Speak clearly on US calls

Slow down a little

On a phone line, a clear voice at a steady pace beats a fast one every time. When you are nervous you speed up, so plan to speak a little slower than feels natural, and pause between sentences.

The practice room measures your speaking rate on every drill, so you can see where you are.

Pause instead of filling the silence

Words like "um" and "uh" make you sound unsure, even when you know the answer. A short, silent pause sounds calm and confident. Before an important point, take a breath and pause.

• Say one idea per sentence, then pause.
• If you lose your place, pause and restart the sentence. Don't fill the gap.

Stress the words that matter

English listeners follow the stressed words. In "I'm calling about your house on Maple Street", lean on "house" and "Maple Street". Flat speech, where every word gets the same weight, is harder to follow than an accent.

Say numbers and names slowly

Phone numbers, dates, times and names are where calls go wrong. Say numbers in small groups ("four eight one, seven two"), give the time zone with every time, and spell names when it matters.

Sound like you want to be there

Energy carries over the phone. Sit up, smile when you greet someone (people can hear it), and finish sentences with a steady tone instead of trailing off.