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Fun Stuff

Interview with an Alien: Behind the Scenes of ‘Teek and Tom Explore Planet Earth’

March 27, 2025 by Debbie Grattan

Photo from oceantoday.noaa.gov

No matter what some horror flicks may depict, not every extra-terrestrial creature is out to conquer the Earth. In fact, some aliens pay us a visit to learn more about our planet – while helping our kids do the same.

Such is the case for the one-eyed purple alien Teek, the star of “Teek and Tom Explore Planet Earth.” This five-part animated series connects Teek with NOAA climate scientist Tom Di Liberto as the two delve into the ocean’s influence on our planet’s weather and climate.

Available for free on the NOAA website, the series is designed for students in fourth to sixth grades. Each animated video comes with downloadable lesson plans for teachers to use in the classroom.

It’s not just the educational and entertainment value that make this series special, either. The two-year project is close to our hearts because my daughter Natalie Rarick is the voice of Teek.

As a 23-year-old voice over artist who already has years of experience, Natalie was an ideal fit for the role. (And I’m not just saying that because I’m her mom…or her manager!)

Natalie says:

“They wanted Teek to be a young-sounding character, while also having a lot of range and being highly directable. So, they wanted a child sound without actually casting a child — which is kind of my specialty!”

Photo from oceantoday.noaa.gov

‘Teek and Tom’ Fun Tidbits

We wanted to share some fun behind-the-scenes tidbits that made working on this project absolutely out of this world.

Alien Roles Are Popular

Teek is actually the second animated alien character Natalie has recently played. She was the voice of Axis in an e-learning program designed to teach grammar rules and English. While Axis stayed solely in world of animation, Teek gets to interact with live-action actors.

Since Teek is working on an alien class project about the planet Earth, each “Teek and Tom” episode is also jam-packed with tons of information – including a few fun facts even adults may not know.

Natalie says:

“This series is a unique and creative way to teach about Earth’s weather, ocean, and climate, and is as entertaining as it is educational. It also talks about how special Earth’s unique geography and weather systems are – Teek had to come all the way across the galaxy to find it, and there’s nothing like it anywhere else in the universe!”

Project Was a True Collaboration

Not only is portraying a character more creative than recording straight-up narration or commercial work, but it was a true collaborative process. Natalie worked side-by-side with the writing and the animation teams for each episode.

The process went like this:

  • Animators gave Natale their storyboards to portray Teek’s emotions and movements (such as lounging on a space couch or pulling a heavy object)
  • Natalie recorded her performance, based on info from the storyboards
  • Animation team incorporated Natalie’s emotion, tone and pacing into the final visuals

Natalie says:

“That kind of collaboration is one of my favorite things to do as VO talent!”

Alien Boy Scout Was the Blueprint

Natalie has been doing voice overs since she was a kid, and child voices remain her most successful market. She also works with kids in her day to-day life, as a teaching artist, giving her tons of references to pull from.

Once she was cast as Teek, there were several tweaks made to the character. Teek started as a boy alien, then became a girl alien, until the team finally settled on a non-binary alien.

Natalie’s versatility and experience let them experiment with several approaches before landing on a style with which they most connected.

Teek fits very comfortably into her Child / Character and Animation voice profile, though their journey took them all throughout the range of Natalie’s voice! In general, children’s voices sound more androgynous than adults, as young boys and girls both have higher pitched voices. For Natalie, boy voices command a slightly lower pitch, more rasp, and a more nasal sound. Girl voices, however, sit higher on her soft palate, and generally sound “sweeter.” While each character is unique, she often pulls inspiration from animation that she enjoys — including Aang from “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Natalie says:

“Teek is also a highly enthusiastic and playful, but also very caring and curious little alien, so I portrayed them as very high-energy but still believable. When recording, I liked to picture Teek like a green alien Boy Scout – with the uniform and everything!”

Marshmallows Brought Out the Best

Once the sound of Teek’s voice was pegged down, it was time for Natalie to develop the character’s personality. She says Teek’s personality came through the most during some of the lines relating to food.

