Speaksharp
From mumbling to memorable. The system for learning to write and speak like the people we still quote ~ King, Jobs, Obama, Baldwin. Built around a Claude prompt that becomes your personal English instructor.
17
Lessons
5
Phases
~3.5h
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Phases 1 ~ 2 free · Unlock all 5
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All 5 phases + 15 lessons
4 interactive tools
Your personal English coach prompt
Every playbook on abiemaxey.com
~ The Problem
Forgettable speech isbuilt, not unlucky.
It piles up adjectives. It hedges. It uses ten words where three would do. The same person who can text a joke in twelve perfect words will, asked to speak professionally, produce a sentence so cushioned with hedges that no idea can survive the trip.
The speakers we still quote did the opposite. They cut. They compressed. They trusted the listener. This playbook is how you join them ~ with a Claude coach in your corner the whole way.
You: I think I should probably try to maybe present this to the team tomorrow.
Coach:
Diagnose: Five hedges in one sentence ~"I think,""should,""probably,""try to,""maybe." Each one tells the team you don't believe in your own plan.
Tighten: "I'm presenting this to the team tomorrow."
Why: Commitment is contagious. So is hedging.
Practice: Write three sentences about your week. No hedges allowed.
▊
~ What's Inside
The5 phases
Foundations~ Why most people sound the same.
Forgettable speech is not unlucky ~ it is built. It piles up adjectives. It hedges. It uses ten words where three would do. The speakers we remember work in the opposite direction. This phase is the diagnosis: what fills the gap between someone who talks and someone who is heard.
Why Most People Sound Forgettable
Bad speech is not a vocabulary problem. It is a discipline problem. The same person who can text a joke in twelve perfect words will, asked to speak professionally, produce a sentence so cushioned with hedges that no idea can survive the trip. This lesson names what fails ~ the filler, the passive, the hedge, the adjective stack ~ and sets up the pattern you will follow for the next fifteen lessons. Generate your personal Claude coach below and have it work with you through the rest of the playbook.
The Four Things Forgettable Speech Has in Common
Filler~ Hedges that buy time without earning it ~ I think, kind of, sort of, just, really, very.
Passive voice~ 'Mistakes were made.' Hides the actor. Drains the energy. Sometimes useful. Mostly accidental.
Adjective stacks~ Two adjectives in a row almost always mean neither was right. Pick one or replace both with a stronger noun.
Length monotony~ Every sentence the same length tells the listener to tune out. Variation is half of rhythm.
The One Move That Changes Everything
The single highest-leverage habit in this playbook is reading what you write out loud before you send it. Your ear catches what your eye accepts. The clumsy line, the hedge, the rhythm that limps ~ all of it surfaces in five seconds of out-loud reading.
Most people do not do this because they feel silly. The people who learn to sound memorable get over that quickly.
This entire playbook is built on a single premise: great speech is engineered, not accidental. The same way you can learn to write good code by reading good code, you can learn to write and speak well by reading and listening to people who already do.
Generate Your Coach
Use the builder below to create a Claude system prompt calibrated to your level, your goals, and the speakers you want to learn from. Paste it into a Claude.ai Project and your coach is in residence ~ ready to diagnose your sentences and assign practice.
Where are you starting?
One Idea Per Sentence
King could have said:'I have many dreams concerning the future state of our nation.' He didn't. He said four words:'I have a dream.' One idea, one sentence. The discipline behind that line is the most important thing you will learn in this playbook. When a sentence carries two ideas, both ideas weaken. Compression is not the goal ~ compression is the byproduct of choosing which idea to honor with its own line.
The Discipline of Compression
When a sentence carries two ideas, both ideas weaken. The reader has to split attention. The momentum dies between clauses. The line stops being memorable.
Compression is not about being short. It is about deciding which idea deserves its own line ~ and giving it that line. Sometimes a 30-word sentence is right. But it has to be one idea, sustained.
I have a dream.
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Four words. One idea. The most quoted sentence in 20th-century American oratory. He could have said'I have many dreams concerning the future state of our nation' ~ and we would have forgotten it before he finished.
The Test
Read your sentence~ Out loud. The eye accepts what the ear rejects.
Count the ideas~ If you can break it into two sentences without losing meaning, you should.
Cut the connectors~ 'And,''but,''so' often signal you crammed. Promote one half to its own line.
Read again~ If both new sentences sound stronger, you found the seam.
