100+ Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics For 2023

Think of times when you want to go to a movie, but your best friend prefers staying back home. It can be difficult to pursue. But eventually, you do it, right? The way you talk her into going movie is by persuasion. That means you are already giving persuasive speeches every day but just did not know about the technicalities.

Don't worry. After you read this blog, you'll also get familiar with them. To begin with, let's know what persuasive speech means. Later in the blog, you'll get more details and a list of relevant persuasive speech topics.

Read Also: How to write an argumentative essay

What is a Persuasive Speech? 

Persuasive speech refers to when you are convincing the audience to believe in what you are saying. Consider the salesman trying to sell bathroom cleaner. He is only using his best-pursuing skills to convince you to buy from him.

Not just sales and marketing, persuasive speech is important in most sectors. Persuasion is important even when you are going for an interview. You need to convince the employer about why they should choose you. That’s why this type of speech is gaining popularity in education curricula.

The audience must accept your point of view. With this goal in mind, you must guide their chain of thoughts and actions. The best way to ensure the same is to rely on rhetoric.

The 3 Major Rhetoric Concepts are:

• Ethos

Ethos refers to the speaker’s credibility. As a speaker, you have to show the audience that you are an expert on the discussed topic. This will attract more audience attention for you. You can use stats, facts, and stories to prove your point. The more details you give, the better your speech sounds. In return, persuading the audience becomes smooth.

• Pathos

Pathos is your ability to appeal to the audience's emotions. When the audience relates to your speech, persuasion becomes easy, and that should be your target. Often emotions like compassion are the key to connectivity. For example, when you are talking to the readers about the benefits of getting up early. Share with them how oversleeping kills your stamina for the day. Share with them how it makes you lazy.

• Logos

Logos brings you to connect logic to your speech. This is also extremely crucial when you are giving a persuasive speech. Random sharing of thoughts and facts can go in vain. It will only pay off when it has proper logic and a good transitional flow. Try giving essay examples. As per orators, they are good evidence to prove logic in what you say.

Examples of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Listen to the speech on ‘Teach Every Child About Food’ by Jamie Oliver. Here is the link - https://youtu.be/go_QOzc79Uc

During the speech, you notice that he begins by sharing his position and proving his credibility to give the speech. He says, "Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, 4 Americans would be dead through the food they eat. My name is Jamie Oliver. I am from Essex in England, and for the last 7 years, I have worked tirelessly to save a life in my own way. I am not a doctor; I am a chef. I do not have expensive equipment or medicine, but I use information and education.”

In the highlighted portion above, the author clarifies who he is and why he is fit to speak on the topic. This is a very good example of Ethos. It proves that without even saying, 'I am the best,' you can prove your credibility.

Everybody knows how important food is for living, family bonding, celebrations, etc. Thus, hitting that point, he establishes pathos. He says, “I profoundly believe that the power of food has a primal place in our homes. It binds us to the best bits of life." Each and every one in the audience will relate to this. This will intrigue the audience to listen to Jamie.

In one instance, he tries to prove that not homicide but the food landscape around people will kill them faster. To prove this, he shows a graph. The audience bursts into clapping and applause. This is where Jamie establishes logos and connects to the audience via logic.

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What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic?

An important factor in the case of persuasive speech is the choice of topic. Choosing the right persuasive speech topics is tricky. However, it is crucial; therefore, you have to give some effort before making the final call. In this case, there are a few criteria you can look into.

Things to Consider While Choosing Persuasive Speech Topic

Do the persuasive speech topics interest you?

You need to know everything about the speech topic. With time and research paper, you can learn every important detail. But you need to be patient. The patience for good research comes from an individual interest in the topic. If you don't find a topic compelling, choose from interesting persuasive speech topics. Remember that you can’t draw people’s attention to something you are not interested in.

Ask yourself – “Would I like to learn about this topic?" The answer to this question has to be a prompt and empathetic YES! If not, this is not the right choice. When you are speaking about something and are bored, the audience will pick up on it instantly. Better avoid such risks.

