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Impromptu Speech Topics

A good impromptu speech topic is short, open-ended and personal enough that anyone can answer it. The list below mixes reflective questions with opinion prompts, so you practise both storytelling and argument.

Generate one at random or choose a topic from the list. Two minutes is a common length for an impromptu speech.

Default settings: 30 seconds to prepare, 2 minutes to speak,PREP structure.

Prep
Speak

30s to prepare · 2:00 to speak · Uses your microphone. Audio is sent only for transcription and is not stored.

100 impromptu speech topics

  1. 1Would society be better if social media disappeared tomorrow?Opinion · medium
  2. 2What is the most important lesson life has taught you so far?Table Topics · medium
  3. 3Would you rather be respected or liked?Opinion · medium
  4. 4If you could give one speech to the whole world, what would you say?Table Topics · medium
  5. 5Is it more important to be smart or to be kind?Opinion · medium
  6. 6What does courage look like in everyday life?Table Topics · medium
  7. 7Should homework be banned in primary schools?Opinion · medium
  8. 8Talk about a time when silence was the best answer.Table Topics · medium
  9. 9Is it ever okay to lie?Opinion · medium
  10. 10What would you like to be remembered for?Table Topics · medium
  11. 11Are people happier today than they were fifty years ago?Opinion · medium
  12. 12Which is more powerful: a good question or a good answer?Table Topics · medium
  13. 13Should everyone learn to cook?Opinion · medium
  14. 14What is one thing you would never do again?Table Topics · medium
  15. 15Is it better to be a generalist or a specialist?Opinion · medium
  16. 16How do you decide who to trust?Table Topics · medium
  17. 17Does money buy happiness?Opinion · medium
  18. 18What does it mean to live a good life?Table Topics · medium
  19. 19Should voting be mandatory?Opinion · medium
  20. 20What is the difference between being busy and being productive?Table Topics · medium
  21. 21Is working from home better than working in an office?Opinion · medium
  22. 22What is a belief you hold that most people disagree with?Table Topics · medium
  23. 23Are exams a good way to measure ability?Opinion · medium
  24. 24How has technology changed the way we listen to each other?Table Topics · medium
  25. 25Should public transport be free?Opinion · medium
  26. 26What makes a speech unforgettable?Table Topics · medium
  27. 27Is it better to rent or to buy a home?Opinion · medium
  28. 28When is it right to walk away?Table Topics · medium
  29. 29Do we rely too much on our phones?Opinion · medium
  30. 30What would you say to your eighteen-year-old self?Table Topics · medium
  31. 31Should every student learn a second language?Opinion · medium
  32. 32What is something you have always wanted to try but never have?Table Topics · medium
  33. 33Is it better to have a few close friends or many acquaintances?Opinion · medium
  34. 34Why do people fear public speaking more than almost anything else?Table Topics · medium
  35. 35Should people retire at a fixed age?Opinion · medium
  36. 36What is the most valuable thing money cannot buy?Table Topics · medium
  37. 37Is competition good for children?Opinion · medium
  38. 38How do you stay motivated when nobody is watching?Table Topics · medium
  39. 39Is ambition always a good thing?Opinion · medium
  40. 40What does leadership mean when you have no title?Table Topics · medium
  41. 41Should tipping be replaced by higher wages?Opinion · medium
  42. 42Describe the best team you have ever been part of.Table Topics · medium
  43. 43Does travel really broaden the mind?Opinion · medium
  44. 44What is the hardest word to say in any language?Table Topics · medium
  45. 45Is it better to save money or to spend it on experiences?Opinion · medium
  46. 46If today were a chapter title in your life, what would it be?Table Topics · medium
  47. 47Should school start later in the morning?Opinion · medium
  48. 48What do you think people will laugh about from our time in fifty years?Table Topics · medium
  49. 49Are online friendships as real as offline ones?Opinion · medium
  50. 50Tell us about a door you are glad you opened.Table Topics · medium
  51. 51Is it rude to use your phone during a meal?Opinion · medium
  52. 52What is a small decision that changed everything?Table Topics · medium
  53. 53Should cities ban cars from their centres?Opinion · medium
  54. 54What does it mean to be a good listener?Table Topics · medium
  55. 55Is failure a better teacher than success?Opinion · medium
  56. 56Why do we remember stories better than facts?Table Topics · medium
  57. 57Should children be paid for doing chores?Opinion · medium
  58. 58What is one thing every community needs?Table Topics · medium
  59. 59Is it better to be honest or diplomatic?Opinion · medium
  60. 60How do you handle criticism?Table Topics · medium
  61. 61Do celebrities have a duty to be role models?Opinion · medium
  62. 62What is the best way to say no?Table Topics · medium
  63. 63Should university be free?Opinion · medium
  64. 64What is a promise you have kept for a long time?Table Topics · medium
  65. 65Is boredom good for creativity?Opinion · medium
  66. 66When did you last do something for the first time?Table Topics · medium
  67. 67Are video games a waste of time?Opinion · medium
  68. 68What makes a great mentor?Table Topics · medium
  69. 69Should everyone take a gap year?Opinion · medium
  70. 70What is the price of convenience?Table Topics · medium
  71. 71Is it better to follow your passion or follow the money?Opinion · medium
  72. 72What does home mean to you?Table Topics · medium
  73. 73Do first impressions matter too much?Opinion · medium
  74. 74How would you explain your job to a five-year-old?Table Topics · medium
  75. 75Should we judge people by their intentions or their actions?Opinion · medium
  76. 76What is the most underrated virtue?Table Topics · medium
  77. 77Is it possible to be too organised?Opinion · medium
  78. 78What is worth waiting for?Table Topics · medium
  79. 79Should fast food advertising be restricted?Opinion · medium
  80. 80If you could master one conversation, which conversation would it be?Table Topics · medium
  81. 81Are manners becoming less important?Opinion · medium
  82. 82What do you know now that you wish you had known earlier?Table Topics · medium
  83. 83Is it better to live in a big city or a small town?Opinion · medium
  84. 84What is the difference between confidence and arrogance?Table Topics · medium
  85. 85Should people be allowed to bring pets to work?Opinion · medium
  86. 86What has social media taught you about people?Table Topics · medium
  87. 87Is it ever right to break a promise?Opinion · medium
  88. 88What is something you are grateful for today?Table Topics · medium
  89. 89Does luck matter more than hard work?Opinion · medium
  90. 90What is the value of doing things the slow way?Table Topics · medium
  91. 91Should you always say what you think?Opinion · medium
  92. 92Is it better to be right or to be happy?Table Topics · medium
  93. 93Is it better to be the leader or part of the team?Opinion · medium
  94. 94What is a risk worth taking?Table Topics · medium
  95. 95Should zoos exist?Opinion · medium
  96. 96How do you recover from a bad day?Table Topics · medium
  97. 97Is multitasking a skill or a myth?Opinion · medium
  98. 98What deserves more attention in the news?Table Topics · medium
  99. 99Are rules meant to be broken?Opinion · medium
  100. 100What would your ideal community meeting look like?Table Topics · medium

