It encourages us to look beyond the material aspects of life and to focus on the experiences and relationships that bring true happiness and fulfilment.

To help us on this path, we can focus on the five C’s of spirituality: connection, compassion, commitment, consciousness, and celebration. The first C, connection, emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining relationships—with ourselves, others, and the universe. By nurturing these connections, we can experience a profound sense of belonging and interconnectedness. This can be achieved through practices like meditation, prayer, or spending time in nature. Connection helps us to feel grounded and supported, and it reminds us that we are part of a larger whole.

Compassion, the second C, involves empathy and kindness towards others and ourselves. It’s about understanding the struggles and suffering of others and responding with a genuine desire to help. Cultivating compassion can transform our relationships and communities, creating a more harmonious and loving environment. When we approach others with compassion, we foster a sense of unity and reduce feelings of isolation and division. Compassion also extends to self-compassion, where we treat ourselves with the same kindness and understanding that we offer to others.

The third C, commitment, refers to our dedication to our spiritual practices and values. It requires discipline and perseverance to stay true to our spiritual path, even when faced with challenges or distractions. This commitment can be strengthened through regular rituals, such as meditation, journaling, or attending spiritual gatherings. Commitment is about making a conscious choice to prioritize our spiritual growth and to remain steadfast in our pursuit of a meaningful and purposeful life. It involves setting intentions and goals that align with our values and working diligently to achieve them.

Consciousness, the fourth C, is about raising our awareness and being present in the moment. It involves mindful living, where we pay attention to our thoughts, feelings, and actions without judgment. This heightened awareness allows us to make more informed and intentional choices, leading to a more fulfilling and authentic life. Consciousness encourages us to live in the present moment and to appreciate the beauty and richness of our experiences. It helps us to break free from the patterns of automatic thinking and behaviour that can limit our potential and to embrace a more expansive and enlightened perspective.

Finally, celebration, the fifth C, is about recognizing and honouring the beauty and wonder of life. It’s about finding joy in the simple moments and expressing gratitude for the blessings we have. Celebrating life’s milestones and everyday experiences can foster a positive outlook and enhance our spiritual well-being. Celebration reminds us to take time to appreciate the good things in our lives and to acknowledge our achievements and progress. It helps us to cultivate a sense of joy and contentment, even in the face of challenges and difficulties.

Spirituality is a deeply personal and transformative journey that offers us a sense of purpose, connection, and inner peace. By embracing the five C’s of spirituality—connection, compassion, commitment, consciousness, and celebration—we can cultivate a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

Let us all strive to integrate these principles into our daily lives, fostering a world filled with love, understanding, and harmony. Spirituality invites us to explore the depths of our being, to connect with the essence of who we are, and to live in alignment with our highest values and aspirations. It calls us to be mindful, compassionate, and committed, and to celebrate the beauty and wonder of life.

Also Read: Speech on Corruption in Business and Corporate Practices

YouTube Video: Spirituality an Inspiring Speech

Source: S&T Nation

Ans: Spirituality can promote close family and friendship bonds and help people cope with physical or emotional pain and other life stressors. It can also offer people a strong sense of community, particularly for those who are part of a spiritual group or community.

Ans: Spiritual well-being is the ability to establish meaning and find purpose in our lives through the fusion of art, nature, and/or a sense of connection beyond the self. It can benefit our overall well-being by cultivating both our sense of inner understanding and our sense of place.

Ans: It encourages people to have better relationships with themselves, others, and the unknown. Spirituality can help you deal with stress by giving you a sense of peace, purpose, and forgiveness. It often becomes more important in times of emotional stress or illness. Positive impacts of spirituality.

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IMAGES

  1. The 5-Minute Speech and How to Write One

    write a good 5 minute speech

  2. 🎉 5 minutes speech on education. What are some good topics for a 5

    write a good 5 minute speech

  3. How to Write an Engaging Five-Minute Speech in 10 Steps

    write a good 5 minute speech

  4. 5 Minute Self Introduction Speech

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  5. How to Outline your 5 minutes speech in 5 minutes

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  6. 5 minute speeches samples. Top 20 Informative Speech Examples And

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COMMENTS

  1. How To Write an Impactful Five-Minute Speech in 12 Steps

    How to write a five-minute speech. Here are the steps you can follow to prepare and deliver a short speech: 1. Prepare. Short speeches require preparation because you have to condense your information into only the most useful points. The first step in preparing a brief speech is to determine the purpose of your talk.

