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This article provides a comprehensive list of persuasive speech topics and answers to some of your frequently asked questions about speech topics.
Persuasive writing is hard, and it’s even harder to try to come up with an engaging topic that interests you and your audience.
Not only do you have to convince your audience to take your side on subjects that are often pretty divisive, but you also have to persuade them to take your side of the argument. The first step to making a successful persuasive speech that will amaze your audience is having a strong topic.
Keep reading for 125+ persuasive speech topics.
Persuasive speech ideas are harder to come up with than you may think. There is a fine balance between interesting your audience, being interesting to you, unique, and fresh, all while being thought-provoking without being outright offensive.
Here is a breakdown of various topics for persuasive speeches, organized by categories, to inspire you.
Art and culture are always hot topics among individuals and groups. There are many interesting arguments and stances on both topics, and many people have strong opinions about them.
See below for prompts for persuasive speeches about art and culture:
Topics in arts and culture are always fun to debate and discuss because you have the opportunity to talk about your favorite pieces of media!
Economics is a hotly debated topic. There is no shortage of compelling, engaging arguments involving economics.
Here are some good persuasive speech ideas on the topic of economics:
Economics is a great topic for a persuasive speech because it affects our everyday lives in so many ways. There are tons of research and perspectives to help support your argument.
Many people feel strongly about education, and many sides and perspectives come into play: teachers, parents, students, student athletes, and more.
Here is a list of some engaging topics to write a persuasive speech on:
Education is another great topic to write a speech about because it intersects with economics, culture, and politics. These topics will guarantee an engaged audience. This is a popular topic for high school students who are learning about tuition and scholarships at their top colleges!
Since the release of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” and Greta Thunberg’s unapologetic activism, climate change has been at the forefront of many political, economic, and cultural conversations.
If environmental issues spark your interest, consider writing on one of the topics below:
The environment and climate change are becoming, if not already, some of the most pressing issues of our day.
Ethics may be one of the most difficult topics to write a persuasive speech about because they tend to involve sensitive subject matter. However, ethics are also some of the most compelling and complex topics to explore.
Here are some potential topics for a persuasive speech about ethics:
Tackling a persuasive speech on ethics is a challenge, as many of these topics are complex and sensitive. It can also be difficult to wrap up a speech on such huge ethical debates.
However, these topics also provide some of the most riveting and energizing debates—if you’re up to the challenge, you should definitely try to tackle one of these topics.
From fitness to food prices to economic privilege, there are tons of debatable topics regarding health. Here are just some of the potential topics you can write a speech on:
People have varying opinions and understanding of health, which makes these topics very engaging and interesting to write about.
It goes without saying that almost every political issue is debatable.
Politics is all about persuading people to take a side, which makes it a strategic topic for delivering a moving, persuasive speech.
Sports is another big topic that people care a lot about. There are sports-related matters that are questioned everywhere: sports on TV, the Olympics, college sports and athletics, and athletic sponsorships.
Below is a list of captivating sports topics for a persuasive speech:
Sports is a topic that people don’t often think of as controversial. However, your audience is bound to be engaged and contemplating your argument as you present your speech.
As the world increasingly moves to online spaces, and technology advances faster than ever before, technology is another hot topic that people have a lot of thoughts and opinions on.
As technology continues to advance and expand into our personal lives, it is a great topic to write a unique persuasive speech on.
Having a unique and creative speech topic discussing one of your interests can make it stand out more! Think about extracurriculars you participate in, podcasts you enjoy, or fascinating facts you’ve learned. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box.
Exploring these diverse and intriguing topics will not only capture your audience's attention but also allow you to share your passions with your peers!
The best persuasive speech topics are topics that are not overdone and that the speaker is genuinely passionate about and knowledgeable about.
Persuasive topics should also be a bit controversial (this does not mean offensive) because the topic and speech itself should be thought-provoking. The more people are emotionally invested in the topic, the better.
For example, while you can try to persuade your audience that strawberry ice cream is better than chocolate ice cream, it’s unlikely that many people have a strong emotional investment in that topic. Without an emotional investment, audiences will be sitting listening to your speech, thinking: “So what?”
On the other hand, a topic like “Should government set limits on how many children a family can have in overpopulated countries?” is emotionally charged and truly matters to people.
Let's take a look at the key components that make up a great persuasive speech topic.
