Speech mechanics

Vocal fry

Definition

A low, creaky vocal register produced when vocal cords vibrate slowly and irregularly - common at the ends of sentences in modern English.

Vocal fry sits at the bottom of your vocal range. It is not a defect, and it is common in everyday speech. It can matter in high-stakes settings: in a 2014 study, American adults rated young women's voices with vocal fry as less competent and less hirable than the same voices without it.

Increasing breath support and ending sentences with energy (instead of letting them trail off) reduces vocal fry without forcing your voice into an unnatural higher register.

Read the full guideWhat is vocal fry? Causes, perception and how to reduce it

Sources

Anderson et al., "Vocal fry may undermine the success of young women in the labor market," PLOS ONE (2014), PLOS ONE

Related terms

Uptalk

Uptalk, also called upspeak or high rising terminal (HRT), is ending statements with a rising intonation, so they sound like questions even when they aren't.

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