Is writing a great speech an art form or a science? Is it possible to use computer software technology to pinpoint the words which give a speech its focus, resonance and persuasive power?

In the wake of US President Barack Obama’s inaugural address in January, the media has embraced computer software which creates “word clouds".

The appeal of “word clouds” is simple: they provide a vivid and colorful graphic illustration of the words most frequently used in a speech.

The BBC, MSNBC and Britain’s Channel 4 News www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/snowclouds+inauguration+speeches/2906737 are among the media organizations to use “word clouds” to analyze political speeches.

Channel 4 News has used word clouds to analyze speeches by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, opposition Conservative party leader David Cameron and the Queen among others.

Software available from www.wordle.net allows users to enter a speech or text to create a graphic which gives greatest prominence to the words most frequently used in a speech, while stripping out common words like “the,” “and” “is” and “or.”

Think of a scrabble board with words of different colors and font sizes jumbled together and you get the picture.

It’s a handy tool for helping to pinpoint the central message of any speech or text, to highlight the dramatic differences in the words that leaders use.

While “word clouds” are relatively new in politics, it may only be a matter of time before they are used more frequently as a quick way of identifying the focus – or core message – of any piece of communication.

While speech writing is not an exact science, it’s clear that the words and phrases we use can define how people think about an issue.

As U.S. Republican pollster Frank Luntz points out in his book “Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear,” the words we use can be critical in shaping how people think about what we have to say.

(pgallagher@ecdinsight.com)