how to make your speech humorous

6 Ways to Guarantee Laughs During Your Next Speech

We’ve all been there. The spotlight is on you, you’ve set up the perfect joke, you nail the punchline, and… crickets .

It’s never fun to feel like your humor isn’t reading as funny to the audience. That’s why I’m here to teach you my six greatest tips and tricks on how to make a speech funny, or your (metaphorical) money back.

See Related: Best MC Jokes For A Conference

#1: Tell Relatable Stories

If there’s one thing we learned from Seinfeld , it’s that the everyday is funny . Use this to your advantage in your speech!

Audiences laugh when they see their own experience reflected onstage. Add relatable humor to your speech with these ideas:

Turn Frustration Into Comedy

What got on your nerves this morning? It was something. I know it was. You know it was. We all know it was.

And you know what? I bet it was funny and would be great for your master of ceremonies speech .

Let me guess…

Did your family member turn on a bright light while you were still asleep? Speech material.

Did one of your friends cut you off on the way to work, causing your chai latte to spill on your brand-new pants? Speech material.

Were you (yet again) not Caller #5 and didn’t win your radio station’s giveaway for tickets to John Mayer’s Sob Rock Tour? (I’m terribly sorry – but speech material.)

These sorts of situations may get on your nerves in the moment, but I promise that, when transformed into a joke told with the right spirit, they will be funny and make the audience laugh.

The main idea when writing your funny speech is to shift your own perspective from frustrated to amused.

#2: Use Your Physicality to Communicate

Humor isn’t just about the words you say. A major part of making a good joke and creating a funny speech is using your body language to tell the story.

What do I mean? Well , think about your favorite comedians .

From Ali Wong to John Mulaney, comedians each have their own way of using their bodies to add humor to the funny stories they tell. It’s like a secret, other skill that is so ingrained in their performances, you may not notice it at first.

Every great comic uses gestures and physicality to deliver their material and engage audiences.

Act as characters

In your speech, maybe you’re telling a funny anecdote about a parent-teacher conference you had with your son’s kindergarten teacher. Instead of just speaking about the event, make people laugh by playing it out for the audience!

Go ahead, embody the teacher and her proper, stiff posture. Show guests how utterly ridiculous it looked when you sat down in a tiny chair made to fit a five year-old because the teacher didn’t have an adult-sized chair for you to use.

I can hear the laughter already!

No need to overdo it

Remember, your shifts in body language don’t need to be hyperbolic. During speeches, even the slightest, most intentional changes will go a long way in helping the audience understand your story audibly and visually.

#3: Deliver Originality

Humorous speeches are based in truth . The best way to ground your speeches in truth is to use your own material!

This may seem simple, but it cannot be overstated: if you’ve heard the joke before, I promise your audience has too.

Personalize Your Funny Speech to the Event

It can be tough to create a humorous message that will pull lots of laughter out of your audience! But with practice, I promise you’ll become a pro – just like a regular ol’ event emcee .

The best way to stay funny, original, and on-task is to remember the primary goal of the event :

What is the goal of the event?

Is it to help new students feel comfortable at a large university? To raise money for a local grassroots nonprofit?

Once you understand what the client hopes to achieve through these events (and, therefore, your speeches), you can begin adding humor that focuses on those particular subjects.

Here’s an example :

If I’m making a humorous speech with the goal of exciting the crowd before a 5K Fun Run begins, I might make a self-deprecating joke about the utter irony of putting the words “fun” and “run” next to each other – lighthearted, relatable for many, and sure to ease some runners’ nerves when they hear it.

Got Writer’s Block?

It happens to the best of us!

Here are some writing prompts to get your creativity, word play, and humor flowing:

Write about something that made you laugh out loud recently.
Write about the silliest message you’ve ever received over phone, text, or email.
Write about the most memorable slip-up you’ve ever made in public.
Write about a few people who make you laugh – what about them is so funny to you?
If you are the punch line, write the joke.

Bonus: What Does An Event Host Do?

#4: Structure Your Jokes

Look, not everything can be funny to everyone (and if you discover the magical meme that is the exception to that rule, please send it to me ASAP).

However, you can do yourself a favor by structuring your comedy with intentionality.

Not Sure How to Structure Your Jokes?

