Comments on: The Linguistic Phenomenon Du Jour: Vocal Fry

By: Lisa Davidson

Lisa Davidson — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:21:12 +0000

I can’t imagine how anyone could talk that way on purpose. I mean, what muscles would you use? It sounds like it would hurt, anyway.

By: Trev

Trev — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:51:19 +0000

I slip into vocal fry when I’m tired, now that I think about it. But I don’t do it consciously…so please don’t judge us all because someone uses it as an affectation…

By: MW

MW — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:27:46 +0000

@Little A

I am a woman.

By: DaDoc540

DaDoc540 — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 13:33:29 +0000

Iggy Pop uses the vocal fry register in his music, such as in his song,”I’m Bored”.

By: speechnerd

speechnerd — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 02:43:21 +0000

Jumblepudding, its spelled Kathryn, but I agree. Kathryn Janeway of Voyager is a perfect example of vocal fry.

By: weirdo

weirdo — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 07:53:58 +0000

Hmmm Patrick…your emotional defensiveness suggests it is not the speaker, but you, who is insecure. I’ve never heard of this thing until now but geez, why sound so threatened?

“It’s appalling, offensive, and condescending. It’s meant to give the impression of unquestionable intelligence and superiority. ….
Ladies, I adjure you to drop the fry as though it were a disease. A man will think you lack confidence if you have to put on such vocal effects to impress. The only people impressed are those equally or even more insecure. Be yourself and you’ll be far more appealing than the most desirable woman with the fry.”

By: alex fairchild

alex fairchild — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:46:37 +0000

Another vocal affectation I’ve noticed with american girls : exaggerated sibilance. Think of a very pretty, top-of-the-hierarchy high school girl, saying “you can’t be serious”, with a very high pitched overtone on both “S”s, almost like a whistle near the top of the audible range. In my experience this one signifies the speaker is ‘very pretty’, or is attempting to convey that they are. The only example that’s coming to me right now is the Margaret Chang character in Rushmore… sorry!

The final syllable vocal fry phenomenom I first noticed in the early nineties in California, I’ve always thought of it as a characteristic of Valley speak. And I DID notice it on NPR tonight, on a Marketplace segment… I must admit I found it rather unprofessional! But I’m not sure why I feel that way, it’s just a subcultural dialect; nothing inherently wrong with it as far as I’m concerned.

By: Hayley

Hayley — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:03:34 +0000

@ Patrick:
“Be yourself and you’ll be far more appealing than the most desirable woman with the fry.”

Oh, so as a woman, I should take care to pitch my voice so that I am “appealing”? Thanks for the advice, friend. I’ll be sure to comply.
Frankly, I too find vocal fry a little irritating, but that has nothing to do with how “appealing” it makes people sound. And I’d like to stress the word “people” there – vocal fry isn’t a strictly female phenomenon!

By: Jumblepudding

Jumblepudding — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:56:47 +0000

See Captain Katherine Janeway of the Starship Voyager. If there was ever something that made me question her as a captain, it was the vocal fry.

By: Kelly K

Kelly K — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:22:53 +0000

They need to look into why young women (especially) feel it’s “sexy” to say their “S”s at the beginning of words as “Sh” now. (Example, saying the word “street” as “shtreet” or “strength” as “shtrength”) It’s annoying as…