Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about RankedSpeak.
What is RankedSpeak?
RankedSpeak is a competitive speech training game. You get a prompt, speak for 30-60 seconds, and an AI judge scores you across four dimensions: clarity, flow, structure, and substance. You're matched against other speakers in async duels, and your Elo rating moves based on the result. Think of it as ranked mode for public speaking.
How does the AI scoring work?
The AI evaluates your speech across four dimensions. Clarity measures how easy you are to understand, penalizing filler words and mumbling. Flow measures your pacing, pauses, and vocal smoothness. Structure evaluates whether your response has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Substance scores the quality and relevance of your actual points. Each dimension is scored 0-100, and the combined result determines duel outcomes.
What is the Elo rating system?
The Elo system is borrowed from chess. Every player has a numeric rating that goes up when they win and down when they lose. The amount it moves depends on the expected outcome: beating a higher-rated speaker gives you more points than beating a lower-rated one. RankedSpeak has 7 rank tiers from Rookie to Supreme Judge, so you always have a clear goal to chase.
How long is each practice round?
Each round is 30-60 seconds. You get a prompt, think for a few seconds, then record your response. The short format is intentional: it removes the barrier to practice. You can fit a round into any gap in your day, which makes it easy to build a daily speaking habit.
Do I need a partner to practice?
No. All duels are asynchronous. You record your response to a prompt, and you're matched against another speaker who responded to the same prompt at a different time. There's no scheduling, no waiting rooms, and no need to coordinate with anyone. You practice whenever you want.
Is RankedSpeak free?
RankedSpeak is free to start. Core features including AI scoring, duels, and Elo rankings are available at no cost. Premium features are coming, but the free tier is designed to be fully functional for daily speech practice.
When does RankedSpeak launch?
RankedSpeak is coming soon to iOS. Join the waitlist to get early access and be notified when the app launches. Early waitlist members will get priority access and exclusive perks.
What makes RankedSpeak different from other speech apps?
Competition. Most speech apps are solo tools: you record yourself, get some feedback, and that's it. There's no reason to come back tomorrow. RankedSpeak adds a competitive layer with Elo rankings, async duels, and leaderboards. The same mechanics that keep people playing ranked modes in games for thousands of hours now work for speech improvement.
Can I use RankedSpeak for presentation prep?
Yes. While RankedSpeak is optimized for impromptu speaking, the skills transfer directly to presentations. Clarity, structure, flow, and substance are the same dimensions that make presentations effective. Many users practice daily with RankedSpeak to build general speaking skill, then apply those skills to specific presentations.
What types of speaking prompts are there?
RankedSpeak offers prompts across multiple categories: impromptu (think on your feet), debate (defend a position), storytelling (craft a narrative), and persuasion (convince the listener). Prompt difficulty scales with your Elo rating, so beginners get accessible topics while advanced speakers face more challenging prompts.
Ready to start training?
RankedSpeak gives you AI-scored speech practice with Elo rankings and competitive duels.
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