A person may want to change their voice for various reasons. Tips such as vocal exercises, extra care of vocal cords, or surgery may help.

A person can take steps if they wish to change their voice, including changing the pitch and tone or expanding their vocal range. Many factors determine how someone’s voice sounds, from gender to height.

This article explores how an individual can change their voice, including exercises to practice and types of surgery that can help.

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Many factors determine how a person’s voice sounds, including genetics, height, weight, gender, and hormones. Even air quality may affect the pitch and sound. There are many components to a voice that someone may want to change, including:

  • the pitch, including how high or low it is
  • a particular tone they may have
  • if they want to have a wider vocal range
  • if they have an accent they want to change
  • if it sounds nasal
  • if they want fluidity, to speak without having to take a breath
  • to feel their speech is more understandable
  • if they are transgender and are changing from a male to a female voice or vice versa, also known as voice feminization surgery or transgender voice therapy

There are many ways a person can change their voice, ranging from vocal exercises to having surgery.

A person can practice vocal exercises that may helpTrusted Source alter their voice, including strengthening and training all the muscles in the voice box. Some vocal exercises include:

  • Diaphragmatic breathing: Deep breathing can engageTrusted Source the diaphragm, pushing it out and controlling air passing through vocal cords.
  • Speaking from the chest: Practicing speaking from the chest can invoke a deeper voice.
  • Warming up the vocal cords: This involves small warm-up exercises that can work the vocal cords before speaking, resulting in a deeper, richer voice. Exercises may include humming and moving the range up and down.
  • Singing exercises: Spending time practicing singing different songs, tones, and pitches may help a person better control their voice and how it sounds.
  • Voice control: Practicing voice control, including controlling the pitch, may help someone gain control over how their voice sounds.
  • Yawn-sigh technique: This technique is common among singers and speech therapists. It helps relax the voice and bring the vocal cords together. It involves yawning and then sighing afterward.

Voice therapy or speech therapy can help people significantly change their voice, including pitch changes.

Voice therapy may also help individuals recover from conditions or illnesses affecting their voice and vocal cords. These treatments may include:

  • physiologic voice therapy, which alters vocal mechanisms
  • symptomatic voice therapy, which alters perceptual voice components
  • accent method (AM), which involves a holistic approach to improving speech
  • conversation training therapy (CTT), which focuses on voice awareness
  • resonant voice therapy (RVT), which can helpTrusted Source someone produce a more clear voice with minimal effort
  • biofeedback, which can help a person be aware of physical sensations and physiological processes involved when speaking
  • chant speech, which helps reduce overall vocal fatigue
  • twang therapy, which can help a voice that others refer to as “weak and breathy”

Improving a person’s posture may help them change their voice. A 2019 study showed that posture is important for improving the movement of the larynx and, in turn, voice production.

Optimal posture helps a person utilize their breath more efficiently, and opening up the chest can improve the tone of voice.

Voluntary surgery can also alter a person’s voice, increasing or decreasing the pitch and tone. Types include:

  • Voice feminization surgery: This surgery can alter and increase the pitch of voice for transgender women. It can include surgical and nonsurgical aspects, including behavioral therapy and altering vocal folds.
  • Transgender voice therapy: This is a type of gender affirming care that can help a person achieve the voice they feel aligns with their gender and identity.
  • Laser vocal cord tuning: This surgery involves lasers to tighten vocal cords, raising the pitch of the voice.
  • Voice deepening surgery: This is a type of surgery that can lower the pitch of a person’s voice. It is also known as masculinization surgery or voice deepening.

Vocal cords, just like all parts of the body, can change over time as they age. Therefore, taking care of them is important, which can involve:

  • avoiding smoking, which causes extensive damage to the throat and vocal cords
  • giving the voice a rest if engaging in activities and behavior that require a lot of use, such as singing, shouting, or excessive talking
  • staying hydrated
  • trying to avoid air pollution

A person can change their voice in various ways, including surgery, vocal exercises, or working with a voice therapist. They may want to change their voice as part of gender affirming care or find their voice has changed over time due to illness or age.

A person can speak with a doctor about changing or altering their voice and what options are available.