Practice Below
Click through six sentences a real person sent. Watch what comes out when you cut everything that does not pull weight.
Before
I think I should probably try to maybe go to the meeting tomorrow if that works for you.
After
I'm coming to tomorrow's meeting.
Why it works
Five hedges in one sentence say'do not take me seriously.' One declarative sentence commits.
Cut the Filler
I think. Sort of. Kind of. Just. Really. Very. These words do nothing. They steal weight from the words that follow them. Most people sprinkle them in unconsciously ~ a verbal flinch before committing to a thought. Catching them is a habit. Cutting them is a craft. This lesson covers the full filler taxonomy and the mental moves that train you to spot them before they leave your mouth.
The Filler Taxonomy
Hedges~ I think, kind of, sort of, maybe, perhaps, possibly, somewhat. Verbal flinches before committing to a thought.
Intensifiers~ Very, really, super, incredibly, extremely. Adverbs that pretend to add weight and instead drain it.
Throat-clearers~ Just, basically, literally, honestly, frankly. Words that announce'I am about to speak' without actually starting.
Verbal nods~ You know, like, I mean. Filler from oral speech that should never make it to the page.
The Two-Pass Rule
First draft: write it. Don't hold back. Get the idea down.
Second pass: hunt the filler. Read the draft once, looking only for the words above. Cut every one that does not earn its keep. You will cut more than you expect.
'Just' is the single most over-used filler word in modern English. Search'just' in your last ten emails. Most of them, you can delete the word with no loss of meaning. Some of them, deleting the word makes the sentence land harder.
The Test
Read the sentence with the filler word removed. If the meaning is unchanged, the filler was wallpaper.
If the meaning shifts ~ if the sentence now feels too direct, too committed ~ you found a real word. The discomfort means it is doing work.
Original: "I just wanted to follow up to see if you had any thoughts."
Cleaned: "Any thoughts? "
Original: "Honestly, I think we really need to be more strategic."
Cleaned: "We need a sharper plan."
Original: "It is kind of important that we maybe consider this."
Cleaned: "Consider this. It matters."
Construction~ Build sentences that pull weight.
Once the filler is gone, structure does the work. Where the verbs sit. How long the sentence runs. When to break the rhythm. This phase covers the construction patterns that turn cleared-out sentences into sentences that land.
The Four Sentence Types ~ And When to Use Each
Simple. Compound. Complex. Compound-complex. Most people write only two of the four and never notice. The result is monotony ~ everything sounds the same because it IS the same. This lesson maps the four types, shows what each one does to the reader's ear, and gives you the diagnostic to spot which type you are overusing.
The Four Types
Simple~ One independent clause.'I have a dream.' Direct. Punchy. Use to land big ideas.
Compound~ Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction or semicolon.'I came, and I saw.' Used for parallel ideas of equal weight.
Complex~ One independent clause plus one or more dependent clauses.'When the going gets tough, the tough get going.' Used for cause/effect, condition, time.
Compound-complex~ Multiple independent clauses plus dependent clauses. The longest type. Use sparingly ~ and never two in a row.
The Diagnostic
Take any paragraph you wrote in the last week. Label each sentence by type. Most people discover they use one type ~ usually compound or complex ~ for nearly every sentence.
That is the source of the monotony. Fix it by deliberately following a complex sentence with a simple one. The contrast in length and structure is what creates rhythm.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.
~ Charles Dickens
Two compound sentences, structurally identical, semantically opposite. The repetition of structure is doing the work. The opposites land because the form held them in place.
Rhythm and Length Variation ~ The 1-3-1
Read three sentences out loud. If they are all the same length, the listener tunes out. If they alternate ~ short, long, short ~ you have rhythm. Great speakers and writers do this without thinking. They learned it by reading great speakers and writers. The 1-3-1 pattern (one short, one medium, one short) is the simplest tool for installing this instinct.
Why Rhythm Matters
Speech is sound. Even silent reading happens in your head as sound. When sentences fall in the same rhythm ~ same length, same cadence ~ the brain notices the pattern and tunes out. When the rhythm breaks, attention snaps back.
Great speakers and writers do this on instinct. They were not born with the instinct. They installed it by reading and listening to other great speakers and writers.
The 1-3-1 Pattern
One short. One long. One short. The pattern is older than you. It is built into the King James Bible, into Lincoln, into King, into every speech you remember a line from.
