how to be funny in speeches

• Get In Touch

How to be funny in a speech (when you’re not that funny in real life).

by Kolarele Sonaike

According to a Hertfordshire University study , this is the funniest joke in the world.

“Two hunters are out in the woods when  one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator says, “Calm down. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence; then a gun shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says, “OK, now what?”

Hmm. OK, once you’ve finished laughing, picked yourself up from the floor and wiped away those tears of laughter, lets examine the subject of humour.

There is no lonelier place on the planet, than on stage after a bad joke.

It is possibly the single most painful experience for any public speaker.

Comedians know this, which is why they work so hard at their craft. Comedians aren’t funny in real life. Like any other profession, funny is what they do, not what they are. Comedians work and struggle just like the rest of us to be good at their jobs. Ellen, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock – all the greatest comics write, rewrite and rehearse their routines with incredible care, diligence and attention to detail. They try out material for months, sometimes years in advance, on audiences – sifting out the stuff that doesn’t work, and doubling down on the lines that do.

(Getty Images)

So why, oh why, do so many of us as public speakers always assume that we can just shoehorn a couple of lame one liners (found on the internet) into a barely rehearsed speech, and get big laughs from our audience? This is guaranteed to fail every time, reminding us of the words of writer, Quentin Crisp:

if at first you don’t succeed, failure may be your style – Quentin Crisp

( If you’re pushed for time, you can download the Free Checklist of this article:  Dos & Donts of giving funny speeches )

Being funny in a speech is hard to pull off. But like most hard things, with a little study, much practice, and a healthy dose of chutzpah, anyone can do it. So lets examine the anatomy of a joke in the next section helpfully called “Anatomy of a Joke”

Anatomy of a Joke

All comedy, whether a one liner, long anecdote, or even an entire movie, is basically comprised of two parts: The Set Up and the Pay Off (also known as The Punchline).

With the Set Up, you are setting the scene by giving the audience all the information they need to know so that they will be amused by the Pay Off.

1) Set Up: Knock Knock. Who’s there? Dozen. Dozen who?

2) Set Up: In the movie “Some like it hot” eccentric millionaire, Osgood Fielding III, spends the whole movie chasing Tony Curtis’ character, Jerry (dressed in drag pretending to be a woman).

3) Set Up: Dr Evil (Austin Powers) has been cryogenically frozen for 30 years, so when he meets his evil colleagues, he lays out his plan to extort the world for a huge sum of money.

4) Set Up (in the world’s funniest joke) The hunter dies in the woods and his panicking friend calls the emergency services.

The mistake that most public speakers make that leads to them giving unfunny speeches, is to concentrate all their effort almost entirely on finding that Pay Off, asking themselves ‘what’s the funny line that I can say here?’ Whereas the key to humour is to focus on creating a compelling Set Up so that the right Pay Off just reveals itself.

To create a great  Set Up:

1) Take a subject (ideally one with which you are very familiar)

2) Examine it from all angles looking for the surprising contradictions and unexpected anomalies within the subject.

3) Work out how you can exaggerate those contradictions and anomalies almost to the point of a humorous absurdity. Can you connect one seemingly unconnected topic with another? Can you take a particular approach that will highlight these funny contradictions?

The humour lies in those unexpected findings and exaggeration that are nevertheless real. It’s why you find yourself muttering ‘that’s so true’ through your tears of laughter when listening to a hilarious comedian nail her routine. It’s why a Best Man’s speech works best when it skates on the edge of decency by revealing just enough of the groom’s true nature to the audience (and the Bride).

When you work hard on your Set Up, the Pay Off comes pretty easily because the punchline that ties it altogether seems to reveal itself.

1) Pay Off: Doz-anybody want to let me in?

2) Pay Off: (Some like it hot) Tony Curtis finally comes clean and declares to millionaire Osgood,”I’m a man!” To which Osgood simply replies “Well, nobody’s perfect”

3) Pay Off: (Austin Powers) Dr Evil demands…. 1 Million Dollars

4) Pay Off: (The funniest joke in the world) The friend shoots his collapsed hunter friend.

A very effective method of creating a compelling Set Up is to use a hook or theme that drives the narrative forward.

A great example is the ‘Shit’ sketch by Finnish comedian, Ismo Leikola .  In this hilarious skit, he talks about how he always though there was just one definition or meaning of the word ‘shit’.  But when he went to the US, he realised there were many more meanings like ‘you ain’t shit’, ‘I don’t give a shit’, ‘leave my shit alone’. Because he had found a great hook for the narrative, finding the humour was quite easy.

So, when you’re giving a speech about a serious subject like ‘How the Financial Markets work’, but you want to introduce a little humour to ease the way, consider what are the eccentricities of the financial markets? What parts make little sense if you stand back and look at it? What would your 8 year old son or your 80 year old grandmother make of the way traders?

Or giving a presentation at a small business forum, what eccentricities do entrepreneurs have? What challenges do they all face that you can highlight in a funny way? What mistake does nearly every small business make, which no one admits do, but every one knows?

This is where you’ll find your humour – in the careful analysis of the contradictions within your subject . Once you tap into that zone, a whole new world will open up and the Pay Offs will almost trip off your tongue.

Finally, a few dos and donts to send you on your way

maria bamford (Getty Images)

1) Don’t tell them you are going to be funny.

Anytime I receive an an email with the subject line: “This is funny”, I delete it. It never is. If you’re going to be funny, then be funny.  Don’t announce it.

2) Do have a purpose

As one of the greatest and funniest public speakers, the late Sir Peter Ustinov reminds us

 Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious – Sir Peter Ustinov

Don’t make jokes just for the sake of making joke. Stay focused on the reason you are giving your speech, and use humour to help achieve that objective.

3) Don’t copy. Adapt.

The best jokes are original. Your own material, born of your own experience will always be superior to something copied off jokes.com.

But originality can be hard. So, if you do have to use someone else’s material, approach it like Amy Winehouse covering the song ‘Valerie’ originally by the Zutons (bet you hadnt even heard of the Zuton’s version), and not like a teenage X Factor contestant doing yet another cover of Whitney Houston’s ‘I will always love you’ (which itself was a cover of Dolly Parton’s original song).

Put your own spin on it. Make it your own and it will feel fresh.

4) Do tailor your jokes to your audience

What works for a university fraternity will probably not work for an accountant’s convention. Lawyers love a good naughty joke (it makes us feel dangerous), but you should probably avoid sexist jokes if you’re presenting to the Women’s Institute.

5) Don’t take yourself too seriously

If you can make jokes at your own expense, you’ve got a far better chance of making your audience laugh, than if you are joking about someone else.

Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century – And Barry Humphries

And when it comes to your delivery, you want to use your voice to help paint a picture of your ideas in the minds of your audience. Treat it as a song or melody you are singing to your audience. The things you want to think about are:

• timing – uses pauses and speed variation to build interest
• use your body to amplify and reflect your words
• give your voice dynamism i.e. intonation, pitch, volume
• commit (don’t do things half hearted)

Go forth, and be funny!

(Grab the full Checklist of 12 Dos & Donts for giving a funny speech )

Kolarele Sonaike

p.s. Grab your slot for a 1 hour communication skills coaching call with me. It’s free and pretty transformative. Click here to book your slot.

“ The session with Kola had a huge impact. He helped me tap into the passion that is central to my work and message. At an emotional level this showed me how I could start working with a different sense of authenticity, which would be founded upon a new level of confidence and commitment. The session really ‘gave the green light’ for me to tell my story in my approach so I could in turn create genuine impact the people I work with.” – Richard, Performance Coach

“The strategy session with Kolarele was great. In only one hour he was able to provide me with tools to work with to overcome some of my fears and improve my communication skills. I feel I have already made progress. I can only imagine what transformation will look like once we continue working together.” – Belinda, Co Founder

“Understanding how my presentation skills could be improved required me to understand my own long held inhibitions. Identifying this was both scary and enlightening, but seriously made me feel that I could give, not only a great presentation, but achieve my bigger goals. Thank you” – Yves, Marketing & PR (Embassy Liaison) Manager

Pin It on Pinterest

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information Accept

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

A Guide To Using Humor In Your Speech

Hrideep barot.

• Public Speaking

Charlie Chaplin said, “A Day Without Laughter Is A Day Wasted.” These words couldn’t stand truer for the day when you’re going to be delivering a speech. 

And yet many, many speakers are apprehensive of using humour in their speech. To add that ‘creative kick’, they choose instead to go with the relatively safer options of telling a quote, or a story, or sometimes chose to omit this bout of creativity altogether. 

Their apprehension isn’t wrong. 

A badly phrased or timed joke can kill the mood. However, an apt and well-timed joke can catapulate an audience’s interest in both; the speech and the speaker.

Adding humour to your speech can make your audience feel more relaxed and comfortable, and makes it easier for them to formulate a personal connection with you. This will, in turn, make it more likely that they will remember you and your speech in the future.  

In fact, many great public speakers understand that humour is not just an added ingredient to make a speech intriguing–it has now become a necessary one. 

This is why it’s imperative that you get over your humor apprehension and start adding it to your speeches. And how do you do I do that, you ask? 

Well, we’re here to help you! 

Importance Of Adding Humor To A Speech

1. makes you bond with the audience.

One of the most important elements that makes a great speaker is their ability to relate to and bond with their audience. If the audience can relate to you, if they feel a connection with you, then till will remember you–and your speech.

Humor is a great way of achieving this. A speaker who uses humor effectively is more human, more real, more like one of them , to the audience. Jokes put the audience at ease and make them more comfortable with you, and make it more likely that they will remember you for a long time.

2. Makes Them Remember You

One of the most difficult feats for a speaker to achieve is to not be forgettable. You want the audience to remember you long after you’ve finished speaking, and not forget about what you said the moment you get off of the stage.

Adding humor to your speech will make it more likely that they will remember you for a long time. A well placed joke is often easier to remember than a long or complicated point. Moreover, they might also repeat your joke to someone else, thereby increasing the reach that you have.

3. Gives The Audience A Break

If you speaking for a long time without offering the audience any relief, then chances are, they’re going to be dozing off before you reach even a quarter of your speech.

Humor prevents this by giving the audience a break from the monotony of continuous talk. It gives them a moment to refresh themselves, to chuckle and think about something other than your speech for a moment. When the moment ends and you slip back into the main topic, chances are, your audience will listen to you with renewed and prolonged interest instead of dozing off.

4. Makes It Easier To Get Across A Point

Not only does humor provide the audience a reprieve from much dreaded monotony, but it also makes it easier for them to grasp the points that you’re trying to make.

This is because humor simplifies things for the audience. As the speaker, you’re already well-versed in the topic you wish to deliver. However, your audience is perhaps not–at least, not till your level. Thus, by incorporating jokes that elaborate on principal points in your speech, you can make it easier for your audience to grasp what you’re trying to say.

5. Makes The Audience Feel At Home

Humor breaks the ice in the room, and there are few things that will warm up your audience not only to you but to each other as well than a shared laugh. Especially if you’re addressing an unfamiliar group, it’s imperative that you make them feel comfortable with you and the venue.

Cracking a joke at the beginning of your speech is one of the best ways of doing this. This will make sure that the audience is comfortable right from the beginning of your speech, and it will make it more likely for them to be receptive and interested in what you’re going to be saying for the rest of the event.

The Do’s and Don’t’s Of Making The Audience Laugh

Making someone laugh is no easy feat. And making an entire group of people is even more difficult.

But it’s not impossible –not if you keep in mind a few basic tips. And no, you don’t need to be a professional comedian or even a natural-born one to be able to successfully employ humor in your speech. What you need is the willingness to step out of your comfort zone, and to practice, practice, practice.

The Don’ts Of Making Audience Laugh

Don’t make it too complicated.

This is a very common mistake that most speakers make, especially if humor isn’t something that comes to them naturally. They make their jokes too complicated or too specific, thereby confusing the audience.

If your audience doesn’t understand the joke, they’re not going to laugh at it, period. You want the joke to be simple enough to be grasped by most of your audience. Keep the complex stuff for your speech–and even then, it’s best to be familiar with and mindful of your audience’s level.

Remember that the joke is directed towards the audience and not you. Therefore, it is imperative that while you’re thinking of the joke, you keep your audience in your mind.

Don’t Use Too Many Jokes

While it’s important to sprinkle your speech with jokes, the keyword here is sprinkle . Don’t dump an entire handful of them over it. Use humor aptly, and you will attain all the benefits associated with it.

However, if you use too much of it or simply use it too often, then then it’s going to have the opposite effect. That is, your audience is more likely going to groan at your joke rather than laugh at it. The best way to avoid this to only use humor when it feels natural to do so. That is, don’t just add a joke because you’re unsure what to say, but rather add a joke where you’re sure it will work.

Don’t Tell Them You’re Going To Say Something Funny 

Seriously, don’t. 

One of the biggest mistakes that a person can make before telling a joke is telling the audience that they’re going to be telling a joke. It sounds about as awkward as the three tellings did in the previous sentence. 

This is because it raises your audience’s expectations. Unless and until your story is something that will have them rolling on the floor in laughter, they’re going to be disappointed. Not only this, but it makes you look bad as a speaker, and it also takes away the element of spontaneity from the joke or speech. 

So, next time you want to tell a joke…

…just tell it.  

Don’t Use Controversial Topics 

How often has it happened that you have an amazing opinion of a speaker…

…and then it all goes downhill when they tell a joke. 

Remember that your audience is diverse and has diverse beliefs and opinions. Some topics–like religion, race, and gender–are bound to invite controversial reactions in the audience. 

You don’t want to alienate your audience. Rather, you want them to feel like they belong.

So, the next time you’re giving a speech, don’t use controversial topics. 

The Do’s Of Making The Audience Laugh

Do perfect the delivery.

Once you’re done with practice, then comes the next, and the most important, step: delivering the speech to an audience. Delivering an awesome joke that you’ve practiced a hundred times and being met with crickets for response is embarrassing. To avoid that, the first thing you must do is practice your delivery.

Don’t read your jokes off of a piece of paper. That’s simply terrible. You need to practice your jokes until they’re naturally woven into your speech and you can recite them from memory. Deliver your humor in a conversational way, and not like you’ve spent hours memorizing it. Keep in mind the “Rule Of Three” i.e if you haven’t delivered your punch line by the third line of your joke…it’s too long.

For more information on how to deliver your speech, check out our article on Body Language & It’s Contribution To The Process Of Communication .

Do Make Sure The Joke Has A Point

Remember that you’re not on stage for a stand-up comedy show but to deliver a speech. Don’t just add a random joke, no matter how funny or relatable it is. You need to make sure the joke you’re making is relevant to the topic in hand, and elaborates or simplifies it in some way.

If your joke isn’t relevant to the topic in hand, the audience might find it funny, yes. But they will most likely also end up confused about the point you’re trying to make, and thus lose track of the main speech that you’re there to deliver.

Be Appropriate

Lastly, while delivering the joke, it’s imperative that you deliver it in an appropriate manner and in a way that you don’t end up offending your audience’s sentiments.

To do this, make sure that you look up what your audience is likely going to be composed of beforehand. Search about their likes and dislikes, things familiar and unfamiliar to them. Most importantly, however, it is important to educate yourself and keep yourself updated about what’s happening in the world on a regular basis, and not just before your speech.

If you do end up accidentally saying something that you shouldn’t have, it’s best to apologize. Remember that saying sorry doesn’t make you a smaller person–quite the opposite, really.

Do Incorporate Pauses 

You don’t want to rush through your joke in one breath, and then plunge straight into your subject matter. Your audience needs time to comprehend the joke: otherwise, they won’t laugh.

So, make sure to have appropriate breaks between and within jokes. It’s especially important to pause both before and after delivering the punch line. This is to give your audience the chance to formulate an opinion, which you will then subvert with the punch-line, and also to increase their anticipation level. Pausing after the punch-line is imperative to give them a chance to process your joke, especially if it’s a bit complex. 

Do Make Sure It’s Relevant 

Don’t use humor that doesn’t drive forward and expand on your main point. You don’t want to randomly dive into a story about your encounter with a ninja…unless your speech has to do something with encounters. Or ninjas (in which case, may I attend it?). 

The point is, use relevant humor. This will make sure that your audience doesn’t get confused about the point of your speech, and that they don’t lose out on important stuff that you’re saying because they’re trying to figure out how your joke fits into what they’ve been led to believe they’re there to hear. 

How To Add Humour To A Speech (Even If You’re Not A Comedian)

1. using anecdotes .

“Last summer, I visited a Yoga Retreat in the middle of nowhere…”

Many people feel more comfortable sharing their stories than slipping in a well-timed jab in the middle of their speech. Then why not combine both, and make it a funny story? The best and easiest way of employing natural humor in your speech is by drawing on your personal experience. 

Think about that embarrassing moment that was definitely not funny at the time, but you can now think back on chuckling to yourself. Or, if you’re not comfortable sharing something about yourself, think of a funny story that someone else told you. You can even use experiences common to most people–like having a little kid to take care of or college professors to tackle. 

Don’t worry about people having heard it before. 

Sometimes a good cliche is exactly what people need. 

If you need more help with using storytelling in your speech, check out our article on 9 Storytelling Approaches For Your Next Speech Or Presentation.

Here’s an example of incorporating anecdotes in your speech. As you watch the video, keep an eye on how the speakers phrase the story, their body language, and their facial expressions. Try to incorporate the same in your speech.

2. Surprising The Audience 

A perfectionist walked into a bar…apparently, the bar wasn’t set high enough.

Who doesn’t like surprises (except my mother)? 

And who doesn’t like jokes (except my father)?

Combine both elements, and your audience is in for a treat! 

And no, by surprise, I don’t mean you have to literally surprise them. 

Humour tends to naturally pop up when your perfection about what someone is going to say next is off the mark. The dissonance between sentences can be annoying, yes. But if done right, it can win you that surprised dose of laughter that you’re vying for.

And how do you surprise your audience? 

The best way of doing this is by using a set up and punch-lines. 

A set-up builds your audience’s expectations for a particular outcome. The punchline reveals the surprise and upturns the audience’s expectations. However, one key factor to keep note of while delivering your punch line is to keep it at the end of your sentence. 

This is because if you keep it in the middle, most people will be too focused on what you’re going to say to make deeper sense of what you’re actually saying right now. Also, words spoken at the end of a sentence or paragraph tend to have a greater impact–which is exactly what you want your punchline to do.  

Following is an example of excellent punch-line delivery. Make note of how the speaker says his punch lines. Notice how he pauses before delivering the line, the way he waits for the audience’s reaction, and the way he phrases the punch-lines to increase its impact.

3. Add Shock Value By Playing With Words 

Does anyone need an Ark? I Noah guy.

Phrases with dual meanings can be interpreted in more than one way, and if you use them in an appropriate way, can garner a good laugh from the audience. In such phrases, while the first meaning is apparent, the deeper intonation is something that might take a couple of seconds to click . 

However, once it does–especially if your timing was great–then it might have the audience chuckling for a while. The easiest way of adding dual meanings to your speech is by using the set-up and punch-line method mentioned above. Use the setting to suggest one meaning, and then when the punchline rolls around, use it to insinuate an entirely different meaning. 

And the deeper intonation doesn’t have to be something cliche, either: you can make it something profound, or a sentence with more underlying depth or impact than the initial, seemingly silly, one.

You can also add puns to your joke. A pun is a grammatical effect that uses two words or expressions that sound similar or the same, but have two very different meanings. Normally in a pun, the first meaning is quite reasonable, while the second one might be less sensible or humorous in some way. 

Forr example, “Santa Clause – patron saint of grammar.” 

However, while playing with words, a key factor to keep in mind is to not go for cheap laughs at the expense of particular people or groups. This might have the opposite effect and entirely put off your audience.

In the following video, the speaker not only makes amazing use of puns, but also surprises the audience. In the beginning, it doesn’t appear that he’s going to be able to have the judges rolling in laughter–but that’s exactly what happens! Notice the way he uses the words, and the way he plays with them to make the audience laugh.

