Glossary of Voice Terms
Here’s an incomplete list of voice terms that you might run into while doing research or starting your own gender-affirming voice journey. We think it’s so important that all of our clients feel like the expert on their voice. Let us know if there are any other terms that may be helpful to include in this resource!
Alignment: Alignment is a goal we target in voice therapy when the client is familiar and comfortable with pitch strategies and resonance strategies and ready to combine them together. The therapist and the client work together to tweak the target pitch and target resonance to craft a voice that feels “balanced” (e.g. not too high, not too buzzy) and “effortless”. This voice may not feel effortless at first, but the intention is that it sounds easy, balanced, and without tension.
Biofeedback: Biofeedback is a fancy way of describing feedback from a program or app that can indicate whether your vocal productions are accurately hitting your goal. For our purposes, we use vocal pitch tracking apps and programs to track average pitch. We practice using pitch tracking apps during the session, so that each client is familiar with how to track success on their own during home practice throughout the week.
Brightness: Brightness is a subjective description of a kind of resonance that comes from a shorter more narrow vocal tract. When combined with lower pitches, it can sound “brassy” or “buzzy”.
Darkness: Darkness is a subjective description of a kind of resonance that comes from a wider, longer vocal tract. You can produce an example of dark resonance by producing “ho ho ho” as though you were Santa Claus.
Dysphonia: A chance in the sound or feel of your voice due to tension present in the muscles of the larynx or in the surrounding structures. Dysphonia can come from a variety of causes including vocal misuse and psychological stress.
Gender-affirming care: Gender-affirming care, sometimes referred to as transition-related care, is life-saving healthcare for transgender people of all ages. It is not a single category of services but instead is a range of services, including mental health care, medical care, and social services. Gender-affirming care is medically necessary for the well-being of many transgender and non-binary people who experience symptoms of gender dysphoria, or distress that results from having one’s gender identity not match their sex assigned at birth. Gender-affirming care helps transgender and non-binary people live openly and authentically as their true selves. Just like any other form of healthcare, it also helps transgender and non-binary people live safe and healthy lives. (HRC 2023)
Generalization: Generalization comes at the final stages of voice therapy. This is the process of taking your voice out of the therapy session and beyond structured practice to real life situations. Each individual generalizes their voice at their own pace based on what feels comfortable and safe for them. We include some tips for generalization in another blog post here.
Hydration: A key element of vocal health! We emphasize that clients should maintain adequate hydration during voice therapy. Water helps keep your vocal cords moist and healthy and helps to decrease extra mucous that may irritate them.
Intonation: This refers to the variation in pitch across a sentence. For example, to demonstrate that we are asking a question, intonation goes up at the end of a sentence. Perceptually feminine voices are often (although not always) associated with a more varied range of pitches, while perceptually masculine speakers tend to speak in a more monotone or staccato fashion. This aspect can be adjusted to align with the individual client’s goals.
Larynx (aka “voice box”): The larynx is an organ in your throat that holds the vocal cords. Air passes through the larynx through your vocal cords to create vibrations (voicing). The larynx can manipulate the vocal cords to adjust pitch, and can change position to adjust resonance.
Nasality (hyper and hypo): A type of resonance that comes from the nasal cavity. Language has sounds that are oral and sounds that are nasal. When the nasal cavity is blocked, and nasal sounds are not able to be produced accurately, we hear the voice as hyponasal. Hyponasality can result from inflammation, say from a cold, that blocks the nasal cavity. Hypernasality can result from too much airflow through the nose.
Pitch: Pitch describes the frequency of your voice, or how “low” or “high” it is. This is typically the first thing people think of when considering the differences between masculine vs. feminine presenting voices. Voice therapists often work with transgender individuals to help them adjust the pitch of their voice to align with their gender more closely.
Resonance: Resonance is the quality of the voice that is determined by the size and shape of the vocal tract. A larger vocal tract, typically the result of testosterone during puberty, results in a “darker” sound. A smaller vocal tract creates a “brighter” sound. Voice therapists work with clients to utilize strategies to change the resonance of their voice.
Vocal cords/vocal folds: Folds of membranous tissue that vibrate together to produce your voice.
Vocal hygiene: Vocal hygiene, just like how you would think of dental hygiene, is the concept of behaviors that keep your voice healthy. This includes staying hydrated, treating and managing acid reflux, avoiding irritants like poor air quality or smoking, taking vocal rest, and avoiding prolonged screaming or shouting.
Voice Dysphoria: The feeling that your voice does not align with your gender, gender identity, or gender expression.