Will the persuasive speech topics interest your audience?

If you have selected some captivating topics for your speech, it is time to consider your audience choices as well.

• Do they share your interest?
• Will they lose interest in your topic, despite your enthusiastic explanation?

These questions will help you. To answer these questions, it's crucial to have a good understanding of your audience. Research their interests and concerns to tailor your speech accordingly.

For example, consider Jamie Oliver's speech mentioned above. The audience comprises American citizens who want to protect their kids from the rising obesity in the country.

For them ‘Teach your children about food’ is most suitable. Additionally, Jamie being a chef, knows a lot about food consumption. So, this makes the topic perfect for him. As the topic satisfies both grounds, it becomes the perfect choice.

Have the persuasive speech topicsbeen covered too many times?

This last question is very important. To understand, you need to consider the above-mentioned example once again. There Jamie chose to speak on “Teach your children about food." Instead of it, if he had chosen "Ways to make your diet healthy," do you think the audience would have been more interested? The answer is NO!

The reason is that the second option is comparatively common among the audience. On the other hand, the former topic is more fresh. More or less everybody in the audience will know about the healthier alternatives to the food they eat. But explaining the same to their children is a big concern. Jamie's speech solves it for them.

Therefore, choosing unique persuasive speech topics is essential. At least try to change the perspective if you are addressing a common problem. Provide the audience with something that they don't know. It should also be relevant to their requirement. This is applicable only if you are not assigned a topic. What to do otherwise? In such cases, try including rarely known facts and stats in your speech.

Read Also: Leadership Essay

The Components of a Persuasive Speech

Preparing a perfect persuasive speech is no rocket science. You only have to be careful with what information you include and what tone you speak in. This becomes easier when you know the components. The components here refer to the elements that perfectly shape your persuasive speech. Including these components in your speech makes it complete. Let's have a look at these individually.

Thesis Statement

A thesis statement must be crystal clear. Recall how you do it for your essay guide, the same needs to be done in this case as well.

Background Information

Topics can have background information. For example, while discussing how to control teenagers' diet, you need to disclose details about their diet. But make sure to do it in the initial paragraphs.

Compelling Arguments

Remember, your arguments must have an impact on the audience. Arrange them in a logical flow, and add evidence to support them as well. Take care to not make it too over whelming also. Creating the right balance is the key.

Counter Arguments

What you are saying may not be a universal truth. There can be opposing thoughts. Include them in your speech and explain why they are unreliable. Present a critical essay topics analysis of the counterarguments. This will make your speech more reliable.

Call to Action

Audience interaction is an important part of speech success. A call to action is the best way to initiate it. When you are done presenting, ask the audience questions, and ask for their point of view even if it opposes your idea.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Ethos, pathos, and logos are rhetoric of persuasive speech. Establishing them is compulsory. After you prepare the speech, check if the rhetoric is satisfied. If not, make changes. You cannot give a successful persuasive speech without paying attention to these. Read the above-mentioned examples once again if you need a clearer idea.

Here is an Example

Let’s have a look at one of the famous persuasive speeches from history. This speech was presented by Winston Churchill during World War II.

Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end; we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe this Island or a large part of it was subjugated and starving, then us Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might step forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old."

Examples of a Persuasive Speech Topic

Below mentioned are a few easy persuasive speech topics. A short text of how the speech should be is also provided. Read to form a clearer idea about persuasive speech. Note that the examples below are just instances of how to do the persuasion.  

The Importance of Recycling:

Imagine walking on dirty streets with trash everywhere, surrounded by tall buildings and plastic bags. The air is thick and hard to see through, and the water is dirty and slow. No living things can survive in this terrible environment, not even weeds. This is why recycling is important. By recycling, we can protect the environment and reduce pollution, save resources, and use less energy.

