Speech cards are the simplest speaking aid there is: a small stack of cards, each holding one part of what you want to say. They have different names around the world, including cue cards, note cards, index cards, prompt cards and palm cards, but they all solve the same problem. You want to remember your speech without reading it off a page.
What speech cards are
A typical speech card is somewhere between a playing card and a postcard in size, small enough to hold in one hand. Each card covers one section of the speech: the opening, a single point or story, a transition, or the closing line. The small size is the point. It stops you from writing too much, it is easy to glance at, and it does not hide your face from the audience.
Cards also give your speech a physical shape. When you are halfway through the stack, you know you are halfway through the speech, which makes it much easier to judge your timing on the day.
Three ways to lay them out
Full text
Every word is written out. This suits speeches where exact wording matters, such as a eulogy, a formal welcome, or a speech in a language you are still learning. The risk is reading in a monotone, so mark pauses and look up at the end of each sentence.
Key words
Each card has a heading and a few bullet points that trigger sentences you already know. This sounds the most natural, but only works if you have rehearsed enough to fill the gaps.
Hybrid
Most experienced speakers end up here. The first line, any quotes or figures, and the last line are written in full; everything in between is key words. You get the safety of a script at the moments that matter and the freedom of notes for the rest.
Making a set
- Finish the speech first It is much easier to cut a finished speech into cards than to write directly onto them.
- Paste it into the editor EasyPalmCards splits the text across cards of the size you choose and keeps each card readable.
- Trim to your style Choose full text, key words or hybrid for each card. Bold the words you must not skip.
- Print and rehearse Print several cards per page and cut, or rehearse on screen first and print once you are happy.
Speaking from cards
- Hold them at chest height, not at your waist. You can glance down without dropping your head.
- Move finished cards to the back of the stack rather than putting them down.
- Look up at the end of each card. It is a natural pause and the best moment for eye contact.
- Keep a spare set in a pocket or with a friend, especially at weddings and events.
If you lose your place, stop, take a breath and find the heading on the current card. A pause of two or three seconds feels long to you but almost nobody in the audience notices it; many will assume it was deliberate. That is the real advantage of cards over memorising: you always have a way back in.
When you rehearse, use the cards from the very first run rather than switching from a document at the last minute. You will learn where each card ends, which ones you need to glance at and which you barely look at. By the third or fourth run, the cards you never look at can usually be cut down to a single heading.
Cards for different speeches
A short toast might need only three or four cards. A best man speech or a eulogy usually needs six to ten. A class oral presentation often has a card limit set by the teacher, so plan your points to fit. For a TED-style talk, cards are a rehearsal aid even if you plan to speak without them on stage. The speech examples library has full sample speeches for several of these occasions, each ready to open as cards.