Dictalus

Learn to speak better, one rep at a time

No inspirational posters here. Each guide explains one speaking problem, shows you how to measure it, and ends with something to say out loud. Reading about speaking is warm-up; the rep is the workout.

Filler words

Guide How to stop saying "um": a 7-day practice plan The one swap that kills fillers, and a week of short reps to make it automatic. Guide Filler words: a practical list and how to use fewer of them Hesitations, hedges, and approval-seekers — what each one signals and what to do instead.

Pace and pauses

Guide What is a good speaking pace? WPM ranges and a quick test The 130–160 heuristic, when to break it, and how to find your real number. Free tool Speech pace calculator Paste a script, get words per minute — or time a speech at three paces. Guide How to pause while speaking without sounding lost The pause feels long to you and reads as control to everyone else. Guide How to speak more slowly when you're nervous You can't think your way slower. Three mechanical brakes that actually hold.

Pressure moments

Guide Practice interview answers out loud: 10 prompts that work Thinking through an answer is not saying it. Close the gap before the real thing. Guide What to say when your mind goes blank Break the silence wall with one clarifying question. The full recovery toolkit. Guide How to sound more confident when speaking Confidence is mostly mechanics: pace, endings, pauses, and range. All trainable. Guide How to practice a presentation: a 15-minute rehearsal routine Rehearse the opening, transitions, and close — not the middle you already know. Guide How to analyze a speech: tone arc, hedging, and pace The Gettysburg Address in three movements — and the tool that maps your own draft the same way.

Everyday conversation

Guide Stop asking "how was your weekend" Rote openers get rote answers. Twelve openers that start actual conversations. Guide English speaking practice for work Meetings, updates, and small talk for non-native speakers — delivery over accent.

Reading is the warm-up

Dictalus turns these guides into scored practice: record a 30–90 second take, get your pace, fillers, and pauses, and one fix per rep. Free in the browser — you decide what happens to your audio.

Do your first rep

The Dictalus cat purring sound waves under a crescent moon