In the beginning was the word.

After that, things got more complicated.

Speech can be a tricky issue. So often, it's not just the words we say, but how we say them, that is part of the message.

Fairly or unfairly, how we express ourselves can create an impression that is favorable or disadvantageous. That's why Lynda Waltner Stucky, a corporate speech pathologist from Moon, created Clearly Speaking.

She takes her one-woman business to corporations and organizations, giving tips on how to polish the finer points of language and enhance the chances for successful careers.

Last week, she was in a conference room at the Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, giving a presentation for three local women who wanted to refine their speaking abilities.

Anette Jakiel, of Moon, is active at the Providence Presbyterian Church in Robinson and is council president of Women in the Church, the women's ministry. "There are occasions when I have to speak," Jakiel said, "and it's never easy for me. I think about it for the whole day." She's tense and her heartbeats are in overdrive as she stands up to face an audience.

Stucky said that when we open our mouths to talk, our accent and dialect may reveal our social backgrounds, our educational level and what region or country we come from. Our words may be informative, moving, businesslike or rousing, depending on our pitch, diction, intonation, pauses and rhythm.

Katie Schmidt, sales manager at the Hampton Inn on University Boulevard in Moon, said "I have to gear my voice to two different types of people," business people who travel extensively, know what they want and are concise and precise about their needs, and locals who are planning weddings, reunions and parties.

"In the latter circumstances, it's important to be reassuring and comforting, according to Schmidt, "especially with the brides," because the events are so personal.

Concerned about a speech she's giving on media relations to the airport chamber, Chris Crytzer wanted to work on her pauses and pitch. "I have a low voice, but when I start, it comes out cracking and squeaky" as a result of nerves, she said.

One of the first things Stucky addresssed was regionalism.

Today, many people have jobs and responsibilities where communication is key. We are a society in transit, and when we move or travel, we take our regional speech with us.

This led naturally to the subject of Pittsburghese. "Is it charming or annoying?" Stucky asked.

Well, maybe a little of both.

While it may have charm, Stucky recommended substituting more mainstream standard English for old-line Pittsburgh expressions, such as nebby, (to be curious about things that are none of your business), gum band (rubber band) and red up (to straighten up a room).

Teacher and students agreed the use of yunz would be poor form for addressing colleagues or customers outside the Pittsburgh area , or, for that matter, here at home.

The class practiced saying the word "now" in a loud pitch, then authoritatively, then quickly, in a whining tone and as a question. Same word. Different nuances.

They repeated a line from Hamlet, "To be or not to be, that is the question," several times, pausing at various locations. With each change in pause, the emphasis changed and different words were dramatized.

There was unanimous approval of James Earl Jones' speech with his powerful voice, low pitch and resonance. On the other end of the scale, Schmidt said, she felt compelled to turn off the television every time she heard Fran Drescher whine as "The Nanny."

Stucky played some audio tapes, starting with Martin Luther King Jr., whose voice, she said, has a relatively high pitch and a somewhat flat intonation. His power lies in how he varies the rhythm of his speech and with his phrasing, which is dramatic and invigorating.

He has the unusual habit of finishing a sentence but not stopping, instead going on for two or three words into the next sentence before pausing, Stucky said.

Another audio featured a breathy female with a throaty delivery and drawn out vowels that the students identified as Marilyn Monroe. All agreed it was a sexy way of talking. "Is this appropriate in a board room?" Stucky wanted to know.

"It would be irritating to me, but men might be drawn to it," Jakiel said, to the amusement of the class.

Stucky reminded the women of the importance of avoiding sloppy speech, such as saying are house for our house, fir instead of for, jist instead of just, gonna instead of going to.

Other no's: jerky, irregular speech, frequent repetition of words, too many um's and er's, asking too often "do you know what I mean?" and making statements that sound as though they are questions.

Jakiel said the hour-long session made her more aware of the various elements of speech and the effect they have on listeners.

Schmidt said she would work to vary her pitch. Also, "I always say 'like'. I am going to watch that."

Crytzer plans to use pauses more efficiently and "not go so fast" when speaking.

Stucky, originally from South Dakota, received a bachelor's degree in general science from the University of Kansas in 1984 and a master's in speech pathology from the University of Kansas Medical Center in 1986.

Before moving to Pittsburgh, she worked with patients who had lost their larynxes.

Stucky came to this area in 1994 with her husband, Max, who works for Bayer Inc. She's spent some time exploring the market for corporate speech pathology and this year plans to gear up her business.

She waived the fees at the session held at the airport chamber offices in order to help network and let people know about her services.

In addition to James Earl Jones, Stuckey admires the speech of British actress Alex Kingston, who plays Dr. Elizabeth Corday, a surgeon, on the television show ER.