4. Adding Self-Depreciating Humor 

The only time I’m funny is when I insult myself

Audience tends to react positively to speakers who are self-depreciating–and by self-depreciating, I don’t mean self-loathing , no. 

I’m talking about self-depreciating humor–which is light-hearted humour at the expense of the speaker. 

This is because self-depreciating humour can make you seem more real or grounded to the audience. It also makes it easier for them to connect with you. When they laugh at your jokes, they’re not laughing at you but with you: they recognize some part of themselves in what you’re saying i.e they relate to you. 

It’s an extremely cathartic and fun experience. 

However, be careful not to overdo it. 

Remember, you’re trying to make the audience laugh , not to make them feel bad for you. 

This speech is an excellent example of how you can use self-depreciating humor without giving the audience the impression that you’re trying to make them feel sorry for you. Watch how the speaker uses self-depreciating humor skillfully, and while writing your speech, use his technique.

5. Use Audio-Visual Effects

Using audio-visual effects will not only make your presentation more engaging, but it will also add a kick of uniqueness to it. 

Using audio-visual effects to amplify the humour in your speech is a great idea because it will provide the audience a reprieve from the monotony of listening to a speaker for long stretches of time. 

You can add visual elements in many ways. If you’re displaying a presentation, you can add a meme or two into the slides. You can also show a short funny clip or a GIF. 

Audio effects can be timed beforehand and cued in during critical elements of your speech. For instance, you can add a funny audio during a punch-line, or while you’re delivering an anecdote. 

Done right, this will grab your audience’s attention, and make them re-focus on your presentation. 

In the following speech, the speaker makes outstanding use of audio-visual elements to make his speech stand out. Keep your eye on the screen behind him, and notice how he uses images and illustrations to make the experience more appealing for the audience.

6. Use Slapstick To Add Humor The Old-Fashioned Way

Slapstick comedy is easier said than done. However, if you do manage to pull it off,  it will provide a powerful kick and add more dimension to your presentation. 

Slapstick will also make you more real and relatable to the audience. It might be overused, however, it will add a burst of warmth and nostalgia to the audience’s experience. I understand that acting is not everyone’s forte, and not everyone will be comfortable enacting a comic play.

But I’m not asking you to turn into Charlie Chaplin. You don’t need to enact an entire funny scene or play. 

Even a small snippet of a scene, if done correctly, will do the trick.

All you need to do is get out of your comfort zone and practice!

This video is a classic example of how slapstick comedy doesn’t necessarily have to be boring. While the comic element in your speech doesn’t need to be as long, you can incorporate the technique used in your own.

7. Use Audience-Oriented Humor

What’s a comedian’s least favorite drink?  Answer: booze

Since your audience is the one that’s going to be listening to your speech–and your jokes–it only makes sense that you use humor that will be understood and cherished by them.

Your humor should be directed towards and specific to your audience. That is, you need to change the kind of humor you’ll evoke and the type of jokes you’ll use based on what your audience comprises of.

For instance, if your audience is comprised of college-goers, your humor must incorporate subjects and experiences that are familiar to them. If your audience is mostly working people over forty years, then you’ll need to make tweaks to your planned jokes so that the humor is more relatable to them.

So, before you sit down and begin planning your jokes, make sure you’re familiar with your audience’s taste and preferences. After all, no matter how good or well-timed the joke, if they don’t understand it, they won’t laugh at it.

In the following example, comedian Ellen DeGeneres uses humor that is easily understood by her audience, thus evoking much laughter. It’s one of the most entertaining Oscar opening speeches, and for good reason! Notice how he keeps the audience engaged and calls out a few members to make things interesting.

8. Take Inspiration From Real Life

While it’s important to have your jokes prepared beforehand, a secret ingredient that’ll take the humor level of your speech to the next level is by keeping a lookout for anything funny happening around you as you’re giving the speech.

That is, you need to pay attention if there’s anything that your audience is doing which can be turned into an impromptu joke. Say, someone, yawning. Or, a funny reaction that someone gives to your speech.

You can frame these events in a funny way and point them out while speaking. You can even directly address an audience member by asking them a funny question or simply asking if they agree with a humorous comment that you’ve made.

The key is to add a dose of spontaneous and life to your presentation. More often than not, it is these unscripted moments that will linger in your audience’s mind rather than the ones you’ve painstakingly timed beforehand.

The following example is a great way through which you can make impromptu comedy not feel forced to the audience. As you watch it, notice how the speaker is on his feet, the way he delivers his jokes, as well as the subject matter of the jokes.

9. Using Props

Another great way of adding humor to a speech is by using props! This is a fun way to add a touch of uniqueness to your speech and to re-focus your audience’s attention on something other than you and the stage.

There are many different types of props which you can use. You can use puppets, suitcases, a table…anything you can think of, really! However, make sure that just like your jokes, the prop is relevant to the topic in hand. Don’t just use a prop simply for the sake of using one, or else it will take away from your speech instead of adding anything to it.

Using props can seem tough, but it doesn’t have to be so! The following video is a great example of how you can use props to make your speech more lively, funny, as well as entertaining to watch!

10. You Don’t Have To Be Perfect

Nobody’s perfect. I’m nobody… So I’m perfect.

Lastly, remember that you’re not trying to win a stand-up contest. You don’t need to be the best comedian in the world or even the funniest person in the room. You’re there to deliver a speech. You’re there to share with the audience your knowledge and your experiences, and the audience is there to receive them.

It’s okay if you mess up. It’s alright if the audience doesn’t laugh at one joke. It doesn’t matter if you messed up a punch-line.

What matters is that you’re there, and you did it! You gave your best.

Humorous Ted Talk Speech Examples

1. inside the mind of a master procrastinator.

This speech is no doubt one of the funniest Ted Talks I’ve ever come across, and for good reason!

Takeaway: A major reason for this is the speaker’s use of imagery and cartoons to add a dose of entertaining audio-visual elements to the speech. He neither overdoes it with the visuals nor does he underuse them. His speech structure and the punch timing don’t hurt, either. As you watch it, keep a lookout for these things, and try to incorporate audio-visuals in your speech in a similar way.

2. A Highly Scientific Taxonomy Of Haters

This is another great Ted Talk in which the speaker uses humor in a creative way to get across their point.

Takeaway: This is an example of how your humor doesn’t necessarily have to be slapstick or obvious. It also shows how humor doesn’t need to be a filler in a speech: it’s not merely there to entertain. Rather, you can use humor to add more dimensions to your speech and to make it easier for your audience to grasp otherwise difficult concepts.

3. The Happy Secret To Better Work

Another great Ted Talk was delivered by psychologist Shawn Achor, in which he argues that happiness actually leads to more productivity.

Takeaway: This is a great Ted Talk if you’re a professional looking for how to deliver your message to the audience using humor as a medium. Notice how the speaker keeps the audience laughing and in a good mood as he delivers his speech.

Notice the speaker’s body language, and how he smiles often to make a connection with his audience. He isn’t a professional comedian, but he doesn’t let that fact hinder his speech in any way!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. how do i add humor to the beginning (or the end) of a speech .

There are many ways using which you can add humor to the opening of your speech. 

You could start off by telling a funny story. This can be your personal experience, or just something imaginary. A funny story is a great way to begin your speech, because not only does a story capture your audience’s attention right off the bat, but the added element of humor elevates your audience’s mood. This will ensure that they have a favorable opinion of you–and the rest of the speech! 

For the ending, too, you could use a shorter version of a story. Or, another way of adding humor to the beginning or ending of a speech is the good old fashioned way: tell a joke. 

If it’s the ending, you could go with a joke that loops into or makes a reference to something that you’ve said before. If you’re starting off, start with something unique and fresh! 

Q. How Do I Add Humor To A Serious Speech 

So, what if your speech topic isn’t something light? What if you’re delivering a serious speech? Can you still add humor to it? 

The answer: Yes. 

Adding humor to a serious speech will give your audience a chance to breathe & to take a break from the heavy subject matter.

However, you need to make sure that the humor doesn’t seem forced or out of place. It should flow with your speech, and not feel like an external constituent that you’ve added simply because you have to.

You can still use the different ways of adding humor to a speech that we’ve mentioned above. However, make sure that you add them at appropriate time intervals, and that they expand upon what you’re trying to get across. Also, try not to use too many jokes, or bunch them all together, as this will affect the overall tone of your speech. 

 Q3. How Do I Find My Unique Sense Of Humor 

It’s important to have your own unique sense of humor, not just in everyday life, but during speeches as well. This will make sure that your jokes aren’t bland and overused, and that the humor in your speech feels natural and not forced. 

You can’t just wake up one day and discover what kind of humor fits you. You need to put in time and effort in real life to find your own personal touch. 

One way of doing this is by delving into humorous content. So, watch that stand up comedy show or YouTube video, or read that hilarious book you’ve been wanting to. You need to learn what you find funny, and what type of content makes you chuckle.

Then, try incorporating them into everyday life situations, or simply practice by yourself first before moving onto other people. It’s important to be considerate of your audience and make sure that your jokes aren’t offensive, yes. But don’t change your natural style to cater to other people–you will never be able to stand out or find your own voice this way.

Q4. What If My Audience Doesn’t Laugh? 

A speaker’s worst fear: they tell a joke to an auditorium full of people, and there’s pin drop silence (or, well, so it feels). 

However, don’t despair if the audience doesn’t laugh at your joke.

Pause for a little bit. Give them time. It could be that they haven’t yet understood it. 

If there’s still no reaction, don’t lose heart. 

It’s important to not let your audience control your emotions. Remember that your goal is not laughter but to get across your point. Take a deep breath, and continue on with your speech. Don’t let embarrassment make you skip the rest of your jokes. Tell them as you were going to–just because they didn’t laugh at one joke doesn’t mean they’re not going to laugh at others.

If you feel like understanding was a problem, then you can make little tweaks to your delivery or the content matter to make it easier for your audience to grasp the joke. You could even prepare a witty response to such a scenario in advance, and use it if the situation does arise.

To sum up, adding humor to your speech is imperative not just to liven it up, but also to make it easier for the audience to understand it and to cement your speech in their mind for years to come. While adding humor to your speech might seem like a daunting task at first, by using the tips and tricks mentioned above, you can easily train yourself to use humor easily as well as effectively in your future talks!

Enroll in our transformative 1:1 Coaching Program

Schedule a call with our expert communication coach to know if this program would be the right fit for you

Crisis Leadership 101: Cultivating Empathy While Exercising Authority 

Lost Voice? Here’s How to Recover Sore Throat and Speak Again

7 Keys to Emcee Like a Pro: Unlock Your Hosting Potential

• [email protected]
• +91 98203 57888

Get our latest tips and tricks in your inbox always

Copyright © 2023 Frantically Speaking All rights reserved

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 .

Recent Blog Posts:

• Adam Christing, America’s Most Popular Corporate Emcee And Clean Comedian, Appears On The WOW Factor Podcast

7 Ways To Make Your End-Of-Year Staff Meeting Memorable And Meaningful

The importance of force majeure clauses when corporate hosting, 5 stage presence tips from a master of ceremonies.

• Master of Ceremonies Helps 10 Non-Profit Groups Raise Over $77 Million at 10 Fundraising Events in the Fall of 2023
• The Difference Between Hosting B2B and B2C Events
• 5 Games To Enhance Your Next Annual Company Dinner
• 5 Ways To Make Your Workplace Festivities Inclusive During The Holidays
• 5 Holiday Fundraising Ideas From A Corporate Emcee
• What Is B2B Event Planning? Your Complete Guide

Recommended For You

Comments are closed.

• Get Started
• Event Emcee
• Entertainment
• How To Be A Great Emcee

Subscribe to Adam's newsletter

Laughing Matters

Powered by Big Red Jelly

Connect with Adam:

© 2024 Adam Christing. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy . Terms & Conditions .

• EASY BOOKING FORM

A 9 Step Guide to Using Humor in Speeches

During a presentation, small touches of humor, added to the main subject, can attract and captivate your audience, helping, including forming ideas of people who are participating.

Compelling speakers don’t tell jokes to get laughs. Instead, they use humor to illustrate their message; in this article, we will give you some tips to help you include and understand the importance of humor in your speeches.

Highly Recommended Articles:

Entertaining Speeches: How to Give one and Examples of Topics

1. Don’t bet it all at first

Under the justification of “breaking the ice,” there are those who sketch some classic joke in the first seconds of the presentation. Unfortunately, if you are adept at this practice, red light, this strategy can lead to a scenario of perverse self-sabotage.

“If the joke isn’t funny, you’ll be destabilized. Prefer to leave the more classic jokes to the middle of the presentation, when your security is already consolidated.” 

But if you are perceived as a humorous person and feel able to use humor, take your chances. If you make that decision, don’t forget that there are key moments to use humor, usually during the introduction or completion of your speech.

2. Observe and write down

3. be natural.

One of the most important things when using good humor is to use it naturally. If you have a more severe and formal speech, making a very stripped-down speech might not go over well.

In such cases, prefer to play subtle games that can be processed quickly to go ahead with the core issue; if your speech is more informal and relaxed, let your speech flow and wait for the right moment.

4. Use Pauses and tone of voice

This combination creates emphasis on speech and greater public involvement. So you can also give people time to laugh and enjoy the moment.

5. Juggle with the negative

If you’re in a difficult situation, with something on your shirt or somehow getting the audience’s attention for something other than your story, learn how to use it to your advantage.

“to make people laugh, you need to know how to take your pain and play with it.”

6. Consider your qualities

Humor should be naturally used in oratory, so if that’s not your speaking style, trying to force it can make the moment awkward. That’s because humor and play need to be aligned with your tone of voice, posture, and body language.

If you want to develop this skill, start by training in front of the mirror, with family and friends, until it becomes natural.

7. Take into account the culture of the public.

The joke you were preparing may be funny to your friends, but it will not always have the same reaction to your company’s speech delivery; for example, geographical and cultural differences also weigh as a mood thermometer.

The more you know about your audience, the more refined your mood can be. So, find out everything you can about demographic composition, interests, political leanings, favorite teams – absolutely everything you can get.

8. Be clear with gestures or facial expressions.

After finishing a funny comment, it is unnecessary to justify yourself with the classic phrase: “It was a joke” or the variant “prank.” Instead, according to Reinaldo Polito, the way to sharpen the content of your body expressions should make it clear that this is a joke.

The audience needs to make sure you’re not serious; according to the expert, the idea is to intensify this the lower the level of instruction of the audience.

9. Don’t run away from the context of your presentation

As we mentioned in earlier paragraphs, humor only has the desired effect if people understand the irony and comical tenor of what is being said. Even if the public does not know that this is a comic excerpt, it may draw literal conclusions about what is being said, harming the communicator’s image.

8 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO ACE ANY JOB INTERVIEW

Top 7 core interpersonal skills in leadership, an easy guide to all 15 types of speech, how can i have a successful speech using humor.

A successful speech using humor depends on your ability to handle comic material in the best possible way; how often have you heard a person tell a long, complicated joke to swallow the ending and ruin the story? The same thing can happen with a short joke or even with a tirade.

Is there an ideal audience for a humorous oratory?

A technical presentation may not be a subject for jokes, but the audience may need a few laughs precisely because of the barren nature of the issue. With practice and experience, one can learn to properly evaluate each area, and as a result, his/her speaker stature will grow.

3 Basic Principles to keep in mind when using Humor in Speeches:

However, we forget that humor is not the end in itself; it has to reinforce why we are in front of the audience, and our presentation has to show that we understand that.

Similar Posts

Patrick henry speech analysis , how to create a mind map to organize and remember your presentation, 55 powerful and inspiring quotes to start your presentation, 21 social skills competency questions examples, 10 ways to improve social intelligence, farewell speech: the 8-steps guide for a memorable one.

TED is supported by ads and partners 00:00

Finding the Funny: the power of humor in public speaking | Al Wiseman | TEDxDecatur

• entertainment

Cart – Checkout

Funny speeches: how to use humor in public speaking.

• View Larger Image

Humor can be hazardous to the health of public speakers. Most speakers want to be funny, but you’ve got to do humor well, or it falls flat and that’s worse than no humor at all. Here I provide a guide for avoiding the worst mistakes of traditional one-liners and cheap irony, replacing them instead with ironic and witty humor that works and wins audiences over to your side. And, if you insist on using one-liners, I show you how to ‘sell’ them successfully.

Traditional jokes with punch lines are the hardest to pull off

Let’s start with an example of a funny speech by Emily Levine.

Emily Levine is a self-proclaimed trickster and a very funny person. She’s Harvard-trained and still manages to be hilarious. Emily’s humor is all about finding the contradictions in modern life that we’ve stopped noticing. Things like the following sign in a beauty salon: Ears pierced while you wait.

Just imagine the alternative. I’ll leave my ears hear until 5. I’ve got a couple of errands to run. But I’ll be back to pick them up. What? I couldn’t hear you.

Trickster humor is all about finding those sorts of contradictions and pointing them out. Also about crossing boundaries that are normally left intact. If there were an Olympics in martyrdom, my grandmother would have lost on purpose…

Check out Emily and learn from her. She’s a comedian in the classic sense — she tells jokes. That’s very hard to do. As you watch the talk, note how she ‘sells’ her jokes with her body. When she talks about not hanging up on telemarketers, because Emily Post says itŠs rude, she devises another strategy. After the telemarketer has delivered about half his pitch, she says, “I interrupted with, ‘You sound really sexy’. He hung up on me!” She says the ‘really sexy’ line with a husky voice, and sells the punch line with a pelvic stance. The tone of voice and the posture are essential to the humor.

So, if you’re determined to attempt traditional comedy in your speeches, then practice selling the jokes with your body language and voice. You’re got to be 100 percent committed to the joke — body and all. And then you’ve got to have a back up plan for recovery. Study tapes of Jon Stewart , or any other of the late night comedians — he is the master of what to do when the first joke goes flat. Often his comebacks and reactions are funnier than the original line.

Beyond that, look for the contradictions. That’s where the humor is, and the punch lines. Traditional humor is all about setting up expectations and then violating them, crossing the boundaries of expectation. And finding connections where no one else sees them.

Irony is the humor of the era

If you don’t want to risk throwing out punch lines, consider irony. At its worst, irony is a cheap, easy way to get a chuckle and avoid making a commitment. At its best, irony is a memorable way for the alienated to comment on the ‘in crowd’, the powerless to bring down the powerful, and the hip to skewer the not-so-hip. John Hodgman provides a brilliant example of wonderful irony on TED.com. Check it out for how to do irony well.

Hodgman begins by talking about Enrico Fermi the brilliant Italian physicist, and aliens. The kind that come in space ships and land in the Nevada desert, that is. Hodgman says, “Isn’t it strange that he only asked for one thing? A gift of two healthy sperm whales? That’s not true, but it is strange.”

There are 3 rules for making irony memorable rather than cheap.

Rule Number One. Create an overarching story that is different from what you’re apparently talking about. This narrative misdirection enables you to take an ironical (because distant) stance toward your real topic. There’s considerable wit in what Hodgman does, but the predominant mode is ironical. “The aliens might be very far away,” he says, in explaining why we haven’t seen them yet, “Even on other planets.” He brilliantly illustrates the first rule of great irony by providing an overall narrative that is different from what he is apparently talking about. Hodgman’s apparent narrative is all about his (non) encounters with aliens, but his real narrative is all about how he, a nerd, found love, got married, and remains in love today.

It’s a very sweet story, told with delicacy and tact — and irony. Most cheap irony lacks the meta-narrative that gives a good story its structure. Cheap irony is usually just a pot shot at something the narrator doesn’t like but can’t do much about.

