Public speaking is the act of delivering an oral presentation or speech to a live audience. It can also refer to speaking to an audience through digital technology. Public speaking has many purposes, including teaching, persuasion, and entertainment. The main objective of public speaking is to evoke a change in the thoughts and actions of the audience. Public speaking has two main components: content (what you say) and delivery (how you say it) . The content of a speech determines how impactful it can be, while the delivery determines how impactful it actually is. Public speaking has been studied since ancient Greece and Rome, where it was analyzed as a central part of rhetoric. Today, public speaking is an essential subject in academia for scholarly and professional advancement, and it is required for work meetings, presentations, and conferences.

To become an engaging speaker, it is necessary to practice what you want to say and how you are going to say it. Public speaking skills can be learned and honed with enough practice. Harvard Professional Development provides ten tips for improving public speaking skills, including practicing and preparing, knowing your audience, organizing your material effectively, being yourself, using humor, telling stories, and using effective language.