Activity: Practice Voice Components

One way to understand the power of different vocal components is to practice them. There is a popular exercise that uses the phrase on this handout: "I never said she stole my money." The activity requires speakers to change the emphasis on each of the words, but only one word in the sentence at a time. Changing the emphasis on any of the words can change the meaning of the sentence.

Try it out with some friends and consider what the different emphasis on each word does to the meaning of the sentence. This exercise often focuses on inflection, but you can use other voice components, such as changing the volume, pace, or intensity in which you say the sentence.