 There's no doubt, everyone of us wants to sound smart or be viewed as intelligent, especially when conversing with others, strangers or not. To be smart means to be intelligent or well informed. It also means that you are quick to understand. You have a sound thought and good judgment. People who have these qualities are likeable and everyone always wants to hang out with them because of their sharp mind and abilities to make the right decisions per time. So how do you prove to people that you are as smart and intelligent? It starts with your conversation. Do you know that even when you meet a person for the first time, you can tell whether they are smart or not from the way they converse? Well, in this video, I'll share with you how to sound intelligent in any conversation. If you're new here, consider subscribing so that you don't miss out on exciting videos like this. 1. Understand what you're talking about There is no way to sound intelligent or convincing when you are unsure of what you are saying. You need to understand fully the subjects you are addressing if you genuinely want to look smart. So, as much as you want to be articulate, you also want to be persuasive and eloquent. You want your words to be memorable because there is a lot of sense in what you say. When you know what you're talking about, your communication will be more persuasive and on point. To do this, you have to feed your mind by reading. Have you ever had a conversation with somebody so knowledgeable about a particular subject that you are amazed at how many books or articles that they have read to get that much information? It is important to read because by doing so, you'll be showing others that you are working on your intelligence by opening your mind up to a world of ideas and this makes you what listening to them. So, for people to see you as being intelligent, you have to first of all understand the subjects that you are discussing. Intelligent people show that they are valuable by providing useful information and knowledgeable about their fields or area of expertise. Look at it this way. If they are only going to provide you with random details that you can quickly get on the internet, why then should you even bother listening to them in the first place? I'm pretty sure it doesn't make much sense. 2. Use simple words that people can understand Don't make your conversation sound too complicated by using so many complex and unfamiliar words. Yes, you want to sound smart but you also don't want to look snobbish in the process. One way to achieve this is to avoid the use of complicated and uncommon words otherwise no one will understand the point you are trying to make. However, when you use unexpected yet common words, your speech will be memorable because of its simplicity. It doesn't mean that you can't use unfamiliar terms. However, if you must do, define the words in plain language and make it easy for your audience to listen to you. Being an eloquent speaker is about how you make people feel. Intelligent people always leave behind memories of their conversation with the parties involved. It's not just about how well they speak but how accessible communication was with them. People for communication or conversation should connect you with people physically and emotionally because according to Maya Angelou, an American poet and right activist, people will forget what you said and did but they will never forget how you made them feel. So if you're going to create a lasting memory, you have to sound intelligent, emotionally intelligent as well. To do this, you have to forget about trying to prove a point, speak as audibly and as simple as you can. Use words that people can understand and relate with quickly. 3. Use a low pitch. Most times, people associate a high pitch with shyness and nervousness. So if you want to get people to listen to you, speak calmly and with a lower pitch, it projects confidence. However, in a beat to avoid using high pitch, try not to do too much downward vocal inflection or down talk so that you don't appear rude or confrontational. Better speak loudly enough so people farthest from you can hear but not so loudly that it's uncomfortable for those in front. You see, when you yell, it makes you sound insane rather than eloquent. 4. Use the right tenses. If you want to sound intelligent, the last thing you want to do is to be caught mixing up your tenses. You don't want a situation where you are mixing up present continuous verbs with a past tense. If your speech is full of grammatical mistakes, not only will it often be nonsensical but it certainly won't make you look smart in your audience's eyes. For instance, people often misuse words like must of, could of and should of for must have, could have and should have. Although it's all in the pronunciation, if you get it wrong, your credibility will be instantly doubted. 5. Use pauses to create emphasis. Saurav Richardson, an English actor, said, the most precious stains in speech are the pauses. Silence is golden. That's a phrase you've probably heard countless times. And when it comes to eloquence, it indeed proves that it is golden. For instance, you can create suspense when you are about to say something important by pausing. It'll make people hang on to every word. Similarly, a pause after you've said something important emphasizes its importance and also gives your listeners enough time to reflect on it. 6. Be confident. Not in projecting intelligence as much as confidence. To be confident, you have to believe in yourself first. According to research, believing in yourself improves your performance on cognitive tasks. On the other hand, however, when you doubt yourself, it impairs your performance. If you want others to believe you, you need to believe in yourself. 7. Mind your language. Communication is about a mix of your words and body language. Your body language can make your words powerful or not. For instance, when sitting, you can incline forward slightly to emphasize your points. Use your hands to highlight critical points. Also, when you hold your head high, you show pride and determination. Similarly, when you are downcast, it means you are already beaten down. Eloquence is more than just how you use your words. It's how you use your body language as well. When you realize this, it will help you communicate in a manner that people will love. If you stand up tall with a confident demeanor which owns space, while speaking clearly and confidently, you will automatically be assumed to be the head of the pack and therefore someone what listening to. 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