What term or phrase means a person's "manner of speaking" in the general sense?

Question

I'm looking for the word or phrase that could replace "a manner of speaking" in a sentence, as in "He used a halting, hesitant manner of speaking." Not a particular adjective, but name for what those adjectives would be describing...

It could be described as "speech pattern", but that's more technical or analytical in my mind. I'm looking for something more casually observant. I thought maybe "oratory", but that has a bit of a negative connotation, along with its synonym "rhetoric". I'm looking for a more neutral word.

Thanks, folks~

DyingIsFun · Accepted Answer

Elocution is defined as "a particular style of speaking" (here) and "a person's manner of speaking or reading aloud in public" (here).

Given that both definitions limit application to speaking aloud, it seems to fit your bill. Further, it is more holistic (that is, encompassing) than words like cadence or prosody which relate only to the formal properties of speech.

Axalon57 · Answer

'Voice' could be used to describe one's manner of speech, though it would take some setup to ensure the desired meaning, and not the more obvious one, is properly established.

Squirtle2 · Answer

idiolect - the speech habits peculiar to a particular person
or
idiom - the style of expression in writing, speech, or music that is typical of a particular period, person, or group (please note that 'idiom' has multiple meanings)

What term or phrase means a person's "manner of speaking" in the general sense?

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