Some people have slurred speech after a stroke because of several reasons such as:


·  weakness of the muscles used for speaking.
·  poor coordination of muscles used for speech.


It is important that people take their time to talk as clearly as possible. Some strategies include the following:


1.  Make sure where you are talking is not noisy and that there are not too many distractions by turning off the TV or radio.


2.  Swallow your saliva before you speak as the saliva will muffle your voice.


3.  Say 1-2 words per breath so you'll not run out of breath at the end of what you want to say, e.g, I see ---them -- in the-- afternoon. This way your voice will not trail off at the end of your words.


4.  Speak slower and over pronounce your words so each sound is deliberate and clear. This gives your tongue & lips a chance to move to the correct positions for the sounds you want to say. Don't hurry your muscles and you will not sound as slurred.


5.  Finish saying the last sounds of a word before beginning the next one. Final sounds often determine the meaning of words. e.g, bit versus bid versus big versus bin.


6.  Use a louder voice as if your listener is at the other end of the room. Try to have your sounds be coming out of the front of your mouth and not from the back of your throat. This will make your voice seem louder because the sounds are not absorbed by the muscles at the back of your throat.


7.  Ask simple questions. Keep your sentences short. Shorter sentences or phrases will help you to focus on how to make your sounds clearer rather than on how to put words together to say what you were thinking, e.g, What's for dinner versus What kind of food are we having for dinner?


8.  Emphasize key words in your sentences by making them louder, longer and higher in pitch than the less important words. Make the key words stand out by not stressing all words equally. This helps your listener to focus on what is important in your message. e.g, You want THIS one or THAT one? vs Let's play SCRABBLE TONIGHT.


9.  When ever you repeat words because someone does not understand you, try to say it slower, clear and louder. Use gestures to help the other person understand. If you can write, try to write the key words of what you were trying to say.


10.   Try to face the person you are talking to. This way they can try to read your lips and guess what you are trying to say.


11.  Encourage your family & friends to ask you to speak clearer and louder. The more you practice, the clearer and easier your speech will become.