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How to write a speech outline (with a free template)
Coaches who have competed and won at a high level of speech and debate
Why outline first
Most weak speeches are not written badly. They are planned badly, or not planned at all. When you start by writing full sentences, you end up with a pile of ideas in no particular order. An outline forces the decisions that matter first: what is the one message, and what are the two or three points that build to it. Once those are set, writing the speech is easy.
The parts of an outline
- Purpose: to inform, to persuade, or to inspire. This shapes everything else.
- One message: the single sentence you want the audience to remember.
- Opening: your attention grabber, then a line that previews where you are going.
- Main points: two or three, each with a reason and an example.
- Close: a return to your message and a final line worth remembering.
A template you can reuse
Copy this for any speech and fill in each line.
PURPOSE: To inform / persuade / inspire ___________ AUDIENCE: Who is listening, and why ______________ MESSAGE: In one sentence, they should remember ___ OPENING Hook (grabber): ________________________________ Preview: "In this speech I will ________________" POINT 1: _______________________________________ Reason: ______________________________________ Example: ______________________________________ POINT 2: _______________________________________ Reason: ______________________________________ Example: ______________________________________ POINT 3 (optional): ____________________________ Reason: ______________________________________ Example: ______________________________________ CLOSE Return to the message: _________________________ Final line: ____________________________________
Prefer a printable version to write on? Use our Speech Structure Planner.
A worked example
Here is the same template filled in for a short persuasive speech.
PURPOSE: To persuade
AUDIENCE: My class, who mostly like their phones
MESSAGE: Phones should be off during lessons.
OPENING
Hook: "Raise your hand if you have checked your
phone in the last ten minutes."
Preview: "I will show you why phones in class cost
us more than we think."
POINT 1: Phones split our attention.
Reason: We cannot focus on two things at once.
Example: A buzzing pocket pulls your mind away
mid-sentence.
POINT 2: We remember less when distracted.
Reason: Attention is how memory forms.
Example: Phone-free lessons lead to better recall.
CLOSE
Return: "Off for one hour is a small price for a
clearer mind."
Final line: "Our attention is worth protecting."From outline to speech
Once the outline is done, the speech almost writes itself: you expand each line into a sentence or two and add your transitions. For the bigger picture of how the parts fit, read how to structure a speech, and for a strong first line, see how to start a speech.
Common questions
What is a speech outline?+
A speech outline is a short plan of your speech: the purpose, the one message, the opening, the two or three main points, and the close. It is not the full speech written out. It is the map you build before you write, so the speech comes out organized.
Should I write the whole speech or just an outline?+
For most speaking, an outline is better than a full script. A script tempts you to read, which sounds flat, and it falls apart if you lose your place. An outline lets you speak naturally from a clear plan. Write the outline first either way.
How many main points should a speech have?+
Two or three for most student speeches. People remember a small number of clear points and forget a long list. If you have more, group them into a few bigger ideas.
Keep reading
Now practice it out loud.
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