According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, eloquence /ˈeləkwəns/ is the ability to use language and express your opinions well, especially when you are speaking in public. Therefore, it’s clear that public speakers would benefit from being eloquent /ˈeləkwənt/. Are you one of them? If not, you might still benefit from developing eloquence if you often need to convince or persuade others, or simply express your views in a way that people can understand and accept. That’s why virtually anyone can find value in this article, where we define eloquence, discuss its importance, and provide tips for language learners to achieve it. Keep reading to equip yourself with tools to cultivate this highly useful skill.

As mentioned above, eloquence is the ability to speak or write fluently, persuasively, and effectively. It involves using language in a compelling (= attention-grabbing) and articulate (= well-spoken, clear) manner to convey ideas or opinions, particularly in public speaking or formal writing contexts. Eloquence often includes aspects such as clarity, coherence (= being logical, consistent, and orderly), and the ability to captivate an audience through well-structured and expressive communication.

Importance & Example of Eloquence

Eloquence matters for a few reasons:

1. Effective communication. Eloquence helps people convey their ideas clearly and persuasively. Whether in public speaking, writing, or everyday conversations, being articulate can ensure that your message is understood and impactful.
2. Influence and persuasion. Eloquence enhances your ability to influence and persuade others. When you can articulate your thoughts convincingly, you’re more likely to gain support for your ideas, whether in professional settings, personal relationships, or public forums.
3. Building relationships. Clear and expressive communication fosters better connections with others. It helps in building rapport (= agreement between people), gaining trust, and facilitating meaningful interactions.
4. Professional success. In many professions, including leadership roles, sales, teaching, and law, eloquence is highly valued. It can contribute to career advancement, as it allows individuals to effectively present their expertise, ideas, and proposals.
5. Personal development. Developing eloquence can enhance personal confidence and self-expression. It enables people to express themselves more effectively and assertively in various situations.

Overall, eloquence is not just about speaking well; it’s about making a lasting impact through the power of words and communication.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So, let us give you an example of an eloquent, impactful speaker. Her name is Dr. Shefali, and she is a world-renowned clinical psychologist, parenting expert, and New York Times bestselling author.

Watch a segment of an interview with Dr. Shefali and consider the impression her speech leaves on you. Reflect on what makes her speech impactful. Then compare your thoughts with ours, provided below the video.

🎧 The segment’s audio script

Dr. Shefali: This is the tightrope of parenting. How do you love without smothering? How do you take care without taking over? How do you attune without accosting their spirit? How do you love without possession and control? This is the dance and the art, but when you learn to walk that tightrope, and it is a tightrope, and you will fall down and make plenty of mistakes, what you learn from that is to trust the spirit that comes through your child, and that degree of trust is the epitome of unconditional acceptance. Oprah: I love, love, love this is the preface of “The Parenting Map.” You are pretty blunt. You say, “Our love for our kids can take our breath away – both in its limitless expansiveness and in its heartbreaking anxiety. It is the perfect cocktail of the most piercing adoration and the most excruciating fear. This is what our kids do to our souls: they expand them as never before, but also twist them to a pulp and throw a dagger at them. Then they walk away without even noticing. Dr. Shefali: Yes, and you are there, a pulp on the floor. Oprah: Are you finding this passage rings true for parents who’ve read the book? Dr. Shefali: Yes, because, you see, we wrap up our very identity with our parenthood. Our children are an extension of us, and that’s where the greatest traps lie because we see them as our representatives, we see them as our brand ambassadors. So, imagine how intertwined we are with their destiny: who they choose, how they look, whom they marry, what career they take, what they do is all, we think, a reflection of us. But here is the lie because they are not a reflection of us. We are a reflection of ourselves.

There are quite a few things contributing to how impactful Dr. Shefali’s remarkable speech is. We have identified 10 specific ones:

