Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz. Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association.
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Not everyone is blessed with a deep, sultry, and mysterious voice. Most people develop a deeper voice as they mature but some will always have a tenor range. Suddenly going from Prince to James Earl Jones may be impossible, but anyone can develop a deeper, stronger voice with dedication, determination and diligent practice. Lowering your voice permanently is not easy, but it can be done.
Steps
Find where you should be speaking from. Your voice will be its most natural and powerful when it comes from the area just behind and around your nose. In order to practice speaking from this place, hum mmm-hmm, as if you were responding to a question affirmatively. Feel the vibration in your face as you hum. This is where you should focus on speaking from.[1]EXPERT TIPPatrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association.Voice & Speech Coach
Patrick Muñoz
Voice & Speech CoachIs it possible to change your voice? Patrick Muñoz, a voice and speech coach, explains: "Yes, you can change your voice by finding all your high notes and low notes and then combining them. Most people don't use the full range of their voices; they only use 2, 3, or 4 notes and speak from their throats. Instead of limiting yourself, you can practice growing your voice to use its full range."
Learn how to breathe from your diaphragm. Breathing from your diaphragm as opposed to your chest will make your voice both more powerful and deeper. When you breathe, your stomach should rise, and your chest and shoulders should remain still. These are full, diaphragm breaths.[2]Advertisement
Speak from the diaphragm. You want your breath to come from your diaphragm, and go out through the part of your face you identified in step one. Practice this often, saying anything you like, but focusing on these two parts of your body. You will notice that you can get more power in your voice with less vocal strain, resulting in a louder, deeper voice.[3]
Keep practicing. At first, breathing this way will feel unnatural and you'll probably switch back to your normal way of breathing and speaking often. But if you practice for a couple of weeks, as often as you can remember, eventually it will become second nature. Learning to breathe from your diaphragm is one of the easiest ways to naturally improve your voice.
Start speaking from your stomach instead of your throat. Consciously lower your Adam's apple by slowly swallowing, the last movement of a swallow before your throat goes up is the position you want. Another way is to lower the back of your tongue into your throat. This sounds difficult but play around with it till you find something that works.
Start off slow. If your close friends or family suddenly hear you go from a 1st soprano to a bass you're going to be found out and have decongestants thrown at you. In conversation say a few words at the beginning and end of a sentence in a lower tone. Just be subtle.[4]- Trying to speak too deep too soon not only will seem conspicuous, it can do serious damage to your vocal chords over time. Be careful, and reign it back if you start to feel serious strain.[5]
Lower the end of your sentences. Whenever you find yourself speaking and you've forgotten to try to consciously lower your pitch, just take a deep breath, clear your throat, and finish whatever you were saying with a lower voice. Ending sentences with a high pitch indicates a question, therefore, consciously lowering the end of your sentences will help you sound more confident.[6]
Practice consciously lowering your voice for a while till it becomes habit. Like any other habit, you will forget often at first. With enough practice, what once was a conscious habit will become something you do unconsciously. The only key is to continue consciously speaking in a deeper tone until it becomes natural.
Decide whether more costly options are right for you. Depending on your reasons for trying to deepen your voice, you might decide that it's worth pursuing options that cost money. Voice training and surgery are two of these options, both with large potential for success. If you want a lower voice to improve your confidence or social or dating life, you may want to stick to the slower but safer and cheaper options.
Look into voice lowering surgery. One surgery shown to reduce the pitch of one's speaking voice permanently is called a thyroplasty and it involves reducing the tension in the vocal chords.[7] Another involves injecting a subjects own fat into their vocal folds, which can reportedly lower pitches and improve voice quality. Though hormone replacement therapy alone usually lowers trans men's voices to more masculine levels, surgeries like these can be a next step for those that desire deeper voices.[8]
Get voice training from a speech expert. Vocologists specialize in helping their clients improve their speech in any number of ways, including altering their pitch. A good vocologist will help you identify the causes of your high-pitched voice and teach you change them. There are even vocologists who specialize in helping transgender people achieve more masculine or feminine voices.[9] Your chances of lowering your pitch permanently are increased greatly if you get the help from a professional rather than just relying on self-guided practice.[10]
Community Q&A
- QuestionI am a loud talker. Any tips on how to speak more quietly?
Community AnswerPeople tend to talk louder when excited, so try to remain calm. Try to be more aware of your voice when you're talking and adjust. Practice speaking at a lower volume in general. Ask those close to you to give you gentle reminders when you start getting loud. Speaking more slowly can help. - QuestionHow do I make my voice deeper?
Community AnswerTry the options listed in the article above. If these don't work, you can also try digging deeper online. Be careful that you don't harm your vocal cords. - QuestionI'm 14 and all my friends have deep voices, but mine is high. Should I wait, or do something about it now?
Community AnswerUnless you have hit puberty, it's best to wait. If you have, then try these methods. People hit puberty at different ages, and you still have plenty of time.
Video
Tips
Warnings
- Consciously attempting to lower your pitch can do serious harm to your vocal chords over time, so be cautious, take frequent breaks, and let your progress be very gradual. Gradual progress is the only way to make the changes permanent anyway.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.oulgbtq.org/your-voice.html
- ↑ https://www.oulgbtq.org/your-voice.html
- ↑ https://www.oulgbtq.org/your-voice.html
- ↑ https://voicefoundation.org/articles/breathe-and-speak-with-ease/
- ↑ https://www.oulgbtq.org/your-voice.html
- ↑ https://hbr.org/2015/06/breathing-is-the-key-to-persuasive-public-speaking
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22748-thyroplasty
- ↑ https://www.bsuh.nhs.uk/documents/thyroplasty/
- ↑ http://www.startribune.com/expert-coaches-help-transgender-people-find-a-new-voice/297556501/
About This Article
Medical Disclaimer
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.
To make your voice sound deeper, start speaking from your stomach rather than your throat by lowering the back of your tongue into your throat. You can also practice better breathing techniques, like breathing from your diaphragm instead of your chest. To breathe this way, inhale so that only your stomach rises while your chest and shoulders remain still. If you ever forget to lower your voice while you’re speaking, take a deep breath and say your sentence in a low tone, which will sound confident and deeper. For tips on permanent solutions like thyroplasty, keep reading!
Reader Success Stories
"I had a lower voice than my chorus class and did not fit into the range I needed, so this helped me a lot!!"
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