Here are the main categories into which most jokes fall:

We touched on the main points of anecdotal jokes at the beginning – they just involve telling a funny story from your own life!

An incident while baking holiday cookies ? A mix-up that surprised you while picking your child up from school? The sound of a squeaking chair at a very inopportune moment?

As the speaker, your humorous stories are all fair game!

You guessed it – one-liners are jokes told in just one sentence. Deliver one-liners smartly and you will have the room in stitches.

Observational

I mentioned Seinfeld earlier – that show is a classic example of observational humor! Observational jokes comment on the absurdity of everyday experiences and are great to add to your speeches.

A recent example of observational humor in television would be Abbott Elementary . Each episode tells a story about the everyday joys and frustrations that can come with working at a public elementary school in Philadelphia – and finds a way to create humor and heart in every moment.

Topical humor pokes fun at current events, be it the news, celebrity culture, or the latest Tik Tok trend. A dash of topical humor, when used appropriately, can grab your audience’s attention and be an asset to your funny speech.

However, you must stay aware of the client’s needs. If they prefer that politics and pop culture stay out of your presentation for fear of rubbing an audience member the wrong way, you must respect this. In fact, it can be safer to stay away from topical humor unless you know you have the right audience for it.

Self-Deprecating

Self-deprecating jokes are all about finding humor in your own flaws. It’s great to be able to laugh at yourself, but be careful not to use so much self-deprecating humor that it makes your audience feel uncomfortable.

#5: Tone Is Your Friend

In the same vein as physicality, your voice is an incredibly effective tool for making folks laugh.

What Do I Mean?

Say you’re telling an anecdotal joke about your niece’s sixth birthday party. Sure, you could use your everyday intonation to “play” the various roles at the party. But…

Wouldn’t it be funnier to give each character a distinct intonation?

Your six year-old niece’s high-pitched, bell-like voice. Your brother’s gruff, Midwestern tone. The angelic, sing-song-y sound of the actor playing a Disney princess to entertain the kids.

Each character in the story is another opportunity for creativity, and for laughs.

Let’s Take a Tip from Actors

Even when you’re not playing a character other than yourself, your voice is still an incredibly useful instrument. Why?

Your voice is the audience’s guide.

Softness versus loudness. Lightning-quick speech versus indulgent slowness. Serious versus playful.

Whenever you speak, you make a million little choices . Be intentional about those, because your audience is (quite literally) taking your cue!

Convey Confidence

Delivery is everything. If a speaker or corporate emcee can deliver your presentation with a strong sense of confidence, the audience will feel safe to let loose and laugh. But this takes practice!

I feel disappointed when a speaker exudes insecurity. Try your best to put yourself in the audience’s shoes – wouldn’t you prefer to watch someone with great command of the room and confidence in their presentation?

I know I would!

#6: Bring People Together

Your audience is full of different people – many of whom you don’t know, and who will find different things humorous. Here are some tips for making everyone feel comfortable and ready to laugh:

Speak to Universal Experiences

It is important to do your absolute best not to ostracize anyone in the audience. Your client has hired you to help everyone feel comfortable. So, what is the best way to go about doing this in a diverse society?

When writing your speech, focus on humor that is a testament to the human experience , so that most people will relate to it. Adults, kids, everyone!

I don’t mean to be vague – the opposite, in fact. Specificity is funny.

Here are some examples:

There are certain human experiences with which every single person can identify:

Talk about a time when you felt embarrassed as a teenager .
Make a joke about an insecurity you had growing up, and still have to this day.
Surprise the audience with a weird dream you had recently.
Keep guests laughing with anecdotes about lessons you’ve learned the hard way.

Balance Listening and Speaking

Okay, okay, I know you’re giving a speech – that sort of implies that you’re talking. But listening is an equally important factor in your delivery of a hilarious speech.

It can be scary, but practice including pauses in your speech. Depending on the joke, the audience may need a few seconds to digest it before they begin laughing. Sometimes, your silence is the most entertaining part – if allowed, the audience will often fill that silence with laughter.

And, Scene!

As I’ve said before, humor is subjective – that will always be the case.

If you haven’t been getting the laughs you’ve hoped for, please talk kindly to yourself. Creating a humorous speech that appeals to many people takes lots of practice – you will get there!

