Trans masculine speech – common pattern and a solution
When we think of trans masculine speech, many people cite the fact that their voice gets lower on testosterone. What these same people will also tell us is that their voice still doesn’t sound quite as masculine as they’d like and may even get them misgendered. This is because while their voice does get lower, more feminine speech patterns remain.
What speech patterns are feminine?
When we talk about feminine speech patterns, it’s important to know exactly what we mean. Only then can we properly discuss what speech patterns are feminine or masculine, and then learn how to consciously change them.
Smooth connection between words is a common culprit. When someone is used to talking in a more feminine way, their words tend to connect with very little pause between them. The connection is caused by speaking with very long vowels and very soft consonants that don’t interrupt what is being said.
A more masculine way of speaking is to speak with shorter vowels and stronger consonants. To practice this, you can read a page from a book very slowly, speaking each word as fast as you can followed by a long pause between each word. Gradually speed this up until you are speaking at a normal pace, and you’ll be well on your way!
Another common feature of feminine speech patterns is speaking with a lot of variation in pitch. Masculine speech tends to be more monotone, with drops at the end of sentences or phrases.
To practice a more monotone way of speaking. Let’s go back to our book we are using for reading practice. Practice humming what feels like a low pitch to you, then singing one sentence at a time where each word is the same pitch. It may feel or sound like a chant. Once you get the hang of it, try reading the sentence you’ve practiced. There should be much less pitch change!
There are many other elements that go into a voice sounding masculine. However, these two speech patterns are very common culprits in why someone may not sound as masculine as they’d like. With these basic exercises, you can begin to become more self-aware of the traits of your unique voice, and start to alter them to your liking.
Happy practicing!
To learn more, visit Trans Vocal Training's website at: TransVocalTraining.com
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