Short:'We won.'
Long:'It was a long, exhausting fight against people who told us every day for two years that we could not do it.'
Short:'They were wrong.'
~ The short sentences land because the long one set them up.
~ The long sentence sustains because the short ones gave the ear a break.
Open a doc. Write 100 words about anything. Now go back and label each sentence with its word count. If they are all in the 12~18 range, you have found your monotony. Rewrite three of them ~ shrink one to 4 words, expand one to 30. Read the result out loud. Notice the difference.
Active Verbs and Active Voice
'Mistakes were made.''It has been decided.''There are challenges that need to be addressed.' The passive voice hides the actor. Sometimes that is the point ~ when the actor is unknown or unimportant. Most of the time, hiding the actor weakens the sentence. This lesson covers when to use passive voice deliberately, why most uses are accidental, and the specific verbs ~ got, made, did, was ~ that signal you can make a sentence stronger.
Active vs. Passive ~ The Real Test
The textbook test ~'who or what is performing the action' ~ is correct but unmemorable. The better test: read the sentence and ask'who did this?' If the answer is buried, hidden, or absent, you are in passive territory.
Sometimes that is the right call ~ when the actor is unknown, when the action matters more than the doer, when you are deliberately diffusing responsibility. Most of the time, you are not making any of those choices. The passive snuck in.
The Weak-Verb Audit
Four verbs signal a sentence you can usually strengthen: got, made, did, was. They are not bad words. They are placeholder words that often replaced a stronger, more specific verb during drafting.
got an email ~ received, opened, replied to
made a decision ~ decided, chose, committed
did the work ~ finished, shipped, executed
was happy ~ smiled, beamed, exhaled
The replacement is not always better. Sometimes'got' is the right word.
But you should know which one you chose ~ and why.
We choose to go to the moon... not because it is easy, but because it is hard.
~ John F. Kennedy
'Choose.''Go.''Is.' Three short, active verbs in a sentence about the most ambitious project of the century. The plainness of the verbs is the point ~ they put the doing front and center.
Prepositions ~ For, About, In, On, Over, Under
Three mistakes immediately tell a fluent speaker you are still learning:'interested about' instead of'interested in,''since two years' instead of'for two years,' and'on the morning' instead of'in the morning.' Prepositions do not follow neat rules ~ they follow usage. But usage has patterns. The guide below maps six high-frequency prepositions with their core meanings, real contexts, and the specific errors that most learners make.
Why Prepositions Trip People Up
Unlike nouns and verbs, prepositions can't be decoded from first principles. You can't figure out that'interested in' is right ~ you have to know it. The good news is that English uses a small set of prepositions in a large percentage of its sentences. Master these six and you cover most of the ground.
Each preposition has a core meaning ~ a central idea it orbits around. Once you know that core, the specific uses start to make sense.
The Quick Reference
FOR~ purpose, duration, exchange ('I waited for an hour','This is for you')
ABOUT~ topic, approximation, concern ('We talked about the deal','About fifty people')
IN~ enclosed space, time period, state ('In the room','In the morning','In pain')
ON~ surface, specific day, medium ('On the table','On Monday','On the phone')
OVER~ above, more than, finished ('Over the bridge','Over 100','The meeting is over')
UNDER~ below, less than, in process ('Under the table','Under €100','Under review')
The most common preposition mistake in non-native English:'interested about.' It is always'interested in.' No exceptions.
Explore Each One
Click any preposition below for its full breakdown ~ core meaning, all main uses with examples, and the specific mistakes to stop making.
Core meaning
Purpose, benefit, duration, or exchange
Purpose / reason
Why something is done or who benefits from it
~ I did this for you.
~ She trained for months.
~ This tool is for writers.
Duration
How long something has lasted ~ always a span, not a start point
~ I've lived here for two years.
~ We waited for an hour.
~ She's been gone for days.
Exchange or cost
What something is traded or paid
~ I bought it for €40.
~ She swapped her car for a bike.
~ He worked for nothing.
Support or in favour of
Being on someone's side or backing a position
~ Are you for or against it?
~ I voted for the proposal.
~ He stood up for her.
Common mistakes
"I came here for to study" →"I came here to study" (never use for + infinitive)
"I'm here since two years" →"I've been here for two years" (for = duration, since = start point)
"Thanks for your patience" is correct."Thanks of your patience" is not.