Rule Number Two. The second rule of great irony is that something important has to be at stake. In Hodgman’s case, it’s love. He is traveling in Portugal with the girl who becomes his wife, and she goes off on her own to check out a beach. She’s a long time coming back to the hotel, and Hodgman realizes how alone he is in the universe. As he says, “I could not call her on a cell phone because the aliens had not given us that technology yet.”

But what’s at stake can be anything important that the speaker-narrator cares about. Cheap irony has nothing behind it — no alternative that it is proposing. Powerful irony points to a better way.

Rule Number Three. The third rule of irony is that its viewpoint has to run counter to the one held by those currently in power. Again, in Hodgman’s case, the predominant viewpoint is that nerds can’t find love. After all, it’s the Prom Kings and Queens that get love, right? Hodgman quietly and ironically insists on the contrary, that nerds can find love, too. “Even though we are married, I love her and wait for her still,° he says, perhaps the best last (ironical) line of a love story in recent years.

Wit is the humor that creates charm and impresses with intelligence

I have three suggestions for how you can achieve wit, but first begin by watching J. J. Abrams, the TV and movie producer and director of hits like MI-3 , Lost , and the new Star Trek . The talk is witty, as is the man. This TED.com talk is also full of insights into creativity that will stick with you once the wit has worked its charm and moved on.

First Suggestion: Don’t try too hard. Wit flows from passion for the subject. If you feel strongly about something, you will find wit in the subject and you will share it with your audience. Unless of course you’re a corporate accountant who’s idea of fun is a late night with a multi-celled spreadsheet.

That said, one of the wittier speakers I’ve heard was a lecturer on accounting, who used the Wells Fargo company as his example, back in the day when it had to account for losses of the strong box because of marauding Indians. His passion for the subject of accounting led him to this witty way to explain an otherwise dreary subject.

Second Suggestion: Wit is all about upending expectations. The wit is in the surprise. J.J. shows a clip from the “Lost” pilot episode, with a downed aircraft and lots of gore and mayhem, with very impressive special effects. He says, “Ten years ago if we wanted to do that, we would have had to kill a stunt man… Take Two would have been a bitch.” You’re not quite sure where he’s going, but the second sentence is witty because it is surprising.

Third Suggestion: To be witty, take the subject, but not yourself, seriously. Wit begins with yourself, with self-deprecation. It’s one reason why the British are so much better at it, culturally speaking, than Americans. The British are expert self-deprecators, probably because they have to put up with more pomposity in the form of 2,000, rather than 200, years of tradition and history. But when pressed, we can do it too. J. J. Abrams says, of filming Mission Impossible III , that his favorite scene is the one that involves shooting a dangerous drug up Tom Cruise’s nose. He says, “I quickly learned that there are three things you don’t want to do. Number two is hurt Tom’s nose.” The scene, which you should now go back and watch again, actually has Tom Cruise’s hand shooting the dart-filled gun up his own nose (because he knew how hard to push).

That’s the magic of the movies. And that’s wit.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

About the author: nick morgan.

Related Posts

[…] Funny speeches: how to use humor in public speaking […]

[…] https://publicwords.com/2012/04/26/funny-speeches-how-to-use-humor-in-public-speaking/ […]

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Public Speaking Podcast

A podcast launched in a time of great change. Just One Question with Dr Nick Morgan has over 50 episodes featuring some of the worlds most elite and accomplished speakers. More importantly the podcast brings light to our industry as we undergo a public speaking and communication reformation. 

© Copyright 2024 | All Rights Reserved Public Words Inc | Legal | Privacy

BLOG PODCAST NEWS SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our weekly blog for useful articles, tips and podcasts for boosting your public speaking career:

CALL US NOW

© Copyright 2024 | All Rights Reserved Public Words Inc | Legal Policy | Privacy Policy

• Conversations, negotiations and presentations

20 Tips For Humor In Speeches And Presentations

Humor in speeches and presentations

Do you want the attention of your audience? Humorously move your audience before the seat hurts. Humor relaxes. It resolves tense, stressful situations. Humor has some positive effects. Appropriate humor can be used effectively in many situations. Find out what is worth paying attention to.

20 Tips for humor in speeches and presentations

Just ask me personally, related articles.

In speeches and presentations, it is often a matter of passing on information to the participants in an understandable way, convincing them, and asking them to act. The objectives of speeches can be quite different, but the goal of boring the audience is unlikely to be deliberately pursued. However, this often happens. With appropriate humor, it is possible to keep the audience happy, emotionalize them, and increase their attention. This way, you and your presentation will remain in good memory.

Make sure you don’t insult anybody. Humor is mostly based on ambiguities, and these can annoy the audience if they are interpreted unfavorably. It’s not so much what you mean as to how the recipients interpret your words.

I don’t need to mention that jokes are not made at the expense of individuals or disadvantaged groups, do I?

2. At the beginning of your speech

Not every audience is ready for your message. Sometimes it still has to digest the impression of the previous speakers. Maybe the participants would rather be somewhere else now. Here is your chance to surprise the audience positively. Season your contribution with a pinch of humor. It is not to be underestimated – humor reduces stress. Humor awakens the desire for more.

Sometimes humor simply helps. Speeches and presentations can start well with humor. It relaxes the audience and speakers, reduces fear, and attracts attention. After an intense laugh, the brain’s reward center releases dopamine. Dopamine relaxes and gives us intense moments of happiness. It provides anticipation, i.e. the desire for more. After the laughter, the audience listens more intensively.

3. Orient on the audience

Not only does the taste changes with the audience, but also their perception, thinking, and communication style. Adapt your language to the audience. Some jokes require special education or specific vocabulary. And some audiences reject laughter as immoral in this world.

A few helpful questions:

• What are the characteristics of the audience?
• What language does it speak?
• What can the target group smile or even laugh about?
• Which humor is appropriate for the target group and which is not?
• How can one’s appearance and appearance be supported by humor in this case?
• How can these people react humorously to objections or resistance?
• Which examples, metaphors, and analogies are suitable for the audience to present the message humorously?
• What do they have in common?
• What is talked about before and after, are there humorous points of reference?

Humor is influenced by many factors, such as educational level, social status, country, origin, region, and occupational group. Use humor only if you are sure that your audience reacts positively and that it fits the message thematically.

4. Good joke tellers are rare

A very common recommendation is to start a speech with a joke. It is claimed that then you and your audience are well relaxed and ready. Seriously and no kidding: don’t start your presentation with a joke.

With the overlap of self-perception and external perception, this is such a thing. The fact is that very few people are so good at telling jokes. What looks so relaxed with the professionals of Stand-up Comedy is the result of a strict selection process, some bruises, and a lot of – very much – practice.

So once again, very clearly stated: Humor is a good way to enter into a relationship with the audience. However, not everyone is a good joke-teller. Stand-up is more challenging than it seems. If your joke fails or you make the wrong one, you’ve made a fool of yourself with part of your audience from now on. Especially since the wisdom formulated by Paul Watzlawick also applies here; the recipient decides on the message. And since jokes by definition are ambiguous (context or meaning reframing), the choice of meaning need not be in your interest.

If a horse comes into a bar.

Ask the bartender: “Why such a long face?”

5. Stand behind your messages

For an authentic performance, you must stand behind what you say. So choose only humorous elements that suit you and feel right.

6. Analogies

Analogies can help to clarify complex relationships. This can also be done very humorously if it is accompanied by a surprise.

Analogies must be recognizable by your audience so that the listener understands the parallel between the story and the actual topic. By doing this, you make your competence clear and the content accessible to your audience without taking yourself unnecessarily seriously.

7. Word games

Use the magic of language. Play skillfully with the language. Surprising definitions or double meanings of terms and acronyms are ideal for this.

Rhyme you or I eat you. What rhymes are more likely to settle in our brain convolutions and have the potential to sound like humor.

Irony can sometimes be used with a wink of the eye. However, this is not entirely harmless.

9. Telling a great story

Stories connect you with your audience. By bringing a scene to life through a story, listeners experience what they otherwise only intellectually understand. If you weave inappropriate humor, you can encourage even the most difficult challenges.

What rhymes is easier for us to get into our brains and has the potential to sound like humor.

11. Don’t announce humor

Surprising elements have a better effect on the audience. “It’s getting funny now”, not only seems strange, but the laughter is also more likely to get stuck in the throat. Instead, weave humor into unusual moments.

12. Short irritations awaken the audience

When the audience has been sitting passively on their chairs for hours, which they feel are flickering 1,000 PowerPoint presentations over the beamer with the neon light, then the human brain switches to draught. These are not good prerequisites for you to convince with your message. Change that!

Have courage. If you cleverly irritate your audience for a moment, they will be all the more receptive afterward. To be on the safe side, I mention that the irritation is, of course, resolved again.

13. Witty humor is more effective than admonitions

Use subtlety instead of raised index fingers. Humor is more welcome than admonitions. And with a smile, you can say a lot. Laughter is contagious. Laughter creates positive feelings.

14. Do a test run before the world premiere

Test humorous elements several times and thoroughly. And above all, ask people who have a similar sense of humor like your target audience.

15. Humor is a holistic work of art

You compete as a speaker with the offerings of the entire Internet. Those who do not carry a smartphone with them in the audience will check their fingernails at some point. Today, people get bored quickly. Not every speech can easily make such exciting offers as Netflix & Co. And yet some speeches can be fascinating and moving. Humor contributes. Also, your performance is live and therefore something special, isn’t it?

For this to succeed, I remind you about an important aspect: Humor is usually a total work of art, in which content, language, timing, and also body language, as well as voice have essential parts. Present yourself!

16. Situational comedy

Spontaneous humor has a very special effect because it requires intelligence and sovereignty on the part of the performer. Opportunities to practice such forms of humor are offered by workshops, such as Professional Quick-Wittedness: Training for the quick professional response .

17. Quality

Does a horse come into a bar and ask the bartender: “Why such a long face?

Humor is a difficult subject in itself. Finding a joke that is not only funny but also has an intellectual quality is quite a challenge.

18. Analysis: Learn from the experiences

Learn from your practical experience. Systematically evaluate your experience with humor. For several years I had provided a series of workshops with very special humor and was able to observe the effects of small changes over several dozen performances. That was very interesting and educational. The evaluation also provided me with valuable ideas for other speeches. Even if you only have one performance, evaluate it afterward. Ask for constructive feedback. And decide what you want to pay attention to in the future.

19. Undesirable side effects

Jokes or intense humor can very easily distract and then bind attention. The audience stays with the entertainment element while you are about to say something relevant. Important parts of your message are then lost. A good humorous element supports the bot.

20. Develop your style

Humor has many forms. And yes, there are good reasons to use humor as support. For example, you can start with an anecdote or a short story. An in many cases an excellent idea! By the way, you learn this in the Presentation Skills Training II and Presentation Skills Training III as group training or in individual training with me.

Preparation of important speeches and presentations

Those who do not speak are not heard, and even those who speak up are not always successful. There are a few more steps that need to be mastered.

Do you want to convince with your message and also as a personality? Then I will help you to prepare your speeches and presentations. You determine the scope. At least, I recommend a test run with professional feedback for you and your message. Then you will know how you and your content are perceived, what you should do, and what you should leave out, where there is potential. Why do you want to get such helpful feedback so late after your real performance? Then it is too late for adjustments. Benefit from the advantage. My definition of luck: Preparation meets opportunity.

You can best estimate for yourself where the effort is worthwhile concerning the expected benefit. Here you will find the fees for my support (communication, psychology, language, structure, voice, body language, storytelling, rhetorical means, media such as PowerPoint and Co., etc.)

You are not in Berlin right now? Then choose meetings with me via telephone or video support . Whereby, there are quite good reasons for a trip to Berlin .

By the way, many people suffer from such intense stage fright in front of an audience, and therefore their performance lags behind their possibilities. Too bad, because with my help performance in a good condition is possible. Just in case...

Please post any questions that may be of interest to other readers in the comments. Looking for professional help?

If you are interested in coaching, training or consulting, if you have organizational questions, or if you want to make an appointment, you can reach me best via this contact form (you can choose whether you want to enter your personal data) or via e-mail ( [email protected] ). You can also reach me by phone at +49(0)30 864 213 68 or by cell phone at +49(0)1577 704 53 56 from Monday to Thursday from 9:00 to 18:00. Most of the time I am in meetings, so please leave a message with your phone number in Germany. Please remember to be very specific about the reason for your call. I will get back to you as soon as possible. The privacy policy can be found here.

Transparency is important. That is why you will find answers to frequently asked questions already here , for example about me ( profile ), the services , the fees and getting to know me . If you like what you see, I look forward to working with you.

Topic Topic Personal coaching, training, consulting Business coaching, training, consulting Executive coaching, training, consulting Psychotherapy Open enrollment training Corporate training Keynote speeches Others Press inquiries

When it is about a request for an appointment, then: When it is about a request for an appointment, then: Telephone session or online session Face-to-face session Not yet decided whether face-to-face or online session

Preferred form of address

ZIP/Postal Code

Email Address

I have read and accept the privacy policy. I have read and accept the privacy policy. Yes!

In the address bar of your browser, the URL should begin with " https://www.karstennoack.com /...". This indicates a secure connection (SSL). Whether you enter your real name is up to you.

A good start: Professional feedback with suggestions for improvement​

How persuasive are you and your messages in speeches and presentations? How good are you at the 111+ most important presentation skills? I have been analyzing speeches since 1998. After evaluating 14,375 speeches and presentations, and numerous mistakes of my own, most of which I only discovered after a delay, I can tell you exactly what works with which audience. Let me give you the feedback that will help you get ahead. You will receive essential feedback and recommendations, as well as the impulses you need to persuade your audience in concrete situations.

Are you interested? If so, here is how to get helpful feedback with recommendations for improving your speeches and presentations.

• What may cost the preparation of a presentation, which effort is justified?
• Presentation prep in Berlin and online with video in English and German

Professional impact analysis: How are you perceived by other people?

• Travel companion for heroes

What do you think of humor in speeches and presentations?

I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation. — George Bernard Shaw

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

When you submit this form, it will save the used name, email address, and content. Find out more in the  privacy policy .

I have read and accepted the Privacy Policy *

Submit Comment

Props in presentations

So, I’ll see how much I want to hold back, because props are one of my favorites in speeches and presentations. When used thoughtfully, they work wonders on the audience.

Present the benefits in the beginning of your pitch

There are many strategies to consider in opening your pitch. Think about it twice, because those first minutes can make or break you.

How do you actually affect people in conversations, speeches and presentations, in interviews? Professional feedback helps. What insights does an impact analysis offer you?

17 tips for facial expressions in speeches and presentations

This article deals with what it is worth paying attention to as a speaker concerning facial expressions.

Public speaking: Keeping it simple doesn’t mean you’re stupid

One should choose the simplest explanation of a phenomenon, the one that requires the fewest leaps of logic. The more complex something is, the easier we should explain it.

Five fingers for a structured speech. Five-finger speech structure.

The five-finger speech structure step by step. Systematically build up statements, whether for speeches, presentations, or discussions.

Speech anxiety as an obstacle for your career

Stage fright is a common experience, most people know the queasy feeling as well as the sweaty fingers, and that is already unpleasant enough. But what if speech anxiety becomes a career killer?

Just read out speech manuscripts …

There are good speechwriters. But what value has the best manuscript, when the performance is uncharitable? Unfortunately, in the end, the cupcakes are the highlight! An important speech deserves preparation, rehearsals, …

Create an excellent speech or presentation as a masterpiece

Create an excellent speech or presentation. It will bring you forward as a presenter. Every speaker should make a brilliant speech at least once in his life. The effect goes far beyond the event because the experience becomes a mental reference. Such an experience will change you as a speaker. Create your rhetorical masterpiece. Here is how to do it.

Being right at all costs. The price we pay for needing to be right.

Persuading without arguments, assertiveness, winning without consideration, knockout by nasty tricks, black magic, manipulating. It is a coveted feeling to be right.

Grounding for presence and confidence in speeches and presentations

Use grounding for presence and a feeling confident in speeches and presentations. More than just a remedy for stage fright.

15 tips on how to stand up for your conviction: Be brave, speak up!

Some people have an opinion that deserves attention. Often, however, this opinion is not heard. Then it is time to decide whether to keep it that way or to share the point of view more clearly with others. Not everyone dares this step. What about you?

Speaking with your hands in your pockets during conversations, speeches and presentations?

Where to put your hands in conversations and during presentations? Just put your hands in your trouser pockets and the problem is solved. Many inexperienced speakers think this is quite a good idea. I (and most of the audience) don’t think it’s so good. Why? This question will be answered.

This article is a short excerpt from the more comprehensive course materials my clients receive in a group or individual training or coaching .

Published: June 27, 2019 Author: Karsten Noack Revision: August 20th, 2023 Translation: ./. German version: K: H: T: RR #124

• share    
• share  
• save   0  
• share   0  

Privacy Overview

• Partners: Bloggers
• Partners: Podasters
• Partners: Virtual Event Hosts
• Partners: Toastmasters Clubs
• Partners: Bookstores & Live Venues
• Partners: Sponsors
• Digital Press Kit
• What people are saying …
• Interior Art
• Acknowledgements
• Other Books by Carma
• Featured Speakers
• The Public Speaking Superhero’s Journey
• Individual Speaker Coaching
• Public Speaking Super Powers for Live Video
• Persuasive Speaking with Confidence
• Developing Your Leadership Skills
• Video Marketing Super Pack
• Wedding Speech Templates
• Creating Your Ideal Audience Avatar
• Public Speaking Superhero’s Journey
• Training & Mastermind Program
• Boost Your Self-Confidence 7-Day Challenge
• Speaking Palooza! 2019
• Recommended Reading
• For Book Clubs
•         - ORDER NOW!
•                 - Partners: Bloggers
•                 - Partners: Podasters
•                 - Partners: Virtual Event Hosts
•                 - Partners: Toastmasters Clubs
•                 - Partners: Bookstores & Live Venues
•                 - Partners: Sponsors
•         - Digital Press Kit
•         - What people are saying …
•                 - Cover Art
•                 - Interior Art
•         - Acknowledgements
•         - Other Books by Carma
•         - Contact
•         - Excerpt
•         - The Public Speaking Superhero’s Journey
•         - Speaker
•         - Individual Speaker Coaching
•         - Public Speaking Super Powers for Live Video
•                 - Persuasive Speaking with Confidence
•                 - Developing Your Leadership Skills
•                 - Video Marketing Super Pack
•                 - Wedding Speech Templates
•                 - Creating Your Ideal Audience Avatar
•                 - Public Speaking Superhero’s Journey
•                 - Training & Mastermind Program
•         - Boost Your Self-Confidence 7-Day Challenge
•         - Speaking Palooza! 2019
•         - Podcast
•         - Recommended Reading
•         - For Book Clubs

Infusing Humor Into Your Speeches

Today is April Fool’s Day, but this post is not a joke. In honor of April being National Humor Month, I’ve created this guide to infusing humor into your speeches.

There are many reasons humor should be a natural part of most presentations. I’ve covered them before , so I won’t go into them in detail here. The two main reasons you want to infuse humor into a speech is to engage the audience and make you more relatable .

Before I go into the hows of infusing humor into your speech, I want to share what not to do.

The Don’ts of Infusing Humor in Speeches

Don’t start with a joke.

In fact, under most circumstances, unless you are a natural comedian, leave jokes out of your speeches altogether. For one, it is really hard to integrate a joke into a speech without stopping the flow of what you’re saying. For another, a joke could undermine your message.

It is O.K. to be humorous – the quality of being funny. It can be a bad idea to tell jokes, the intent being solely to get a laugh.

Don’t Use Offensive Humor

The best way to get your audience to tune you out is to offend them, especially with unrelated offensive humor. Off-color remarks don’t belong in professional presentations.

That said, do your audience research. It is quite possible that something humorous to one audience will be offensive to another. Make sure you err on the side of not being distasteful.

Don’t Add Humor to Your Speech … Find What Is Already There!

