Every speech has one of three general speech purposes: to inform an audience about something, to persuade an audience to adopt a position, or to commemorate an occasion such as a graduation, a wedding, or a funeral.

Every speech also has a specific purpose. The specific purpose of an informative speech is whatever the speaker wants to teach the audience (e.g., trying to educate others about online scams). In a persuasive speech, it’s the action the speaker wants the audience to take (e.g., trying to convince coworkers to recycle). In an occasional speech, it’s what the speaker wants the audience to feel about the occasion (e.g., trying to make classmates feel proud of their achievements at a graduation ceremony).