Competing with Background Noise

Background noise is the most common acoustic disaster. HVAC systems, traffic, construction, and audience chatter all compete with your voice. The instinctive response is to speak louder, which can strain your voice and may not solve the problem because extra volume without clarity can become harder to understand, not easier.

Instead, speak slower and with more articulation. Exaggerate consonant sounds, which carry meaning better through noise than vowels do. Use shorter sentences with more pauses so listeners can process each phrase before the next arrives. If possible, move closer to your audience rather than increasing volume. Distance is the enemy, not volume.