How to Cure a Nasal Sounding Voice

When people complain about the sound of their own voice, they often think they sound too nasal.

When you listen to yourself speak, the voice you hear inside your head is distorted by the bones of your skull. Your voice might sound nasal to you but normal to others.

But if you are getting feedback from others that nasality is a real problem, here is what the experts suggest you do.

There are two types of nasality: hyper and hypo. In hypo-nasality the speaker sounds as if their nose is perpetually stuffed. Causes include: colds, allergies, physical obstructions, etc. If you sound like you always have a cold, it's wise to see an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor (ENT) for an evaluation.

In hyper-nasality the person sounds as if they are speaking through the nose. If the problem is mild, licensed speech pathologist Janet FitzGerald,M.S.,CCC suggests this three-pronged approach:

1. Ear Training

The first step is to learn to hear the difference between nasal and non-nasal sounds. A speech coach or licensed speech pathologist can help you do this.

2. Mouth Opening Exercises

The voice can sound nasal if the speaker tends to clench the jaw or close the mouth while speaking. A good exercise for loosening the jaw is to speak as if holding an imaginary dime between the top and bottom back teeth. Important: do not use a real dime. You could inadvertently swallow it!

It is also helpful to practice sentences that include the "ah" sound, long I, long A and long O, vowel sounds.

3. Muscle Strengthening Exercises

These include practicing lists of words that feature plosive sounds such as P,B,T,D,K and G, and fricatives such as S and SH. You can also strengthen your muscles by blowing a horn, flute or party favor or by working with a medically approved resistive breathing device.

Quick Tip: Fitzgerald also notes that nasality tends to decrease when the speaker increases volume and energy level. Again, it's a good idea to get professional advice if nasality is indeed an issue.

From The VoiceCoach Newsletter by Susan Berkley. Reprinted with permission. Copyright 2009 All Rights reserved.

Susan Berkley is the author of Speak To Influence:How To Unlock The Hidden Power of Your Voice. available from your favorite bookseller. For a free subscription to The Voice Coach Newsletter visit www.speaktoinfluence.com.

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