Natalie says:

“Teek LOVES eating marshmallows, and the more we recorded lines about how much Teek loved food, the more the writers kept adding! I think that quirk of Teek being a tween who loves sweets made them very relatable to kid audiences who might be watching this show.”

Photo from oceantoday.noaa.gov

Aliens Move Apartments – But Still Sound the Same

The biggest challenge with the role was recording some of the pickups out of context. The project took two years to complete, with a lot of changes to the script along the way. It’s imperative to make the pickups fit smoothly with the rest of the audio. This requires finding the exact emotion, tone and placement of the voice as in the original recording.

Natalie had also moved to a new apartment during the project, so her studio sound had to perfectly match her old studio as well. Two years for a project of this scope is not surprising.

Natalie says:

“Animation of that scale takes quite a long time! And voiceover is actually one of the quicker parts of the process. They say that, for really polished animation, it takes about a week of work to complete 6 seconds of visuals. Of course, for VO artists, it takes about 30 seconds to complete 6 seconds!”

The Best Part of the Project 

The most enjoyable aspect of many projects is seeing pieces of the finished product as you go along. This was definitely the case for Natalie with “Teek and Tom.”

Natalie says:

“With the final few episodes still left to record, I remember seeing the ‘Intro’ for the first time and feeling so gratified and excited to hear my voice finally paired with Teek in a polished animation. Once a project is completed and polished like that, I can almost forget it’s me! That voice belonged to Teek now.”

Hear Teek in action in Teek and Tom Explore Planet Earth. Learn more about Natalie on her website at NatalieRarick.com.

Filed Under: For Voice Over Clients, For Voice Over Talent, Fun Stuff Tagged With: feature, Featured, Featured Character

Why You’ll Fall in Love with New Animated Show ‘MechWest’ (Featuring Mother-Daughter Voice Over Team)

April 11, 2024 by Debbie Grattan

Mech West branding for mother daughter voice over interview
Mech West Featuring Mother Daughter Voice Over Team

Who doesn’t love a good Western? OK, we’ll admit the typical Western may not be everyone’s cup of, say, homemade whiskey. But the new animated series “MechWest” is definitely not typical.

“MechWest” is an enchanting cartoon world where robots, known as mechs, meet the Wild West. While the mechs are generally treated (and mis-treated) by everyone as mere hunks of metal, that’s not the case for the story’s hero Pearl West. She sees beyond their steely exterior, which prompts the most intriguing events to unfold… especially when she meets a special mech named Six.

The delightful concept is just one of a whole saddlebag full of reasons to fall in love with “MechWest.” Here come several others:

It Features a Mother Daughter Voice Over Team

And we’re thrilled about it! The mother and daughter characters in “MechWest” are voiced by myself and my daughter Natalie Rarick. Not only do we have the pleasure of working together on the series, but we were able to share a bit of our background and experience with the show in two local Michiana news outlets.

Check out our interview on ABC57 by clicking here.

Here is an image of two characters played in MechWest from the Mother Daughter Voice Over Team
Shot from MechWech – Mother Daughter Voice Over Team

Take a peek at our interview on Experience Michiana WNIT (PBS affiliate) by clicking here.

Image from the new animation 'MechWest' representing the Mother Daughter Voice Over Team
Still from MechWest – Mother Daughter Voice Over Team article

While we don’t want to give all the details away, we will share a few more tidbits highlighting additional things to love about “MechWest.”

It Has a Behind-the-Scenes Michiana Angle

My family and I have lived in Michiana for years. When show producers asked if I knew any voice actors ideal for the role of the father, another Michiana local came to mind. He got the part. (Get more details in the above interviews.) 

Created by Father Son Production Team Voiced by Mother Daughter Voice Over Team

As if the local angle wasn’t notable enough, the series is also a family affair. Father and son created it. (More details in the above interviews.)

The Hero is Adorable

Main character Pearl West is not the type of hero who reins in stampedes or leaps tall buildings in a single bound. She’s actually a bit dorky and anxious. But that’s what makes her relatable, while her compassion makes her loveable.