Keep Reading: How To Host A Networking Event

Adam Christing has been called “The Tom Brady of emcees.” He has hosted more than 1,000 company meetings , special events , gala celebrations , and more. He is the author of several books and founder of CleanComedians.com . For more event tips, follow Adam Christing on Instagram , Facebook , Pinterest , LinkedIn , and YouTube .

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Humorous Speech: 14 Tips to Leave Them Rolling in the Aisles

Have you every been thoroughly entertained by someone giving a humorous speech? Maybe you enjoy watching stand-up comedians on stage.

Laughter is a definite stress reliever – one of the best medicines, as the saying goes!

People love to laugh. Whether it’s improv, observational, word play, dark humour or something else, there are may ways to see levity in the world we live in.

And, there are many ways to deliver a funny presentation .

In Toastmasters , learning how to give a humorous speech is going to be one of the most gratifying adventures you’ll have as a member.

So, take heart, even if you’re not a natural, you can be that person on stage getting the laughs!

Let’s get started by looking at the prep work.

Before you Begin Your Funny Speech

As with any type of speech in Toastmasters, you want to do your best.

Starting with a little self-reflection and practice will help you figure out your strategy. Here’s how to proceed:

Remember what you found funny

Not everyone has the same sense of humour. In fact, for some people jokes go right over their heads while others find the same ones side-splittingly funny.

Consider what kind of humour resonates with you.

Do you laugh at silly costumes and clown noses? Or, do you find the physical humour of someone failing miserably at a juggling act comical?

Perhaps puns that exploit the meaning of certain words make you smile.

Think about what you enjoy in a humorous speech and you’re guaranteed that others will find it hilarious too. That’s the type of content you’ll want to incorporate into your presentation.

Play to your strengths

Are you known for telling self-deprecating anecdotes? Do you find fun it re-telling entertaining family stories?

Maybe you weren’t the class clown at school or have never been the life of the party, encouraging others to join in some fun activity.

Even so, you likely display some behaviour that tickles the funny bones of others. Therefore, keep that in mind as you decide how to craft your speech.

Try out your stuff

While you’re sorting out what you want to give a humorous talk about, try your hand at getting a laugh or two from others.

This will give you a little informal practice, and help you decide which route to take in your presentation.

Here’s a few ways to do this:

Explain the funny in your day – Look for anything out-of-the-ordinary in your day and deliver it in a short, comical anecdote at work, or at home around the dinner table.

Did you see a dog wearing a hilarious-looking jacket? Was there someone with a loud snore napping on your bus?

One you start looking for the funny in the day, it’s not hard to find!

Try kid-friendly humour – Kids love jokes. If there’s a child in your life tell them a knock-knock joke, or something along those lines.

Many adults get a kick out of kid-friendly humour as well. Try out a silly groaner joke on one of the adults in your life.

Volunteer for Jokemaster – Take advantage of this ready-made opportunity for you to hone your joke-telling skills at your next Toastmasters club meeting .

After you get a little experience spreading humour, you’ll begin to feel more comfortable in the comedian role. Plus, you’ll find out where you’re getting the laughs.

Watch the experts

As a Toastmaster, you have a ringside seat to speakers of all skill levels.

Notice what grabs your attention in how others present their topic, and the ways they use humour – this goes for any speech, not just the intentionally funny ones!

Search out humorous TED Talks and study what the speaker does to be humorous. In addition, watch different comedians and figure out what they do to get a few belly laughs.

What you’ll find is that, no matter what type of humour is used, a successful performance is all about the delivery.

Crafting a Comical Speech

There are a few things to be mindful of when writing a humorous presentation.

Find the funny

First, you need to pick a topic to talk about.

When it comes down to it, you can use almost any subject matter for a humorous speech.

Some of the greatest material to use comes from personal stories. You could spin a story from a personal anecdote, or talk about the trials and tribulations of a friend or family member.

How many times have you heard stand-up comics regale an audience with the escapades of their children, or expose the comical side of the relationship they have with their spouse?

This is the stuff that works because people can relate to it, and may see themselves in your stories. It’s always funnier when some misadventure happens to someone else!

Write to amuse

When you’re writing your speech, start to think about your delivery.

Is there a particular turn of phrase, amusing alliteration or other play on words that’s sure to make the listeners smile?

