Male vs. Female Voices
Many people may think of pitch as being the main difference between male and female voices. Actually, men's and women's voices differ from each other on a variety of parameters, as the table below demonstrates. When considering the information below, however, it is important to keep in mind the fact that "feminine" and "masculine" norms for voice and communication may differ within and between cultures. The norms presented here should not be considered as universal (table adapted from Davies & Goldberg, 2006).
These features are considered to be "highly salient to gender attributions" (Davies & Goldberg, 2006):
These features are considered to be "highly salient to gender attributions" (Davies & Goldberg, 2006):
Feature
Pitch Formants Intonation |
Female norms
196-224 Hertz Higher More variable; more upward glides |
Male norms
107-132 Hertz Lower More level; more downward glides |
The following features are less clearly salient than the above features, but may also be considered:
Feature
Loudness Breathiness Duration Articulation |
Female norms
68-74 Decibels Mildly breathy; softer speech onsets Longer; lingering on vowels Clear and light |
Male norms
68-76 Decibels Not breathy; harder speech onsets More staccato More forceful onsets; dropped phonemes; reduced use of /ð/ (voiced "th") |
SLPs, then, may target any of the following features in therapy:
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Regardless of what parameters are targeted in speech therapy for a given individual, Davies & Goldberg (2006) point out that "the goal is to allow the outside--speech, voice, and movement--to reflect what the client feels inside."
Importance of Speech and Voice Therapy
How important is speech/voice therapy in helping individuals transition?
Davies & Goldberg (2006) report on one survey in which 23% of transgender individuals reported currently needing speech therapy. Studies of MtF transsexuals suggest that up to 73% consider "feminization of communication" to be highly important. And in one study of FtM transsexuals, 88% rated "masculinization of communication" as being at least as important as sex reassignment surgery. Read on for more information about the role of the speech-language pathologist in working with this population. |