The laughter you inspire with your speech should flow naturally from your message, your examples, and your stories. Shoehorning humor where it doesn’t fit will derail your presentation just as much as jokes and off-color humor.

Don’t Rush through Your Delivery

This is called “stepping on the laughter.” Use strategic pauses to not only elicit the laugh but allow it to run its natural course. If you get to the punch line too quickly, your audience might miss it. And, if you start sharing your next point before the laughter dies down, your audience won’t hear what you have to say.

Don’t Overdo the Humor

Unless the purpose of your speech is to be funny, use humor sparingly to help break up or lighten more serious information, to wake up the audience and to help drive home a point.

The Do’s of Infusing Humor in Speeches

Don’t overdo self-deprecating humor.

Understand the Basics of Humor

Some people are naturally funny, but even they know that to really hone their humorous skills, they need to gain a basic understanding of humor so they can use it strategically and on purpose. There are many ways to be funny in a speech:

• Exaggeration: A statement that represents something as better or worse than it really is, especially when exaggerating a description into the absurd.
• Puns: A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.
• Wordplay: The witty exploitation of the meanings and ambiguities of words, especially in puns.
• Self-Deprecation: Modesty about or criticism of oneself.
• Physical Humor: Using body language and facial expressions for comical effect.
• Deadpan: Being deliberately impassive or expressionless.

You can find information about these different types of humor by researching on the Internet, reading books, watching humorous speeches, taking improv or comedy classes, hiring a humor coach, or reading the chapter on The Power of Humor in my book, Public Speaking Super Powers .

Identify What Makes You Laugh

If the humor you are using makes you laugh, it is more likely to make your audience laugh. This is in part due to your delivery being more natural and relaxed. So take a look at the list above again. What types of humor tickle your funny bone the most? That’s the type of humor you’ll want to incorporate into your speech the most.

Be Yourself

When being funny during your speech, don’t channel your favorite stand-up comedian. Be yourself, that’s who your audience came to see. Besides, when your humor flows from who you are, it is much easier to deliver.

Wash, Rinse and Repeat

Practicing your presentation is never more important than with the funny bits.

• Test them out on a sample audience. Do they laugh? Why or why not? How can you tweak your delivery to make your humor work better?
• Record, watch and hone your delivery. Video record yourself giving the speech, then watch your presentation. Are there points where you missed a humorous opportunity? Are there times when the humor felt forced? Did your voice, hand gestures, body language, and timing support your humor?

Tell Stories

Humor can be naturally added to your presentation when it adds zest to your stories and anecdotes. You can also add a storytelling quality to your speech’s humor with analogies and humorous definitions. When you are tailoring the content of your presentation to your audience, a logical place to do this is in your stories.

Make Your Humor Relevant

Humor doesn’t work if it is shoved in where it doesn’t belong. You want to make your humorous content be an integral part of your message. Not only will it help get your message across more effectively, but also if your audience doesn’t laugh, no harm is done. Just continue on to the next point.

Encourage Laughter

Some audiences don’t get that they can laugh. Other audiences need to be cued when to laugh. So find natural ways to encourage your audience to let down their hair and laugh. You can do this by laughing yourself, but also with facial expressions and body language.

Of course, this post can’t cover everything there is to know about infusing humor into your speeches but were afraid to ask, but it should get you started and point you in the right direction.

Additional Resources

• Podcast: The Benefits of Using Humor In Your Speeches
• Safe Humor for Your Presentations
• Speech Critique: Carma’s Humorous Speech
• The Hidden Tools of Comedy : The Serious Business of Being Funny by Steve Kaplan
• The Comic Toolbox : How to Be Funny Even If You’re Not by John Vorhaus
• Do You Talk Funny? : 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker by David Nihill
• How to Use Humor in a Speech Opening by Communication Coach Alex Lyon
• Add Humor to Your Speeches With These Simple Tricks by National Speakers Association
• How To Add Humor To Your Speech (5 types of humor) by Jeff Roy

Did you like this post? Please share!

About the author

Carma Spence, is author of Public Speaking Super Powers. She is fiercely committed to guiding women to Owning their Superpowers and turning their knowledge and interests into a profitable business. She is masterful at helping her clients see what is possible for them and supporting them on the journey from where they are to where they want to be, releasing the Mind Goblins of self-doubt, self-sabotage and second-guessing that keep them stuck.

With 20+ years experience in marketing communications and public relations, natural intuitive skills and certification in using some of the most effective transformational coaching tools available, Carma’s mission and commitment is to unleash the inner power every woman entrepreneur possesses so they can boldly go out into the world, transforming the fabric of people’s lives in meaningful and positive ways.

You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Google+ and LinkedIn . Her website is CarmaSpence.com .

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Communication Skills
• Public Speaking
• Speechwriting

How to Write a Funny Speech

Last Updated: April 18, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 171,707 times.

Writing a speech is already a challenge, so why bother adding humor? Successful humor will relax the audience, making them more attentive and receptive. It can break down perceived barriers between you and the audience, fostering a sense of camaraderie with the audience. Read on to learn how to use humor to your advantage when giving a speech. [1] X Research source

Choosing Your Topic

• Think about -- and then make -- a list of things you know a lot about or enjoy talking about. Single out the topics you’re knowledgeable about but also know you can be funny about. This might rule out topics that are hard to joke about, like poverty, domestic violence, etc.
• Use this list (in combination with the next step) to select a potential topic.

• What’s the general age of your audience?
• What do your audience members have in common?
• What kind of speech are they expecting to hear?
• What kind of humor are they likely to appreciate?

• If you’re writing a speech whose primary goal is to convey information or ideas, you’ll want to integrate humor while focussing on the ideas you want to convey. So draft the informative parts of your speech first, then integrate jokes and humor.
• If you’re writing a speech whose primary goal is humor -- perhaps a satire or parody -- then you’ll want the humor center stage from the beginning. Choose a topic that lends itself to your sense of humor as well as to what the audience is likely to find amusing.

Writing Your Speech

• Remember to choose a specific topic -- if your main idea/topic is too broad, you won’t do it justice in a relatively short speech. Choose something that you can describe in reasonable depth in the time allotted.
• For example, if you’re writing a humorously informative speech about early American cinema, your main idea might be, “the advent of sound in film hurt rather than helped the medium by detracting from its visual potential”. This is specific enough not to be overwhelming while still leaving you room to develop substantial supporting points.
• If, on the other hand, you’re writing a satirical speech, say, about reality television, your main idea might be, “nothing has contributed more to the cultural and intellectual richness of American society than reality television”.

Mine your own unique experiences for inspiration. "It's always good to take something that's happened in your life and make something of it comedically."

• Write down your main idea.
• Below it, write out everything that comes to mind when you think about that idea. Use whatever visual or textual brainstorming method you prefer (eg, clustering, listing, freewriting, etc.).
• Eliminate anything that’s too far away from the topic, that you don’t feel comfortable discussing, or that would require too much time and depth to cover.

• I. Introduction (where you state your main topic and the points you’ll make)
• II. Main point one
• III. Main point two
• IV. Main point three
• V. Conclusion (in which you sum up the main points, re-state your main idea, and issue a call to action from the audience, if appropriate)

• Effective hooks include humorous personal anecdotes, surprising or entertaining examples, or direct questions to the audience that invite their participation and give them a chance to laugh at themselves. [10] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
• For example, if you’re writing a speech about studying abroad, you might start by asking if anyone has ever wished they had an accent or intentionally faked one. You can then suggest they do it right and live somewhere they’ll actually have a legitimate accent.

• Err on the side of clarity over style, subtlety or artistry. Unlike a written piece, a speech is as much about delivery as it is about content, and the audience will be less attuned to the intricacies of sentence construction and more attuned to your overall message and the expressions as you give it.
• Avoid overly long and complicated sentences. Long and difficult sentences will be hard to follow. Simplify your point and/or break complicated sentences into smaller, more easily digested ideas.

• For example, a word like “incendiary” is both more vivid, specific, and aurally interesting than a word such as “controversial”. “Incendiary” communicates the idea of something explosively provocative, while “controversial” is a more general term for something that generates disagreement.

Incorporating Humor

• Consider generational differences with humor -- use references and jokes that address topical issues for that age group. For example, if you’re writing a speech about volunteering to an audience of high school students, relate the information in your speech to specific things and events relevant to teenagers. You might make a joke about volunteering versus staying home and trying to be Jimi Hendrix on Guitar Hero. Or you might pick a guitarist more recent than Jimi!
• Know what the audience members have in common. Use it when writing jokes oriented around those shared elements, which are more likely to hold the audience’s attention. Doing so is invariably a crowd-pleaser. For example, if you’re addressing teachers, you might make a humorous reference to students’ most bizarre homework excuses.
• Situational and observational humor that’s tailored to its audience is often particularly effective.

• Watch your favorite funny movie, television show, or comedian.
• Read works by your favorite humorous writers.
• Don’t hesitate to take cues from their delivery -- learn from what they do to make a joke successful. (But don’t plagiarize!)
• Pay attention when you make people around you laugh. Note the things you do or say that make people laugh and how you do it.
• If, for example, your friends can’t stop laughing when you humorously re-enact stressful situations or conversations, try to incorporate similar elements into your speech.

• Targeting particular people or groups is not only inconsiderate, it can alienate members of your audience.
• Avoid jokes that are made at the expense of one side or another in a contentious issue, like jokes about one side of a political or religious debate.
• Don’t make jokes about experiences you don’t understand. A good general rule is to write what you know. So if you, for example, have a learning disability, you might make a joke about the difficulties of dealing with standardized tests. But if you don’t have a learning disability, don’t make jokes about those who do -- you don’t share their specific experience, so you may unintentionally be making jokes about sensitive, potentially even hurtful, issues. [13] X Research source
• Also take the taste level of your audience into consideration when deciding if a joke is going to be offensive. If you’re giving a speech to a room of educated adults, you’ll probably want to avoid overly bawdy or sexual humor.

• The more relevant your jokes are to the specific matter at hand, the more likely they are to be successful with and entertaining.

• But don’t go to extremes of self-loathing, as that will have the opposite effect. The audience won’t know whether to laugh or what you’re trying to accomplish.

• Remember just what information it is you need to convey and ensure that it’s clear.
• Don't let the humor become distracting. Humor can be a great tool for enhancing the information you’re conveying, as long as it doesn’t become a larger focus than the informative content itself. [15] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source

• Give yourself enough writing time so that you can go through and revise multiple times.
• The more attentive you are to the details, the more successful your speech is likely to be.

Delivering Your Speech

• Read the entire speech aloud until you’re comfortable enough with the material that you don’t need to read directly from your script but can simply use it as a prompt when needed.

• If you watch comedians and humorists closely, you’ll find that they tend to lead in to their jokes in a particular, deliberate way. Specifically, they’ll use a combination of slower speech, significant pauses, and punctuated emphasis. So when you’re leading up to a joke, cue your audience by slowing down your delivery, pausing slightly before delivering the punchline, and emphasizing key words within the punchline. [18] X Research source
• Emphasize important words, but not to the point that it becomes distracting. Practice how you would naturally speak the lines, paying attention to specific places where your tone rises, falls, or becomes more expressive. Keep those inflections in your speech and play them up enough to be animated, but stop short of being continually exaggerated, which will likely distract the audience from the content of the speech itself.
• Watch and listen to speeches you admire. Pay attention to how the speaker manipulates their tone and pacing to enhance the speech and try to apply those same techniques to your own speech.

• It can be somewhat uncomfortable to watch or listen to yourself, but doing so will help improve your presentation enough to be worth the momentary discomfort.

• Think of being somewhat theatrical, you want your gestures to be visible and distinct from a distance. Favor several broad gestures over a series of small ones. [20] X Research source

• Allow yourself to feel nervous. Accept that you’re going to feel that way and decide not to worry about it.
• The more confidently you act, the more confident you’ll eventually feel.
• You have a chance to share your humor and ideas with an interested audience -- enjoy it!

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-publicspeaking/chapter/humor-in-public-speaking/
• ↑ http://www.drmichellemazur.com/2013/04/speech-topic.html
• ↑ http://www.write-out-loud.com/how-to-use-humor-effectively.html
• ↑ Patrick Muñoz. Voice & Speech Coach. Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.
• ↑ http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-preparation-3-outline-examples/
• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/speeches/
• ↑ http://writetodone.com/how-to-write-funny/
• ↑ http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/How_to_add_humor_to_your_speechwithout_being_a_com_47538.aspx

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Gary Heiser

Aug 14, 2016

Did this article help you?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Get all the best how-tos!

Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter

BOSTON, JUNE 25-26 PUBLIC SPEAKING CLASS IS ALMOST FULL! RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW

• Public Speaking Classes
• Corporate Presentation Training
• Online Public Speaking Course
• Northeast Region
• Midwest Region
• Southeast Region
• Central Region
• Western Region
• Presentation Skills
• 101 Public Speaking Tips
• Fear of Public Speaking

I Want to Be Funny-How to Add Humor to Your Speech without being a Clown

Want to add humor to your speech? Quite often, when we are designing speeches and presentations for a professional audience, we discount the value of entertainment and humor. However, a good presentation should be both informative and entertaining. You have to have both. If you aren’t providing the audience with good information, then you’re wasting their time. If you aren’t providing some type of entertainment, though, you will likely bore your audience. As a result, they will lose interest. So, by adding a little humor to your speech, you keep your audience engaged throughout your presentation.

Should I tell Jokes to Add Humor to My Speech?

When I first started speaking, I had a mentor who had been a speaker and trainer for over three decades. Very early on in my training, she advised me to “Never tell jokes in your speeches.” Later on, though, she encouraged me to add funny stories and anecdotes to my presentations. This contradiction was confusing. In fact, I never really figured out why she and other public speaking coaches were so anti-joke. My guess is that it is an extreme overreaction to a negative experience at some point.

For instance, if a speaker starts a speech with a joke and it bombs, it is difficult to recover. Or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that many jokes are pretty off-color or inappropriate. One of our professional presentation coaches also teaches people how to do Comedy Improv. He mentioned to me that a major factor in whether a joke is funny or a flop is timing. As a result, I suspect that many presentation coaches discourage jokes because it is difficult to teach timing.

Whatever the case, I’d wager that every single professional keynote speaker has at least one joke in their keynote speeches somewhere. So eliminating jokes from your presentations entirely is probably a bad idea.

The Difference Between a Joke and Just a Funny Story.

If you look at the definition of a joke, according to www.dictionary.com , a joke is…

A thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, especially a story with a funny punchline.

So, according to these great public speaking coaches, a funny story or funny anecdote is okay, but a “story with a funny punchline” is not okay? Huh? That doesn’t make any sense.

In my experience, there is absolutely no difference between a joke and a funny story. The only exception is if you insert a joke that has absolutely nothing to do with your presentation. Often, this type of forced delivery can backfire on you. Your jokes need to be appropriate to the point that you are making. In addition, you will want to practice them over and over so that you have them down cold. A poorly delivered joke (or funny story) can be very challenging to overcome.

Make Your Point with Humor

One of my first big clients, Ron, was the manager of a truck dealership in Ft Worth. Ron was famous (maybe infamous) for starting every meeting with a corny joke. Every week, before he or his managers discussed any business, he’d start the meeting with something corny. Everyone would both laugh and somewhat cringe at the same time. It became part of the culture. (By the way, it really worked. Folks loved to come to his meetings.) Ron was a virtual encyclopedia of clean, corny jokes.

For Ron, this technique worked really well. However, I don’t encourage people to do this. I doubt that I would as successful with the technique if I used it. For most speakers, using your funny stories as a way to add showmanship to the point that you are making works much better.

The following techniques will give you much better results:

Tell a Self-Deprecating Story about How You Screwed Up.

Find a funny joke that reinforces your bullet point..

• Add a Funny Analogy.

As you go through your list of main bullet points to cover in your speech, try this. Ask yourself, “Have I ever had an experience, related to this point, where I totally screwed up?” You will be surprised at how often a funny incident will pop into your head. Keep in mind that sometimes, these incidents seem horrifying to us. However, when we tell the stories to others, they have a high potential for humor.

For instance, I often start my presentation classes by telling the audience about a huge failure I had as a speaker. When I experienced this failure, it was not funny. It was actually, probably quite sad. However, when I relay the story now, even I get a chuckle out of it. In the story, I prepared a 15-minute speech. I practiced over and over. When I delivered it, though, I spoke really fast. So, I finished in less than four minutes. After I said my last sentence, I looked around the room at all of the confused faces. Panic sat in. Having nothing more to say, I just abruptly returned to my seat and sat down. Glancing around the table, I noticed that the entire room was still staring at me. They all still had confused looks on their faces as well. It was quite awkward.

Self-deprecating humor is almost always the best (and easiest) type of humor to add to a presentation. The easiest way to make an embarrassing story funny is to exaggerate what happened.

Google the word “joke” followed by the main idea in your bullet point. For example, I was recently writing a speech on how to improve listening skills in the office. I typed “joke listening” into Google, and I got the following ideas.

• Recently, my wife asked me, “Are you even listening to me?” I thought that was a really weird way to start a conversation.
• Job interviewer: “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” “I’d say my biggest weakness is listening.”
• “You know it is times like these when I wished I had listened to what my mom told me.” “Really? What she say?” “I don’t know. I wasn’t listening.”

Any of these can, with a little creativity, be tied into the point that I’m making.

For instance, I could start with the phrase, “The third listening level is what we call ‘Selective Listening.’ That reminds me of a conversation my wife and I had recently. She heatedly asked me, ‘Are you even listening to me?!” I thought, “That is a strange way to start a conversation.'”

This technique takes a little timing and practice, but it can pay off in a positive way.

Add a Funny Analogy to Add Humor to Your Speech.

I use analogies a lot in my presentations. An analogy is basically making a comparison of something you are trying to explain with something more commonplace. What makes these fun and funny is when you compare things that absolutely and totally unrelated.

For instance, a young lady who was a technician at an electric company came through my class a few weeks ago. Her presentation was about new software that would help their sales reps find prospective customers better. She started the explanation by saying the following:

“When you think of good combinations you think of things like peanut butter and jelly or salt and pepper. You don’t really think about things like salad and ketchup. That is a bad match. So when the program analyzes a potential client and sees a manufacturing company, it identifies that potential client as a ‘peanut butter and jelly’ type prospect. However, with a small retail company that uses very little electricity, that would be more of a ‘ketchup and salad’ combo.”

What made the delivery funny was that she used this bad combination expression a few times, and every time that she did, she got a bigger laugh. The audience eventually started identifying whether the match was peanut butter and jelly or salad and ketchup.

The humor worked because she picked an absurd combination with ketchup and salad, and the food items have absolutely nothing to do with electricity consumption. The great news about analogies is that even if they don’t get a laugh, they still work well as showmanship.

Add Colloquialism’s to Your Speech

Being from Texas, this is one of my favorite techniques. Dr. Phil, the blunt psychologist who became famous on the Oprah Winfrey show is the king of these. His down-home speech allowed people to laugh and lower their defenses. Mark Twain was also famous for this. The folksy sayings in

• Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn made those books very popular.

Type “[Your State or Region] colloquialism” into Google, and you will find funny sayings unique to your area. I did this with Texas, and I got a list of “Texas Sayings”. My favorite was “He’s all hat and no cattle.” I tried it again for “Southern colloquialism” and I got, “That’s a hard dog to keep on the porch” and “He’s happier than a tick on a fat dog.”

This technique is harder to pull off, but if you do, you can have your audience rolling in the aisle.

Just remember to make your presentations fun. Add humor to your speech, and you will easily do this.

Podcasts | humor , jokes

View More Posts By Category: Free Public Speaking Tips | leadership tips | Online Courses | Past Fearless Presentations ® Classes | Podcasts | presentation skills | Uncategorized

• Toastmasters →

Funny Speech Topics to Make Your Audience Laugh

Who among us hasn’t been caught off-guard during a speech, struggling to think of something to say, grasping desperately for words to fill the silence?