Learn more about Pearl West as well as Natalie’s take on playing the part:

It Was Funded by Enthusiasm

“MechWest” met its Kickstarter self-funding goal well before the deadline. That means people were definitely excited about the show. Self-funding also means the producers, writers and other crew members get to retain creative freedom – while serving up free viewing of the indie animated Western on YouTube.

Check out the first episode here:

Animated Alt Western Creating Instant Fans

This show has been in the making for several years, and the interviews tell you why. If you become an instant fan, let the “MechWest” crew know by showing your support.

  • Like and subscribe to the YouTube channel here
  • Visit the MechWest website here

Hope you enjoy the show as much as we have so far – and ride happily off into the “MechWest” sunset.

Filed Under: For Voice Over Clients, For Voice Over Talent, Fun Stuff Tagged With: Featured, Featured Character

Navigating Voiceover Rates – The History!

April 10, 2024 by Debbie Grattan

Navigating voiceover rates… That is a tough one! If a time machine was available to us the voiceover world would look very different 25 years ago. It is an industry that has accelerated, evolved, and changed dramatically in a very short space of time. It is an industry that 100 years ago did not exist outside of live performances such as ventriloquism. So, now it is hard to believe looking at the modern-day industry that only 25 years ago the voiceover industry was a closed club. Very few voice actors were working, voiceover-specific agents held pretty much all the cards and it paid… well… brilliantly! So has that died a death? not entirely… but it is complicated! So let us navigate the history of voiceover rates together in this article and also explore the changes in the industry as a whole.

Microphone in a studio representing the navigating voiceover rates article.

Navigating Rates? How About Navigating Tapes!

Yes! It might sound bizarre or like something from a museum but actually sending demo tapes was the norm in the 80s and 90s. A lot of time and effort not only went into getting material recordings but also getting them copied and posted out to prospective representatives. Home studios were just not a thing! Perhaps the rich and famous may of had something but no doubt 99.99% of people were heading into studios. In fact some of the stars would be driven around in limos going from studio to studio – sounds nice right?

Say Goodbye to Good Rates!

Ok maybe I am being dramatic, we have not said goodbye to good rates entirely, but the landscape is different. Agents no longer hold the gates to all of the work but they do typically host the better jobs. Bigger budget organizations don’t have the time to be wasted on unorganized and unprofessional wannabee voice actors. So they typically avoid marketplaces, AI, and pay-to-play sites. By the way, not all voice actors on the marketplace and pay-to-play sites are wannabee talent, but you can be sure you will find some there.

Money and time passing representing the navigating voiceover rates article.

This reminds me of a story a friend told me. A client of his needed a project done within 24 hours and could only pay $100. My friend told him his rate for that project was $250 and usually it would be an additional $50 for the quick turnaround time but he was happy to give him a $50 discount. The client said no and went to a pay-to-play site. He spent his $100 easily but two days later needed a pick-up. The voice actor he used was a 19-year-old guy in university recording the audio on his phone under a blanket. The client could not get ahold of the student and in turn went back to my buddy! This time my buddy did not let him off for the quick turnaround as the client needed it immediately. So instead of paying $250, he spent $400 all because he chose to lowball and use a platform that invites unreliability.

Navigating Voiceover Rates Wrapped

So there you have it? What else can I say? You can find a harsh accent trying to imitate American English on Fiverr. Or you can find a young guy looking for beer money whilst he is studying via the pay-to-play sites. Oh, and we did not even touch on AI – but that’s ok I have a whole article about that here. The alternative, of course, is to hire experienced, talented, professional voice actors and adhere to the industry standard rates. So to close, I will leave you with one final gimmick. If you are paying with bananas you will get monkeys, but if you pay properly you’ll get everything and more. Sometimes the cheaper option is more time-consuming, expensive, and damaging in the long run.

Navigating Voiceover Rates – The History! by Debbie Grattan

Filed Under: For Voice Over Talent, Fun Stuff Tagged With: Featured

What If Presidential Candidates Were Voice Actors – Part 2

December 20, 2019 by Debbie Grattan

listening to voiceover actors

As a longtime voice over actor, I automatically pick up on different speech patterns, nuances and styles of speaking from those in the public eye. And you can’t get any more public than the lineup of candidates running for president in 2020. While some candidates may have solid experience in the political arena, I can’t help but ask how they’d fare as voiceover actors.

