A script that reads well on a page can be unspeakable out loud. Writing for voice is a different craft from writing for the eye.
Write short sentences
One idea per sentence. A listener cannot re-read. Long subordinate clauses that work in print force the reader to hold breath and meaning at once, and the read goes flat.
Read it aloud yourself
This single habit catches most problems: tongue twisters, repeated sounds, accidental rhymes, sentences with no natural breath point and words that are ambiguous when heard rather than seen.
Mind the rhythm
Vary sentence length deliberately. A short sentence after two long ones lands. Put the important word at the end of the sentence where possible, because that is where emphasis naturally falls.
Write out anything ambiguous
- Numbers: write twenty twenty four or two thousand and twenty four, whichever you want to hear.
- Acronyms: mark whether they are spelled out or said as a word.
- Names, places, products and technical terms: give a phonetic guide.
- Dates, currencies and units: write them the way they should be spoken.
Time it before you record
Read at a natural pace and time it. Most conversational reads land near two and a half words per second, but this varies by artist and by tone. If the script must fit a fixed length, cut ten percent before the session rather than asking someone to rush.
Format for the booth
Use a large readable font, generous line spacing, one paragraph per idea, and never break a sentence across a page. Number the paragraphs so you can ask for a retake by number. Mark optional sentences that can be dropped for time.
Include intent, not just words
A one line note above each section describing who the speaker is talking to and why does more for the read than a list of adjectives. Voice actors are performers; give them a situation.
Lock the script before the session
Rewrites during a session cost time and usually make the copy worse. If changes are unavoidable, mark them clearly and give the artist a moment to read the new lines before recording.