2023.08.01 – 0943 – Breathy Voice

Breathy voice

Symptom:  A voice with lots of air, which disperses the sound waves, makes the voice weak, and soon runs out (such as that of Marilyn Munroe[1]). The cause may be serious, a physical problem in closing your vocal folds during phonation causing extra, unnecessary air to ‘leak’ as you speak. A breathy voice can be affected, put-on for dramatic effect when the speaker thinks it creates a sultry sound, but like any non-natural speaking styles it can be harming your voice.

Prescription: If the cause is serious then it will be identified by a professional ENT specialist. Before booking an appointment with them, try this two-step solution.

·        Breathiness might be a real (or a perceived) issue of running out of breath as you speak. Relaxation exercises will help, along with better posture. Core exercises will strengthen your diaphragm to allow you to better control your exhalation rate by pulling in your abdomen muscles more slowly.

·        Then concentrate more on word pronunciation, your phonation. This is something a speech therapist will be able to assist you with.

(Episodes 524 and 851 may be of interest if you want to know more about this.)

[1] Marilyn Monroe's breathy voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DYVRT8LpWw  and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jOMS-xXaqc

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