Jot those down where they’re likely to have the biggest impact. Will delivering this content in the opening, as you finish up or somewhere else in between work best?

Remember to follow the formula for crafting any Toastmasters speech with a captivating opening, an interesting body and a memorable closing.

14 Tips for Nailing a Humorous Speech

Here’s where the fun begins!

With a well-crafted speech designed to tell your tale in the funniest way, it’s time to focus on your delivery.

There are a range of tactics for engaging your audience no matter what type of talk you’re giving. Some of these can be applied, with a little modification.

Here are 14 terrific ways to deliver a humorous speech:

1. Pace perfectly

Proper pacing in any presentation is important. And, as you can appreciate, this is a critical component of giving a funny talk.

People need a bit of time to get the joke, right?

Leave a little dead air just after you’ve said something humorous. Some people might be chuckling right away while others will need more time to comprehend.

Either way, pausing strategically after a punch line is necessary for the humour to land well.

2. Funny fashion

Dressing up in an unusual outfit, or wearing a silly hat, is another way to amuse your audience.

This signals that they’re in for some original fun.

For instance, if you’re going to tell the story of a hysterical summer vacation you might consider coming on stage in shorts and sandals with a beach towel slung over your shoulder – if you have a snorkel and swimming fins you can wear, even better.

Just watch that you don’t trip, unless you’re going for a laugh for that too!

If your goal is to keep giving humorous speeches, wearing something funny could become your signature move.

One example is the comedian Steve Martin who became memorable for wearing what looked like an arrow through his head.

Anyway, you get the picture. This type of absurd humor can set you up for some laughs right away.

3. Present props

Props are another standard approach to holding an audience’s attention when giving a talk.

When presenting a humorous speech, you don’t have to necessarily bring something on stage that people laugh at immediately.

That’s one way to go, but the trick to being amusing is really in how you use the prop.

Maybe you’ve got a laughable tale about your pet parrot.

Rather than trying to incorporate the bird itself into your talk – which can be problematic on several levels – you could take a toy parrot on a perch with you on stage. Interacting with the fake bird will increase the comic value of your speech.

Another way to use props is to use them to demonstrate an activity.

For example, an amusing story about driving a car can be enhanced if you’re pretending to drive with an actual steering wheel between your hands.

4. Surprise with sound

There are several ways to use sound in a humorous speech.

The most obvious one may be to find a noise maker that has a novel sound. The selection here is endless, and only limited by what you’re able to find.

If you want to use a bell, there are dinner bells, bicycle bells, cow bells and other bells. Some different options are horns, shakers, kazoos, hand clappers and maracas.

You might also find a few items around your home that you can improvise with.

The other choice is to use your voice to make a sound effect. Getting back to that example of a driving anecdote, making ‘vroom, vroom’ sounds when you’re pretending to drive can add humour.

Again, the key here is in how you use sound. While the particular noise might be funny on its own, you’ll get more laughs if you time it appropriately in your speech.

If you plan to use the sound repeatedly to create more hilarity, just don’t overdo it!

5. Exaggerate expressions

Funny facial expressions are another tool for telling a funny tale.

An exaggerated look of surprise, with raised eyebrows and an open mouth, can make your delivery all the more uproarious.

Help your listeners really visualize what you went through in the anecdote you’re relating by emphasizing your reactions, and they’ll be laughing right along with you.

A shake of the head and a shoulder shrug can be added for extra effect.

6. Give grand gestures

This is along the same lines as really playing up your facial expressions .

Grand gestures, like throwing your arms out or reaching your hands high above you head, can add comedy to your speech.

Stretching your arms forward with open palms to the audience can show them that you’re imploring them to see things from your perspective.

As with other methods, such gestures should be well-timed during your talk to add the maximum amount of drama.

7. Perfect a posture

Body language can also be uproarious.

Think about what you want to communicate with your posture that will add to the humour in your presentation.

It could be that you want to express indignation, or incredulity, by standing with your hands on your hips. A slouching position could be used to indicate resignation.

Then again, you might want to come up with a uniquely funny posture that’s all your own.

Whatever you choose, be sure that it’s a posture that will make your speech all the more hysterical.

8. Woo with words

There are so many ingenious ways to employ language for added impact here.

