Effect Quotes
The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.
"The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause."— Mark Twain
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Meaning of this quote
Timing and silence can give speech an effect that words alone cannot produce.
Key takeaway:
Leave a pause where it helps listeners understand.
Origin of the quote
Introduction to Mark Twain’s Speeches, Gabriel Wells edition, 1923.
Who actually said this?
VerifiedThe introduction reports this as something Twain used to say. It is a posthumous recollection, not a dated transcript of his own speech.