Whether it’s during a school presentation, a sales pitch, or a TED talk , great public speaking relies on having interesting materials to work with — and that often involves humor. After all, nothing captures people’s attention or puts them at ease like a well-crafted joke!

Today, we’re going to help you get your creative juices flowing and make sure there’s never a dull moment in any of your speeches.

We’ve compiled some of the funniest speech topics to make your audience laugh, starting from the harmless to the outrageous. Whether you’re looking for something light and unassuming or a joke guaranteed to get a chuckle, this list has it all!

So without further ado, let’s dive right in and make sure your next talking points are both memorable and hilarious.

Quick Answer to Key Question

Some funny speech topics could include humorous takes on current events, jokes about popular celebrities, lighthearted observations, and satirical examples of everyday scenarios. The possibilities for humorous content are truly endless – use your imagination to come up with something unique!

What is a Funny Speech?

A funny speech is a lighthearted presentation that focuses on making the audience laugh. It can be delivered as either an informative, persuasive, or entertaining talk, with humorous remarks and jokes to recognize the comic elements in life.

To this end, it often features playful humor, irony, exaggeration, and even farce , but within an appropriate context. As such, funny speeches can help break up tension and serve as a refreshing break from more serious topics .

However, there are drawbacks to using humor in public speaking. First of all, being funny can be difficult, so speakers must cultivate their natural wit and observe trends and topics that may lead to amusing content.

Additionally, though an audience may seem receptive to lightheartedness upfront, it could become easily offended if jokes cross lines of decency. As such, a speaker must judge the energy of the room and deliver material that will evoke laughter without overwhelming their listeners’ sense of propriety.

Ultimately, presenting a funny speech requires finesse and skill. But when done successfully, it can create lasting memories for both speaker and audience alike. With these considerations in mind, let us now transition into the next section which explores ideas for humorous speech topics.

Ideas for Humorous Speech Topics

Humorous speech topics can be great ice breakers at an event or just an entertaining way to pass the time. Whether you are giving a speech in front of your peers or random strangers, you will want to come up with material that is witty, entertaining, and guaranteed to get a laugh or two. Here are some ideas for humorous topics to consider: 1. Discuss why cats are smarter than dogs 2. Compare life before and after cell phones3. Debate whether cake or ice cream is better 4. Talk about the pros and cons of going to bed late versus getting up early 5. Examine the ridiculousness of certain trends 6. Discuss why people overreact when a mistake is made 7. Share your thoughts about extreme diets 8. Laugh about the difficulty of parallel parking 9. Analyze why some people rebel against instructions 10. Debate which reality TV show is the most absurd No matter which topic you choose to discuss, make sure to focus on enjoying yourself and showcasing your humorous side.

While it’s important to focus on making others laugh, it is also essential that you have fun along with them, as this will help create a more authentic and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone in attendance. Now that you have some ideas for humorous speech topics, let’s move on to discussing events.

Talking About Events

Talking about events often brings out the most laughter in an audience.

Whether it’s discussing a current hot button issue or rehashing a comical blunder that happened to a friend, addressing funny topics related to events can be endlessly entertaining.

Though there are some topics that might be deemed too sensitive to address, such as politics or religious issues , many current and past events offer plenty of moments that make for interesting storytelling opportunities.

For example, humorous angles on the latest celebrity news or an analysis behind why sports teams make questionable decisions can be met with laughter and applause.

Similarly, gossiping about relationships or peculiar situations among friends provides plenty of material for comedic discourse. As long as a speaker is able to keep their dialogue respectful, making light of recent happenings often serves as great source material for humor.

That being said, even if the topic being addressed is objectively lighthearted, being mindful of how sensitive it may come off to some members of the audience is important.

When necessary, debaters should employ tact when approaching certain subjects and always strive to treat any individuals involved with respect in their presentations.

Kept within healthy limits, talking about events can be quite amusing and engaging – it can bring out not only laughter but positive conversations between family, friends and participants alike.

Leading into the next section now: Personal topics also provide an abundance of funny speech topics that will surely strike a chord with any group.

Personal Topics

When it comes to comedy, the personal touch can make all the difference. Taking your speech topic from something close to home such as family, work or hobbies can often result in an entertaining and relatable topic.

Whether you choose to do a light-hearted take on a serious issue or bravely share some embarrassing stories, there’s sure to be something funny within your own experience.

For instance, exploring the “family dynamic” is often a great place to start. Even in the tightest of families, the occasional funny moment can emerge. Tell a story about an occasion where everyone was struggling to act their best and you had a laugh at their expense.

Or explore how certain family members are always found in the center of attention (even if they don’t intend to be). If done in good taste and with respect, poking fun at your family can result in some sincere laughs from both yourself and your audience.

These topics provide an opportunity for self-deprecating humor and bring a unique perspective on life that others may find both humorous and intriguing.

Personal insights into everyday struggles, misunderstandings or awkward moments can lead to topics that are surprisingly relatable. You will find that what you feel is ordinary can actually be extraordinary in someone else’s eyes.

Keep in mind, though, that when taking this approach, it is important to never offend anyone with your comments or jokes. Embrace embarrassment but never belittle any individuals or groups who are part of your stories or experiences

By leaning into those funny moments – whether they involve yourself or others – they can become powerful tools that make your speech memorable and enjoyable. Now let’s move onto telling funny stories – which also has its own unique set of advantages!

Personal topics can make comedy writing unique and relatable. Telling stories involving family and funny moments can provide entertainment while being respectful. Touching on ordinary struggles and awkward situations can lead to humor while still avoiding offending anyone directly. Humorously embracing embarrassment will help make speeches memorable.

Telling Funny Stories

Telling funny stories is an effective way to make your audience laugh, as stories are usually much more relatable than jokes.

People of all ages will often enjoy hearing a clever anecdote that they can relate to or that paints a vivid picture in their mind. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when telling a funny story as part of your speech.

First, it is important to remember that time is limited. Try to select anecdotes that have a clear beginning, middle, and end that are not too long-winded or complicated. Make sure the story you choose conveys your point while making it entertaining.

One debate between comedians and public speakers is whether stories should be made up or true. On the one hand, factual stories can be full of fascinating nuances and details and may appeal to some audiences.

True stories allow you to fully describe an experience for the audience’s enjoyment or gain a better understanding of the person telling it.

On the other hand, comedic opinions often say that made-up stories can be even funnier than real events if they present a creative spin on life. Whichever route you choose, always try to turn your story into a humble brag!

No matter which type of story you tell, ensure that it fits in with your overall message, as this helps tie it together for the listener. With any luck your humor will land with the crowd and keep them engaged until you reach the conclusion.

To help prepare for delivering such an important section of your presentation, let’s move on to looking at some useful tips for Writing and Delivering a Funny Speech.

Tips for Writing and Delivering a Funny Speech

Writing and delivering a funny speech can be a rewarding experience, especially if you can make your audience roar with laughter. However, crafting an effective comedic monologue takes skill, confidence and sometimes a bit of trial and error. To help you get started, here are some tips for writing and delivering a funny speech: 1. Understand Your Audience – Study your audience to determine what kind of humor they will respond to. For example, family-friendly jokes will play better at a dinner table than a corporate conference room. Adjust your standards accordingly to ensure the best outcome. 2. Know What Not to Do – A true professional comedian knows what not to say or do during their performance. Avoid vulgar language, off-color jokes and controversial topics that may offend certain members of your audience. Also, it’s important to know how far is too far when making fun of yourself or colleagues. 3. Write Your Speech First – Write out the speech first before even attempting to deliver it in front of others. This will give you more control over the timing and pacing of key punch lines for optimum effect¹. It also eliminates any confusion about the order you want to deliver your jokes in front of an audience. 4. Rehearse – Even if you have written the speech beforehand, practice multiple times until you are comfortable delivering it in public or private settings. Know which visual aids (if any) will engage your audience during key points in the speech. 5. Have Fun – When delivering a funny speech, don’t take yourself too seriously! Relax, have fun and let your personality shine through while you tell your story or jokes³. Then enjoy the applause after each punch line lands! Ultimately, writing and delivering a funny speech requires knowledge, skill and dedication—but done right, it can be very rewarding! Now let’s move on to addressing how we can use humor appropriately in our speeches…

Use Humor Appropriately

When giving a speech, it is important to use humor appropriately. Too much humor can actually dilute the impact of an otherwise persuasive message.

Adding bits of humor throughout the presentation will keep an audience engaged and help make your points easier to remember. But if you attempt too many jokes during your speech, it can be distracting for listeners and actually work against your intended message.

Adopting a humorous persona or mocking people who disagree with you can be dangerous because members of your audience may take offense. It is recommended to base humor on personal experiences or stories that you know your audience can relate to in order to ensure the best response.

Likewise, comedian Jerry Seinfeld suggests avoiding overt political material in your speech–which should come as no surprise considering how polarizing politics has become these days.

Overall, it is important to strike the right balance when adding humor to a speech. Humor should be used sparingly and should stay away from controversial topics unless done skillfully; otherwise, it can backfire instead of unifying your audience or making a strong point. With this in mind, let’s look at some examples of humorous speech topics next.

Examples of Humorous Speech Topics

When it comes to funny speeches, it’s important to find a topic that resonates with your audience. If you can make an audience laugh, the speech will be remembered for years to come. While humor may differ from culture to culture, there are some topics that remain universally funny. Here are a few examples: • The Pros and Cons of Dating an Alien • How to Create an App That Makes Doing Laundry Easier • A Practical Guide To Quitting Your Job and Becoming an Astronaut • Surviving a Zombie Invasion Without Looking Too Silly • How To Be The Life Of Any Party By Creating Inventive Dances • A Tour Of Local Haunted Locations These humorous speech topics could also be used as the basis for some light-hearted debate, offering the opportunity to explore both sides of a comedic argument. Ultimately, with each topic, the possibilities and potentials of making a crowd laugh are endless!

It is clear from looking at the speech topics discussed in this article that humor can be found everywhere and used in a variety of forms. A funny speech does not have to contain jokes or stand up comedy, but can simply use wit, wordplay and well-timed delivery to draw attention and elicit laughter from an audience.

When preparing a funny speech, it is important to consider the topic carefully and ensure that it is appropriate for the context. Some people may find certain topics offensive or inappropriate depending on their preferences, so these should be avoided when giving a humorous speech.

The topics presented in this article cover a wide range of perspectives and provide ample opportunity for crafting an entertaining and memorable speech. If crafting your own material is not something you feel comfortable with, there are many sources available on the internet which provide ready-made humor suitable for speeches.

Ultimately, whatever speech topic you choose, the most important thing is that it resonates with your audience and makes them laugh!

Responses to Frequently Asked Questions with Detailed Explanations

What are some tips for delivering a funny speech.

1. Start by rehearsing your speech – make sure you know it word for word and practice delivering it with the right tone of voice and body language . Rehearsing will also help you memorize what to say if you get nervous during the performance. 2. Keep your audience in mind when choosing your topic. Make jokes and references that your audience will appreciate and understand – don’t try too hard to be funny if others won’t get the joke. 3. Come up with creative ways to capture your audience’s attention from the start – tell stories, anecdotes, or jokes that pique their interest and connect to your overall message. 4. Stay away from crude humour or off-color remarks if they aren’t appropriate for the situation. Make sure whatever jokes you make are lighthearted and not offensive or hurtful to anyone in the room. 5. Have fun! If you come across as too serious or uptight, no one will laugh at your jokes. Don’t be afraid to exaggerate or bring enthusiasm when delivering your speech – it will make it much more entertaining.

What topics are suitable for a funny speech?

Some excellent topics for a funny speech include: 1. Inexplicable Mishaps – Stories about your funniest mistakes, blunders, and bumbles! 2. Unusual Occupations – Share the details of your weirdest job or wackiest hobby. 3. Unforeseen Consequences – Talk about decisions you regret and the hilarious results that followed. 4. Random Animal Facts – Insert some hilarious animal trivia from around the world into your speech. 5. Dumb Criminals – Discuss the most foolish criminals and their failed attempts at avoiding justice. 6. Childhood Memories – Recount humorous moments from your childhood to brighten the mood of your audience. 7. Bad Jokes – Use classic puns, tongue-twisters, and one-liners to get the crowd laughing. 8. Comical Slogans – Talk about corporate catchphrases that are humorous in unintended ways! 9. Upcycled Language – Create new words or tweak old ones to give them a funny spin and make people chuckle! 10. Cultural Commentaries – Discuss deficiencies and absurdities in popular culture that can spark a good laugh from your listeners!

What types of funny speeches would be suitable for different audiences?

When determining which type of funny speech would be suitable for different audiences, it’s important to consider several factors. For instance, the age, gender, interests, and background of the audience will all play a role in deciding on a topic.

For example, if your audience is mainly composed of young students or professionals in their 20s and 30s, you might want to focus on topics that are relevant to their experiences such as relationships, technology, popular culture, and current events. You could also make jokes about self-deprecating humour, sarcasm, and irony.

If the audience is made up of mostly seniors or retirees, you may want to focus on topics like nostalgia, family stories, and observations about retirement. You can use human interest stories and light-hearted anecdotes to make them laugh.

For college audiences with various backgrounds and interests, you’ll want to focus on topics such as sports rivalries, differences between generations or cultures , or even absurdist humour.

Organizing a funny speech around a common experience that everyone in the room can relate to will help ensure it resonates with the whole audience. Doing some research beforehand can provide lots of inspiration for appropriate funny speech topics that are sure to make your audience laugh!

100+ Funny Speech Topics

“One loses everything when one loses his sense of humor” – Ayn Rand.

People with a cool sense of humor will always be the center of attraction. They are the center of parties. They are the ones in the spotlight. The thing about boring people is that no one really likes to be with them and everyone is looking for an excuse to get out. Everyone is trying to get out and it is as if there is this big circle around them that has a neon sign that says, “Warning, boring person. Stay away.” Being funny is more than just being a smooth talker. It means you are the smartest person in the room. To have a good sense of humor, you need to be able to think ahead. You need to be able to think what others cannot think.

Needless to say that you need to be real quick. Of course, these people with an amazing sense of humor are always liked. What is not to like about them? They are witty, they are fast, they have this aroma of astonishing personality around them.

Tips to deliver a funny speech

1. have a solid content.

Well, you cant say a knock-knock joke and expect the world to laugh hurting their stomach. You need to have solid content. Until and unless you really have something amazing, you are not going to deliver something amazing.

2. Body Language

Body languages play a massive role when it comes to delivering funny speeches. Your eyes need to coordinate what you speak and so do your hands. Body languge has a massive role in funny speeches.

3. Fluctuate the pitch of your voice

Don’t be monotonous. Make your voice hit the crests, make it hit the trough. This is what will keep people more engaged and make the speech look more spontaneous. No one is there to listen to the news. So, crank it up a notch a bit, let it go highs, and let it go lows. 

4. Give more emphasis to the best points

Let’s be honest here, all the points you speak in the speeches are not going to be gold standard ones. Make sure you know what your punch line is and give maximum time to hammer that point home.

5. Make sure you are delivering the speeches as the environment demands

If I am delivering a speech to an elderly population, I would not go with the latest trends of technologies or anything they are not acquainted with.

If the population is new and more of an outgoing one, then I’d probably not quote the happenings of the 14 th  century. It is critical to know the audience and adjust your speech likewise.

6. Make sure that your start and ends are of the gold standard

A solid start gives you a grip and the attention of the crowd as well as the judges. It helps you make a proper foundation for the speech.

The ending is what serves as the desert. It is what you will be remembered for in the eyes of both the audience and the judges.

7. Beat them with confidence

Speak with confidence as if the entire world is listening. Have a commanding voice. Don’t speak like you’re just another person. Confidence comes from preparation and having solid content. Make sure you have them both.

8. Don’t make it look like a rehearsed speech

If you are a newbie, then chances are that the speech looks like a well-rehearsed and practiced one (may appear like a person reading the news). Strictly avoid that. Use jokes and change of tone to combat it.

9. Eye Contacts

This is not new. If you don’t speak by making eye contact, then you don’t become commanding enough. If you can’t give them the vibe that you are someone, even with the best speech you are not going to win.

10. Have stories in your speech

People love stories. They love the imagination and fascination the story brings. So, it might come in handy to include a couple of stories and a few experiences of your own. This gets the audience engaged.

Funny and Persuasive Speech Topics

1. The upside of having a bad memory.

2. Why you should never take life too seriously.

3. Why comic books are actually good for you.

4. How to be a master procrastinator.

5. How to make the perfect paper airplane.

6. Why Pirates are actually the good guys.

7. Why you should always root for the underdog.

8. How to be a couch potato and still stay in shape.

9. The benefits of sleeping in on the weekends.

10. Why napping is actually good for you.

11. How to make the perfect snowball.

12. How to have a conversation with a cat.

13. How to survive a zombie apocalypse.

14. Why unicorns are actually real.

15. How to catch a leprechaun.

16. Why you should never wake a sleeping dragon.

17. The benefits of eating junk food.

18. How to make the perfect fort.

19. Why you should always believe in magic.

20. How to turn a frog into a prince.

21. How to make a wish come true.

22. The importance of always being yourself.

23. How to make the perfect snowman.

24. How to catch Santa Claus.

25. How to get out of doing chores.

26. How to make a boring day fun.

27. How to trick your parents into letting you do what you want.

28. The benefits of eating dessert first.

29. Why you should never give up on your dreams.

30. How to be happy no matter what.

Funny but Informative Speech Topics

1. How to become rich without winning the lottery.

2. How to be popular without being a Kardashian.

3. The history of the world’s most controversial emoji.

4. Why pandas are actually really lazy animals.

5. How to make the perfect PB&J sandwich.

6. The science behind why we love cats.

7. Why dogs are actually man’s best friend.

8. The benefits of sleeping in on the weekends.

9. How to make the perfect scrambled eggs.

10. Why you should never trust a duck.

11. How to get over your fear of public speaking.

12. The pros and cons of being a morning person.

13. Why you should always trust your gut instinct.

14. How to make the perfect cup of tea.

15. Why you should never work with children or animals.

16. The benefits of a healthy diet.

17. How to get over your ex.

18. Why you should never take relationship advice from your friends.

19. The pros and cons of social media.

20. How to deal with haters.

21. The art of the perfect selfie.

22. How to be a successful student.

23. The benefits of exercise.

24. How to make new friends.

25. The importance of a positive attitude.

26. How to deal with failure.

27. The keys to happiness.

28. How to be a successful entrepreneur.

29. The difference between men and women.

30. How to be a good listener.

31. The importance of communication in relationships.

32. The importance of body language.

Impromptu, Funny Speech Topics

1. The worst that can happen when you mix food and love.

2. How to be a good liar without getting caught.

3. The benefits of being a know-it-all.

4. Why we should all learn to do the moonwalk like Michael Jackson.

5. How to beat procrastination once and for all.

6. How to make a really bad first impression.

7. The art of people watching and what you can learn from it.

8. The joys of being single and why it’s better than being in a relationship.

9. Why we love reality TV even though we know it’s trash.

10. How to be a master of procrastination.

11. The merits of being a shopaholic and why it’s good for the economy.

12. How to be popular without even trying.

13. Why being an introvert is actually awesome.

14. How to make small talk interesting (or at least bearable).

15. How to be a great wingman/wingwoman.

16. The art of being a hermit and why it’s underrated.

17. Why we love to hate on celebrities even though we secretly admire them.

18. How to be a great kisser (based on extensive research, of course).

19. The benefits of being a couch potato.

20. How to be a master of flirting without even trying.

21. The art of the prank and why it’s so satisfying.

22. Why being lazy is actually awesome.

23. The joys of sleep and why we can’t live without it.

24. How to make the perfect cup of coffee (or tea, depending on your preference).

25. The benefits of daydreaming and why it’s good for you.

26. How to be a great procrastinator.

27. The joys of being single and why it’s better than being in a relationship.

28. Why we love reality TV even though we know it’s trash.

29. How to be popular without even trying.

30. The best way to avoid getting sick during the winter season.

31. How to get over your ex in just a few days.

32. The worst pick-up lines that you have ever heard.

33. The most embarrassing moments of your life.

34. How to deal with a difficult boss or co-worker.

35. Why you should never break up with someone via text message.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Funny Student Council Speech Ideas to Help Everyone Relate to You

Give them a speech they'll never forget. These ideas can help you get started with a funny, creative speech perfect for the student council role you want.