  2. 169 Five-Minute Topics for a Killer Speech or Presentation

    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. There are pros and cons to giving a 5-minute presentation. One good thing is the length. Long presentations can easily become boring, and you ...

  3. Ultimate 5 Minute Speeches & Presentations (A-Z Guide)

    Tips to keep in mind for your 5-minute Presentation:-. 1. Give a comprehensive overview. When you have just 5 minutes to give an interview, diving deep into the topic won't help. Instead, providing an overview of the subject and subtopics can help introduce each point and not take up all the precious minutes.

  4. 5-minute speech topics: Everything You Need to Know (With Examples)

    Before coming up with a 5-minute speech topic for your speech, you must understand what the topic should look like so as to grab everyone's attention and instill enough curiosity in them. 1. Short. Keep your title short. Very lengthy titles are challenging to recall and can be very boring for the audience members.

  5. 5-Minute Speech Writing Template: A Guide for Crafting Your Speech

    A good 5-minute speech has between 650-850 words. Start by breaking it down into an outline with an introduction, body, and conclusion. There are four main types of speeches: informational, persuasive, entertainment, and inspirational. Knowing your type helps connect better with your audience. Preparation is key for a successful speech.

  6. How to write a good speech [7 easily followed steps]

    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. Return to top. A step by step guide for writing a great speech.

  7. How to Create an Engaging 5-Minute Presentation

    1. Speak as a Leader Bootcamp Welcome. This five-minute presentation by Nausheen I. Chen perfectly balances minimalism with informative text. The design uses background color to help create contrast within the presentation, and the final call-to-action is unique and actionable.

  8. The 5-Minute Speech and How to Write One

    Here are some specific situations where you may be asked to deliver a 5-minute speech. Introducing a new employee in the company and letting everyone know about his designation and experience. Making a special event announcement in the office where you have to describe the importance of that event. Pitching a service or product to customers ...

  9. How to Write and Deliver a 5 Minute Speech: A Comprehensive Guide

    Step 3: Write an Outline. With your purpose defined and research gathered, start structuring your speech with an outline. Your 5 minute speech should include: Introduction - Grab attention, establish your credibility, state your purpose. Body - Main points and supporting details. Conclusion - Summarize key points, end memorably.

  10. How to Write an Engaging Five-Minute Speech in 10 Steps

    10 Steps to Write an Engaging Five-Minute Speech: Know Your Audience: It is really important to understand your audience before you start writing and structuring your speech, because by knowing them better you can adjust your language, references, and humor to your audience's interests and knowledge base. Clearly Define Your Objective: You ...

  11. 5 Minute Speech: 5 Simple Steps to Craft a Compelling 5 ...

    5 minute speeches are the most common types of speeches or presentations that are delivered. They are short enough to hold an audience's attention but not SO...

  12. Inspirational Guide to Writing a 5-Minute Speech

    The first step in writing a successful five-minute speech is choosing an interesting and relevant topic. Try to think of something timely or engaging that your audience would find helpful or entertaining. You could also research popular topics from other speakers or news outlets to get ideas. Once you have chosen a subject for your speech, make ...

  13. 5-Minute Speech Word Count + Crucial Writing & Speaking Tips

    The 5-minute speech word count is roughly 750 words. This is based on the average talking speed of 150 words per minute (WPM). Of course, the timing of your speech will vary depending on how quickly you talk, as well as the words that you use. Monosyllabic words are shorter than multisyllabic words, so if your speech is filled with long-winded ...

  14. How to Write a Great Five Minute Speech

    Stay Focused on the Topic at Hand. The key to writing a great five-minute speech is to cut out any unnecessary information. Use the time you have wisely by only focusing on the topic at hand. Resist the urge to go on tangents that don't directly relate to your topic. For example, when updating employees about the progress of the company, don ...

  15. How to Organize Your Five-Minute Impromptu Speech: Building Your

    In total, introducing the prompt and your interpretation of it should take about 20 seconds. Fourth: the thesis statement, which its main objective is summed up in one clear, concise, and debatable sentence. This should take no more than five seconds. Finally, your roadmap (also called the preview), which outlines your speech's three main points.