Benefits of Regular Exercise:

In my opinion, fitness affects you mentally more than physically. Exercise generates molecules that make you feel better right away and lift your mood for 24 hours. Fitness boosts your self-esteem and confidence. Setting fitness goals for yourself inspires you to improve yourself every day. With the energy boost, you feel like you can take on the world or even just do your homework. How will you get such fitness? Any form of exercise can help you achieve this level of fitness.

Gun Control:

The world's attention was focused on the mass shooting at a Florida school on February 14, 2018. Gun violence has long been a problem and is only growing worse. There are many people who concur with the idea that something needs to be done right now. Because it is so simple to obtain handguns and assault rifles in the modern world. Therefore, tighter gun rules should be implemented first, and then there should be stronger regulations. These rules should assist in reducing gun violence and save lives.

The Dangers of Smoking:

Smoking cigarettes is very bad for your body. It can harm many parts of your body, such as your brain, heart, lungs, stomach, mouth, skin, and bones. The worst part affected by smoking is your lungs. Smoking causes mucus to build up in your lungs, making breathing hard and increasing your risk for lung cancer. Surprisingly, smoking is the main cause of lung cancer deaths, making up 84% of cases. The harmful effects of smoking come from around 250 chemicals, and 70 of them can cause cancer.

Cyber Bullying:

It's common for kids and teens to be bullied online. A 2010 article found that around 20% of people surveyed had been cyberbullied at some point. Even though people are trying to stop bullying, cyberbullying is still a big problem today in our society. Cyberbullying can cause victims to feel sad, angry, and frustrated. Often bullied people end up committing suicide.

The Importance of Financial Literacy:

Financial literacy is using knowledge and skills to make intelligent financial choices. It is a continuous journey. It often starts with parents giving their children a piggy bank to save money for toys and chocolates. As you age, financial literacy involves having a good credit score and making significant purchases, such as a new car.

Animal Testing:

Scientists have been using animals to learn and help people for a long time. But we shouldn't forget that many animals suffer and die from these tests. Some people don't know much about animals or how the testing is done. It's not a good way to do things because it's painful, cruel, and not always accurate. Luckily, there are better and more affordable ways to do things.

Climate Change:

Climate change is a serious problem that affects all living beings on every continent, regardless of privilege. This needs to change. We need to invest in long-term solutions to make a lasting impact on the world. It's not enough to switch to eco-friendly light bulbs or buy fuel-efficient cars. Even small changes can have an impact. For example, diet changes can make a big difference and reduce our carbon footprint by half.

Media Literacy:

Ey. Having thesevery student needs to know how to use media and information wisel skills will help you do better in school and grow as a person. Unfortunately, most students don't have these skills. It makes it hard for them to understand and use media and information correctly. Media and information literacy means knowing how important media and information are in our everyday lives. It's important to ensure we have freedom of speech and knowledge.

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How to Create and Deliver a Compelling Persuasive Speech?

Stop rewriting several times. Know the right way to write compelling, persuasive essays. The steps below are curated after research and are accepted by most professors around the globe. The steps are simple and easy to follow. Follow them while writing persuasive essays.

Step 1: Anticipate Counter Arguments

To speak confidently about a topic, it's important to do some research. Looking for reliable sources like scholarly journals, books, or articles can be good sources of information. This way, you'll know all perspectives. Understanding the opposing viewpoint. Only then your learning will be complete.

Participating in forum conversations, listening to podcasts, and reading opinion pieces are great ways to know others' opinions. When you address the opposing viewpoint in your speech, you may also persuade the opposing audience to agree. This will bring your audience's attention.

Step 2: Set and State Goal

Determine your purpose while you prepare your speech so that you may center your discussion around a unified theme. You can better organize your message and strategy if you know your aim.

When giving yontroduce your main point or goal and explain ur speech, iwhy it is important. This makes your intentions clear to the audience and may help you come off as a more reliable speaker.

Step 3: Know the Audience

When you want to convince others, it's important to understand where they're coming from. Simply explaining things can help if they're not familiar with the topic. Avoid using big, confusing words they might not know.

