Written by WELL SAID’s Registered Speech Language Pathology Contributors : Laura Janzen

Clinically Reviewed by: Melissa James., M.H.Sc., Reg. CASLPO | Speech Language Pathologist

Updated: January 17, 2024

Breathe in, breathe out…seems pretty simple, right? Well, you may be surprised to know there are actually multiple types of breathing patterns and only one is most efficient when speaking or singing. Do you notice your voice is quiet? Shaky? Rough? Tight? Thin? Well, it’s likely got less to do with the instrument (i.e. your vocal folds) and more to do with how you are playing it (your breathing pattern). 

Air is the gas that fuels our voice and without it your voice will sound rough, weak or strained. Many speakers notice themselves running out of breath when speaking or feeling like they can never project themselves in a noisy room. Other speakers may notice their voice breaking while speaking or singing. This all comes back to breath.

So, what type of breather are you, and how will this affect the sound of your voice? Today we will go through 4 different types of breathing patterns, starting with the optimal breathing pattern.

1. The Belly Breather

2. The Clavicular Breather

3. The Breath Holder

4. The Squeezer

Imagine watching someone who’s laying on their back fast asleep. Yes, that’s a bit creepy, but go with me for a second! You watch as their stomach gently rises and falls, while air comes in and out of their lungs. What you are observing is called diaphragmatic breathing. Since that’s a long word, that’s both difficult to spell and say, we will refer to this pattern as “belly breathing”. In this pattern of breathing, the diaphragm is moving down and out to make room for the lungs to expand as they fill with air. The air is drawn predominantly to the bottom two lobes, allowing us to take in the most oxygen. This is the most efficient breathing pattern, and ironically, we all have it mastered when we’re unconscious, but things change when we’re awake. Some people will naturally be supporting their voice using diaphragmatic breathing, while others may have developed some unhelpful habits.

In this type of breathing, air in drawn into the chest as we raise the shoulders and clavicles (Also known as the collar bones) while contracting the abdomen. When watching someone breathe in this way, you will observe their chest and shoulders moving up and down as the breath comes in and out. This breathing pattern is less efficient than belly breathing and we are not able to access as much air. You may also hear this type of breathing described as “shallow breathing” and can be seen in someone who is having a panic attack and struggling to take full, deep breaths.

We’ve now talked about the two different ways you can draw in a breath, but what about the different ways we let go (or hold on) to that air? Another maladaptive breathing pattern in speech is holding the breath when speaking. If you do not allow a rich and even flow of air while voicing, your voice will sound weak or rough. Only allowing a minimal amount of air to be released while speaking means your voice will not be heard well in loud environments and won’t carry across a room. I often have my clients practice “breath mantras” where they chant aloud exactly what they are supposed to be doing. For example, I’ll have a client repeat “I use all of my air when I’m speaking” as a reminder to let go of the air. At first, I will notice they have a bunch of air left over, which is exhaled once they finish speaking, but after a while they can start to coordinate breathing with speech.

This is another habit I observe clients falling into when releasing breath. Instead of recognizing that their tank is running low, this type of breather will push to the very end of their breath. This type of breathing is usually found in fast talkers who try and fit way too many words onto one breath and end up squeezing out the last few words. This pattern is often accompanied by straining the muscles surrounding the voice box and can lead to fatigue after a day of speaking in this way. 

To learn more about how to properly use air to speak, check out our breathing for communication course which dives even deeper into this topic. In this course you will learn more about the types of breathing. You will also be guided through a series of breathing exercises, stretches to optimize breathing and activities that help you transition this new breathing pattern into running speech. 

The saying “It’s as easy as breathing” is actually quite far from the truth when you consider how many speakers and singers aren’t actually breathing properly before they try to make a sound. Unfortunately, these habits are often subconscious and require active practice to correct. If you feel that your voice is being held back by your breathing technique and you want guidance on how to improve, book an initial consultation with one of our Speech Pathologists today!

To speak with one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.