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Well, we are now into the fifth part of this series and your wings are almost ready to fly. My hope for this article is that it will be a one-stop-shop for finding useful impromptu topics. If you have already read the last couple of articles, you should also be well-equipped with the knowledge needed to know what to do with the topics. Below, you will be able to find resource lists for the 4 different types of topics that you may draw in a competition round. 

Lists of Resources 

  1. Table topics – https://dist8tm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/365_Sample_Table_Topics_Questions.pdf 

This pdf directs you to a list of generic questions that match the same type of questions that you may receive in a round. 

  1. Abstract Words – http://landofhoz.com/For%20Students/Articles/IMPROMPTU%20SPEECH%20TOPICS.pdf 

This pdf includes a solid list of abstract words to use for impromptu. Scroll down to page 5!

  1. Idioms and Phrases – https://www.literacyatwork.net/uploads/8/3/5/9/8359813/idioms_and_meanings.pdf 

I love this list because it also includes explanations of what the phrases mean in case you get a bit lost!

  1. Quotes – https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/Black-History-Month-Impromptu-Prompts-Quotations.pdf 

This was a list released by the National Speech and Debate Association and contains a solid list of quotes that make for great practice!

Impromptu Generators: 

In case you ever get sick of scrolling through a list, I also went ahead and included a couple of impromptu generators. With the press of a button, you can now be randomly assigned a topic(s) to speak on. 

  1. Rate Speeches Impromptu Generator – http://www.ratespeeches.com/t=Impromptu-Speech-Topics  

I specifically remember using this resource in high school because it has a feature that allows you to select how many topic options you want to choose from. Because of this, you are able to decide if you want your practice to mimic the 3 choices selections that impromptu rounds offer or follow the format of a specific drill that you are working on. 

  1. AcePeak Impromptu Generator – https://acepeak.org/impromptu-topic-generator 

Another solid impromptu generator!

Additional Resources: 

  1. Words, Questions, and Phrases (oh my!) – https://www.daniellemillerspeechdebate.com/resources/impromptu-topics 

This webpage includes a lot of different resources that can be used to help find lists of topics from the different types of topics you may draw in a round. 

Alright! Now that you have something to talk about, go and practice!


Jala Boyer has earned numerous 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medals and competed at the NCFCA National Championship in five categories. As an intern on the Student Advisory Council of the NCFCA, Jala worked alongside the executive director, Kim Cromer, to learn the inner workings of competitive speech and debate, helping students create long-term and meaningful success. Jala is currently an Honors student at Liberty University studying communications with an emphasis in politics. To book a coaching session with Jala, follow this link https://www.ethosdebate.com/ coaching/book-coach/ 

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