聲音可以由音域、音量、音速、音色、發音，幾個方面來說明。
音域試試您的聲音可以多高、多低。在簡報時，試著維持在一個主要的範圍。如果您的音量平常都很高的話，降低一點。
【練習】音調是用來賦予意義的，音調要傳達的不是您說什麼，而是您怎麼說的。
試著用這些字詞的意思，說出下面這幾個字：
“Shock,” “Surprise,” “Angry,” “Sad.”
「吃驚」、「驚喜」、「生氣」、「哀傷」“I can’t believe you did that! I can’t believe you did that. I can’t believe you did that.”
「我真不敢相信您會這樣做！」 「我真不敢相信您會這樣做！」 「我真不敢相信您會這樣做！」
音量您的聲音有多大。簡報時要講得夠大聲，讓聽眾可以聽到您。當然，您的音量可以視聽眾人數多寡和場地來調整。但是要記得，麥克風不能取代您的音量。您也不能對著聽眾嘶吼，所以要盡可能保持平穩、愉人的音量。
【練習】試著在客廳對在廚房的家人講話，然後站在門口，對著馬路上的家人講話。有沒有發現，戶外的空氣對您的聲音影響。如果不知道要講什麼，您可以唸林肯總統的蓋茲堡講稿：“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.”(
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/gettysburgaddress.htm)
音速您說話的速度。大部分的人說許速度是每分鐘130到190字。您的說話速度要讓聽眾可以了解但是又不會太慢到他們想要幫您把話說完。
【練習】找個計時器或鐘，以正常講話的速度唸下面這段文字。
“Like other space probes, such as Viking I and Mariner 10, the Voyager mission focused on information gathering. Voyager consisted of a large satellite dish and magnetic field that surrounds planets. Other instruments that could gather information, such as wind speeds on the planet surfaces and atmospheric temperatures, were also included.”
如果時間是在17～21秒的話，您是以正常速度說話。如果少於17秒，那您就說得太快了，您的聽眾可能沒有辦法了解或跟上。如果超過21秒，那您就講得太慢了；聽眾可能會覺得無聊。所以──練習、練習、再練習！
音色是您的音色和音調。舌、顎、齒、唇，決定了我們的音質。然後影響我們怎麼說話和發音，以及您的整體音色。在簡報時最好保持平穩和愉人的聲音。
發音指單字的正音和您所用的發音。簡報要清晰，要小心每個字的發音。
常見的英文發音錯誤：
“Often” is pronounced, “Ofen”. There is not “t” sound.
“The’ is pronounced “Thuh” not “thee”.
“Congratulations” is pronounced, “Con - grat - you - lations” not “Con - grad u - lations.“Get” is pronounced, “g -et” not “git”.
“Picture” is pronounced, “pic - ture” not “pic-sure” or “pitcher”
“February” is pronounced, “Feb - ru - ary,” not “Feb - u - ary”.
“Library” is pronounced, “li- brary” not “Li - berry”
“Probably” is pronounced, “Pro - bab - ly” not “Prob - ly”
“Family” is pronounced, “Fam - i - ly” not “Fam - ly”.
“Ask” or” Asked” is pronounced, “As -k” not “ax” or “axed”
“Adult” is pronounced, “uh-Duhlt” not “AD-uhlt”
“Evening” is pronounced, “EEV-nihng” - (two syllables)
“Lightning” is pronounced, “LYT-nihng” not “LYT-ehn-ihng”
“Umbrella’ is pronounced, “uhm-BREHL-uh” not “UHM-bur-ehl-uh”
【練習】這是幾個常見的錯誤，現在讓我們來練習一下。把下面這段文字唸幾遍，注意發音。您可以找個人來聽您唸，或錄音錄影下來。
“One of the greatest joys in life is the birth of a child. This new addition to one’s family is often a great turning point. After all of the congratulation on the new baby - and the hundreds of pictures - the work truly begins. Child rearing is probably on of the most important jobs on earth. Most libraries contain many volumes of instruction on raising children and even the government promotes many important programs. Just remember to get the best advice possible and ask questions frequently.”
中文也有相同的情況，例：「花」唸成「發」。
常見的聲音問題- 單調的聲音：每個字、每個字子、每個段落，都用相同的音域、音量和音速，聽起來就會很單調。在簡報時要運用表情和聲音變化，因為平常講話時，我們的聲音都是有變化的。
- 重複相同模式：如果每個句子都用相同的音速和音域，就會產生歌唱效果。
- 口頭禪：當在思考或要提出一個新點子時，常會用的一些字詞，例如：“ummm,” “OK”, “all right,” “like,” “you know,” and don’t forget “aaaaaah”；「總而言之」、「我這樣講您懂嗎」、「您有沒有聽懂」。在家人、朋友面前，練習簡報。請他們在您講到這些口頭禪時，大聲叫您的名字。
美國加州柏克萊大學心理學教授Albert Mebrabian提出「7/38/55定律」說明旁人對我們的觀感，只有7％是取決於談話內容，有38％在於輔助表達談話內容的方法，也就是語氣、手勢等等肢體語言；而有高達55％是決定於我們看起來夠不夠有說服力，是不是很有自信，是不是很專業；換句話說：外在決定內在。做簡報時，要充份準備內容，還要用誠懇的語言，更要有真誠的態度和表達專業的形象。再有價值的內容，也要透過我們的表達，才能有效傳達給聽眾，才能對聽眾產生影響。