How to Speak Clearly While Wearing a Mask.

Communicating while wearing a mask is part of our everyday life. 
Whether business or social, we speak to communicate, but masks can impede our speech.

Masks:

  • muffle the sound of our voices 
  • may lead us to mumble due to closeness of fabric
  • may alter our breathing 
  • block out our lips so others cannot “lip read” to help them
  • cut out half of all facial expressions.

How to work with these limitations:

  • face the person and make good eye contact
  • project your voice or raise your volume slightly. Do not shout; it will only distort your words.
  • slow down your rate of speech
  • work on active listening and focusing on the speaker
  • use hand gestures and body language to illuminate your words
  • ask follow-up questions or paraphrase to ensure you heard them correctly
  • if possible, move to a quieter environment.