What Effect Does Repetition Have in a Speech?

By Staff Writer | Last Updated August 4, 2015

Repetition in a speech increases understanding from the audience, offers clarification from the speaker and is a creative strategy that enhances the overall flow of the presentation. Repetition also serves to remind the audience of the most important aspects of the information presented.

When using repetition in a speech, the speaker should emphasize the points with a tone that is different from the rest of the speech to catch the audience’s attention. For example, if the speech is about safety in educational environments and the speaker wants to emphasize the importance of knowing your surroundings, he can repeat the phrase “look, listen and observe” several times within the speech so the phrase is remembered by the audience.

Repetition in speeches can also help to create a dramatic punch or closing to the speech. The speaker can repeat a summary of information that was presented at the beginning once again at the end of the speech to clarify the main points so the audience is aware of the theme or overall lesson. Repetition also encourages audience members to accept the ideas and thoughts that are presented. For instance, the more someone hears a fact, the more likely she may be willing to accept it.