110 persuasive speech topics, an outline that persuades, and a timer to practise

A good persuasive speech topic is one people really disagree about, narrow enough to argue in a few minutes, and one you can back with evidence. Below are 110 persuasive speech topics in eight groups, from school and technology to fun topics like “Cereal is a soup”, followed by a proven five-step outline (Monroe’s Motivated Sequence), a complete model speech, the English phrases that persuade, and a free timer that records you.

By The YoFluent teamUpdated 11 min read

The YoFluent cat cheering next to the title: Persuasive speech topics
On this page
  1. Practise now: a 2-minute persuasive speech timer
  2. 110 persuasive speech topics by category
  3. What makes a good persuasive speech topic?
  4. The outline: Monroe’s Motivated Sequence
  5. Ethos, pathos and logos: the three ways to persuade
  6. A model persuasive speech (about 3 minutes)
  7. Phrases that make a speech persuasive
  8. Delivering it with confidence
  9. FAQ
  10. Sources

Practise now: a 2-minute persuasive speech timer

You get a random topic from this page, 60 seconds to choose your side and three reasons, then 2 minutes to persuade. Allow the microphone and it records you so you can listen back.

Your persuasive topic

Schools should start later in the morning

Runs in your browser. Your recording stays on your device and is never uploaded.

110 persuasive speech topics by category

School and education

  1. Schools should start later in the morning
  2. Homework should be optional
  3. Every student should learn personal finance
  4. Phones should be banned during class
  5. School uniforms do more harm than good
  6. Students should grade their teachers
  7. Coding should be a required subject
  8. Standardized tests should be scrapped
  9. Schools should have a four-day week
  10. Physical education should be graded on effort, not ability
  11. Every student should learn a second language
  12. Cursive handwriting is still worth teaching
  13. Students should be allowed to use AI for homework
  14. Gap years should be encouraged
  15. College should be free

Technology and social media

  1. Social media should require users to be 16
  2. AI-generated images should always be labelled
  3. Screen time limits should be built into every phone
  4. Tech companies should pay for the news they show
  5. Online anonymity does more good than harm
  6. Video games are good for teenagers
  7. Self-driving cars should be allowed in cities
  8. Smartphones should not be sold to children under 13
  9. Algorithms should be explained to users
  10. Influencers should disclose every paid post
  11. Everyone should learn to spot fake news
  12. Robots will create more jobs than they destroy
  13. Kids should learn to code before high school
  14. Facial recognition should be banned in public places
  15. Working from home should be a legal right

Health and lifestyle

  1. Sugary drinks should be taxed
  2. Schools should serve only healthy food
  3. Everyone should learn CPR
  4. Energy drinks should be banned for under-18s
  5. Sleep is more important than studying late
  6. Mental health days should count as sick days
  7. Fast food advertising should be restricted
  8. Walking should replace short car trips
  9. Cooking should be taught in every school
  10. Gyms should be free for teenagers
  11. A plant-based diet is better for most people
  12. Daily exercise should be part of the school day
  13. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
  14. Vaping should be treated like smoking
  15. Doctors should prescribe time outdoors

Environment

  1. Single-use plastic should be banned
  2. Cities should be car-free on Sundays
  3. Fast fashion is harming the planet
  4. Every school should have solar panels
  5. Zoos do more good than harm
  6. Public transport should be free
  7. Food waste should be illegal for supermarkets
  8. Bottled water should be phased out
  9. We should all eat less meat
  10. Nuclear power is part of the climate solution
  11. Lawns should be replaced with wildflowers
  12. Companies should pay for the waste they create
  13. Every new building should have a green roof
  14. Cruise ships should be limited
  15. Recycling should be mandatory

Society and citizenship

  1. The voting age should be lowered to 16
  2. Voting should be compulsory
  3. Community service should be required to graduate
  4. Tipping should be replaced with fair wages
  5. Libraries are more important than ever
  6. Everyone should do a year of national service
  7. Museums should be free
  8. Billionaires should pay higher taxes
  9. Kindness should be taught in schools
  10. Celebrities have a duty to be role models
  11. Parents should limit their children’s screen time
  12. The minimum wage should be raised
  13. Public spaces should have free Wi-Fi
  14. Cash should never be fully replaced by cards
  15. Adopting pets is better than buying them

Work and money

  1. A four-day work week makes people more productive
  2. Unpaid internships should be banned
  3. Salaries should be public inside a company
  4. Everyone should have a side hustle
  5. Saving money should start in childhood
  6. Credit cards should not be offered to students
  7. Remote workers should be paid the same as office workers
  8. University is not the only path to success
  9. Teenagers should have a part-time job
  10. Employees should be allowed to nap at work

Sports and entertainment

  1. E-sports are real sports
  2. College athletes should be paid
  3. Video referees make football better
  4. Reality TV does more harm than good
  5. Books are better than their movies
  6. Streaming services should limit autoplay
  7. Violent video games do not cause violence
  8. Every school should have a drama class
  9. Professional athletes are overpaid
  10. Movie theaters still matter

Fun and light persuasive topics

  1. Pineapple belongs on pizza
  2. Cats make better pets than dogs
  3. Breakfast for dinner should be a weekly tradition
  4. Summer is the best season
  5. Naps should be mandatory for adults
  6. Socks with sandals are fine
  7. Homework should be banned on Fridays
  8. Every school should have a pet
  9. Cereal is a soup
  10. Board games are better than video games
  11. The early bird does not always get the worm
  12. Everyone should learn to juggle
  13. Dessert should come first
  14. Hot dogs are sandwiches
  15. Mondays should be a holiday

Want to explain rather than convince? See informative speech topics. Arguing against another team? Try debate topics.