How to practise

  1. 1

    Pick a side in five seconds

    Indecision is the biggest time sink. Choose the answer you can give an example for, not the one you think is “right”.

  2. 2

    Use a personal example

    Stories are easier to remember while speaking than statistics, and audiences remember them better too.

  3. 3

    Plan your last sentence first

    If you know how you will finish, you will never ramble. Decide your closing line during prep.

Recommended answer structure

PREP

Best for: most impromptu questions

  1. 1Point
  2. 2Reason
  3. 3Example
  4. 4Point again

State your answer, give one reason, prove it with an example, then repeat your answer. The default structure for almost any unexpected question.

Example answer to “Should everyone learn to cook?”

  1. PointYes — I think everyone should learn at least five basic meals.
  2. ReasonBecause cooking gives you control over your health and your budget.
  3. ExampleWhen I moved out, learning to cook cut my food spending almost in half.
  4. Point againSo yes: five meals, and you are independent for life.

FAQ

How long is an impromptu speech?+

Typically one to two minutes. Toastmasters Table Topics® responses are one to two minutes; classroom impromptu speeches are often two to three.

How do you start an impromptu speech?+

Answer the question directly in your first sentence. You can add a hook later once you are comfortable, but clarity comes first.

Can I use these topics in class?+

Yes. Teachers can project the generator, set the timer and let students take turns. No account is needed.

Related topic lists