Michele is a writer who has been published both locally and internationally.

Learn about our Editorial Policy .

Megan's contributed both writing and research to a myriad of associations including academic publications, cultural institutions, non-fiction works, and experimental collaborative projects.

When you've got hundreds of kids staring you down, bright lights in your face, and the worst case of jitters the school stage's felt in weeks, take a breath. You can always rely on the funny student council speech you've worked so hard on crafting to perfection to get you through.

So many people can be naturally funny without trying too hard, so if you just relax and let your natural humor shine through in your student council speech, you'll do great. But if you've glued your pinky to the backspace trying to write yours, let us help you with these tips and ideas. 

Funny Student Council Speech Intros for Specific Roles 

When you're running for a student council position, all you've got is your words. So, you need to write a speech that students will remember long after you've graduated. After you've pitched around some  speech ideas for your student council role , it's time to put pen to paper (or fingers to the keys). And what's the best way to get an audience on your side? With laughter, of course. 

• Student Council Speech Ideas & Tips to Help You Win
• Tips for a Winning Student Council Speech for Treasurer
• 15 Powerful Attention Getters for Any Type of Speech
• Student Council Speech Ideas & Tips to Help You Win

Funny President Speech Intro Example 

The other candidates are going to come up here and tell you all the reasons why you should vote for them. I'm going to give you only one reason why you should vote for me. I've got the face of an angel.

Think about it, every time I ask for your concerns, give a speech, or land an interview in the school paper, you're going to have to look at my face. If you want to make this year and school politics Instagram-worthy, consider just whose face you want to stare at every day, mine or theirs.

Hilarious Vice President Speech Opener

My competitors have come up here and given you a laundry list of reasons why they should be elected VP, so I'll keep things short. I'm the brains behind this operation, and I'll marionette puppet our president better than Ratatouille and his little rat hands ever could. Whatever you want, I'll work those strings to make it happen. 

Silly Secretary Speech Intro

Your student council secretary really needs to love words. I love words so much that I'll only eat Alpha-Bits for breakfast. And what's more, I'll only eat the cereal letters I can use to make a word. So, say there's a "T," "Q," and "R" left in the bowl; I can't bring myself to swallow them.

I love pencils so much that I fail every automatically graded exam because I can't bring myself to damage the pencil by using it. I love writing so much that I've got a physical therapist on speed dial for my carpal tunnel. 

Comical Treasurer Speech Opener

If time is money, we're all going to be very rich after this speech. I'm not sure who's responsible for the exchange rate, but I hope it's a good one. As treasurer, I take money lingo just as seriously as I do sticking to our budget, and unlike Al Capone, I won't bust our operation with faulty books and tax fraud. 

• How to Make Life After High School Worth All the Hard Work

Funny Student Council Speech Intros That'll Win Everyone Over 

One of the biggest tips for writing a speech is to connect with your audience on their level. Your classmates will probably respond well to fun and humor, so give your speech a dose of comedy and break the ice with a funny intro.

• Mr. Smith, our beloved math teacher, told us all that we'd use trigonometry one day. I think he's an awesome teacher and I really want him to be right. So, my entire speech will cover things that are opposite and adjacent to the issues of our school, and that will lead me on a tangent.
• When you hear the words "Student Council," you probably envision a bunch of old, bald, white guys sitting around wearing suits with ties and talking about all the problems students cause in the world. Today, to help me get through my stage fright, I'm asking you to imagine me as one of those guys. Preferably, I hope you picture Will Farrel as Mattel's CEO. 
• Today, I'm here to taco 'bout something serious and I've been trying to figure out how to get your vote. You might think school rules and student privileges are nacho business, but you'd be wrong. I won't try to get jalapeño business or get saucy, and I certainly won't burrito around the bush. If you want this year to feel like a fiesta, vote for me for President. In queso you still haven't figured it out, I'm the best woman for the job.
• Everyone, let's take a moment of silence. [Pause]. Thank you for joining me in that moment of silence for the competition that I'm going to slaughter at the ballot box this week. 
• (Pointing phone at the crowd) [High School Name] STUDENT BODY! Let's make some noise for my lovely competition — they've worked so hard — and give yourselves a round of applause for appointing someone as awesome as me to your student council. (Puts phone away.) So I'd like to thank my mother who, without her, I wouldn't be here today, and my father of course, because there's part of him in here too...(dramatic pause). OH, oh sorry everybody, those were my acceptance speech cards. Let me just pull out the right ones here.

Creative Ways to Sprinkle Some Humor into Your Speech 

Speech starters aren't the only places you can toss in a little funny line or two. There are a ton of ways you can incorporate humor into your student council speech to break the ice, grab everyone's attention, or stand out from the crowd. These are just a few of them: 

Poke a Little Good-Natured Fun at a Staff Member

There's nothing teens find funnier than cleverly making fun of their teachers and principals. Just be sure to only poke fun at the ones you know will take the joke well, and keep it good-natured and lighthearted. 

End an Info-Heavy Section With a Witty One-Liner

As a teen, you know kids have short attention spans (curse you TikTok), so you'll start to lose them after a while. Keep their attention by ending any information-heavy section with a funny one-liner. It's hard to stay snoozing when you're laughing. 

It's totally ok to use jokes in a student council speech, but remember the goal of using jokes and humor is to connect with your peers, so make sure they're things that everyone will actually find funny and not anything that could be hurtful or upsetting.

Don't Rush the Delivery

If you've got a line you just know is going to make everyone laugh, don't pull the wind from its sails by speeding through it. People tend to talk faster the longer they're presenting, so make sure your joke lands by pulling back and easing into the delivery. 

Add Something Funny or Unexpected to a Serious Sentence

If you're listing some of the genuine things you bring to the table for your desired student council position, grab everyone's attention by throwing a funny one on at the end. 

Tell a True Funny Story From Your Childhood

Talking about something funny that really happened to you, especially if it's related to the student council role you want in some way, can be a creative and memorable way to stand out. For example, the lemonade stand disaster you had as a kid might just make you a shoo-in for treasurer. After all, you learned from your mistakes. 

End the Speech With a Joke or Funny Slogan 

You can also use a joke or a funny slogan at the end of your student council speech to help make it memorable. A funny, relatable slogan that helps people remember you could have a positive impact when it comes time to vote. 

• School Jokes for Kids of All Ages

Hook 'Em With Humor for a Winning Speech 

The secret for how to win a high school election isn't stuffing the ballot box or teen comedy movie-ing your way to making the competition drop out. Instead, it's about being memorable and connecting with your peers. A funny opening line or hilarious closing one will not only capture their attention, but it'll have them thinking about you when they step up to that ballot box. 

• Games, topic printables & more
• The 4 main speech types
• Example speeches
• Commemorative
• Declamation
• Demonstration
• Informative
• Introduction
• Student Council
• Speech topics
• Poems to read aloud
• How to write a speech
• Using props/visual aids
• Acute anxiety help
• Breathing exercises
• Letting go - free e-course
• Using self-hypnosis
• Delivery overview
• 4 modes of delivery
• How to make cue cards
• How to read a speech
• 9 vocal aspects
• Vocal variety
• Diction/articulation
• Pronunciation
• Speaking rate
• How to use pauses
• Eye contact
• Body language
• Voice image
• Voice health
• Public speaking activities and games
• About me/contact
• 188 funny how-to speech topics

Funny how-to speech topics

188 funny topics for a demonstration speech

By:  Susan Dugdale   | Last modified: 11-22-2023

Give us some funny how-to speech topics! None of your bore them to snoring speech ideas. We want funny, chucklesome ones. Ones to make them smile.☺

And you've got them: 188 funny how-to speech ideas, plus a printable outline document to help you efficiently plan your speech, and a completed example of a funny how-to speech outline to show you how it might be done.

Use the page index links to jump to the section you want.

What's on this page?

• Defining funny and choosing a topic
• How to yarn bomb with aplomb and 25 more topic ideas
• How to dance like no one is watching and 27 other suggestions
• How to enter hobby horse riding competitions and win and 27 more
• How to make pumpkins feel OK about being carved for Halloween and 25 more funny how to speech ideas
• How to be a hero to your children and 24 more
• How to interpret the decor of a room. What does it say about a person? and 25 more speech topic suggestions
• How to speak fluent emoji and 27 more funny how to speech ideas
• Printable funny how-to speech outline document
• Example of a funny how-to speech outline
• Links to more demonstration speech resources
• Links to onsite resources for working with humor

Defining 'funny' and choosing a topic

Funny doesn't necessarily mean laughing out loud, helpless giggling or crying because something is just so, so hilarious. 

Funny can also be quiet smiles and a chuckle of appreciation.

You'll find opportunities for all shapes and sizes of it here from pure slapstick through to ridiculous absurdism. 

As you move through the topic suggestions look for possibilities to play with and extend strengths you may already have. 

Do you move well? What about a topic like, " How to dance like no one's watching"? You could teach some exaggerated dance moves and get your audience up and moving.

Or "How to master the art of silly walking". That too offers audience involvement opportunities.

Can you do straight face? Or dead pan? Yes? What about a totally daft topic that you take utterly seriously? One like: "How to take a perfect selfie: share funny tips on posing, lighting, and editing for Instagram-worthy photos."

Or "How to make pumpkins feel OK about being carved for Halloween". I can see the pumpkins being counselled, spoken to gently, being listened to... ☺

Some are soft skills , and some are hard.  Whatever you choose, I hope you have fun! 

Return to Top

• How to yarn bomb with aplomb
• How to mirror write
• How to flatter a person effectively
• How to pretend you're a statue
• How to convince your cat you speak meow
• How to speak and sound intelligent despite knowing very little about the subject you’re talking about
• How to survive a visit to the dentist
• How to dumpster dive – the top tips on how to find real treasure
• How to know if you're a genius
• How to master the art of topiary – turn your hedge into a row of trumpeting elephants today!
• How to meet and interview a famous person
• How to successfully cram for an exam
• How to work the room – the fine art of mixing and mingling
• How to recognize a true friend at first glance
• How to deal with invasion of mice in your pantry
• How to convince your car it's a Transformer
• How to amuse yourself while you are stuck in a traffic jam
• How to amuse your co-workers with secret pranks
• How to interpret your parent's body language - when to stay, when to run and when to ask for something.
• How to create the perfect piece of modern art
• How to win a creative dog grooming competition
• How to master the art of silly walking
• How to appear interested when you are most definitely not 
•  How, when and why to pretend you're an alien ambassador from another planet 
•  How to know which is the correct item of cutlery to use – a guide 
•  How to tell if your house is haunted

• How to audition successfully for a role as a zombie – Your top tips: how to dress, how to make yourself up, how to move, how to speak, what to say...
• How to dance like no one's watching – Get them up and moving. Teach some hilariously exaggerated dance moves.
• How to train your pet rock – Give a humorous guide on pet rock obedience training.
• How to make the perfect peanut butter & jelly sandwich – Share absurdly detailed steps for this simple snack.
• How to thoroughly annoy your siblings – Offer tongue-in-cheek suggestions for the fine art of sibling irritation.
• How to speak fluent gibberish – Provide tips on creating your own nonsensical language. Have your audience try them out.
• How to fake a good night's sleep – Humorous tips for looking well-rested when you're not.
• How to be the world's worst secret agent – Share comically ineffective espionage techniques.
• How to survive a boring meeting – Offer satirical advice on enduring tedious gatherings.
• How to master the art of procrastination - With the best of the worst humorous excuses.
• How to know if someone is telling you a lie 
•  How to become a respected member of the fashion police 
•  How to get a date with person of your dreams 
•  How to create extraordinary and fantastical looks with make up
• How to guarantee failing a driving test (with comical mistakes).
• How to create the perfect bedhead hairstyle (including outrageous hair tricks).
• How to be a cat whisperer (demonstrating absurd cat communication).
• How to become a couch potato (exaggerating the art of lounging).
• How to be the best of the worst karaoke singer: Demonstrate hilarious vocal blunders and off-key singing for a good laugh.
• How to survive a haunted house tour: Share humorous tips on navigating a spooky attraction with bravery.
• How to look busy at work: Provide amusing techniques for appearing productive while actually doing nothing.
• How to fake being a chef: Share comical tips on making restaurant-quality meals with minimal effort.
• How to train your pet bird to talk and perform cunning tricks.
• How to master the art of parallel parking (and make it look easy).
• How to embarrass your kids in 5 easy steps: Offer funny and light-hearted advice on embarrassing your children with love.
• How to win an argument with your pet: Share a tongue-in-cheek guide to persuading your furry friends to see things your way.
• How to speak "teenager": Translate popular slang and expressions used by today's youth.
• How to take a perfect selfie: share funny tips on posing, lighting, and editing for Instagram-worthy photos.

• How to enter hobby horse riding competitions and win
• How to moo like a cow
• How to speak fluent boomer 
• How to choose a character to cosplay
• How to cunningly divert attention away from yourself
• How to organize a karaoke night
• How to fail at DIY – examples – the woeful stories of plumbing disasters, glue that stuck fingers, or worse, together, tie-dye T-shirts that ran in wash turning everything pink...
• How to interpret your daily horoscope
• How to convince your friends to do your homework for you
• How to tease your siblings
• How to teach your dog new tricks
• How to become professional at doing nothing
• How to dress to impress
• How, and why, to start a flash mob – the ultimate in distractions
• How to tell if someone is really in love with you
• How to look confident and self-assured in all situations
• How to get other people to pay for your meal or your drinks when you’re out with them
• How to make a meal out of leftovers
• How to tell jokes really well
• How to use a cardboard box creatively – turn it into a child’s playhouse, a racing car...
• How to get your parents to agree to extending your curfew
• How to survive a long-haul economy class flight
• How to avoid having to accept adult responsibilities
• How to pretend you're a superhero in disguise
• How to convincingly explain to your parents why the car got dented
• How to talk yourself into learning to walk a high wire
• How to recycle (regift) unwanted Christmas presents without causing offence
• How to find and release your inner rock star

• How to make pumpkins feel OK about being carved for Halloween
• How to survive a road trip with children – (Are we there yet?) 
•  How to build a great pillow fort under the table 
•  How to eavesdrop successfully on other people’s conversations 
•  How to fake it until you make it 
•  How to survive giving a children’s tea party 
•  How to disagree with your boss without getting fired
• How to plagiarize an essay and not get caught 
•  How to cheat creatively on your tests 
•  How to remember people’s names and how to cover when you don't
• How to become a gossip columnist 
•  How to make your houseplants feel like royalty 
•  How to become famous for telling terrible puns 
•  How to successfully fake being a psychic fortune teller
• How to get a child to eat their vegetables 
•  How to successfully photo-bomb or news raid
• How to know if you're living in the wrong era 
•  How to teach your Grandparents how to use their cellphones well 
•  How to make the best funny faces to amuse a child
• How to become a secret agent 
•  How to impress by speaking in pirate lingo 
•  How to tell the best dad jokes
• How to annoy your GPS navigation system 
•  How to become a business class time traveler 
•  How to communicate using telepathy 
•  How to win friends and influence people

• How to be a hero for your children
• How to dress your dog stylishly
• How to fake a foreign accent for fun
• How to make friends with your lawn mower, your washing machine or some other household appliance.
• How to become a stand-up comedian
• How to become a professional thumb wrestler
• How to embarrass yourself – true stories
• How to win a pillow fight championship
• How to start a food fight for fun
• How to start a fashion craze
• How to throw a convincing temper tantrum – lessons I learned from my two year old.
• How to train your dog to fetch the remote
• How to strategically ask for favours and get them
• How to be the life of the party
• How to recover from publicly embarrassing yourself
• How to annoy your parents with bad jokes
• How to be a mind reader
• How to interpret a person’s character through observing their table manners
• How to convince your teacher someone really did steal your assignment
• How to develop a hobby or interest that will make you fascinating to others
• How to teach your little sister (or brother) to blow bubbles
• How to survive a zombie apocalypse
• How to eat spaghetti politely
• How to make sure you inherit another person’s wealth
• How to lie with confidence

• How to interpret the decor of a room. What does it say about a person?
• How to hide your chocolate stash from kids
• How to be the world's worst tourist
• How to survive an awkward visit to relatives
• How to effectively avoid being asked to do chores
• How to speak ‘dog’ fluently – woof, woof, arf...
• How to annoy your roommate without getting caught
• How to turn your mother into an Influencer
• How to be the best worst dancer at the party
• How to make your pet Instagram famous
• How to and why to develop a poker face at family gatherings
• How to over analyse a text message – what did she/he/they really mean?
• How to interpret the shapes of the clouds in the sky? What do they foretell?
• How to find proof of genius in your child’s drawings
• How to create the perfect excuse note
• How to blame shift with subtlety and elegance
• How to make friends with your bank account
• How to use mime to get out of difficult situations
• How to master and perfect the art of awkward silences
• How to survive a conversation with a telemarketer
• How to write a perfect love letter
• How to know how the parents of a new born are getting along - the top 5 signs of fatigue!
• How to win a staring contest with a stranger
• How, when and why to fake a British accent
• How to use a brick creatively: 10 alternative things to do with a brick – use it as a window prop, a door stop, a weight, pretend it’s a phone
• How to avoid making eye contact with a person you don’t want to talk to

• How to survive a binge-watching marathon
• How to master the fine art of sarcasm: a crash course for beginners
• How to master the art of napping wherever you are
• How to speak fluent Emoji
• How to get out of unwanted conversations
• How to bath a puppy
• How to give medicine to a cat (without getting scratched to pieces.)
• How to win an argument with a rose bush
• How to write a self-help book for compulsive collectors of curious things: shoes for left feet, nail parings, ball point pens, salt and pepper shakers...
• How to live through a date with a vampire
• How to watch a horror movie by yourself without freaking out 
•  How to become the next supermodel 
•  How to fail a job interview spectacularly 
•  How to take the perfect selfie with your pet 
•  How to behave like a star in a soap opera 
•  How to win at rock-paper-scissors every time 
•  How to start a dance party in an elevator 
•  How to learn to ride a bike no-hands 
•  How to get through a day without wi-fi 
•  How to speak fluent toddler
• How to become a superhero's sidekick 
•  How to have a meaningful conversation with a tinfoil hat wearer 
•  How to interpret the way a person walks. What does it tell you about their character? 
•  How to translate a Shakespearean soliloquy into Valley Girl
• How to become a ghost hunter
• How to fake being a hypnotist 
•  How to play fantastic air guitar 
•  How to teach yourself to change your opinion about someone or something– to go from loathing to loving

Printable funny how to speech outline document

To make planning your speech easier, here's a printable funny how to speech outline document (pdf). To download it click on the image below. (It will open in a new window.)

Example of a funny how to speech outline

My example speech outline, below, follows the pattern I've used in the printable. The heading for each section has been  bolded .

Title of speech : How to write perfect excuse notes.

General purpose : to entertain or amuse while giving a 'soft skill' * , 'show and tell' or demonstration speech.

Specific purpose : to demonstrate, with humor, how to write an effective excuse note. 

Central idea (thesis statement) : to show how putting some thought and time into preparing an excuse note can lessen the fallout or damage caused by not doing whatever it was that you were expected to.

For example: come to school or work, come at the required time, hand in an assignment, or arrive with the right equipment and wearing the right clothes.

* Soft skills -also known as power skills, common skills, essential skills, or core skills, are skills applicable to all professions. For more this Wikipedia definition and explanation .

