Nasal voice

A nasal voice is a type of speaking voice characterized by speech with a "nasal" quality to it. It can also occur naturally because of genetic variation. In vocal context, the opposite of nasal is adenoidal or denasal.

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Nasal speech can be divided into hypo-nasal or hyper-nasal.

Hypo-nasal speech

• Hypo-nasal speech is when there is a lack of appropriate nasal airflow during speech resulting in speech much as if someone has a bad cold.

Causes of hypo-nasal speech include anything that causes nasal obstruction including, but not limited to:

• adenoid hypertrophy
• turbinate hypertrophy
• allergies
• sinus infections
• viral upper respiratory infection
• deviated septum

Hyper-nasal speech

Hyper-nasal speech is inappropriate increased airflow through the nose during speech, especially with plosives and fricatives (syllables that begin with a consonant).

Examples of hyper-nasal speech include cleft palate and velopharyngeal insufficiency.

People described as having nasal voices

• Fran Drescher
• Ray Romano
• Neil Young
• Bob Dylan
• John Lennon
• Billy Corgan
• The character Janice on the popular sitcom Friends
• Katie Carlile
• Jiro Wang Dong Chen (Fahrenheit)
• The characters Clyde Donovan and Kyle Schwartz in the animated show South Park