  16. How to give a 5-minute speech in English

    JOIN THE ACADEMYhttps://speakenglishwithtiffaniacademy.comIn this lesson I will show you the 4 steps to giving a 5-minute speech in English. I hope this less...

  17. Persuasive Speech Topics for a Five-Minute Speech

    A persuasive speech requires you to take a strong stance. Select a topic, such as animal rights and scientific experimentation, the distribution of contraceptives in high schools or the cloning of humans, and choose a side to support. Focus your arguments on a specific angle on the topic, so you can effectively cover the material in five minutes.

  18. How to Write an Amazing 5-Minute Speech Quickly

    I said, "Good, write that down. 'Welcome to our brand new company.'. Now, whose idea was it to be a company?". As we informally talked through his speech, people came around saying, "It's been 5 1/2 hours, and Bernard's still with Patricia.". That was because he had started to realize the impact he could have.

  19. 20 Short Speech Topics that Work with a Time Limit

    Short Speech Topics. You will find 20 excellent short speech topics below that work when time is limited. Choosing a meaningful short speech topic may difficult in some circumstances. As Mark Twain once said. If you want me to give a 2 hour presentation, I am ready today. If you want only a 5 minute speech, it will take me 2 weeks to prepare.

  20. 333 Informative Speech Topics To Rock Your Presentation

    A five-minute speech should cover a niche topic or a high-level concept. A thirty-minute to an hour-long presentation can teach about a more detailed topic. Where: If you're giving a speech in a meeting room at an office, your performance will likely be very different from speaking on stage in a large auditorium. Consider where you will be ...

  21. 112 Persuasive Speech Topics That Are Actually Engaging

    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.

  22. 5 Minute Self Introduction Speech

    What Is a 5 Minute Self Introduction Speech? As stated in the name, a 5-minute self-introduction speech is an informative speech about yourself with a time limit of five minutes. In this duration, you can talk freely about yourself. You can share facts about your strengths and weaknesses.

  23. 200 Best 5 Minute Speech Topic Ideas

    Speech Topics on Environment. Endangered species on Earth. Decoding climate change. Light pollution. E-waste management. The dangerous effects of bush burning and its alternatives. Explaining 7 Rs of sustainability. Animal rights - success or failure. Role of UN in protecting environment.

  24. How to Write and Deliver a Compelling Narrative Speech (With Examples)

    We receive thousands of applications every day, but we only work with the top 5% of speakers.. Book a call with our team to get started — you'll learn why the vast majority of our students get a paid speaking gig within 90 days of finishing our program.. If you're ready to control your schedule, grow your income, and make an impact in the world - it's time to take the first step.

  25. How to Write the Perfect Maid of Honor Speech

    More Speech Tips for Writing an Amazing Maid of Honor Speech. When writing a speech, timing is everything! Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind when putting together your MOH speech: Keep It Short and Sweet The ideal length for a wedding speech is about 2-5 minutes. Anything longer than that, and you could start losing the crowd.

  26. How to Write a Eulogy: 5 Short Eulogy Examples

    Go over on time: Most eulogies last 5 to 15 minutes, and going much longer than that risks cutting another part of the service short. Stay respectful of others' time and keep the focus on honoring the deceased's legacy. Taking too long in your speech can inadvertently take away from the rest of the service.

  27. How to give a good funeral speech: Writing a eulogy

    When closing the eulogy, say your final goodbye and finish by offering some words of comfort to the other mourners. You may want to end with your loved one's favourite poem, quote or saying. Then, conclude your speech with a final goodbye. Keep your speech short and sweet. Try to keep your eulogy around 3-5 minutes long.

  28. 32 Most Inspiring Speeches In Film History

    (Image credit: Warner Bros.) Any Given Sunday (Coach D'Amato) It's used at almost every professional football game in America, almost every Sunday, because in Any Given Sunday, Coach D'Amato ...

  29. Independence Day 2024: Inspiring 2-Minute Short Speech Ideas ...

    Short Speech Ideas for Students Speech 1: Celebrating Freedom. Good Morning, everyone! Today, we celebrate Independence Day, a day that marks the end of colonial rule and the birth of our free nation.

  30. Speech On Spirituality in English for School Students

    5 Minute Speech on Spirituality 'Good morning, respected teachers and dear friends. Today, I am delighted to share with you some thoughts on a profound and essential aspect of our lives—spirituality. ... For more information on such interesting speech topics for your school, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu. Share this ...