Voice and communication is the preferred term for the work carried out in partnership with trans people by speech and language therapists.
The voice has several aspects to consider:
1. The pitch (or frequency, measured in Hz or cycles per second). Female spectrum speakers tend to have higher pitch in contrast to lower pitch male spectrum speakers. Trans individuals thinking of changing their pitch need to consider that this requires careful and gradual change over a number of months. There is a gender neutral pitch range which is often a good aim at the start of therapy. Pitch change should not be your sole aim, as other aspects such as resonance provide an authentic quality to the voice.
2. Resonance is when other structures in the body vibrate with the voice and add a distinct quality to the voice. Male spectrum speakers have more chest resonance, while female spectrum speakers are said to have more head resonance.
3. Loudness or volume/intensity is how quiet or loud the speaker is. When trans individuals change the pitch of the voice, it may be difficult to maintain appropriate loudness at the same time. Loudness is important for emphasising words in a spoken sentence, and for different social and emotional functions of the voice.
4. Articulation is how speech sounds are formed. Female spectrum speakers tend to be more precise. Some female spectrum speakers are thought to be more breathy, although this is currently being debated.
5. How language is used. 'Language' here is how we combine words in spoken sentences. Cis females have been found to use a significantly higher frequency of tag questions in conversation than cis-males.
6. Facial expression and body language. Male spectrum speakers are less expressive in general, and provide fewer social cues such as coding when listening to a speaker. Sitting, standing and gait while walking also differ between the genders.
1. The pitch (or frequency, measured in Hz or cycles per second). Female spectrum speakers tend to have higher pitch in contrast to lower pitch male spectrum speakers. Trans individuals thinking of changing their pitch need to consider that this requires careful and gradual change over a number of months. There is a gender neutral pitch range which is often a good aim at the start of therapy. Pitch change should not be your sole aim, as other aspects such as resonance provide an authentic quality to the voice.
2. Resonance is when other structures in the body vibrate with the voice and add a distinct quality to the voice. Male spectrum speakers have more chest resonance, while female spectrum speakers are said to have more head resonance.
3. Loudness or volume/intensity is how quiet or loud the speaker is. When trans individuals change the pitch of the voice, it may be difficult to maintain appropriate loudness at the same time. Loudness is important for emphasising words in a spoken sentence, and for different social and emotional functions of the voice.
4. Articulation is how speech sounds are formed. Female spectrum speakers tend to be more precise. Some female spectrum speakers are thought to be more breathy, although this is currently being debated.
5. How language is used. 'Language' here is how we combine words in spoken sentences. Cis females have been found to use a significantly higher frequency of tag questions in conversation than cis-males.
6. Facial expression and body language. Male spectrum speakers are less expressive in general, and provide fewer social cues such as coding when listening to a speaker. Sitting, standing and gait while walking also differ between the genders.
More information coming soon!