Introduction
Sometimes I have clients come to me and tell me that they’ve been told they speak too fast, or they themselves notice that they tend to talk very quickly. Sometimes they might not be fully aware of it but are constantly asked to repeat themselves. If you have ever felt this way, you are not alone.
Fast speech is one of the most common concerns I hear from clients working on accent modification, professional communication, and confidence. One of the main questions clients ask me is why their speech is so fast. Is it caused by habit, or by stress and anxiety? The answer is that it can be either, or even both.
Sometimes fast speech only shows up when someone is feeling anxious, which creates a physical response in the body. In these moments, breathing may become irregular, and there is often a desire to “get it over with.” This can affect speech rate, as you may begin speaking faster just to finish, or you may run out of air while talking. Other times, fast speech can be more habitual, especially if you grew up speaking quickly, lived in a household of fast speakers, or initially developed fast speech due to anxiety and continued speaking that way over time until it became a habit.
What is fast speech?
Sometimes fast speech can be hard to gauge. What is “fast,” and what is an appropriate speech rate? First, let’s establish what fast speech may look like.
Fast speech can show up in many different speaking behaviors, including: not taking enough pauses, saying too much on one breath, reduced enunciation or clarity, having little time to organize thoughts before speaking, increased use of filler words, and jumping between ideas with less focus and direction.
You may experience several of these, or only a few. Speech is a motor behavior, and when the system is overloaded, clarity and control of the voice can be greatly affected.
Fast speech due to stress
This type of fast speech is more situational. You may notice it when giving a presentation, worrying about making mistakes, speaking to someone in a position of authority (such as a manager), or feeling emotionally activated. There are many reasons someone may feel anxious, stressed, or nervous, and this often results in faster speech.
What is really happening in these moments is that the body shifts into a fight-or-flight response. When this happens, there is a strong physical impact: breathing may become shallow or held, tension can build in the chest, neck, and shoulders, and the brain becomes overloaded. This makes it harder to organize thoughts and often leads to what people describe as “blanking” or not being able to find the right words.
As a result, speech speeds up, sometimes before thoughts are fully formed. This can lead to disorganized or less concise communication. In these cases, fast speech is a symptom of anxiety, not the root issue itself.
What if fast speech is caused by habit?
Fast speech due to habit is different from stress-based fast speech. Habitual fast speech usually occurs across most situations. The person may not be very aware of it because it has become automatic over many years. Cultural and family influences often play a role as well.
Some things I often hear from habitual fast speakers include: “I speak fast so people don’t notice my accent or pronunciation errors,” or “I grew up being talked over, so I learned to speak quickly before someone interrupted me.” Others may come from language backgrounds where speech rate is naturally faster, or from households where everyone spoke quickly.
Because of these underlying factors, fast speech becomes the norm for the person rather than something they consciously choose.
When both stress and habit come into play
This combination is very common. Often, fast speech begins as a response to stress. If it happens frequently enough, it can become automatic and turn into a habit. Over time, the fast speech may remain even when the person is no longer stressed. Then, when stress does return, the speech rate becomes even faster.
When this happens, it isn’t as simple as “just slow down.” There is both a motor and psychological component involved. Slowing speech requires time, practice, and intentional changes to breathing, pacing, and speech planning.
Effects of fast speech
Fast speech isn’t just about speed. It can also affect how you are perceived by others. Speaking quickly may make you sound anxious, even when you’re not. It can also come across as less friendly or more abrupt.
Most commonly, fast speech reduces clarity. Final sounds may be missed, words may sound mumbled, and overall speech can become harder to understand. For the listener, fast speech increases cognitive load and processing effort, making it more difficult to follow the message. In professional settings, this can be especially impactful.
The goal is not simply to slow down, but to gain control over speech. This includes adequate breath support, appropriate pausing, and allowing time to think and plan what you want to say. When these pieces work together, speech becomes clearer, more confident, and easier to produce.
Final thoughts
Fast speech often develops over time as a response to stress, environment, or the pressure to get thoughts out quickly. When we work on slowing speech down intentionally, the goal is to create space, space to think before speaking, space for the listener to follow, and space for you to feel more in control.
If you’ve been wondering whether your fast talking comes from stress, habit, or a mix of both, the good news is that clarity and control are skills. And like any skill, they can be learned and practiced.