Our last post looked at our first three candidates on the list: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg. This time we’re listening in the next three: Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Tulsi Gabbard. Even though Clinton has not officially announced a run for president in 2020, she has spent enough time in the spotlight to earn her a place on our list (and many predict she will enter the race at some point).

Donald Trump

Loud, repetitive, and a master at commanding the stage, Donald Trump no doubt knows how to put on a performance. In fact, he’s been likened to a “modern-day P.T. Barnum” for his keen ability to capture people’s attention. He is also a master at spontaneity who reportedly does not script his speeches in advance.

Vocal Style 

  • Exceptionally informal, even informal arena and capacity as president
  • Lack of ums, ahhs, and filled pauses, which projects a sense of confidence
  • A habit of using anecdotes and stories over statistics, which connects to people’s emotions
  • Spontaneous responses create a further connection with the audience
  • Repetition serves to cement ideas into people’s minds

Impact of Vocal Style

Repetition is a hallmark of Trump’s speaking style, sometimes saying the same sentence multiple times. Other times, his sentences may trail off without officially ending, which some may interpret as an inability to finish a thought. Others, however, have attributed that trait to him being a New Yorker and expecting others to finish his sentences for him.

Still, others have said such ambiguity is created on purpose. This allows everyone in the audience to fill in the blank with their own thoughts to finish the sentence, thereby aligning their own thoughts with what Trump meant and further strengthening the connection.

Exaggeration and embellishments are also a regular part of his speaking habits, which supporters know are not to be taken literally. They don’t take him literally but do take him seriously. The media tends to do the opposite, taking him literally and not seriously.

Potential Success as a Voice Over Artist 

His media and business background would work in favor of voice over commercials, while his large and loud style aligns well with announcer-type roles.

Hillary Clinton

Hilary Clinton is certainly polished in her enunciation and delivery on the stage – although some have argued she’s too polished. Critics say the overly polished delivery makes her non-distinct and non-relatable, unlike her folksy, more casual way of speaking earlier in her career. Others argue she is very relatable, especially since she has been known to change her accent and speech patterns when she thinks it will make her more appealing to a specific audience.

Vocal Style

  • Raises her voice to emphasize points, but sometimes so much “that it was almost screaming”
  • Switches between personal stories and lecturing style, which adds interest
  • Motivational, positive messages, but rarely smiling during their delivery
  • Authoritative gestures, strong eye contact with the audience
  • Speaking from the throat, rather than from the diaphragm

Impact of Vocal Style

Clinton’s speaking style tends to have two camps: you either love it or you hate it. Those who are captivated say her delivery is simple, direct and competent. Those who are less than thrilled note she uses loud, from-the-throat speaking (as opposed to speaking more deeply from the diaphragm). The from-the-throat speaking can be uncomfortable to listen to, watch and, above all, produce.

The volume of her voice is another point that has come under fire. While she frequently uses a loud volume and high pitch to make her point, those points can become blunted when the entire speech is loud.

Potential Success as Voiceover Actors

Fantastic for voice over work that demands a range of accents. Not so great if hiring for audiobook narration for bedtime stories.

Tulsi Gabbard

At 38 years old, Tulsi Gabbard is said to bring both “youthful joy and grownup gravitas” to the stage. She also brings a style of speaking that is straightforward, confident and, as “The New Yorker” called it, “faintly hypnotic.”

Vocal Style

  • Clear and confident
  • Straightforward language, even using words like “crappy” and “suck”
  • Voice with agreeable pitch and tone
  • Slow, reassuring delivery
  • Poised, rehearsed, lacking spontaneity

Impact of Vocal Style

Despite being unusually shy as a child, Gabbard said she trained herself to talk to strangers to help her breakthrough her anxiety. The result is enough of a comfort level with the audience to share personal anecdotes and even a hint of emotion. Like when her eyes glistened with near tears during a personal tribute to service members who lost their lives.

