Written by: Laura Janzen / Voice / July 07, 2021 / 10 minutes read

A complaint I often hear from clients seeking voice therapy, is that their voice breaks when speaking or singing, seemingly without explanation. We are all familiar with the embarrassing voice changes that plague teens during puberty, however voice cracks can happen to any speaker, regardless of age or gender, and it can be just as embarrassing as an adult. This undesirable vocal behavior can occur for various reasons, and within my practice I have found that understanding the cause is always integral to finding the solution. If you struggle with a voice that is unreliable and cracks without warning, keep reading to learn some of the possible explanations, as well as strategies to develop a stronger, more consistent voice.

To understand what is happening when your voice breaks, you must first understand how your voice works. In order to create sound, air must rush from the lungs and cause the vocal folds (two membranous tissues in your larynx or “voice box”) to vibrate together. Additionally, to move pitch and volume, the muscles in your larynx will tighten and loosen to raise or lower the tone your voice produces. 

When the vocal folds are stretched thin, the pitch will be higher, and when the folds are loosened, the pitch becomes lower. Picture the strings on a guitar for example. Thicker, looser strings will vibrate at a lower frequency, whereas a tight, thin string will produce a high-pitched tone. 

A voice crack occurs in speech when there is an interruption in the air that creates vibration of the vocal folds. Additionally, for singers, their voice may break when moving their pitch in a way that requires them to switch “registers”.

Puberty – As boys and girls go through puberty, their larynx moves down, their vocal folds thicken, and the muscles around the larynx grow in size as well. As a result, the habitual pitch of their voice lowers. As teens adjust to this new instrument, they may have less control over these muscles, which causes them to suddenly tighten, resulting in a voice crack.

1. Pitch changes – In singing, we often talk about different registers including, most generally, the chest voice and head voice. The transition point between these registers is termed the passaggio. Moving seamlessly across this transition point is a skill many singers spend years learning to perfect and control. If you try to change pitch abruptly, the muscle controlling pitch movement (the cricothyroid muscle) will tighten causing a break in the voice.
   

2. Vocal cord disorders – vocal fold lesions like polyps, nodes and nodules as well as conditions such as spasmodic dysphonia and vocal cord paralysis, can make the voice stop vibrating when attempting to speak. When the folds try to vibrate, they can’t make full contact, causing the sound to stop, and the voice to momentarily turn off, which is perceived as a voice break.
   

3. Dehydration – The vocal folds are membranous tissues, and in order to vibrate together efficiently, they require both systemic hydration (water present in the body) and topical hydration (water present on the vocal folds) or they can become dry and this will also cause voice cracks.
   

4. Strain and tension – When you are nervous, you may experience a tight voice that tends to crack. One reason for this is tension in the muscles surrounding the voice box. Another possible cause is that when you are nervous, you don’t breathe effectively, which can also lead to interruptions in voicing. This can also occur if the voice is fatigued, if you are sick, or if you are upset. It is very common to experience a “squeaky” voice when crying, because the muscles around the voice box are tightened, and you are not breathing effectively.

1. Take care of your voice. The most important advice I can give to a client experiencing voice cracks is to improve their vocal hygiene. This includes drinking enough water, as well as avoiding damaging foods, liquids and other substances. 

2. Warm up your voice. Before an extended period of speaking or singing, where you worry your voice may crack, be sure to warm up the voice through gentle humming and glides through your range.

3. Breathe! This may seem obvious, but having enough breath is key to maintaining a consistent voice when speaking. Air is the gas that fuels your voice, and when you’re running on an empty tank, you will be much more likely to experience a voice crack. Break up your speech into smaller ideas, so you are not fitting too many words into one breath. Additionally, from a professional communication standpoint, including more pauses will allow you to sound more confident and intentional when speaking.

If you are experiencing voice cracks, or you’re simply unhappy with the way your voice sounds, book an initial consultation to discuss how we can work together to find a voice that makes you feel confident and in control.

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.