TYPES OF SPEECH STYLES
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TYPES OF SPEECH STYLES
1) Frozen style
2) Formal style
3) Consultative style
4) Casual style
5) Intimate style
1) Frozen style
Also known as fixed speech
It is the most formal communicative style that is often used in
respectful situation or formal ceremony
It invites the reader to enter into a personal experience of creative
discovery such as literary texts like poetry
This style of communication rarely or never changes. It is “frozen”
in time and content.
• Examples:
• The Pledge of Allegiance,
• The Lord’s Prayer
• The Preamble of the
Constitution
• The Alma Mater,
• A bibliographic reference
• Laws
• Shakesperean’s plays
2) Formal Style
• It uses formal words and expressions
• This use of language usually follows a commonly accepted format.
• It is usually impersonal and formal.
Informal Formal
say sorry apologize, apologise
go up increase
go down decrease
set up establish
look at examine
Formal Informal
Dear Sir/Madam, Dear Mr./Mrs. (surname) Dear (first name), Hi, Hello
I would appreciate if you could Do me a favor, will you?
We apologize for any inconvenience caused We are very sorry
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with I am not happy with
I look forward to hearing from you Hope to hear from you soon
Examples:
• Speeches
• Pronouncements made by
judges
• Announcements
• Job interviews
• Meetings
3) Consultative style
–It is unplanned speech
– This speech style uses listener participation and feedback
– The two defining features of this style are:
(a) the speaker supplies background information
(b) the listener participates continuously
– Less appropriate for writing
• Examples:
• Communication between a
superior and a subordinate,
doctor and patient, lawyer
and client, lawyer and judge,
teacher and student,
counsellor and client
4) Casual or informal style
– This style is used in conversations between friends and insiders
who have something to share and have shared background
information
– There is free and easy participation of both speaker and listener
– It is marked by various degrees of implicitness because of
intimacy between speaker and listener
– The use of language is general
4) Casual or informal style
– It is appropriate to use casual language in situations
where speech is improvised and not prepared ahead of
time, or when the writer is writing quickly without
editing
– You also use casual language when you want to get to
know someone on a more personal level, or you want
the person to feel at ease.
4) Casual or informal style
– A simple greeting with those you know well might
probably be the causal:
– “Hi”
– “Hey”
– “What’s up?”
– “How is it going?”
– “How do you do?”
4) Casual or informal style
– Casual or informal style have ellipsis, allows the use of slang,
profanity, and unconventional English words
– The diction or vocabulary is informal (colloquial)
– Some of the vocabulary used only in casual situations are:
– “dude” (a person)
– “freaking out” (getting scared)
– “nope” (no)
– “stuff” (things)
4) Casual or informal style
– Casual language uses words or phrases that are
shortened like:
– “I’m doin’ it my way” (doing)
– “Lemme go!” (let me go)
– “Watcha gonna do?” (What are you going to do?)
– “Wazzup?” (What’s up?)
5) Intimate style
– This style is used in conversations between people who are
very close and know each other quite well because having a
maximum of shared background information
– It is characterized by an economy of words, with a high
incidence of significant nonverbal communication, such as
gesture, facial expression, eye contact and so on.
– There is free and easy participation of both the speaker and
listener
