It refers to saying, but from its best form, because when speaking or writing it is not only about saying things, but about saying them in the best possible way, to avoid misunderstandings and communication barriers. Thus, as diction refers to the art of saying, where in order to be an “artist of saying”, one must work on the proper use of voice and spelling.
Diction is based on saying things in compliance with grammar rules, using words correctly, to construct sentences.
For speech, diction is divided into two main parts, articulation and vocalization, which signify the clarity and sharpness of the words and the proper sound given to the vowels, respectively.
There are techniques and exercises that can help us achieve good diction. In the first place, one must be fully aware that good diction is achieved by speaking where it should be: through the mouth, opening it well (articulating) and breathing in the correct way, one should avoid speaking through the nose, with the chest, with the back of the throat or with the tip of the lips.
In second place, there are exercises for the acquisition of good diction, as is the reading aloud where the articulation and vocalization of words come, always taking care of breath. There are three types of reading: phonetic, syntactic and creative.
When reading, you should open your mouth wide, even exaggerate, to separate each word and in turn, separate each syllable. Likewise, it is necessary to breathe before saying each sentence or paragraph, to avoid stopping the reading abruptly to catch your breath. Also, it is necessary to avoid letting the end of a sentence die, to avoid being understood, all this practice as a whole corresponds to phonetic reading.
For its part, syntactic reading is based on practicing intonation when reading and creative reading, it invites the individual to read by making variations, such as in the speed of reading and even in the feeling or thought with which it is read, providing a bit of drama, this will help to adapt the reading or speech, to the moment and type of audience that listens to us, creating contrast and nuances in our voice, capable of eliminating monotony, creating an atmosphere and even giving emotion.
Diction is essential for the performing arts and those jobs that require public speaking, such as politicians for example, as it is a fundamental tool for the message to reach the ears of our listeners correctly.
Also, for those jobs that require good written diction, for greater reading comprehension, such as print journalism.
