Breath Support: Back to Basics

By Bonnie Engel Lee, Ph.D.

Good speaking depends on having enough air to speak and controlling that air. Here are two quick and easy ways to tell if you have the breath support you need to do a good job speaking.

The first test is the “SSSS” test. It involves sustaining the “s” sound as long as you can on one breath. How long you can keep the “s” sound going is a factor of size and age. Here are some general standards to which you can compare yourself and they will give you an idea of the effectiveness of your breath support.

· Women age 16 or older should be able to sustain the “s” sound for approximately 15 seconds.
· Men age 16 and older should be able to sustain the “s” sound for at least 20 seconds.

The second test involves counting to the highest number you can while you exhale. Try this task three times and use your longest time as your score.

· Women should be able to continue counting for 10 seconds.

· Men should be able to continue counting for 12 seconds.

Of course, these are general guidelines. However, if you aren’t close to these suggested targets, now might be the right time to work on your breath support.

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