Witty plays on words include alliterations, puns, phonetic mix-ups, obscure words, unusual sayings and more.

An intentional slip of the tongue, for example, like referring to a “funny story” as a “sunny foray” will initially catch people unawares.

However, once they’ve grasped the play on words, they’ll find it amusing and will be paying close attention to catch other examples.

Another move to try is to incorporate pet language for people or situations. Maybe you’re talking about a mischievous child and calling them “the little dickens” brings a smile.

You could also make up words, like calling your spouse the “nagagator” of your trip rather than the “navigator” if she keeps complaining that you’re not following her directions.

9. Vary voice volume

Here’s a strategy that you’ve probably found to be effective in other types of speeches.

Changing your voice volume for emphasis is a tried-and-true way to hold your listeners’ attention.

Modulate your voice to match what you’re saying at the time, and people will connect with the funny faster.

10. Act it out

Go through the motions of your story to show the comical side.

When you’re acting out a riotous routine, it can be very engaging for those present.

Make sure to move around and use the whole stage, and consider actually getting down into the theatre aisles beside the audience if it serves your purpose.

Pause your speech for a few moments while you complete the actions to make things more hysterical. If you’ve ever watched improv, you’ll know how well this can work.

Acting it out can include imitating voices to relate a conversation between two people.

You may have seen comedians do this to add hilarity when talking about an argument they had with their partner, for instance.

11. Display distraction

Here’s a more original idea to bring some fun to your presentation.

Try acting a little distracted. You may be thinking that this is exactly what not to do during a speech!

But if it’s used in a controlled fashion it can amp up the laughter.

One way is to just wander out on stage seemingly lost in your thoughts.

You could pretend to be reading something or talking aloud to yourself and then notice, with a start, that you’re not alone. You have an audience!

Another example is getting distracted a few times in the middle of your speech by something you see around you – like complementing an audience member on the colour of her sweater.

12. Make outlandish comparisons

This is a great way to use exaggeration to encourage your listeners to see the laughable side of things.

Making outlandish comparisons demonstrates your frustration, or extreme surprise, with the situation you’re explaining.

Say you’re talking about having to deal with a lot of dirty laundry. You could say that it was as though a landside had happened indoor with laundry overflowing out of the hamper and down the stairs.

A simpler example is saying that traffic was moving so slowly on the highway that it seemed you were driving backwards.

13. Use the rule of three

The rule of three can be employed several ways to increase the funny factor.

Basically, you can link three thoughts or ideas together. You might say that having children has taught you to appreciate life more, how to calm a crying baby and that your favourite activity is napping.

Make the last point a twist in an unexpected direction.

Creating a presentation that takes your audience through three similar occurrences is another way to use this method.

Maybe you want to tell a fishing story and each experience of trying to land a fish during your day out on the water builds on the last one.

14. Be unexpected

Anything that’s weird, absurd or nonsensical falls into this category.

It should be quite unconnected to the talk you’re giving and is designed simply to get a laugh.

The best place for this is right at the beginning of your talk to prime the audience to be amused. You could also finish off with something unexpected to get a last laugh.

A few behavioural examples of this are funny walks, dancing and acrobatic tricks like riding a unicycle.

Other ways to use the unexpected are to have dramatic music playing as you enter the stage or throw rose petals out into the audience.

A final tip is to harness the power of repetition.

It’s not just using the same noise makers a few times during your talk that can bump up the laughs. You can repeat a few of these other ideas as well.

Take care to use the right dosage of one or more of these ideas. Repeating what listeners found funny the first time, if done in moderation, can cause them to laugh even louder the next time.

Closing Comments on Delivery a Humorous Speech

Granted, there’s a lot to consider in performing a humorous speech.

So, take your time, do your research, select a good topic for your talk and get to work writing your best speech.

Practice is really important in preparing to deliver this sort of speech. That’s where you can try out one or more of the delivery approaches and see what seems to fit best.

Having said that, plan to step outside your comfort zone a bit and experiment with different ways to deliver your presentation.

After all, being brave and stretching your skills is what Toastmasters is all about!

Be advised, the rewards can be remarkable when you see what joy and downright laugh-out-loud humor your speech has brought to people. Related: How to Write a Tall Tale Speech