Your voice is an important part of your image as a trans woman or crossdresser. Even if you rarely go out in public as a woman, there will be times when you’ll need to speak to someone.
You want to be the whole pretty package, right? Having a voice that’s congruent with your image is a big part of that.
In this post, I’ll share 5 common voice feminization mistakes that can hold you back from achieving a natural, “passable” female voice.
1. Speaking Too Deeply
No surprise here, but the deeper your voice, the more masculine it will sound.
How do you know if your voice is too deep? Your best option is to use a frequency tuner to measure the pitch of your voice. Here are the typical frequency ranges for masculine and feminine voices:
- Male voices typically range from 100-150 Hz
- Female voices typically range from 175-250 Hz
The good news is that you can easily measure the pitch of your voice by using a frequency tuner app on your phone. Here are a couple free apps for both iOS and Android:
2. Speaking In Falsetto
Trying to mask a deep voice by speaking in an unnaturally high voice – otherwise known as falsetto – isn’t good, either. Speaking this way doesn’t make you sound like a woman, it makes you sound like Minnie Mouse.
While you do want to raise the pitch of your voice, you never want to go too high. Again, a frequency tuner is invaluable for helping you find your correct range.
3. Whispering
If you are self conscious about your voice, you may try to compensate by speaking more softly.
However, lowering the volume of your voice doesn’t make you sound more feminine, it just makes it impossible to hear you.
4. Upswinging Your Sentences
Women naturally have more “melodic intonation” to their voices. In other words, they are more animated when they speak.
Some crossdressers and transgender women make the mistake of trying to imitate this by “upswinging” their voices at the end of every sentence.
Upswinging your voice tends to make each sentence sound like a question. The result is that you sound like a stereotypical Valley Girl, which is probably not the type of woman you want to emulate.
5. Pinching Your Voice
One of the reasons that men have deeper, richer voices than women is because they have a larger “throat space.”
If you try to compensate for your deeper voice by constricting your throat, the result will sound pinched. Think Pee Wee Herman or Kermit the Frog. Again, this is something you will want to avoid.
Avoiding these mistakes is the first step towards achieving a passable feminine voice
It’s easy to go wrong in your attempts to feminize your voice. The good news is that you CAN achieve a passable feminine voice with the right tools and strategy.
That’s why I’m so excited to share my new course, Vocal Feminization for Beginners: 30 Day Transformation!
Taught by opera singer and vocal coach Lera Sonzogni, this easy-to-follow program will teach you the basics of achieving a feminine voice in just 30 days.
Learn more about Vocal Feminization for Beginners here!
Love,
Lucille
P.S. Before you go, be sure to take my voice feminization poll below. I’d love to know how important this issue is for you, along with your thoughts on the topic!
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There have been a number of times where a voice deep within me emerged at a time it was most desired. The experience was delightful but as I might, I cannot call it up on demand. I have tried relaxation techniques and simple random vocalization but as yet, have not found this marvelous voice’s hiding place. I have already developed a feminine vernacular and vocabulary, and modulation is not a problem at all. So I continue with the various strategies outlined here and other places in hopes that I can consciously find that special place where my true voice resides. “Come out, come out, where ever you are!”
just stumbled across your site. Lots of good advice. Can’t wait to keep browsing and learning.
Im a 57 year old married (to a woman) gay man trapped in a male body. Though the wife knows how i feel and doesnt like it, its been hard dealing with this my entire life.
It was so obvious as a kid that my mom had our family doctor inject me with male hormones at 8 or 9 years old.
Did not say anything until recently but i knew whst was happenning cause i felt and saw the change as the months went on.
Any way, thanks for helping. Wish this info was there for me as a youth.
I just started training my voice yesterday to sound more feminine. I’m all over the place, but I think I’m finding my comfort zone that Samantha would be in. I have a naturally nasally and moderately low voice, so this is kicking my butt. Please tell me I’m on the right track. 🙁 . It sounds so weird right now, but I know I just started yesterday.
My voice will be feminine at first then as I conversate it drops how can I keep this from happening or else I end up talking to soft almost whispering
Hi Lucille, I was disappointed to find out the Fundamentals of Your Feminine Voice is no longer available.
The first time I put on full makeup and lingerie and heels and everything, I felt so feminine for the first time that when I first spoke I had this feminine voice I never heard before. Ever since then, try as I might I haven’t been able to duplicate that voice. I know that was the true woman inside speaking for the first time. It’s a wonderful memory and I hope to make it happen again some day. Love your site
People tell me all the time,as soon as I speak they know I’m not female. It’s time to try to change the voice. Your “Flat to Fem” program helped me alot and was easy to work. Thanks alot for your expert advice.
Hi Lucille I just watched I am Cait again where she is on a road trip with other transwomen I think it’s great what she’s trying to do she does seem to have a lot to learn about being poor or unemployed and trans so many of us have to do sex work in order to finance all the things we need to achieve our dreams I too have a lot to learn in this area I do at least have a little income or I will at least when my check arrives and every month after that but I’m not sure just how well I’ll make it on what I’ll get I should be able to get a start but its a long road I know that’s why I believe I’ll just be living full time as a woman maybe someday I’ll find a way to take it further but I’m still very unsure how things will go its not going to stop me but it may hold me back in some areas Love M.J.