Many believe people with poor diction are not educated. After all, it is in grade school where we learn how to use the dictionary. If you have ever used the dictionary, you know that the dictionary not only gives you the meaning of the words but also shows you how to pronounce the word. So you can learn the correct pronunciation of a word by opening a dictionary. However, there are people who may have difficulty with correct production of a sound. These people know the correct spelling of the word and how the dictionary phonetically breaks the word down, but is not able to correctly say the sounds or phonemes in the word. This may make the speakers conversations unintelligible and difficult to follow.
If you find yourself having problems correctly saying a sound in a word, you may need speech training by a speech-language pathologist.
In the American English language there are 26 consonant sounds and 17 vowel sounds. Most of the consonant sounds are in the initial, medial and final position of words. So, if you are having trouble producing a sound that is found in all three positions of words, your diction will be a bit distorted. Now imagine if you have difficulty saying more than one sound correctly, your speaking skills may prohibit advancement in your career, keep you from dating the person of your dreams, or hinder your social skills. Poor diction may present a social stigma.
Learning to blend sounds in words may be difficult but with the help of a human communication specialist, such as, a speech-language pathologist (SLP), you may improve your speech skills (speaking skills). A SLP can help you improve your speech skills to your optimal level of performance.
Training the ear to hear the sound is called auditory discrimination. Oftentimes people that say sounds incorrectly may have difficulty hearing the correct sound. Therefore, auditory training is a necessary first step.
Once you are able to hear the sounds in words, phrases, sentences, and conversational speech, then it is time to move on to learn the correct production of the targeted sound(s). A speech-language pathologist may have various techniques, such as tactile, visual, and auditory cuing in helping you improve your diction.
With motivation, enthusiasm, discipline, and tenacity you can improve your diction to communicate effectively with your colleagues and authority figure(s) within your environment. And if you are an authority figure, you will increase your credibility.
Improve your “first impression” by improving your diction.