What Are Some Good Three-Minute Speech Topics?

Personal anecdotes, sports, entertainment and current events are all great topics for a short speech. It is important to choose a topic that you are knowledgeable and passionate about. Another key to choosing a good speech topic is knowing your audience. For example, a speech detailing the rigors of childbirth may not go over well with an audience of high school athletes.

A good way to select the topic for a short speech is to make a list of ten things that interest you. Choose an item from your list that you believe will resonate with the audience. Use a personal anecdote that relates to your speech topic to capture the audience’s attention. If the speech topic is “The History of Basketball,” begin with a story about the first time you played a basketball game or the event that piqued your interest in the sport. If the topic is “The Watergate Scandal,” use humor to describe a time when you eavesdropped on a conversation before diving into the body of your speech. There is a plethora of interesting subjects for excellent short speeches, but it is vital that you choose a topic that interests you and is relevant to your audience.