Speaking with an opened and relaxed throat will generate a pleasant vocal sound that will be produced with less effort.  When your throat is tense, an open and relaxed position to generate speech cannot occur.  This unit will teach you how to recognize when your throat is tight and produce speech that is free from laryngeal tension.

When diaphragm breathing occurs tension is not placed on the throat, as is the case with chest breathing. When chest breathing occurs the external laryngeal muscles from the neck are automatically used which places unnecessary strain on the vocal cartilages.  Being consistent with diaphragm breathing is a critical skill for using your voice properly because the laryngeal muscles are not being over used and you are in the position to speak without laryngeal tension.

Recognizing the Difference Between and Opened and Relaxed Throat

Learn the difference between a relaxed and tight throat.  Constrict your muscles of the throat by making the area smaller and tight.  Say your first and last name.  It should have been effortful with vocal quality compromised.  Now make your throat cavity extremely relaxed by yawing.  Producing a yawn places your throat in the most opened and relaxed position.  Say your name again while yawing.  You should be able to notice a difference with your voice quality and muscular position when your throat is tight versus relaxed.

To feel how flexible the laryngeal/pharyngeal area is, sustain the long vowel sound /E/ slowly then switch to the long vowel sound /O/.  Notice the sensation in your throat cavity by feeling the size and shape of the region change.

Identifying Laryngeal Tension
Speech production occurs at the beginning of your exhalation. This is the critical point for voicing when the laryngeal and pharyngeal area must be free from tension.  The following activities will provide you with opportunities to assess laryngeal tension in your own throat cavity. 

• Take a deep breath and hold it.  Did you feel your throat tense or constrict as a result of cutting off your air supply?  Chances are yes.  Most people tend to automatically constrict the muscles in their neck when they hold their breath.  When this constriction occurs after inhalation and before speaking the muscles in the neck become tense and speech is produced with a closed or tight throat.  Speaking with a tight throat impairs vocal quality.

• Learn to hold your breath differently by controlling your inhalations.  Instead of cutting off your air supply at your throat,  simply stop the action of inhaling and let your stomach hold the air.  Try it.  Inhale air then stop the action and hold.  Your throat does not have to hold the air.  Concentrate on your stomach holding the air instead.  This action will keep your voice open and ready to initiate speech free from tension.

• On a diaphragm breath inhale up to a count of 5 then hold your breath. Avoid constricting the muscles in your neck.  Feel your throat mechanism is an open and relaxed position. Now do the same up to a count of 10. 

Begin Voicing

Take a full diaphragm breath and on the exhalation and with an open throat complete the following activities.  Before producing speech, take a moment to feel and recognize your voice in an opened and relaxed position.  Think of producing speech with an easy voice onset.  For a different practice, complete some of these activities again beginning with your throat constricted.  Compare the experience and familiarize yourself again with initiating speech tension free.

• Count to 10 aloud.
• Say the days of the week.
• Say the months of the year.
• State your name and address.
• In a sentence describe your job.

Your throat should be relaxed during speech to produce voice free form tension. Your awareness will be improved after practicing this technique.  It will become easier to recognize when your laryngeal mechanism is constricted before producing voice. This new behavior will allow you to generate a vocal quality that will be astatically pleasing since the tension has been eliminated and it is easier to place your voice in your pharyngeal and oral resonating cavity.

Single Word Practice for Tension Free Voice

Listed below are a series of words beginning with the “H” sound.  Words that begin with “H” are good for establishing a tension free voice because little tension is placed on the laryngeal structure with this particular sound.  When “H” is produced the vocal chords come together gently and remain in an open position.  Try it. Produce the “H” sound 3 times. Now say, “HA” 3 times.   Did you notice it is easier having an easy voice onset with this sound?  Produce the single words below.  Use a diaphragm breath each time and initiate voicing with an open throat. Complete this exercise slowly to feel your throat cavity while producing each word.  The purpose of this highly structured exercise is to recognize when or if you are constricting your voice before speaking and to feel your throat cavity produce speech without tension.

“H Words

Home              Honey             Hill                   Happy             Hear                Head

Hospital          Hallway           Here                House             Horn                Humanity

“H” in the Middle of Words

Somehow       Behave           Beehive          Unheard         Prehistoric     Exhale

Cohort            Somewhere   Inhale              Bohemian      Inhumane        Somewhat

Sentence Practice

When producing each sentence use your skills of speaking on a full diaphragm breath and initiate voice without laryngeal tension. Use the strategy of using an easy voice onset before beginning your sentences.  At the end of each sentence analyze how you did.  Did you speak from a diaphragm breath? Did you initiate speech with an open and relaxed throat? Did you feel your voice constrict? 

For advanced practice, create a setting of conversational speech, by taking a quick diaphragm breath between each sentence and continue forward with this activity. DO NOT speed up your speech and speak faster.  Take a quick breath but keep your speech controlled and steady during the exhalation.

1. I heard you had a happy birthday.
2. The house is at the bottom of Horn Hill.
3. Here is where I keep the honey.
4. Dr. Hodge is head of the humanitarian department.
5. Somehow the beehive opened and caused a hysterical panic.
6. Somewhere in New Hampshire is the Harriman fortune.
7. The hospital main entrance is across the hallway.

Real World Practice

Strategy Training

1. Answer the phone every time with your new tension free voice.  Place a note as a visual reminder.
2. Order coffee and all meals using your new voice for the next 2 weeks.
3. Summarize your day using your new strategies everyday for 2 weeks.