She’s also not shy about getting her point across, even if it means continuing to speak over a debate moderator who is trying to close out her time at the mic. It appears if Gabbard means to speak, she will, and she’s done so to standing-room-only crowds which appear to listen intently to what she has to say.

Potential Success as a Voice Over Artist

The hypnotic quality of her voice would not fare well for longer voice over narrations where the audience is at risk of falling asleep. Her style could align with shorter projects that required a confident and believable tone.

One thing we can say for sure: no two candidates are alike when it comes to having a unique speaking style. That makes for an interesting race right off the bat, one that’s only made even more intriguing by the message they relay. What do you think? How much of an impact does a politician’s speaking style have on your opinion of their ability to lead the country?

Filed Under: For Voice Over Clients, For Voice Over Talent, Fun Stuff Tagged With: Featured, Featured Commercial, voiceover actors

What If Presidential Candidates Were Voice Actors – Part 1

November 20, 2019 by Debbie Grattan

Presidential Candidates voiceoverWhen it comes to picking our next president, it’s not just about what the candidates say. It’s also about how they say it. With speeches, debates, and other political performances gearing up for the 2020 election, we have a good sense of some of the strongest voices vying for president. But what if Presidential Candidates voiceover was part of the debate?

As a longtime voice over artist, I can’t help but notice the speech patterns, vocal quirks, and other notable voice characteristics of politicians. Here’s a rundown on what I’ve heard from the first three candidates on our list: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg.

Joe Biden

Folksy, choppy, and prone to mangling words, Joe Biden is the oldest presidential candidate in the running. Some have even questioned if his age plays a role in his speaking style, although those who have known him for years say he’s always been prone to misspeaking. He comes across as an average Joe, which often works in his favor.

Vocal Style

  • Folksy speaking style, using words like “malarkey”
  • Highly relatable, average-Joe type of delivery that puts the audience at ease
  • Apparent adoration of the word “folks,” which he once used more than 30 times in a single speech
  • A choppy style that often involves stopping or interrupting himself
  • Mangling and combining words in speeches. Examples include referring to Twitter as “Tritter” and making up words like “extredible,” which is a mishmash of the words “incredible” and “extraordinary.”
  • Frequent digressions, mix-ups, and gaffes, such as this one cited in The New York Times: “People are being killed in western, in eastern Afghan — excuse me, in eastern, uh, Ukraine,” Biden said.

Impact of Vocal Style

With a speaking style that’s largely disjointed, unpolished, and peppered with mangled words, you might think he’d be off the list of presidential candidates in a heartbeat. But that’s not the case. His folksy, unassuming speaking style has actually made him endearing to a notable number of supporters.

He has particularly strong support from working-class voters who find him relatable. Some see his informal style and penchant for storytelling as part of his charm.

Potential Success as a Voice Over Artist 

Very little, unless you were hiring for a folksy character that is supposed to frequently go off script or forget his lines.

Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren has been hailed as an exuberant and captivating performer, and there’s no doubt she has the vocal power, extravagant gestures, and stage presence to command a room. While some are enchanted by her style, others are a bit less enthusiastic. The tone and delivery of her message have been compared to that of a domineering teacher scolding the class. Or as one recent meme put it, “She’s like the substitute teacher who assigns homework.”

Vocal Style

  • Lecturing style; lecturing the audience, sometimes even scolding them
  • Polished performance, as if she’s in a one-woman stage play
  • Rapid delivery likened to machine-gun fire or dodge ball
  • Speaks with her entire body, “vibrates with feeling,” many arm and hand gestures
  • Native Oklahoma twang

Impact of Vocal Style

Warren’s performances are polished and well-versed, particularly since she uses no notes or other prompting. Yet it’s been noted that such an exceptional level of polish may actually work as a barrier between her and the average American. It’s been said that her town hall meetings and more intimate gatherings are more personable and relatable than her more prominent performances. Yet they may still come across as performances during which the performer remains separate, on a stage high above the audience.

