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In this delivery mode, you give your speech by reading directly from a script—a typed or handwritten document containing the entire text of your speech. As you read, you typically do not deviate from your script or ad-lib.

Although most people using this delivery mode read from a printed script, it has become increasingly popular for speakers to use teleprompter devices when addressing large audiences. From the audience’s perspective, teleprompters are clear, appearing as small glass screens around the speaker; from the speaker’s perspective, however, they display lines of text, which advance in time with the speech. Having more than one teleprompter allows the speaker to appear to shift his or her gaze toward different parts of the audience while continuing to read the text from the prompter. While teleprompters might seem ubiquitous—they are used by news anchors, politicians, presenters at award ceremonies, and so on—the technology is not available in most public speaking situations. Thus, for the purposes of our discussion, reading from a script means reading from a printed or handwritten manuscript that the speaker holds in his or her hands.

Delivery from a script is appropriate in circumstances in which speakers (or speechwriters) need to choose their words very carefully. The word-for-word manuscript delivery ensures that listeners hear exactly what you want them to hear. For example, public speakers often use this mode of delivery in press conferences. Imagine a lawyer approaching the microphone to “make a statement” to the press about his client, a professional athlete accused of wrongdoing. The lawyer reads directly from a carefully prepared manuscript to ensure that his exact words are heard and reported in the news, with no deviations and no surprises. By closely controlling his message, he stands a better chance of controlling what journalists say about him or his client and therefore influencing public perception.

Still, reading from a script has its disadvantages. To begin with, the script itself becomes a prop—something you can hide behind as you read. And like other props, it can limit your eye contact with the audience.

In addition, when you read from a script, you tend to speak in a monotone rather than sounding as if you’re conversing with your listeners. Some listeners will find this mode dull and impersonal, while others may even consider it condescending. Consider the words of one student about a fellow classmate: “To tell you the truth, I almost found it insulting. If all [the speaker] wanted to do was read to us, he could have just given us the notes and let us read them ourselves.”