One of the best ways to improve your writing is to read it out loud.
Reading your work out loud gives you immediate feedback on which sentences are easy to read and which sentences need more work. For example, if you (or someone you’re reading to) can’t immediately grasp what you’re trying to say in speech, you can bet they’ll have the same problem when reading the text version.
Now, it’s true that the written word can be more forgiving, since the reader can go back and re-read a confusing sentence. But the best writers know that this kind of thoughtless complexity hurts their cause. Even the subtlest break in flow can cause frustration, reduce engagement, and lessen the impact of their message.
Reading out loud is also one of the best ways to improve the rhythm and cadence of your writing. When you verbalize too many long sentences in a row, you’re likely to feel overwhelmed or lose track of the argument. At the same time, too many short sentences can make your speech feel rushed or stunted.
Listening to the rhythm of your speech can also help you improve your formatting. For example, in many introductory writing courses they will tell you that sentences should be organized into paragraphs to keep similar ideas together.
But that’s not the whole story…
Like the sentence above, a paragraph break can changes the cadence of your writing, which you can use to increase or decrease the emphasis of a sentence. The same concept applies when you take a long pause during a speech.
Finally, reading copy out loud is an easy way to spot overly formal and pretentious writing. Words like “therefore” and “artisanal” may feel good to write, but often sound silly in conversation.
Reading out loud is an easy way to catch yourself when your word choice gets out of hand. After all, if you wouldn’t say it to someone out loud then why would you write it down?
One thing that I love about reading copy out loud is that it’s easy to do. You don’t need to comb through every sentence, word, and punctuation mark to spot a bad word choice or poor formatting. You don’t need to memorize rules from The Elements of Style to improve readability. You just need a working voice box, and a little bit of privacy.