1. Metaphors. She uses quite a few throughout her speech. One example is comparing parenthood to a tightrope, which is powerful and apt. Metaphors evoke vivid images in our minds, making it easier for us as listeners or readers to connect what we hear or read with our own experiences. They are also very memorable. Other examples of well-used metaphors in this segment include “throwing a dagger to a parent’s soul” (can you feel how painful that must be?) and “leaving a parent in a state similar to that of a pulp on the floor” (can you imagine how helpless that must feel?).
2. Questions. Dr. Shefali uses a series of questions that prompt listeners to consider or reflect on important issues: How do you love without smothering? How do you take care without taking over?, etc. This technique captures listeners’ attention and stimulates thought. It also diversifies the speech’s grammar patterns, which helps maintain interest and keeps us engaged as listeners.
3. Mixture of complex and simple grammar. Notice how some sentences in the speech are long and complex, while others, typically following those longer ones, are simple and short. This technique enhances the captivation of the speaker’s message. It unfolds a rich tapestry of thoughts, leaving the listener with a clear conclusion—a real takeaway intended to resonate.
4. Powerful words. Dr. Shefali occasionally uses words like epitome and the greatest traps, which add power and impact to the message she is conveying. However, she does not overuse them, choosing instead to emphasize only the most crucial parts with these powerful words.
5. Intonation. This is a hugely important eloquence tool. Even if you choose the right words to convey your message, you still need to stress them correctly and pause meaningfully for your audience to understand that this part is crucial, so close attention is a must. An example of this in the speech is “we wrap up our very identity with our parenthood.” Listen again to how Dr. Shefali uses intonation to emphasize identity—that’s a crucial point in this part of her speech.
6. Calling for action. At one point, Dr. Shefali asks her interviewer, and by extension everyone listening to the conversation, to do something—imagine how intertwined we are with our kids’ destiny. Similar to using questions, this technique aims to keep the audience engaged. Calling them to action, like in this case, to imagine the significance of certain actions, helps them better understand the importance of the speaker’s message and fosters agreement with the points being made.
7. Examples. “So, imagine how intertwined we are with their destiny: who they choose, how they look, whom they marry,” etc. By illustrating your words with examples, you make it easier for your audience to follow and relate to your message. Similar to metaphors, clear and relatable examples create a connection between what the speaker is saying and the listeners’ own experiences or observations. This, in turn, enhances the persuasiveness of the speech.
8. Repetition. “…what they do is all, we think, a reflection of us. But here is the lie because they are not a reflection of us. We are a reflection of ourselves.” Dr. Shefali repeats the word reflection for emphasis—to drive the message home that we, not our kids, are reflections of ourselves. Use repetition sparingly as an additional tool to emphasize the most important points.
9. Use of we. Dr. Shefali consistently uses the word we instead of I to bridge the distance between herself and the audience. By using we, she emphasizes that she is not positioned as an all-knowing lecturer, but rather someone who finds these messages and principles relevant and useful, acknowledging that she, like every other parent, faces similar challenges. This simple yet powerful tool helps create closeness with the audience, build rapport, and ensure that important ideas are accepted positively.
10. Precise, powerful vocabulary. Dr. Shefali’s vocabulary is clearly advanced, and she frequently uses literary words, more than many other speakers do. This isn’t necessarily tied to being a native or non-native speaker, although it can be challenging for non-native English speakers. Many modern speakers avoid literary words because it may not fit their style or appeal to every audience. We’re even not suggesting here that an eloquent speaker must use literary words (e.g., epitome, to accost). However, a rich and expressive vocabulary does contribute to making a speech compelling, which is a hallmark of eloquence. So, expand your vocabulary, build it, and remember that words are your arrows—aimed to deliver your message precisely and impressively, leaving a lasting impact on your listeners and readers.

Practical Tips

Now, you may think, “I’ll never be able to speak like that. That’s just too difficult!” And we say, please avoid this negative thinking and focus on the positives. First of all, don’t dwell on the end result of your efforts—instead, focus on the efforts and the process itself. Remember that eloquence is a skill, and like any skill, it can be developed. You can do it. Now, how can you do it? Here’s our list of tips.

1. Believe in your message. This is probably the most important tip of all. If you are passionate and knowledgeable about your subject, if you have a lot to say about it, and if you genuinely believe in your message, you are already halfway there—you can make others believe in it as well. Conversely, if you lack belief in your message, no matter how good your intonation or how well you’ve mastered the use of metaphors and examples, you are destined to fail. Your message must come from the heart and be authentic and honest.
2. Build your vocabulary and grammar. Do you feel you still lack grammar knowledge and skills? Enhance them by using textbooks, educational videos, etc. The same applies to vocabulary—read, read, read! Books provide an incredible source of new vocabulary, and don’t underestimate classical literature. While some vocabulary may be considered literary and not typically used in daily conversation, it can still be valuable for enhancing your eloquence and linguistic proficiency. Remember, words are beautiful and compelling entities; they are also tools—equip yourself with them consciously and continuously. By the way, if you’ve read this article this far, you must be an advanced learner already, so there are plenty of wonderful novels written in English awaiting you. Enjoy them and continue learning!
3. Learn from other speakers. Listen to presentations, podcasts, etc., featuring speakers you admire and find inspirational. Analyze what they do and say that resonates with you and makes their messages impactful. Then, try to incorporate those ideas into your own speaking and writing. So, this tip basically boils down to attentiveness and mindfulness.
4. Work on your pronunciation. When we speak, whether we want to sound persuasive or not, numerous skills come into play, with pronunciation being a crucial one. Intonation, as described earlier, is one of the key aspects of pronunciation. Other elements include intelligibility, sentence and word stress, and articulation of individual sounds among others. You don’t have to be a native speaker to benefit from good pronunciation, and even native speakers may not excel in this area. It’s about awareness of our limitations and making an effort to improve. So, listen, listen, listen! The more you immerse yourself in English, the more you’ll pick up on correct pronunciation patterns. Additionally, practice speaking—if you don’t actively try to use pronunciation features to convey and enhance meaning, you won’t learn to do that. One highly effective technique we strongly recommend is shadowing, which is especially good for improving intonation. An article on this technique will soon be posted on our blog, but you may want to look it up already, as shadowing can significantly enhance your pronunciation skills.

We look forward to hearing from you in the comments below. What resonated with you the most in this article? What brought you here in the first place? What’s your course of action now that you have read it? Thanks for sharing, and good luck to you on your journey to achieving eloquence. We have every confidence in you and your ability to master it!