01 Nov Voice & Diction Exercise for Actors
This enunciation exercise is a great way to build strength and stamina in your breathing. Enunciation deals with areas like projection of syllables and the speed of speaking while saying a word. Enunciation refers to how clearly and distinctly you form the sounds that make up a word.
Be sure to make an effort to pronounce each syllable of each word properly so words don’t get slurred together, where it can be hard for listeners, audiences, interviewers, etc., to decipher what you’re saying. Dropping “g”s is one of the most common examples of poor enunciation.
Actors, breathe from the diaphragm, not high up in the chest where the breath is shallow and not deep. Imagine your lungs as an accordion and you’re filling up the accordion with air expanding your lungs outward and then letting it go when you speak your words.
Read the nursery tale below using a single breath for each sentence. Practice until you can do it easily. The object and the goal of this exercise is to do each one of these 10 stanzas in one breath. That’s right, one breath. Enunciation is how fast you can say the words and be clearly understood.
THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT
THIS IS THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
THIS IS THE MALT THAT LAY IN THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
THIS IS THE RAT, THAT ATE THE MALT, THAT LAY IN THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
THIS IS THE CAT THAT KILLED THAT RAT, THAT ATE THE MALT, THAT LAY IN THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
THIS IS THE DOG THAT WORRIED THE CAT, THAT KILLED THAT RAT, THAT ATE THE MALT, THAT LAY IN THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
THIS IS THE COW WITH THE CRUMPLED HORN THAT TOSSED THE DOG, THAT WORRIED THE CAT, THAT KILLED THE RAT THAT ATE THE MALT, THAT LAY IN THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
THIS IS THE MAIDEN ALL FORLORN, THAT MILKED THE COW WITH THE CRUMPLED HORN, THAT TOSSED THE DOG, THAT WORRIED THE CAT, THAT KILLED THE RAT, THAT ATE THE MALT, THAT LAY IN THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
THIS IS THE MAN ALL TATTERED AND TORN THAT KISSED THE MAIDEN ALL FORLORN, THAT MILKED THE COW WITH THE CRUMPLED HORN, THAT TOSSED THE DOG, THAT WORRIED THE CAT, THAT KILLED THE RAT, THAT ATE THE MALT, THAT LAY IN THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
THIS IS THE PRIEST ALL SHAVEN AND SHORN, THAT MARRIED THE MAN ALL TATTERED AND TORN, THAT KISSED THE MAIDEN ALL FORLORN, THAT MILKED THE COW WITH THE CRUMPLED HORN, THAT TOSSED THE DOG, THAT WORRIED THE CAT, THAT KILLED THE RAT, THAT ATE THE MALT, THAT LAY IN THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
THIS IS THE COCK THAT CROWED IN THE MORN, THAT WAKED THE PRIEST ALL SHAVEN AND SHORN, THAT MARRIED THE MAN ALL TATTERED AND TORN, THAT KISSED THE MAIDEN ALL FORLORN, THAT MILKED THE COW WITH THE CRUMPLED HORN, THAT TOSSED THE DOG, THAT WORRIED THE CAT, THAT KILLED THE RAT, THAT ATE THE MALT, THAT LAY IN THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
How did you do with this enunciation exercise? It takes practice! Next time really pronounce each word to the fullest. Record yourself and play it back and you will really find where you can improve. Keep practicing and you will be ready to deliver any verbal performance with confidence and vocal excellence.
Here at 3-2-1 Acting Studios we teach our actors to be loud and proud and enunciate. You can too!
