How To Tell Jokes Like A Pro

Do you think you’re the funniest person around? Have you ever been accused of not having a sense of humor and been unable to do anything about it?

It’s true that telling a good joke and making others laugh can be difficult. You have to acquire material that makes sense and then relay it to an audience in a way that demands their attention and, more importantly, makes them laugh.

From lighthearted baking puns to make you chuckle to making jabs at someone’s occupation, the source material for jokes is seemingly endless. 

If you’re wondering how to tell jokes like a pro, we’ve got you covered! This guide will reveal some handy tips and tricks to keep in mind.

How To Tell Jokes Like A Pro

Add Variation To Your Voice

Adding variation to your voice as you tell a joke will get you on your way to laugh town in no time! If you sound like a monotonous robot then it’s highly likely nobody is going to want to stop and listen to what you have to say.

That’s not to say you should completely alter your voice so it sounds cheerful and entirely fake! After all, an audience will easily spot if you’re adding too much force into your voice. The key is trying to naturally melt into the joke you are saying. 

Focus On Your Physicality

If you are telling a funny joke with all the right inflections in your tone but have unbelievably rigid body language, chances are your joke will not go down well with an audience! Not only will it make you look awkward but it won’t allow others the chance to connect with you.

Try to appear happy and confident as you tell your joke, even if you are a bag of nerves inside. Your audience will be listening to you intently and watching your every move like a hawk.

Simple body movements are a great way to pad out a joke. Sometimes, physical comedy can even overpower the words you’re speaking. Make sure that you aren’t being too over the top with your movements unless the occasion calls for it.

For example, if you’ve written a longer joke where you need to ‘set the scene’ before getting to the punchline, make sure to add in hand gestures and adopt an over-dramatic voice — maybe even an accent — so that it has a greater impact on your audience. A little drama never hurt anyone!

Believe In The Joke You’re Telling

This is another important thing to keep in mind when learning how to tell jokes like a pro! You could be telling the most un-funny joke in the world but as long as you believe in what you’re saying, it could turn out to be hilarious. 

Laughter is a universal language that we all speak and if you manage to hook even one person in with a joke that you believe in, it will soon attract more people and it will generally be much better received.

Signal The Punch Line

When telling jokes, your goal is to make people laugh. The punch line is how you will achieve this.

The punch line is the pivot where the joke text turns and signals a shift in mental representation that conflicts with the one set up by the joke. The use of pacing and rhythm to heighten the overall comedic impact of a joke is key to the punch line.

Comic timing emerges only from a performer’s joke delivery. You must consider cadence, rhythm, tempo, intonation, and pausing to guide the joke to a natural peak and then to a conclusion. 

It’s Okay To Give Up!

If you aren’t getting a laugh with a particular joke there is absolutely no point in keeping it going! If you’re feeling awkward about the delivery of a joke, so will the other person.

Accepting that a joke hasn’t landed or just doesn’t work and then being able to move on to funnier and more well-thought-out material are prominent signs of a professional comedian.

Remember: desperation isn’t a funny thing. If your audience is not giving you the laughs that you want or expect, it’s okay to give up.

And that concludes our article about how to tell jokes like a pro! The most important thing to remember is that you must take a deep breath and relax. Allow yourself to relax your mind and body so you can then focus on the delivery, keeping your voice steady and your body language as natural as possible.