Speech introduction - what's your hook?

There are quite a number of ways to hook an audience - to make them sit up and want to listen from moment you open your mouth. These include using a startling statistic, asking a rhetorical question, sharing a compelling story, using an apt quotation or showing an interesting visual aid.

Which attention grabber will you use?

Attention grabber(s)

Rhetorical question:

How effective do you think these excuse notes were?

3 examples of notes:

• "Jimmy will be absent from school on Mondays until further notice. Adding an extra day to the weekend will lower his stress levels, as well as ours. We believe mental health is important." 
• "Stephanie had to stay at home yesterday because she had to wash and dry her hair."
• "Brook's kid brother barfed on her book. We couldn't clean it and had to throw it out." 

The next section is about establishing your authority or right to talk on your chosen subject. Why should your audience listen to you? How much do know about the topic? What experience have you had?

Credibility builders:

I taught teenagers for many years, and these are examples of excuse notes that were given to me.

I got literally 1000s and some were way more effective than others.

The majority of them were very ordinary: with nothing distinguishing them at all. They served their purpose. I filed and forgot them.

However, sometimes parents, caregivers or the student unintentionally excelled themselves. Their very funny notes were meant to be taken seriously no matter how cliched, far-fetched or ludicrous they were to me.

There is a definite limit to the number of grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, best friends... whose final act of kindness and consideration is to conveniently and suddenly die, how many times a person can be smitten by a horrible stomachache, a throbbing headache, or the dog can eat the homework.

Preview:  

So, what is a perfect excuse note? One that is believable. One that is concise, respectful in tone, and shows a responsible attitude: i.e. an understanding of the possible impact of not turning homework in, missing classes or not coming into work. It has also been proofread to pick up lapses in logic, spelling or grammatical errors, is formatted well and handed over prior to being prompted for it.

This, dear audience, is what you're going to find out more about today: how to craft an effective excuse note. One addressing why it was you failed to submit an assignment on time. 

Or one to help smooth over an absence, whether caused by genuinely unforeseen circumstances out of your personal control or by the simple desire to 'bunk off' - to not be where you are supposed to be, just because. And let's face it, who hasn't been tempted to do that occasionally?

An excuse note prepared well helps maintain mutual trust and respect while hopefully minimizing any possible negative consequences. Knowing how to write one is a valuable essential skill.

The next section, a transition, takes us into the body of speech. The body is the heart or main part of the speech where you fulfill its primary purpose: to show or teach your audience how to write perfect excuse notes - step by step.

(The remaining parts/steps of this outline are mostly in note form. They'll need additional fleshing out to make them into a followable, interesting, funny speech.)   

Transition : Are you ready? Let's get on with it.

Body of speech

Step One: Know your audience

Understanding who you are addressing in your note is essential if you want the note to work for you, rather than against you. Example.

• What does the person receiving the note need from you? - a believable reason for either your absence, or not handing in your assignment - an assurance that whatever duties etc. you were supposed to fulfil and didn't will be made up for. Examples. 
• Depending on the circumstances, a doctor's certificate, to verify what you say in your note. 
• What do they expect in an excuse note from you? - honesty, accuracy, respect, understanding of the possible implications of the event on them.
• When do they need the note? - as soon as possible.

Transition:

Step Two: What NOT to do The majority of funny excuse notes are funny by accident. Their writers did not intend them to be amusing. They knew no better. Literally. 

Here's a list of common pitfalls to avoid.

• Oversharing - Whoever is on the receiving end of your note does not need to know all the intimate-up-close-and-personal details of what happened. Or who said what to who about it and how. What's needed is a concise, clear summary or account. Example of over sharing and the same example rewritten concisely.
• Vagueness - using language that avoids naming or giving the reason necessitating an excuse note. Examples of vagueness - due to unforeseen circumstances, events beyond my control
• Fake information - deliberately providing false information for whatever reason. Once lying is found out it can be difficult to rebuild trust. 
• Informality - blurring boundaries between positions, for example, student and teacher, parent of student and teacher, employee and employer, by using colloquial language that is generally used between friends and acquaintances. It shows a lack of understanding about the nature of the relationship. Examples - Hey bro, etc., ...
• Lack of proof-reading - reading over to pick up typos, words that have been left out by accident, inconsistencies - details that don't logically line up as they should, missing information - signature, contact details, dates etc. Examples.
• Poor presentation/formatting - the note should be easily read. Choose a clean clear font, black ink, white paper and space it properly. Examples showing poor v good.

Transition: While it might be amusing to get inadequately prepared excuse notes the consequences for the writer may not be so funny. To dodge that possibility, let's prepare two good excuse notes which you can use as guides. 

Step Three: Crafting the perfect note

Prepare example excuse notes:

• from a parent to a teacher to cover their child not handing in an assignment
• from an employee to an employer to cover unexpected absence from work
• Gathering necessary information - name of the person the note is to go, reason for the note: illness, family emergency, severe weather event (flooding, snowstorm...), transport breakdown, appointment with medical specialist, lawyer, dentist..., specific dates it covers, contact details
• Outline of what will/has been done to minimize impact - delegation of tasks, rescheduling of meetings, arrangement made to catch up on completing the assignment...
• Content, Tone and Proofreading/formatting check   Is the note clear and concise? Does it cover everything it should? Is the tone of the language appropriate? Are there any spelling errors, word omissions or lapses in logic? Has the note been formatted well?  

Example of note from parent to teacher

Example of note from employee to employer

Transition: The final results of this process will never be as ridiculously silly as some of the reasons I've been given or the ones we can find online:  "Someone stole all my shoes." or "My dog is depressed, and this morning he finally summoned the courage to tell me about it. I have to stay at home to support him.".

We won't be rolling in the aisles reading them. However, they'll achieve much more than a laugh at some else's expense will ever do. 

Conclusion: Wrapping it up

Part one: summary

Writing a perfect excuse note is an essential and learnable skill.

Part two: benefit recall

A well-crafted excuse note demonstrates professionalism, maturity, and the ability to take responsibility. It shows respect, creates continuity, and builds mutual trust. 

Part three: call to action

The next time you need to write an excuse note make sure you go above and beyond the joke!

Other resources for how-to speeches

For more about demonstration or how-to speeches:

• Demonstration speeches step-by-step | how to give a successful 'how-to' or 'show and tell' demonstrative speech.
• Demonstration speech sample outline - an example that follows the logical step-by-step process that is essential for any "how to" type of speech.

For demonstration speech topic ideas - 100s of suggestions, including 50 on soft skills - how to say 'no' politely, how to handle a temper tantrum, how to be gracious in defeat...

Other resources for working with humor

Humor is notoriously tricky to get right because one person's funny is another person's not. And when we do get it wrong, it can be very difficult to recover and win back the audience's attention.

• How to use humor effectively in speeches  - 6 tips with examples. What gets a laugh? What doesn't and, why?
• Laughter as strategy - The 7 pillars of humor for impactful business presentations (Article by Damien Gauthier - Impactful Speaking)

speaking out loud 

Subscribe for  FREE weekly alerts about what's new For more see  speaking out loud  

Top 10 popular pages

• Welcome speech
• Demonstration speech topics
• Impromptu speech topic cards
• Thank you quotes
• Impromptu public speaking topics
• Farewell speeches
• Phrases for welcome speeches
• Student council speeches
• Free sample eulogies

From fear to fun in 28 ways

A complete one stop resource to scuttle fear in the best of all possible ways - with laughter.

Useful pages

• Search this site
• About me & Contact
• Blogging Aloud
• Free e-course
• Privacy policy

©Copyright 2006-24 www.write-out-loud.com

Designed and built by Clickstream Designs

Crafting a Funny Mother of the Bride Speech: A 2024 Guide

Mother of the bride.

June 17, 2024

Headline-making CEO, Author, Podcaster, Speaker, Educator, Determinista & the Sidekick who always brings a sizzling slice of pizza.

Hey, i'm jen glantz.

Weddings are a joyous occasion, but they can also be a source of immense stress, especially when it comes to delivering a speech . If you’re the mother of the bride, you might feel the pressure of making your speech both heartfelt and humorous. Let’s walk through every step of preparing and delivering a funny mother of the bride speech, ensuring your words resonate and leave a lasting impression.

QUICK RESOURCES:

• Mother of the Bride Speechwriting Help:  We turn your stories into a memorable and well-written Father of the Bride Speech.
• Speech Delivery Prep :  Get personalized feedback and coaching on how to deliver your Father of the Bride Speech without nerves,  ummms,  or mid-sentence brain fog.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Understand your audience to ensure your humor resonates.
• Gather funny and heartfelt material from personal experiences and friends.
• Structure your speech with a captivating introduction, engaging body, and memorable conclusion.
• Use the Rule of Three to make your points more impactful.
• Incorporate irony, contrasts, and props to enhance your humor.
• Practice your delivery to manage nerves and perfect your comic timing.
• Avoid common pitfalls like overdoing jokes or going off-topic.
• Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments.
• Consider professional help from Bridesmaid for Hire for crafting and delivering your speech.

Preparing Your Speech

Before you even begin writing, it’s crucial to prepare thoroughly. This preparation involves understanding your audience, gathering material, and structuring your speech . By taking these steps, you’ll set a solid foundation for a speech that is both funny and heartfelt.

Understanding Your Audience

Knowing your audience is key to crafting a speech that resonates. You need to consider the demographics, your relationship with the bride, and the humor sensitivity of the guests .

Demographics

Think about the age range, cultural backgrounds, and personal tastes of the wedding guests . This will help you tailor your jokes to ensure they are well-received. For example, a joke that might resonate with younger guests might not land well with older family members.

Relationship with the Bride

Your unique relationship with your daughter should shine through in your speech. Tailor your anecdotes and jokes to reflect this special bond . Share stories that only a mother could, highlighting the quirks and moments that have defined your relationship over the years.

Humor Sensitivity

Gauge how far you can go with humor without offending anyone. It’s important to strike a balance between being funny and being respectful . While you want to entertain, you don’t want to cross any lines or make anyone uncomfortable. Consider the overall tone and atmosphere of the wedding when determining your humor boundaries.

Gathering Material

Collecting funny anecdotes, quotes, and stories is essential for creating a humorous speech. Think about personal stories, contributions from friends and family, and quirks of the bride and groom .

Personal Stories

Reflect on the most memorable and humorous moments you’ve shared with your daughter. These personal stories will make your speech unique and engaging . Perhaps there’s a funny incident from her childhood or a quirky habit she’s carried into adulthood. These are the stories that only you can share, adding a personal touch to your speech.

Friends and Family Contributions

Reach out to friends and family for additional funny stories and insights. This will add variety to your speech and ensure it resonates with a wider audience . You might uncover gems that even you weren’t aware of, giving your speech a well-rounded perspective.

Bride and Groom’s Quirks

Incorporate funny quirks and habits of both the bride and groom. This will add a personal touch to your speech and make it more relatable . Does the groom have a silly catchphrase or does the bride have an endearing habit? Weaving these quirks into your speech will make it feel tailored to the couple.

Structuring Your Speech

Organizing your speech is key to maintaining a balance between humor and heartfelt moments. A well-structured speech will keep the audience engaged from start to finish .

Introduction

Start with a funny opening line to capture the audience’s attention. This sets the tone for the rest of your speech . For example, “If you had told me years ago that [Bride’s Name] would be the first one to get married, I would have laughed in your face.

Include 2-3 funny anecdotes and balance them with sincere sentiments. This will keep the audience entertained while conveying your heartfelt message . For instance, you could share a humorous story about the bride’s quirky habits as a child, followed by a touching moment about how much she’s grown.

“I remember when [Bride’s Name] was little, she had this obsession with [quirky habit]. We thought it was just a phase, but even now, [recent example of quirk]. But in all seriousness, seeing her stand here today, a confident and radiant woman, fills my heart with so much pride.”

End with a heartfelt message and a humorous toast. This leaves a lasting impression on the audience . For example, “To the happy couple, may your love for each other be as endless as [Groom’s Name]’s terrible jokes. Cheers!”

“Funny wedding speeches can make the event more memorable and engaging.” [Brides]

Incorporating the Rule of Three

The Rule of Three is a powerful technique in comedy. It makes your points more convincing and memorable by presenting them in threes. Use this technique to structure your anecdotes, jokes, and sentiments .

For example, “There are three things I love most about [Bride’s Name]: her kindness, her determination, and her ability to eat an entire pizza in one sitting.”

10 Real-Life Funny Mother of the Bride Speeches

These funny mother of the bride speech examples incorporate humor, heartfelt sentiments, and personal anecdotes to celebrate the unique love story of each couple. From playful jabs at the bride and groom’s quirks to sincere expressions of gratitude and well wishes, these speeches strike a balance between laughter and love, making them perfect for any mother of the bride looking to add a touch of humor to her toast.

1. Karen’s Speech for Emily and Jack

Emily, my beautiful daughter, and Jack, my new partner in crime, I can’t believe this day has finally come. I’ve been dreaming of Emily’s wedding since the day she was born, and I must say, it’s a lot cheaper than I imagined! Jack, I want to thank you for taking Emily off our hands. Her father and I were starting to think we’d have to set up a permanent room for her in the basement.

Now, I know you two have been through a lot together. From the time Emily got stuck in that doggy door to the time Jack accidentally set his pants on fire at our family barbecue, you’ve always managed to keep things interesting. But in all seriousness, I couldn’t be happier to welcome Jack into our family. He’s the perfect match for Emily, and I know they’ll have a lifetime of laughter and love together.

As you embark on this new chapter, remember that marriage is like a deck of cards. In the beginning, all you need is two hearts and a diamond. But by the end, you’ll wish you had a club and a spade! Just kidding, you two. May your love be as strong as Emily’s stubbornness and as enduring as Jack’s ability to put up with it. Cheers to the happy couple!

2. Susan’s Speech for Olivia and Ethan

Olivia, my darling daughter, and Ethan, my new favorite son-in-law, welcome to the family! I’ve always known that Olivia would find her perfect match, and I’m thrilled that it’s someone who laughs at her dad’s terrible jokes.

Now, I have to admit, when Olivia first brought Ethan home, I was a bit skeptical. He was just so perfect – polite, charming, and he even helped with the dishes. I thought to myself, “There must be something wrong with this guy.” But as it turns out, he’s just genuinely wonderful. Who knew?

Olivia, I want you to know that I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. You’ve always been strong, independent, and kind-hearted. And now, you’ve found a partner who values and cherishes those qualities in you. Just remember, marriage is a give and take. You give your husband your love, and you take his last name and his credit card!

Ethan, welcome to the family. You’re one of us now, which means you’ll never win another argument again. But don’t worry, we’ll always have your back, as long as you keep Olivia happy and laughing. Cheers to the bride and groom!

3. Laura’s Speech for Sophie and Alex

Sophie, my incredible daughter, and Alex, my new favorite son-in-law, I’m so thrilled to be here celebrating your love story. When Sophie first told me she had met the man of her dreams, I thought she was talking about a new pair of shoes. But as it turns out, she meant Alex!

I’ll never forget the first time I met Alex. He was so nervous, he almost spilled his drink on me. But as we got to talking, I realized that he was perfect for Sophie. He’s kind, intelligent, and most importantly, he knows how to handle Sophie’s crazy family.

Now, I know marriage isn’t always easy. There will be times when you’ll want to strangle each other with your bare hands. But just remember, divorce is expensive, and your father and I already spent all the money on this wedding. So, you two better make it work!

But in all seriousness, I couldn’t be happier for you both. You’re entering into a beautiful partnership filled with love, laughter, and the occasional disagreement over the thermostat settings. Just remember to always communicate, compromise, and never go to bed angry. Stay up and fight all night if you have to!

Sophie and Alex, may your love be as strong as Sophie’s coffee addiction and as enduring as Alex’s patience. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness, laughter, and deep conversations that don’t involve Instagram filters. Cheers to the happy couple!

4. Maggie’s Speech for Rachel and David

Rachel, my beautiful baby girl, and David, my new favorite son-in-law, I can’t believe this day has finally arrived. It seems like just yesterday Rachel was playing dress-up and dreaming of her fairy tale wedding. And now, here we are, and I must say, David, you look much better than the pillowcase she used to marry!

I have to admit, when Rachel first brought David home, I had my doubts. He was just so perfect – handsome, successful, and he even laughed at my husband’s dad jokes. I thought to myself, “There must be a catch.” But as it turns out, the only catch is that he’s hopelessly in love with our daughter.

Rachel, I want you to know how proud I am of you. You’ve grown into a strong, independent woman who knows what she wants in life. And apparently, what you want is a lifetime supply of David’s famous chocolate chip cookies. But in all seriousness, I couldn’t be happier that you’ve found your perfect match.

David, welcome to the family. You’re stuck with us now, which means you’ll never have to worry about leftovers again. Just remember, happy wife, happy life. And if you ever forget that, Rachel’s grandmother will be more than happy to remind you!

As you embark on this new journey together, remember that marriage is not just about the big moments, but also the little ones. It’s about the laughter, the inside jokes, and the shared looks across a crowded room. It’s about building a life together and growing old disgracefully. And most importantly, it’s about always having someone to blame when you can’t find the remote.

So, let’s raise our glasses to Rachel and David. May your love be as strong as Rachel’s opinions and as enduring as David’s ability to nod and smile. Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter, and never having to swipe left again. Cheers!

5. Jennifer’s Speech for Ashley and Michael

Ashley, my stunning daughter, and Michael, my new favorite son-in-law, I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be here today. When Ashley first told me she was getting married, I thought she was joking. I mean, have you seen her bedroom? I didn’t think anyone would be brave enough to take that on!

But then I met Michael, and I realized that he was the perfect match for our Ashley. He’s kind, patient, and most importantly, he knows how to use a vacuum cleaner. I knew right then and there that he was a keeper.

Now, I know that marriage isn’t always easy. There will be times when you’ll drive each other crazy. Like when Ashley steals all the covers in the middle of the night or when Michael insists on watching football every Sunday. But just remember, at the end of the day, you’re on the same team.

Ashley, I want you to know how proud I am of the woman you’ve become. You’re strong, independent, and you’ve never been afraid to speak your mind. Just try to do it a little more gently when it comes to your husband, okay?

Michael, welcome to the family. You’re one of us now, which means you’ll never have to make another decision again. Just kidding! But seriously, we’re so happy to have you as part of our crazy clan.

As you start this new chapter in your lives, remember that love is not just a feeling, it’s a choice. Choose to love each other every day, even when it’s hard. Choose to forgive each other, even when you’re angry. And choose to always put your spouse first, even if it means giving up the last slice of pizza.

So, let’s raise our glasses to Ashley and Michael. May your love be as strong as Ashley’s coffee and as enduring as Michael’s patience. Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter, and never having to swipe right again. Cheers!

6. Debra’s Speech for Natalie and Luke

Natalie, my beautiful baby girl, and Luke, my new favorite son-in-law, I can’t believe this day has finally come. It seems like just yesterday Natalie was playing with her Easy-Bake Oven and dreaming of her perfect wedding. And now, here we are, and I must say, the cake looks much better than the ones she used to make!

When Natalie first brought Luke home, I was a little skeptical. He was just so tall – I thought to myself, “How on earth is she going to reach him for a kiss?” But as it turns out, love knows no height restrictions.

Luke, I want to thank you for loving my daughter so fiercely. I know that she can be a handful sometimes – she gets that from her father’s side of the family – but you’ve never wavered in your dedication to her. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Natalie, I want you to know how proud I am of you. You’ve grown into a beautiful, intelligent woman who knows what she wants in life. And apparently, what you want is a lifetime supply of Luke’s famous barbecue ribs. But in all seriousness, I couldn’t be happier that you’ve found your perfect match.

As you embark on this new journey together, remember that marriage is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. There will be ups and downs, but as long as you have each other, you can face anything. Just remember to always communicate, even if it’s just to argue over who’s turn it is to do the dishes.

