lélocution

Elocution, occasionally written as lélocution and in French as élocution, refers to the study and practice of clear, expressive speech. It encompasses pronunciation, articulation, intonation, rhythm, and delivery, as well as nonverbal aspects such as gesture. It is applied in public speaking, theatre, broadcasting, and language teaching.

From Latin elocutio, elocutus, related to eloquence, the term entered English in the early modern period. Elocution has historically framed speech as a skilled practice that combines phonetic clarity with rhetorical effect.

Elocution training flourished in Britain and the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries, emphasizing reading aloud, diction, breathing, and gesture to improve persuasive speaking. It influenced school curricula, theatre pedagogy, and early voice coaching, shaping standards for pronunciation and delivery.

Core elements of elocution include articulation, pronunciation, intonation, stress patterns, pacing, volume, and breath control. Practitioners employ reading aloud, phonetic drills, and vocal exercises; in theatre and broadcasting, elocution becomes targeted coaching for the demands of performance and audience engagement.

In contemporary practice, elocution is often integrated into broader speech and language training or voice coaching. Some contexts emphasize natural, intelligible delivery over prescriptive standards, and the term is sometimes supplanted by diction, pronunciation, or voice training to reflect a more modern approach to effective communication.