Modal Verbs ~ Would, Could, Should
Would, could, and should carry different weights that native speakers feel instinctively but rarely explain. Would signals hypothesis or politeness. Could signals ability or possibility. Should signals advice or expectation. The contractions ~ would've, could've, should've ~ are where most people slip, writing'would of' because the spoken sounds are identical. They are not the same.'Of' is never a verb. The guide below maps all three modals with their core uses, real examples, and the errors to stop making now.
The Weight Each One Carries
Would, could, and should are not interchangeable. They express different degrees of certainty, obligation, and possibility. Using the wrong one changes the meaning of your sentence in ways you may not intend.
Most non-native speakers overuse'would' for everything. Native speakers rotate all three based on exactly what they want to signal.
Quick Separation
WOULD~ hypothetical or conditional ('I would help if I could'), polite request ('Would you mind?'), past habit ('We would meet every Friday')
COULD~ past ability ('She could run fast'), present possibility ('It could work'), polite offer ('Could you send this?')
SHOULD~ advice ('You should read it'), expectation ('She should be here by now'), mild obligation ('We should respond')
The Contraction Rule
Would've, could've, should've are contractions of'would have,''could have,''should have.' When spoken, the've sounds exactly like'of.' That is where the mistake comes from.
In writing,'would of,''could of,''should of' are always wrong ~ every time, with no exceptions. The sound is the same. The spelling is not.
If you are unsure which contraction to write, expand it:'I would of gone' →'I would of gone.' Now replace'of' with'have':'I would have gone.' That is the correct form.
Full Guide
Click each modal below for its complete breakdown ~ all main uses, real examples in context, and the mistakes to stop making.
Core use
Hypothetical, polite request, or past habit
Conditional / hypothetical
What would happen IF something else were true. The classic'if...would' structure.
~ I would call you if I had your number.
~ She would move abroad if she could afford it.
~ We would win if we tried harder.
Polite request
Softer than'will.' Use it when asking someone to do something for you.
~ Would you mind closing the door?
~ Would you be able to join us?
~ I would appreciate your help.
Past habit (repeated action)
Something you did regularly in the past. Similar to'used to' but only for repeated actions ~ not states.
~ Every summer, we would rent a house in the south.
~ She would always bring flowers.
~ He would stay up late reading.
Preference or desire (formal)
What you want, phrased politely.
~ I would like a coffee, please.
~ We would prefer the window seat.
~ I would rather not discuss it now.
Watch out for
Don't use'would' in the IF clause:'If I would go' →'If I went' or'If I were to go'
'Would of' is always wrong. The correct forms are'would have' or'would've'
'Would' vs'will':'will' is a real intention;'would' is conditional or polite
Rhetoric~ The patterns the great ones use.
Anaphora. Tricolon. Antithesis. Chiasmus. These are not academic curiosities ~ they are the load-bearing structures of every speech you remember. This phase teaches the devices and gives you templates for using them in your own writing and speaking.
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09 ~ Anaphora ~ The MLK Pattern
14 min10 ~ Tricolon ~ The Power of Three
10 min11 ~ Antithesis & Contrast ~ How Memorable Lines Are Built
12 minVoice~ How you sound when you say it.
A great sentence read flat is a great sentence wasted. Pacing, pauses, and emphasis are the difference between text on a page and a moment people quote later. This phase covers the physical craft of speaking ~ and the practice that builds it.
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12 ~ Pacing and Pauses ~ Owning the Silence
12 min13 ~ Reading Aloud ~ The Single Best Practice
14 min14 ~ Recording Yourself ~ The Mirror No One Wants to Look In
12 minPractice~ What you do every day matters more than what you know.
All the principles in this playbook are useless without a practice that compounds. This phase is the operating system: a daily routine, a curated study list, and a 90-day plan that turns a learner into a speaker people remember.
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15 ~ Your Daily 15-Minute Routine
12 min16 ~ The Speech Library ~ What to Study and Why
16 min17 ~ The 90-Day Articulation Plan
14 min~ What comes next
Keepbuilding
Claude as EA
Stop prompting. Start delegating.
Once your voice is sharp, point it at your inbox. Deploy Claude as your executive assistant ~ drafts in your voice, runs your daily brief, handles the operational load.
The Talent Stack
Stop competing on price.
Articulate operators are irreplaceable operators. Pair the speaking skills with the positioning system that compounds your career value.
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