A(n) _________ speech tends to sound monotone and flat.

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Memorized delivery tends to sound monotone because reciting from memory often locks in a fixed wording, rhythm, and emphasis. Without prompts to guide natural phrasing and without relying on notes to cue pauses and inflection, speakers can fall into a steady, unvarying pitch and tempo. The focus on remembering lines can also reduce eye contact and responsiveness to the audience, which further dampens vocal dynamics and makes the delivery feel flat. In contrast, delivering with an outline or notes (extemporaneous) encourages adjusting tone, pace, and emphasis in response to audience cues, producing more natural variation. Reading from a manuscript can be formal and, if the reader sticks closely to the text with little inflection, it can also feel stiff, but memorized delivery is especially prone to a rigid, mechanical sound.