Article

***When Your Inflection Sounds Like That of a Valley Girl!

Topic: Public SpeakingBy Nancy Daniels, The Official Guide to Public SpeakingPublished Recently added

Legacy signals

Legacy popularity: 2,278 legacy views

The other day I watched an interesting documentary on military planes and the man describing the different parts of the plane ended every, single sentence on the up-swing. What this means is that the inflection he used with every statement sounded like a question. (Inflection refers to changes in pitch in speaking.) As he is an authority on the subject, my first reaction was that he did not sound like an expert in his field. Instead, he sounded like a Valley Girl.

This problem is ever-present in both the X and Y generations and it places a description on you that does not include the word professional. When your sentences sound like questions, then your sentences are not statements but indeed questions. And, once this becomes a habit, it will take the retraining of your inner ear to break the habit and begin the process of recognizing when it is happening.

Try the following exercise with either a video recorder or a simple tape recorder.

    Say the words, She said no as if you were disappointed. You should notice that the pitch of your voice dropped on the last word. Now say those words again as if you were surprised – as if you were asking a question. This time you should notice that the word no was higher in pitch than the first two words. While I want you to listen to the recording, what is also important is listening to yourself as you say those words with both types of expression so that you can begin to recognize the difference in inflection between the statement and the question.
This exercise may seem simple but it is very effective for the retraining of your inner ear in order to recognize Valley Girl sound and normal inflection. [By the way, your inner ear is how you hear yourself inside your head. Your outer ear is how you hear yourself on recording equipment. The latter is the truth. By retraining your inner ear, however, you will be able to distinguish when your pitch changes and whether those changes are appropriate for the message you are delivering.]

The inflections of the man I mentioned in my opening paragraph were not at all compatible with what he was talking about. He is the expert but he didn’t sound like one.

Your goal, especially in your professional life, is to sound like you know what you are talking about. If your statements sound like questions, then you are not instilling confidence in your listeners.

Article author

About the Author

The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. Visit Voice Dynamic and discover the best means of adding some life to your voice and your delivery.

Further reading

Further Reading

4 total

Article

Choosing the right server rails for your rack is an important step in setting up your server. Server rails help keep your server securely in place and make it easy to access when you need to. There are different types of rails, and picking the best one depends on the size, weight, and type of server you are using. This guide will walk you through the key points you should consider when choosing server rails, and how a Universal Rail Kit might be a great solution for your need

January 2, 2026

Article

As technology advances, software developers continuously improve their products to provide users with enhanced features, better performance, and increased security. QuickBooks Desktop, a popular accounting software, is no exception. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of upgrading from QuickBooks Desktop 2020 to QuickBooks Desktop 2024, covering everything from unique features to troubleshooting common upgrade issues. QuickBooks Desktop 2020 Ending Support in

May 23, 2024

Article

Introduction Graduating from college or university is a significant milestone in one's life. It marks the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and personal growth. However, the transition from the world of academia to the professional world can be a challenging and daunting process. Graduates often face various obstacles, including finding employment, managing finances, and adapting to a new lifestyle. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to provide assistance and s

September 25, 2023

Article

Hello,rnI am a lead generation and LinkedIn expert,rnI have more than 7 years of experience in Data mining and B2B list building though Linkedin,rnI have Premium tools that enable me to scrape emails and validate them like:rnLinkedIn with Advanced Search "Sales Navigator"rnRapportive Extension, For verified email & 100% finds out a specific people.rnZoominfo.com (I have used a premium account)rnHunter.iornData.comrnAngel.cornZero bouncernMailtester.com (Email Bounce % Checkin

February 15, 2023