Different pauses serve different purposes:

• The emphasis pause — pause BEFORE a key point. The silence creates anticipation, making the next words land harder.
• The absorption pause — pause AFTER a key point. Give the audience time to process what you just said.
• The transition pause — a longer pause between sections that signals you are shifting topics.
• The dramatic pause — an extended silence that builds tension or emotional weight.

Each type is a deliberate tool. At the right moment, a two-second pause can be more powerful than a hundred words.