And most importantly, never forget the love that brought you together. It’s a love that can move mountains, or at least a very heavy couch up three flights of stairs. Cherish it, nurture it, and never take it for granted.

So, let’s raise our glasses to Natalie and Luke. May your love be as strong as Natalie’s stubbornness and as enduring as Luke’s patience. Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter, and never having to use a dating app again. Cheers!

7. Caroline’s Speech for Samantha and Thomas

Samantha, my precious daughter, and Thomas, my new favorite son-in-law, I am so thrilled to be here today to celebrate your love story. When Samantha first told me she had met the man of her dreams, I thought she was talking about a new flavor of ice cream. But as it turns out, she meant Thomas!

Now, I have to admit, when Samantha first brought Thomas home, I was a little worried. He was just so quiet – I thought to myself, “Is he ever going to speak?” But as it turns out, he was just saving all his best material for Samantha.

Thomas, I want to thank you for loving my daughter so completely. I know that she can be a bit of a drama queen sometimes – she gets that from her mother’s side of the family – but you’ve never once complained. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Samantha, I want you to know how proud I am of you. You’ve grown into a kind, compassionate woman who always puts others first. And now, you’ve found a partner who values and cherishes those qualities in you. Just remember, marriage is not a fairy tale – sometimes the prince snores and the princess has morning breath.

But in all seriousness, I couldn’t be happier for you both. You’re entering into a beautiful partnership filled with love, laughter, and the occasional disagreement over whose turn it is to choose the Netflix show. Just remember to always compromise – take turns picking the show, but always agree that Samantha is right.

As you start this new chapter in your lives, remember that love is not just a feeling, it’s an action. It’s the little things you do for each other every day – like bringing each other coffee in bed or giving each other the last bite of dessert. It’s the way you support each other’s dreams and the way you make each other laugh until you cry.

So, let’s raise our glasses to Samantha and Thomas. May your love be as strong as Samantha’s love for reality TV and as enduring as Thomas’s ability to sit through it. Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter, and never having to worry about being “single and ready to mingle” again. Cheers!

8. Elizabeth’s Speech for Jessica and Andrew

Jessica, my beautiful daughter, and Andrew, my new favorite son-in-law, I can’t believe this day has finally arrived. It seems like just yesterday Jessica was playing with her Barbie dolls and dreaming of her perfect Ken. And now, here we are, and I must say, Andrew, you’re much better looking than any plastic doll!

When Jessica first brought Andrew home, I was a little skeptical. He was just so nice – I thought to myself, “There must be something wrong with him.” But as it turns out, he’s just genuinely wonderful. Who knew?

Andrew, I want to thank you for loving my daughter so deeply. I know that she can be a bit of a perfectionist sometimes – she gets that from her father’s side of the family – but you’ve never once complained about her color-coded closet or her obsessive list-making. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Jessica, I want you to know how proud I am of you. You’ve grown into a strong, independent woman who knows what she wants in life. And apparently, what you want is a lifetime supply of Andrew’s famous chocolate chip pancakes. But in all seriousness, I couldn’t be happier that you’ve found your perfect match.

As you embark on this new journey together, remember that marriage is not a destination, it’s a journey. There will be twists and turns, but as long as you have each other, you can handle anything. Just remember to always be each other’s biggest cheerleader, even if it means wearing a ridiculous foam finger and screaming from the sidelines.

And most importantly, never forget the love that brought you together. It’s a love that can conquer anything, even Jessica’s fear of spiders or Andrew’s inability to load the dishwasher correctly. Cherish it, nurture it, and never take it for granted.

So, let’s raise our glasses to Jessica and Andrew. May your love be as strong as Jessica’s coffee addiction and as enduring as Andrew’s patience. Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter, and never having to worry about swiping left or right again. Cheers!

9. Megan’s Speech for Lauren and Christopher

Lauren, my stunning daughter, and Christopher, my new favorite son-in-law, I am so thrilled to be here today to celebrate your love story. When Lauren first told me she had met the man of her dreams, I thought she was talking about a new pair of shoes. But as it turns out, she meant Christopher!

Now, I have to admit, when Lauren first brought Christopher home, I was a little intimidated. He was just so accomplished – a doctor, a world traveler, and he even spoke three languages. I thought to myself, “What could he possibly see in our little Lauren?” But as it turns out, he sees everything that we see – a kind, compassionate, and fiercely loyal woman who loves with her whole heart.

Christopher, I want to thank you for loving my daughter so completely. I know that she can be a bit of a free spirit sometimes – she gets that from her mother’s side of the family – but you’ve never once tried to change her. Instead, you’ve embraced her quirks and encouraged her to follow her dreams. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Lauren, I want you to know how proud I am of you. You’ve grown into a beautiful, intelligent woman who always stays true to herself. And now, you’ve found a partner who loves and accepts you for exactly who you are. Just remember, marriage is not about finding someone you can live with – it’s about finding someone you can’t live without.

As you start this new chapter in your lives, remember that love is not just a noun, it’s a verb. It’s something you do every day – through your actions, your words, and your thoughts. It’s the way you support each other’s dreams, even if it means letting Lauren drag you to another art gallery opening or Christopher convincing you to try sushi for the tenth time.

So, let’s raise our glasses to Lauren and Christopher. May your love be as strong as Lauren’s determination and as enduring as Christopher’s patience. Here Here are the last two speeches to round out the set of 10 funny mother of the bride speeches:

9. Stephanie’s Speech for Brittany and Matthew

Brittany, my beautiful baby girl, and Matthew, my new favorite son-in-law, I can’t believe this day has finally come. It seems like just yesterday Brittany was playing dress-up and dreaming of her fairy tale wedding. And now, here we are, and I must say, Matthew, you look much better than the pillowcase she used to marry!

When Brittany first brought Matthew home, I was a little worried. He was just so handsome – I thought to myself, “How on earth did she manage to snag him?” But as it turns out, he was just as smitten with her as she was with him.

Matthew, I want to thank you for loving my daughter so fiercely. I know that she can be a bit of a handful sometimes – she gets that from her father’s side of the family – but you’ve never once complained about her obsession with reality TV or her inability to make a decision without consulting her horoscope. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Brittany, I want you to know how proud I am of you. You’ve grown into a beautiful, kind-hearted woman who always puts others first. And now, you’ve found a partner who values and cherishes those qualities in you. Just remember, marriage is not a competition – unless it’s to see who can make the other person laugh the hardest.

As you embark on this new journey together, remember that love is not just a feeling, it’s a choice. You choose to love each other every day, even when you’re tired, even when you’re cranky, and even when you’re arguing over whose turn it is to do the laundry. You choose to forgive each other, to support each other, and to always put each other first.

And most importantly, never forget the love that brought you together. It’s a love that can survive anything, even Brittany’s terrible cooking or Matthew’s inability to ask for directions. Cherish it, nurture it, and never take it for granted.

So, let’s raise our glasses to Brittany and Matthew. May your love be as strong as Brittany’s coffee addiction and as enduring as Matthew’s patience. Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter, and never having to worry about swiping left or right again. Cheers!

10. Amanda’s Speech for Melissa and Daniel

Melissa, my stunning daughter, and Daniel, my new favorite son-in-law, I am so thrilled to be here today to celebrate your love story. When Melissa first told me she had met the man of her dreams, I thought she was talking about a new flavor of ice cream. But as it turns out, she meant Daniel!

Now, I have to admit, when Melissa first brought Daniel home, I was a little skeptical. He was just so perfect – handsome, intelligent, and he even helped with the dishes. I thought to myself, “There must be a catch.” But as it turns out, the only catch is that he’s hopelessly in love with our daughter.

Daniel, I want to thank you for loving my daughter so completely. I know that she can be a bit of a perfectionist sometimes – she gets that from her mother’s side of the family – but you’ve never once complained about her color-coded closet or her obsession with making lists. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Melissa, I want you to know how proud I am of you. You’ve grown into a beautiful, intelligent woman who knows what she wants in life. And apparently, what you want is a lifetime supply of Daniel’s famous chicken parmesan. But in all seriousness, I couldn’t be happier that you’ve found your perfect match.

As you start this new chapter in your lives, remember that love is not just a noun, it’s a verb. It’s something you do every day – through your actions, your words, and your thoughts. It’s the way you support each other’s dreams, even if it means letting Melissa drag you to another Broadway show or Daniel convincing you to try skydiving for the first time.

And most importantly, never forget the love that brought you together. It’s a love that can conquer anything, even Melissa’s fear of heights or Daniel’s inability to fold a fitted sheet. Cherish it, nurture it, and never take it for granted.

So, let’s raise our glasses to Melissa and Daniel. May your love be as strong as Melissa’s opinions and as enduring as Daniel’s patience. Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter, and never having to worry about being “single and ready to mingle” again. Cheers!

25 Mother of the Bride Funny Quotes for Your Speech

As a mother of the bride, you want your speech to be heartfelt, memorable, and perhaps even a little bit funny. Injecting a touch of humor into your speech can help put everyone at ease and make the moment even more enjoyable. To help you find the perfect funny quote to include in your mother of the bride speech, we’ve compiled a list of 25 witty and lighthearted options:

• “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” – Mignon McLaughlin
• “I love being married. It’s so great to find one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” – Rita Rudner
• “Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is the husband.” – Unknown
• “The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret.” – Henny Youngman
• “Marriage is like a game of chess, except the board is flowing water, the pieces are made of smoke, and no move you make will have any effect on the outcome.” – Jerry Seinfeld
• “Marriage is not just spiritual communion; it is also remembering to take out the trash.” – Joyce Brothers
• “The best way to get most husbands to do something is to suggest that perhaps they’re too old to do it.” – Ann Bancroft
• “My husband and I have never considered divorce… murder sometimes, but never divorce.” – Joyce Brothers
• “Marry a man your own age; as your beauty fades, so will his eyesight.” – Phyllis Diller
• “A good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband.” – Michel de Montaigne
• “The most important four words for a successful marriage: ‘I’ll do the dishes.'” – Unknown
• “Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?” – Groucho Marx
• “Marriage is like a phone call in the night: first the ring, and then you wake up.” – Evelyn Hendrickson
• “Marriage is an adventure, like going to war.” – G. K. Chesterton
• “I’ve been married to one Marxist and one Fascist, and neither one would take the garbage out.” – Lee Grant
• “Marriage is a great institution, but I’m not ready for an institution.” – Mae West
• “Marriage is like a bank account. You put it in, you take it out, you lose interest.” – Irwin Corey
• “Marriage is like putting your hand into a bag of snakes in the hope of pulling out an eel.” – Leonardo da Vinci
• “Marriage is the bond between a person who never remembers anniversaries and another who never forgets them.” – Ogden Nash
• “Marriage is give and take. You’d better give it to her, or she’ll take it anyway.” – Joey Adams
• “Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.” – Oscar Wilde
• “Marriage is the only war in which you sleep with the enemy.” – Unknown
• “Marriage is a workshop… where the husband works and the wife shops.” – Unknown
• “Marriage is like a violin; after the beautiful music is over, the strings are still attached.” – Jacob Braude
• “Marriage is like twirling a baton, turning handsprings, or eating with chopsticks. It looks easy until you try it.” – Helen Rowland

Tips for Writing a Funny Mother of the Bride Speech

Explore various writing techniques that can enhance the humor and impact of your speech. These include using irony and contrasts, setting the scene, utilizing props, and engaging with the couple .

Using Irony and Contrasts

Highlight the ironies and contrasts in your daughter’s behavior for comedic effect. This adds depth to your humor and makes it more relatable .

For example, “When [Bride’s Name] was a baby, she rarely cried. In fact, she was the calmest child ever. But now, let’s just say she’s made up for all those quiet years tenfold.”

Setting the Scene

Provide specific details to make your stories more vivid and relatable. This helps the audience visualize the scenarios you’re describing .

For example, “It was a sweltering summer day, and we were all packed into our tiny apartment like sardines. That’s when [Bride’s Name], all of five years old, decided to conduct an impromptu concert for the neighbors…”

Utilizing Props

Props can add a visual element to your speech and make it more engaging. Consider using simple props that complement your stories .

For instance, you could hold up a stuffed animal or a childhood drawing to illustrate a specific anecdote about the bride.

Engaging with the Couple

Direct interaction with the couple can add spontaneity and humor to your speech. Addressing the bride and groom directly makes your speech more personal .

For example, “And [Groom’s Name], I hope you’re prepared for [Bride’s Name]’s infamous dance moves at parties. Trust me, you’re in for a treat.”

Delivering Your Speech

Delivery is just as important as the content of your speech. Managing nerves, perfecting your comic timing, and engaging with the audience are crucial for a successful delivery .

Managing Nerves

Strategies to stay calm and composed during your speech include staying hydrated, smiling, and taking deep breaths .

Remember, the audience is on your side and wants you to succeed. So relax, enjoy the moment, and let your personality shine through.

Comic Timing

Perfect your timing to maximize laughter . Wait for the laughter to die down before moving to the next anecdote. This will ensure your punchlines land effectively and keep the audience engaged.

Engaging with the Audience

Make eye contact and interact with the audience to keep them engaged . This makes your speech more dynamic and relatable.

For example, you could pause after a joke and make eye contact with someone who’s laughing particularly hard, acknowledging their reaction.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Avoid these common mistakes to ensure your speech is well-received. Overdoing the jokes, going off-topic, and being too inside are pitfalls you want to steer clear of .

Overdoing the Jokes

Too many jokes can detract from the sincerity of your speech . Balance humor with heartfelt moments to keep it meaningful.

For example, after a series of funny anecdotes, you could transition to a more serious tone by saying, “But in all seriousness, [Bride’s Name], you are the light of my life, and seeing you so happy today fills my heart with joy.”

Going Off-Topic

Stick to your planned structure to keep the speech focused . Avoid rambling or going off on tangents.

If you find yourself veering off-topic, take a pause, refer to your notes, and gently steer the conversation back to the main point.

Being Too Inside

Ensure your jokes are understandable to most guests . Explain any inside jokes to make them accessible to everyone.

For example, “You all know how [Bride’s Name] has this habit of [inside joke]. For those who don’t know, she’s been doing this ever since [brief explanation of inside joke].”

Enhancing Your Speech with Humor

This section focuses on specific techniques to make your speech funnier and more engaging. Incorporating funny quotes and one-liners, using visual aids, and engaging with the couple are key strategies .

Incorporating Funny Quotes and One-Liners

Using well-placed quotes and one-liners can add humor and lighten the mood. These can be classic marriage jokes or personalized quotes .

Classic Marriage Jokes

Timeless jokes can be a safe bet for getting laughs. For example, “May all your ups and downs be only in the bedroom.”

Use these classics as a fallback option if needed, but try to tailor most of your humor to the couple’s personalities and experiences.

Personalized Quotes

Tailor quotes to fit the couple’s personality and relationship . This adds a personal touch to your speech.

For instance, you could reference an inside joke or a shared experience between you and the couple: “As [Bride’s Name] would always say when she was little, ‘I’m not weird, I’m just uniquely me!'”

Using Visual Aids

Visual aids can enhance the humor and engagement of your speech. Consider using photos, videos, and props .

Photos and Videos

Use a slideshow of funny photos or videos to complement your stories. This adds a visual element to your speech .

For example, you could show a childhood photo of the bride doing something silly or endearing, using it as a jumping-off point for an anecdote.

Simple props can add a humorous element and help illustrate your points. For example, bring out a childhood toy or a funny memento .

You could hold up a well-loved stuffed animal and say, “This little guy has been with [Bride’s Name] through thick and thin, from her first day of school to her wedding day.”

For instance, you could turn to the groom and say, “[Groom’s Name], I hope you’re ready for [Bride’s Name]’s infamous dance moves at parties. You’re in for a real treat!”

Final Touches and Rehearsal

Finalizing your speech and preparing for delivery are crucial steps. This includes editing your speech, practicing your delivery, and getting feedback .

Editing Your Speech

Refine your speech to ensure it flows well and hits the right notes. This involves removing excess material and polishing the language .

Removing Excess Material

Cut out any parts that seem redundant or off-topic . This keeps the speech concise and engaging.

For example, if you find yourself going on a tangent about a childhood vacation that doesn’t directly relate to the bride or the wedding, consider removing that section.

Polishing Language

Ensure the language is clear, concise, and easy to understand . Replace complex words with simpler alternatives for better comprehension.

For instance, instead of saying “She was always an ebullient child,” you could say, “She was always such a joyful, bubbly child.”

Practicing Your Delivery

Practice multiple times to get comfortable with the material . This helps you manage nerves and perfect your timing.

Timing Yourself

Ensure your speech fits within the recommended time frame . Aim for 5-7 minutes to keep it engaging and concise.

If your speech is running long, look for areas where you can trim or tighten up your language.

Recording Yourself

Record yourself to identify areas for improvement . Pay attention to your pacing and where you can add pauses for laughter.

Watching yourself back will also help you catch any awkward phrasing or filler words that you might want to eliminate.

Getting Feedback

Seek feedback from trusted friends or family members . Use their constructive criticism to make necessary adjustments.

It can be helpful to run your speech by someone who knows you and the couple well, as they’ll be able to provide valuable insights.

Constructive Criticism

Use feedback to make necessary adjustments . If a joke doesn’t land well, consider rephrasing or replacing it.

And if someone points out a section that feels long-winded or off-topic, don’t be afraid to make cuts or tweaks.

How Bridesmaid for Hire Can Help

At Bridesmaid for Hire, we understand the pressure of delivering a memorable speech. Our team of professionals can help you craft and deliver a funny and heartfelt mother of the bride speech . Whether you need help with writing, practicing, or managing nerves, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Quick Recap

To recap, delivering a funny mother of the bride speech involves:

• Understanding your audience to ensure your humor resonates.
• Gathering funny and heartfelt material from personal experiences and friends.
• Structuring your speech with a captivating introduction, engaging body, and memorable conclusion.
• Using the Rule of Three to make your points more impactful.
• Incorporating irony, contrasts, and props to enhance your humor.
• Practicing your delivery to manage nerves and perfect your comic timing.
• Avoiding common pitfalls like overdoing jokes or going off-topic.
• Seeking feedback and making necessary adjustments.
• Considering professional help from Bridesmaid for Hire for crafting and delivering your speech.

Final Thoughts

Delivering a funny mother of the bride speech is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate your daughter and her partner. With the right preparation, structure, and delivery, you can create a speech that will be remembered for years to come . And remember, we’re here to help. At Bridesmaid for Hire, we offer personalized support to ensure your speech is a success. So take a deep breath, embrace the moment, and enjoy this special occasion.

Related posts:

1-800-BRIDESMAID

The newlywed card game, something extra to love.

Read the weekly newsletter from Bridesmaid for Hire, 1-800-Bridesmaid , to hear about real stories, from strangers, who need advice on love, life, friendship, and so much more.

Looking for the perfect wedding gift for someone you adore? Grab The Newlywed Card Game. It's a fun and interactive game they can play on their honeymoon or future date nights.

Love Letters from a Professional Bridesmaid

Our adventure is one of the epic stories, honest tips, and heart-warming advice. We put it all inside a weekly newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Join 50,000 others who eyeball what’s inside. 

Hey! I'm Jen Glantz

I started Bridesmaid for Hire 10-years-ago after being a bridesmaid for lots of friends. I’m a nonfiction author and content creator who lives in Brooklyn with Goofy (the dog), Gemma (the baby), and Adam (the husband). I love to share: advice & tips, secrets with strangers, and pizza. I eat a lot of pizza.

speech tool

Testimonials, maid of honor, watch tiktok, read the true stories, become a pro bridesmaid, get on the email list, instant adventures.

Copyright 2023 Jen Glantz & Bridesmaid for Hire 

Terms of Services

Follow me on IG

Refund Policy

Privacy Policy

Welcome, friend!

Choose your

Read the Book