Pitch
Pitch is how high or low your voice sounds. Many people think that this is what determines the gender of someone’s voice, but it’s only one aspect!
Broadly, the average range for cisgender males is 85-155 Hz, while the average range for cisgender females is 165-255 Hz.[1] These ranges vary depending on age and the dialect or language being spoken (please note that the study citing this information, was carried out in English). To achieve a more typically feminine voice, current literature recommends that the pitch sits within a typical gender-neutral range (45-175 Hz) or a typical cisgender female range (180-220 Hz).[2]
It is important to note that there is no fixed consensus around what a ‘gender-neutral’ pitch range is, so we would recommend trialling different pitch ranges to see what makes you comfortable and what best reflects your gender identity or expression.
As you can see, there is likely to be some overlap between the two sets of ranges, which reflects the natural variation in pitch between people. These ranges are suggestions to aid with achieving your desired results while also maintaining a healthy voice.
Resonance
Resonance refers to the sound produced by changing the shape and positioning of the tongue, lips, jaw and throat,[3] and is a large factor in how people perceive gender in voice. Adjusting resonance reduces the fatigue from adjusting your pitch allowing you to use your voice more safely.
Resonance is a difficulty aspect of voice to describe, but, in general, cisgender women’s voices are described as being ‘brighter’ and cisgender men’s voices are ‘darker’. The voices of children are also often described as ‘bright’. This is a result of longer and larger vocal tracts amplifying lower frequencies, and shorter smaller vocal tracts amplifying higher frequencies.
In combination with techniques such as lip spreading and tongue placement,[4] the different frequencies of the voice can be changed to closer approximate a typical ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ voice.
If you have any experience with singing, consider the difference between a ‘head’ and ‘chest’ voice. This is a change in the sound of the voice by adjusting the resonance. You may also hear resonance colloquially referred to as ‘timbre’.
For demonstrations of how changing resonance sounds in practice and exercises you can try, see Resonance Exercises.
Loudness
Vocal intensity, or volume, is another aspect of voice to consider. In general, due to a larger lung capacity and higher laryngeal mass, cisgender males are considered to speak at a louder volume than cisgender females.[5] However, the role of volume in gender perception is relatively small, and you should never be straining to be louder or softer, as this will cause damage to the vocal cords. If the loudness of your voice is a concern, you can measure the volume using an app such as Voice Tools and compare this to the averages they provide.
Intonation
Intonation refers to how your voice’s pitch moves up and down as you speak. Think about the difference between how you would say, “You want a drink of water” as a statement, and “You want a drink of water?” as a question. In a question, your pitch rises slightly at the end of the sentence.
One study found that individuals who used less downward intonation (where pitch lowers), more upward intonation (where pitch rises), and less level pitch (where pitch remains the same or ‘monotone’) were more likely to have their voices considered ‘feminine’ by strangers.[6] The inverse—more downward intonation, less upward intonation, and more level pitch use—may result in a more ‘masculine’ voice perception.
Vocal Quality
Pitch, Resonance and Intonation - Examples
Footnotes
[1] Baken, R. J. (1987). Clinical measurement of speech and voice. Taylor & Francis, p. 177.
[2] Davies, S., Papp, V. G., & Antoni, C. (2015). Voice and Communication Change for Gender Nonconforming Individuals: Giving Voice to the Person Inside. International Journal of Transgenderism, 16(3), 117–159. https://doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2015.1075931
[3] Adler, R. K., Hirsch, S., & Pickering, J. (2018). Voice and Communication Therapy for the Transgender/Gender Diverse Client: A Comprehensive Clinical Guide, Third Edition. Plural Publishing, p. 218.
[4] Carew, L., Dacakis, G., & Oates, J. (2007). The Effectiveness of Oral Resonance Therapy on the Perception of Femininity of Voice in Male-to-Female Transsexuals. Journal of Voice, 21(5), 591–603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2006.05.005
[5] Gelfer, M. P., & Young, S. R. (1997). Comparisons of intensity measures and their stability in male and female speakers. Journal of Voice: Official Journal of the Voice Foundation, 11(2), 178–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-1997(97)80076-8
[6] Wolfe, V. I., Ratusnik, D. L., Smith, F. H., & Northrop, G. (1990). Intonation and fundamental frequency in male-to-female transsexuals. The Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 55(1), 43–50. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshd.5501.43
[7] Barsties, B., & De Bodt, M. (2015). Assessment of voice quality: Current state-of-the-art. Auris Nasus Larynx, 42(3), 183–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anl.2014.11.001
[8] Leung, Y., Oates, J., & Chan, S. P. (2018). Voice, Articulation, and Prosody Contribute to Listener Perceptions of Speaker Gender: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research, 61(2), 266–297. (128056274). https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_JSLHR-S-17-0067