If your audience already agrees with you, it might be easy to get them to act. But if they think differently, you might need to show more proof to support your point of view.

Step 4: Choose the Approach

When you want to convince people, think about whether it's best to use authority, emotion, or reasoning based on what you're talking about and what the audience likes. Figure out their beliefs first, then decide what to do. You can try using one or all three ways to make them feel convinced. Using all three can be the most effective way to make your point.

Step 5: Create an Outline

Use an outline to group your speech's important ideas. Depending on how much time you have to talk, decide how many points you want to utilize to support your claim. In most cases, you may present a compelling argument in less than 10 minutes, sufficient to hold the audience's interest. Aim for three to four supporting points, at the very least.

Step 6: Find Common Ground with Audience

To convince someone, it's important to find common ground. In this case, with your listeners. One way to do this is by showing how everyone can benefit from a particular action. By connecting with your audience, they will be more interested and attentive. 

Step 7: End with Call to Action

When you finish giving your speech, including a call to action is crucial. It summarizes your key points and motivates your listeners to take action. This could involve signing a petition, getting behind a specific candidate, or purchasing a product. First, make sure to emphasize your main ideas. Then explain how they tie into the call to action.

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Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics

Persuasive Speech Topic for College Students

• College athletes ought to be compensated for participating.
• Public transit should be free for senior folks on fixed incomes.
• The cost of attending colleges and universities should be nothing.
• Every American citizen should perform one year of volunteer work.
• Spanish classes ought to be obligatory for all students.
• Learning at least one foreign language should be a requirement for all students.
• All states should allow the recreational use of marijuana.
• Commercial product testing on animals ought to be prohibited.
• High school students should be required to participate in at least one team sport.
• In the US, the legal drinking age ought to be 25.

Good Persuasive Speech Topicson College and Career

• Better education can be obtained by studying overseas.
• There is no benefit to homework in terms of learning.
• Higher education should be more affordable.
• A student's knowledge is not indicated by a grade.
• A modern teenager's mental growth is impeded by excessive Internet use.
• Technology shouldn't be a factor in education.
• Students' critical thinking abilities grow as they write essays.
• A system of education should promote creativity.
• Diversity among the students should be present in the classroom.
• Why should college students be concerned with their physical and emotional well-being?

Business Persuasive Speech Topics

• The Value of employee skills to your company's Success
• Do introverts make better business people?
• How can a mentor impact your ability to be a successful entrepreneur?
• Knowing where you stand in the market. How might it impact your business plan now and in the future?
• Social media will have an impact on your marketing strategy.
• Why should you pursue your business passion?
• How to launch a profitable business without any money
• The importance of unconventional business ideas
• Utilizing complaints from dissatisfied consumers to increase sales
• Employers request the social media profiles of their employees. Is it good or bad?

Unique Persuasive Speech Topicson Environment & Conservation

• The government should reduce the population to avoid negative environmental effects.
• To protect biodiversity, human activity should be kept to a minimum.
• We must consider a sustainable ecological strategy.
• For the planet to be saved, alternative energy sources are crucial.
• We should make every effort to lead a waste-free lifestyle.
• Environmental organizations should place a high priority on saving endangered species.
• The environment can be saved via solar energy.
• The practice of hunting should be outlawed since it threatens biodiversity.
• The preservation of the planet's lifecycle depends on the protection of its resources.
• Waste sorting ought to be required everywhere.
• By halting deforestation, we can keep animals' natural habitats intact.

Mental Health Persuasive Speech Topics

• Foods that have been genetically engineered are detrimental to people's mental health.
• Mentally ill individuals shouldn't be stigmatized as crazy.
• There is no need to feel ashamed of having mental health issues.
• Ten Methods to prevent mental illness effectively
• Exercise at home is ineffective.
• Nobody should be rude to the opposing team.
• What are the top five mental health issues?
• You shouldn't treat others badly.
• Bipolar patients need to be handled carefully.
• Autism is a condition that some people may live with and manage.