What makes a good persuasive speech topic?

TestWeak topicStrong topic
People disagreeBullying is badSchools should suspend students for cyberbullying
Narrow enoughFix climate changeOur town should make buses free
Asks for actionSocial media is interestingSocial media should require users to be 16
You can find evidenceAliens built the pyramidsSugary drinks should be taxed
Fits the audienceRaise the retirement age (to teenagers)Schools should start later

The outline: Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

Alan Monroe designed this five-step structure in the 1930s, and it is still taught in public speaking classes because it follows how people make decisions.

StepWhat you doExample (“Schools should start later”)
1. AttentionA question, a startling fact or a short story.“Who here woke up today before 6:30? Keep your hand up if you felt awake.”
2. NeedShow the problem and who it hurts.Teenagers’ body clocks shift later; early starts mean less sleep and lower focus.
3. SatisfactionGive your solution and answer objections.Start at 8:30 or later; buses and sports can be re-timed.
4. VisualisationPaint the future with and without your idea.“Picture a first lesson where everyone is awake.”
5. ActionTell the audience exactly what to do.“Sign the petition at the back of the room today.”

Ethos, pathos and logos: the three ways to persuade

  • Logos (logic): facts, numbers, cause and effect. “A study of… found that…”
  • Pathos (emotion): a story or image that makes people care. One real person beats ten statistics.
  • Ethos (credibility): why you should be trusted: your experience, fair treatment of the other side, reliable sources.

A model persuasive speech (about 3 minutes)

Topic: Every student should learn personal finance.

Raise your hand if you know how a credit card’s interest works. Now keep it up if you learned that at school. Most hands just went down. That is the problem I want to talk about today.

Every year, thousands of young people sign their first phone contract, open their first bank account or take their first loan, and nobody has taught them how any of it works. My cousin got her first credit card at eighteen. She paid only the minimum each month, because she thought that was the rule. Two years later, she owed more than she had spent.

My proposal is simple: one compulsory course in personal finance before graduation. Budgeting, saving, interest, taxes and how to spot a scam. Some people will say there is no time in the timetable. But we already find time for subjects many of us will never use again. Others will say parents should teach this. Some do, but many parents were never taught either. School is the one place every student goes.

Imagine a class that leaves school knowing how to read a payslip and how to compare two loans. Now imagine the opposite: young adults learning about interest only when the bill arrives.

So here is what I ask. Today, talk to one teacher about this. And next month, when the student council votes on new courses, vote for personal finance. It is the one subject that every single one of us will use. Thank you.

Notice the five steps: a hand-raising question (attention), a personal story (need and pathos), the proposal plus two objections answered (satisfaction and ethos), two pictures of the future (visualisation) and a specific request (action). At about 300 words, it fills 2 to 2½ minutes at a calm pace.

Phrases that make a speech persuasive

To…Say
State your position“I strongly believe that…” / “Today I want to convince you that…”
Give evidence“According to…” / “Research shows that…” / “Consider this:…”
Answer an objection“Some people argue that… But…” / “It’s true that…; however…”
Make it personal“Imagine if…” / “Think about the last time you…”
Emphasise“The real question is…” / “This is exactly why…”
Call to action“So I urge you to…” / “Starting today, let’s…”

Delivering it with confidence

  • Slow down on your main claim and pause after it. A pause tells the audience “this matters”.
  • Stress the key words: “Every student should learn this.” See word stress.
  • Falling intonation sounds certain; rising intonation at the end of a claim sounds unsure. See English intonation.
  • Rehearse out loud three times, recording at least once. See how to speak English confidently.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good persuasive speech topic?

A good persuasive speech topic is a specific claim that people really disagree about, that asks the audience to do or believe something, and that you can support with evidence. Examples: “Schools should start later in the morning”, “Single-use plastic should be banned” and “The voting age should be lowered to 16”.

What are some easy persuasive speech topics?

Easy persuasive speech topics include: Homework should be optional, Phones should be banned during class, Every student should learn CPR, Cats make better pets than dogs, Summer is the best season and Board games are better than video games.

How do you start a persuasive speech?

Start with an attention-getter: a question for the audience, a surprising fact or a short story. Then state your position clearly in one sentence, for example “Today I want to convince you that every student should learn personal finance.”

What is Monroe’s Motivated Sequence?

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence is a five-step outline for persuasive speeches created by Alan Monroe: attention, need, satisfaction, visualisation and action. You get attention, show a problem, offer a solution, help the audience picture the result, and ask them to act.

What is the difference between a persuasive and an informative speech?

An informative speech explains a topic so the audience understands it; a persuasive speech tries to change what the audience believes or does. “How vaccines work” is informative; “Every student should be vaccinated” is persuasive.

How long is a persuasive speech?

Class persuasive speeches are usually 3 to 7 minutes. At 120 to 150 words per minute, a 3-minute speech is about 360 to 450 words, and a 5-minute speech is about 600 to 750 words.

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Sources

  1. Monroe’s motivated sequence, Wikipedia
  2. Modes of persuasion (ethos, pathos, logos), Wikipedia