Learn how to give an impressive persuasive speech and explore our comprehensive list of persuasive speech ideasIntroductionWhat makes a good persuasive speech topic?How to create and deliver a compelling persuasive speech110 interesting persuasive speech topics---- Show
IntroductionAre you having a hard time coming up with the right persuasive speech topic? One that isnt boring or cliche? Are you looking for a persuasive speech topic that will both interest you and captivate your audience? Its easier said than done, right? Creating and delivering an interesting persuasive speech is a major endeavor. The last thing you want is to get stuck on the first stepselecting a persuasive speech topic. Dont worry, weve got you covered. To help you identify the perfect persuasive speech topic for you, weve compiled a list of 110 compelling persuasive speech ideas. Every single one of these ideas has the potential to be an outstanding persuasive speech. In addition, well peel back the curtain to teach you what makes a good persuasive speech topic and give you expert tips on delivering a successful persuasive speech that will convince and astound your audience. Want to know exactly what it takes to get into Americas most selective colleges?Get the free 110-page guide we use to help our students routinely get admitted to schools like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford: How to Get Into Americas Elite Colleges: The Ultimate Guide First Name Last Name Email Address SEND ME THE GUIDE 100% privacy. No spam. Ever. Thank you! Your guide is on its way. In the meantime, please let us know how we can help you crack the college admissions code. You can also learn more about our 1-on-1 college admissions support here. ---- What makes a good persuasive speech topic?There are three questions you can use to determine which persuasive speech topics will lead to enthusiastic applause and standing ovations. Does the persuasive speech topic interest you? A major part of writing a persuasive speech is doing ample research on the subject you choose. So one of the first things you should ask yourself when considering a potential persuasive speech topic is, Would I enjoy learning about this subject extensively? If you cant answer that question with an emphatic, Yes! you might want to continue your topic search. You dont want to spend hours diving into a subject you dont enjoy. Plus, an audience can easily pick up on boredom or lack of interest in a persuasive speech, and you clearly dont want that. On the other hand, if youre explaining a subject youre passionate about, your audience will get caught up in your excitementresulting in a much more compelling and persuasive speech. Heres another word of advice. Some people will tell you to pick a persuasive speech topic youre already an expert in, and thats certainly one way to go about it. While we wont tell you being an expert in the subject should be your top deciding factor, this approach has its advantagesyoure already familiar with the lingo and the basics of the subject are. This helps you significantly speed up your research process. But if you have the time and willingness to tackle an entirely unfamiliar subject that utterly fascinates you, we say go for it! Will the persuasive speech topic interest your audience? So youve found a few persuasive speech topics that interest you. But what about your audience? Do they share your interest? Even if you argue your points with enthusiasm, will they be bored by your subject? To answer these questions, you have to understand your audience well. Study them to learn what grabs their attention. What do they care about? What topics are relatable to their lives or their communities? What subjects will they be more likely to get emotionally invested in? When you find persuasive speech topics that equally interest you and your audience, youre setting yourself up for success. Has the persuasive speech topic been covered too many times? This is the last question you should ask yourself before committing to your persuasive speech topic. Has this topic been overdone? Even if your audience is invested in the subject, theyll be quickly bored if theyve listened to ten similar speeches prior to hearing yours. You wont be persuasive if your listeners can predict each of your arguments before you give them. Instead, search for persuasive speech topics that are unique and freshsomething your audience hasnt heard a hundred times before. The one exception to this is if you can approach an overworked topic with a completely fresh and unusual perspective. For example, maybe you can approach the gun control debate as someone whose friend died from an accidental shooting, but your family still owns guns and enjoys hunting as a pastime. ---- How to create and deliver a compelling persuasive speechOnce youve chosen your persuasive speech topic (our list of 110 riveting persuasive speech ideas is coming next!) and completed your research on the subject, youll begin the writing process. Use this step-by-step approach to produce an outstanding speech that easily persuades your audience to adopt your viewpoint.
Now that you have a strongly written persuasive speech, your final task is this: practice, practice, and practice some more! We guarantee your delivery wont be perfect on your first attempt. But on your tenth or fifteenth, it just might be. Record yourself delivering your persuasive speech so you can play it back and analyze your areas needing improvement. Are your pauses too long or not long enough? Did you sufficiently emphasize your emotional points? Are your anecdotes coming out naturally? How is your body language? What about your hand movements and eye contact? When youre feeling more comfortable, deliver your speech to a friend or family member and ask for feedback. This will put your public speaking skills to the test. Ensure they understood your main points, connected emotionally, and had all their objections answered. Once youve fine tuned your persuasive speech based on your warm-up audiences feedback, youll be ready for the real thing. ---- 110 interesting persuasive speech topicsNow for the fun part! Weve compiled a list of 110 persuasive speech topicsbroken down by categoryfor you to choose from or use as inspiration. Use the set of three questions we shared above to determine which of these interesting persuasive speech topics is right for you. Art, Media, and Culture
College and Career
Economy and Work
Education
Environment and Conservation
Family and Religion
Government and International Relations
Health and Medicine
Politics and Society
Science and Technology
Social Media
Want to know exactly what it takes to get into Americas most selective colleges?Get the free 110-page guide we use to help our students routinely get admitted to schools like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford: How to Get Into Americas Elite Colleges: The Ultimate Guide First Name Last Name Email Address SEND ME THE GUIDE 100% privacy. No spam. Ever. Thank you! Your guide is on its way. In the meantime, please let us know how we can help you crack the college admissions code. You can also learn more about our 1-on-1 college admissions support here. How to Get Into Harvard Undergrad: Strategies and Essays That Worked Ivy League Acceptance Rates 2021: What You're Up Against Extracurricular Activities for College Admissions: The Ultimate Guide (Examples Included) |