Potential Success as a Voice Over Artist 

Excellent if hiring for the teacher or no-nonsense professor type. Maybe some e-learning applications would be a good fit. Low if hiring for the conversational style of a trusted friend next door.

Pete Buttigieg 

Out of the three presidential candidates discussed here, Pete Buttigieg has the most straightforward speaking style. While Biden and Warren have several articles picking apart their speaking styles, the articles on Buttigieg refer to him as “cool,” “eloquent,” and someone who “excels at inspirational oratory.” This doesn’t mean, however, he would be a shoo-in for any voice-over job that came his way. He lacks the folksy connection enjoyed by Biden and certainly lacks the emotional charge Warren delivers.

Vocal Style

  • Voice with agreeable pitch and tone
  • Well-paced with generous pauses
  • Direct, calm, reserved
  • Perhaps too reserved at times, which may make him less relatable

Impact of Vocal Style

Buttigieg’s mom says he’s always been reserved, which is evident by the way he sticks with facts and figures rather than disclosing personal stories. Buttigieg himself admits he’s laidback, a trait that is often misinterpreted. “I’m misread as being bloodless,” he said in an AP story.

His speeches may not leave you warm and fuzzy, but they will leave you with a sense that he is intelligent and down to earth. Although his lack of emotion makes his speeches easy to transcribe, it may also make it tougher for voters to make a more personal connection with the man up on stage.

Potential Success as a Voice Over Artist

Ideal for medical narrations or other gigs where you need a straightforward, non-emotional delivery.

Of course, the substance of a candidates’ words are important — although it can be tough to concentrate on the substance if we’re too busy being distracted by the delivery. And if you think this lineup of politician vocal quirks is intriguing, just wait until you see who we have in store for the next one. In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts on the speaking styles of politicians.

Filed Under: For Voice Over Clients, For Voice Over Talent, Fun Stuff Tagged With: Featured, Featured Commercial

The Most Annoying Speech Patterns You Hear All the Time Now

November 28, 2016 by Debbie Grattan

annoying speech patterns can drive you crazy
So, you probably already know about vocal fry, valspeak and uptalk, right? I mean, everyone has heard plenty of examples of those speech patterns that have made perfectly well-educated college grads (mostly female) sound like Kardashian wannabes.

Vocal fry refers to a low, glottal, animal-like sound that speech pathologists consider a vocal disorder.

Valspeak is, like, short for the way Valley Girls talk that was, like, you know, so big Frank Zappa sang about it in 1982.

Uptalk, a subset of valspeak, is the habit of producing a rising inflection as if you’re asking a question – even when you’re not?

Here’s a new video we created to demonstrate some of the more common patterns you hear today…

To say that all these fad-driven speech patterns are kinda, sorta, well… I don’t know, annoying may seem a bit harsh. But it’s also absolutely true.

The Harsh Reality of Speech Patterns

The use of such patterns do more than annoy the listener. Even if the people indulging in these patterns have an incredibly high IQ, the patterns work against them by making them:

  • Sound less intelligent
  • Appear less professional
  • Seem like a nitwit or airhead
  • An embarrassment in front of mom, dad or the general public
  • Unfit for any position that pays more than minimum wage

Despite all the detriments of allowing those patterns to unconsciously creep into your own conversational lexicon, people are falling prey at rapid rates. Some are even doing it on purpose.

One of the reasons the patterns become so widespread, particularly with the current trend of vocal fry, is the feeling of belonging it gives young women. A video on Today explains how it makes the women feel part of a “macroculture.”

If you ask me, I’d rather join a gym.

If you ask me again, I’d also predict the tide will turn and people who drop these phrases will come out on top in the long run. Drop the phrases now and you can think of it as an easy, inexpensive way to outshine 85 percent of your competitors in that next job interview.

thumbs down

The Up-and-Coming Most Annoying Speech Patterns

Being a voice-over talent makes me extremely sensitive to not only the sound of voices I hear on TV, radio and the internet, but also to the words that are chosen. None of these up-and-coming phrases ever appear in scripts that I read for actual voice-over jobs or auditions. They are typically found in unscripted, more extemporaneous speech.