Consider what's on people's minds right now. Your topic should be something they care about, whether it's in the news or a long-standing issue. It needs to feel important and connected to their lives. Picking a timely and relevant topic grabs your audience's attention and makes them more interested in what you have to say.
When choosing a topic, aim for something that has layers to it. Controversial topics or ones with lots of different opinions are good because they make people think. By exploring all the different angles of your topic, you can make your speech more engaging and show that you understand it well.
In today's world, facts matter more than ever. It's not enough to simply state your opinion; you need to back it up with solid evidence. Rely on numbers, data, and information from reliable sources to support what you're saying. When you do this, people trust you more and are more likely to believe what you're saying.
Passion is a powerful tool in persuasion - so choose a topic that you truly care about. Passion is evident in your speech and ultimately makes it more interesting. Your enthusiasm rubs off on the audience, and they're more likely to pay attention. Feeling connected to your topic makes your speech more powerful and convincing.
Let's delve into the process of creating a compelling persuasive speech.
Before diving into your speech, take the time to understand your audience. What motivates them? What are their goals and values? Tailoring your message to resonate with their interests and concerns will greatly enhance its impact.
Keep your speech focused by selecting just one to three key goals to address. Trying to cover too much ground can overwhelm your audience and dilute your message. Instead, hone in on the most important points you want to convey.
Anticipate objections that your audience might have and incorporate them into your speech. Acknowledging and addressing these concerns demonstrates empathy and builds credibility, making your argument more persuasive.
Capture your audience's attention from the outset by starting with a compelling story. Make it relatable and relevant to your message to draw listeners in and set the tone for the rest of your speech.
The key to delivering a persuasive speech with confidence is practice. Rehearse your speech until you know it inside and out, focusing on the flow of your ideas rather than memorizing every word. This will allow you to speak naturally and authentically.
Engage your audience by maintaining eye contact throughout your speech. This creates a connection and keeps listeners attentive and engaged. Don't just stare at one person; instead, scan the room and make brief eye contact with various individuals.
Repetition is a powerful tool for reinforcing your message. After explaining each key point, circle back and reiterate it to drive it home. This helps ensure that your audience remembers and internalizes your main ideas.
Leave a lasting impression by ending your speech with a strong closing statement. Summarize your key points and reiterate your main message with conviction. This final flourish will leave your audience inspired and motivated.
Be open to feedback from your audience, and graciously accept both praise and criticism. Use feedback as an opportunity to refine your message and improve your delivery. By embracing feedback, you can continuously hone your persuasive skills and become an even more effective communicator.
After reading through all the possible topics you can write a persuasive speech on, you may still have some questions before you get going. Let’s get into them.
Any persuasive topic can be easy to write about if you are passionate about your stance. The more passionate and knowledgeable you are about your topic, the easier it will be to research and write.
There are also easy, persuasive topics that are more lighthearted than controversial, which some people may find easier to debate and write about. Some easy persuasive topics include:
These topics are all fun to debate, which makes it easy to write a persuasive speech or essay. Whereas some persuasive topics can be complex and sensitive, the topics listed above are pretty straightforward, which makes them easier to discuss than more complex topics.
A good start to finding a good persuasive speech topic for school is looking for a topic that involves something related to school. For example, you can look into talking about school uniforms, class sizes, tuition and scholarships, and school sports, just to name a few.
Having a speech topic related to school is a good idea for school because your audience (teachers and peers) are directly in that environment as well. This means they will likely be more engaged as the topic, whether they agree or disagree, is relevant to their everyday lives.
Any of the above topics listed in this article are examples of speech topics. Three specific examples that have not been listed are:
These topics are examples of speech topics because you need to take a clear stance in order to answer the question. The point of a persuasive speech is to convince or persuade the audience that your side of the argument is valid and should be considered, so the topic needs the individual to take a specific stance.
As briefly touched upon before, your topic needs to interest your audience for a successful persuasive speech. While you should make sure your topic isn’t overdone, you don’t want to go with something too ‘safe’ as that will most likely bore your audience.
Coming up with a topic for a persuasive speech may be the most difficult part of the writing process.
Read over our list of topics and pick out a few topics that genuinely interest you. From there, do some preliminary research on each topic and see which one has the strongest evidence to support your argument. Then, you’ll be good to start writing your persuasive speech that will amaze your audience!
