Eulogy - It usually focuses on sharing happy memories, good qualities, and special moments from the
person’s life. While it can be emotional, the goal is to celebrate the person and comfort the people
attending the service. Eulogies are often short and personal, helping those present to remember the person
in a positive and meaningful way.
Commencement Address - The speech is often delivered by a student, a former graduate, or a special
guest like a politician or celebrity. It’s meant to inspire and motivate the graduates as they prepare for the
next chapter of their lives. The speaker usually talks about their own experiences and offers advice or
encouragement for the future.
1. Use of humorous topics
Speakers sometimes use funny topics or make serious subjects seem lighthearted. Using humor like this
can help the speaker connect with the audience and make the message more memorable. When people
laugh or enjoy a joke, they tend to feel more comfortable and pay better attention, which can make the
speech more effective.
Ex: Sermon sa Kasal or Graduation Speech - speakers might use lighthearted anecdotes or funny
metaphors to discuss serious topics, like marriage or the challenges of life. A speaker could joke about the
trials of married life while still delivering heartfelt advice, or use humor when recalling funny moments from
school life during a graduation speech. This blend of humor and seriousness creates a connection with the
audience, making the speech both enjoyable and impactful.
2. Play on Words
Intentional errors such as puns, spoonerisms and malapropisms add spice and flavor to one’s speeches.
PUNS - rely on double meanings to create humor.
Ex: What do you call a person who takes pictures of kakanin? “Puto-grapher.” It plays on the word photographer by
replacing "photo" with puto, which is a type of Filipino rice cake. The humor comes from the similarity in sound
between puto and photo, while also tying the pun to Filipino culture and food. This is a great example of a pun
because it uses a word with double meanings to create humor—combining food (puto) and the act of taking pictures
(photographer).
SPOONERSIM - Spoonerisms happen when the first sounds of words are swapped. For example, instead
of saying "Maayong buntag," a speaker might accidentally say "Maayong Bungkag." It sounds funny, but
people still understand what you mean.
MALAPROPISM - mistaken use of a word or phrase that sounds much like the intended words.
Ex: I tried catching a fog today.
Ans: what happened?
I mist.
3. Hyperbole, Understatement and Irony
The clever use of hyperbole and understatement which is a downplaying of a certain fact or event and
verbal irony that employs the opposite of what the speaker means help the speaker create a humor in a
speech.
Using hyperbole, understatement, and irony can add humor to a speech.
Hyperbole is when you exaggerate something to make it seem much bigger or more extreme than it really
is. It’s used to emphasize something or create humor. (Grabe! Lami kaayo ang imong giluto, nakalimot ko sa akong
pangalan.”
Understatement is the opposite—when you make something important or big seem smaller or less serious
than it really is. Understatement is when something is presented as less important or serious than it really is. It
often creates a humorous effect by downplaying the situation. (Sige lang, natagak ra akong laptop, wala man koy
problema.) This downplays the seriousness of the laptop falling, which could actually be a significant problem!
Verbal irony is when you say the opposite of what you actually mean, often in a humorous way. (Sayo ra
kaayo ka para sa recess.) The speaker is being sarcastic, implying that the person has arrived late for recess, but
humorously says the opposite.
These techniques help speakers add humor by playing with the truth in creative ways.
4. Wit
Humor can be created by telling a story that has a surprising or unexpected twist at the end. This type of
humor often includes quick, witty responses (sharp comebacks), short, dry jokes (one-liners), and playful,
clever exchanges (banter). The fun part comes from catching the audience off guard with an ending or
result they didn’t see coming, which makes it more amusing.
Kaibigan: “Gusto mo bang sumama sa akin sa gym?”
Tao: “Bakit, may libreng pagkain ba roon?”
5. Non- Verbal Strategies
In entertainment speeches, speakers often use non-verbal strategies to make their speech funnier or more
engaging. These include:
Voice and tone variation: Changing the way you speak, like using a funny voice or adding emphasis to
certain words, can make your message more entertaining.
Gestures: Using hand or arm movements can help highlight a joke or make a point stand out.
Facial expressions: Making funny or exaggerated faces can add humor without saying a word.
Body movements and posture: Moving around the stage or using certain body positions can help make the
speech more dynamic and keep the audience’s attention.
These non-verbal actions can make the speech more interesting and add humor, even without using words.