These five speech patterns have become rampant in interviews. My husband listens to a lot of podcasts, particularly enjoying them while out driving or working in the yard. He started tracking the pervasive use of these five patterns of speaking that are appearing in virtually every interview he listens to lately, including on cable news and business channels.

Of course, once he shared them with me, I started hearing them, too.

I’ve already used all five patterns in this post, did you catch them?

1. You know – This phrase is increasingly being used at the beginning of the sentence as a lead-in. This one has been around for ages but, you know, it’s been given new life with a new use you can’t help but constantly hear if you listen for it.

“You know, the best way to find out the answers is to just Google it.”

2. So – So, you’ll also find this one at the beginning of a sentence, namely as a way to “manage” the conversation and sound fairly authoritative (or condescending). It’s become hugely common, even among expert speakers during formal interviews (just listen to NPR while various experts are interviewed). More on that idea here.

“So, what we’ve found in our research is that people tend to add this word as a way to sound informal yet still be an expert.” 

3. I mean – This completely unnecessary phrase seems to just be a habitual way to start sentences for many people. I mean, where did this one come from anyway?

“I mean, if it really was a problem that I say that phrase whenever I’m trying to make my point, what difference does it make?” Whatever!

4. … right? – This one comes at the end of sentences, apparently to encourage or sometimes subtly force agreement on the listener. It reminds me of the French who often tack on a oui or non at the end of a sentence, non? It’s hit the English language strong in just the past year or so, right?

“It wasn’t just that the election campaign this year was ugly, right…? It really became a battle of negative personalities in a race to the bottom of common decency.” 

5. Kind of (or sort of) – This tidbit is used anywhere in the middle, as a way to not say what you really mean. It’s sort of a way to soften, to be kind of… vague, imprecise and uncommitted.

“Well, if you look at the data, you’ll kind of notice that there’s a trend that sort of jumps out at you.”

You can even mix them all together in infinite combinations:

“Right, so… you know the best way to find out answers is to Google it, right? It’s kind of like way better than going to the library. I mean, how did people even get through the day before the internet was invented! We really owe a lot to the guy who invented that, I mean, really…

I understand these may be hip ways of speaking these days , but they actually detract from the message. They also make the speaker sound less intelligent and sometimes even manipulative.

On those rare occasions when I hear an interview with someone who is profoundly lacking all of these five patterns, it is such a breath of fresh air! I can focus and absorb what they are saying so much more easily.

More common, is hearing someone speak with various combinations of several of these patterns appearing in just one sentence! It’s kinda crazy, right?

Yes, I understand that my fixated attention on these patterns is what is causing me to be distracted. And, like a highly contagious virus, it is possible that by simply reading this post, you too will become afflicted!

Sorry about that, but it’s the only way to bring awareness to this type of conversational disease in hopes that it can be eradicated very soon.

Pay attention and I promise you’ll start noticing these patterns in nearly every casual conversation you listen in on. Even interviews with people you’d think would be trained to avoid patterns like these are using them.

It’s mildly disturbing to me. I hope you’ll be disturbed too. At least enough to curb your own use (and maybe the usage by your kids, spouse and/or significant other).

Oh, and yes, I know I left off many other annoying speech patterns. Like things like “like” because it’s just, like, beyond ubiquitous and you already know about it. Now that you’ve become painfully aware of my top five annoying speech patterns, please share your own speech pattern pet peeves.

Feel free to share in the comments! And please read through the comments for some very interesting insights and observations from other readers.

Filed Under: Fun Stuff Tagged With: Featured, patterns, speech, voice over style

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Debbie Grattan is a top-rated professional female voice over talent with more than 25 years of experience delivering voice over services worldwide. She regularly records commercial voice overs for radio and tv as well as infomercial voice overs and direct response marketing for children's toys, health, fitness and beauty products. Other specialties include female narration voice overs for corporate narration, web videos, tutorials, explainer videos and technical medical narration. Debbie also provides phone-related voice over services including phone prompts, messages-on-hold and outbound phone marketing for companies in the United States and Canada.

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