Sports Persuasive Essay Topics

• Why should video game players be treated like professional athletes?
• Why women's sports don't receive as much attention?
• Why are sports so popular all across the world?
• The most popular sport in the world is football, so why is that?
• Everyone enjoys sports, but they haven't yet discovered their favorite.
• Everyone benefits objectively from physical activity.
• How professional sports use performance-enhancing substances
• Why do professional athletes receive such high salaries?
• Is it moral to buy or sell players in sports?
• The Olympics: Are they still the most significant sporting event?

Good Persuasive Essay Topics on Science and Technology

• Spending money on space exploration will make human life better.
• Genetically modified foods are harmful to our health when consumed.
• Painkiller use is unhealthy.
• The pace of change in science is unacceptably rapid.
• People should rely more on renewable energy sources.
• Our mental and physical health can be improved through crystal healing.
• The most critical condition that doctors should investigate right now is cancer.
• How some health issues can start because of your diet
• The use of supplements needs to be monitored.
• Establishing regulations to govern stem cell research

FAQs For Persuasive Speech Topic

Q.1. What are the three main points of a persuasive speech?

The persuasive speeches depend on three different forms of rhetoric, namely:

• Ethos
• Pathos
• Logos

Each of these has an influence on the speeches, and you have to be well-versed in all these forms to justify a persuasive speech.

Q.2. What is most important in a persuasive speech?

The most important elements in a persuasive speech are the opening and the closing statements. You must work on them properly to ensure you deliver a perfect speech. It is important to keep these in mind when you are creating an outline of your persuasive speech. A good opening will grab the attention of your audience and give them a positive impression.

Q.3. What is the main purpose of persuasive speech?

Persuasive speeches are generally directed to stimulate thought, convince, call to action, increase consideration, or develop tolerance of various perspectives. It is essential to have the power to convince your audience about your views on a topic or make them rethink their ideas on a particular topic. It is essential to consider all aspects of a persuasive speech before working on the final speech.

Q.4. What is the target audience for a persuasive speech?

You have to understand the concept of the target audience when you are working on a persuasive speech. The target audience is the number of people you are willing to persuade with your speech. It is important to define your target audience before working on the speech. It will help you create the speech perfectly and find relevant points to persuade the audience.

Q.5. Which of the following should be avoided in persuasive speaking?

Persuasive speeches depend on relevant data. You cannot use any point under the sun to convince your readers. The speeches must not involve manipulation, coercion, false logic, and other unethical techniques. It is crucial to understand all of these points while creating the speech and deliver a perfect one.

Q.6. How do you end a persuasive speech?

The ending of a persuasive speech must have the following:

• A summary of the main points of the speech
• Your purpose or thesis
• A closure with a sense of finality
• A call to action and a commitment to act on the things shared

If you are preparing for a persuasive speech, remember the points while framing your conclusion.

Q.7. What are the key elements of persuasive writing?

You have to understand the process of persuasion to create a perfect persuasive speech. The essential elements of persuasion are logos or logic, ethos or ethic, and pathos or emotion. It is important to understand these elements while working on persuasive speeches.

Q.8. What is the aim of persuasion?

Persuasive speeches aim to convince, motivate, and move readers toward a certain point of view or opinion. When you are asked to deliver a persuasive speech, you must consider all the points that can persuade your audience to believe your point and be convinced. You must share proper information supporting your claims on a particular topic.

Q.9. What is the advantage of persuasive speech?

Persuasive speeches can motivate people to take action and work on the issues highlighted in the speech. It is one of the biggest advantages of persuasive speeches and also shares what the audience must do and how to go about it. The speeches also stress the necessity to work on the solutions shared earlier.

Q.10. How would you persuade your audience?

Here are some expert tips for persuading your audience:

• Rhetorical questions
• Personal anecdotes
• Be descriptive and authentic
• Follow the ‘rule of three’ or tricolon
• Decide on an overacting theme
• Convey message through emotive language

It is important to know these ways if you are preparing to deliver a persuasive speech.