For years, I’ve had the chance to overhear people whisper (no irony intended) back and forth about what should be done when someone’s voice is hurting, fatigued, or stressed from illness.
What would seemingly be self-evident truth would be….. “just whisper” until your voice recovers. As if whispering involves a healing process to aid in vocal recovery. They think this way:
“No sound, no harm”. Right? Right??
The answer is entirely counter-intuitive. Whispering actually strains the voice and is far more exhausting than speaking in a clear tone—which happens to be the healthiest of all tones.
Later in this article—BE SURE AND READ THE END—we will show you exceptions to the rule. Some occasional benefits of whispering. Both stylistically and technically, there are reasons to occasionally whisper.
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In fact, when suffering from laryngitis, any good ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) specialist, will tell you to:
- Talk at speech level.
- No shouting or raising your voice.
- Avoid whispering.
According to Dr. Ramin Zahed of USC’s Verdugo hospital:
“Talking or whispering can aggravate the hoarseness. Irritants such as dust, dry air, drugs (especially antihistamines), caffeine, alcohol, cigarette smoke or food that causes allergic reaction can also wreak havoc on the cords.”
In other words… it’s vocal rest time! But if you must communicate—I’ll say it once again—talk at low volume, but don’t whisper!
To take a deep dive on the subject of when to take a break, click on the link here to read my in depth blog on this needed topic.
Exploring the Impact of Whispering on Vocal Cords
So far we’ve answered the question, “Is whispering bad for your voice?” But I think most of us still need to know why. This means singers, voice actors and most people who will see more severe hyperfunction from bad habits.
The impact of whispering long term can be quite serious. Singers and speakers need NOT live in fear about the occasional whisper for a purpose. But remember, whispering differs from normal voice production and the potential effects it can have on vocal cords include:
- Tiny vocal fold lacerations (heard in your tone, but not necessarily felt in your throat).
- Habitual breathy tone, due to weakness in cord closure.
- Dehydration of the vocal cords.
- Hurts to speak or whisper/ but you need to be heard.
- Eventually can create hard bumps or ‘nodules’ on your vocal folds.
- Loss of resonant sound or poor tone production.
- Loss of normal speech and folds don’t vibrate easily.
- Inability to produce sound (extreme cases).
- Potentially permanent damage on vocal folds.
- More trauma added to your singing or even speaking.
Now, you’re more than likely asking exactly why whispering is bad for your voice?? First, let’s talk about how the human voice is produced. There are 2 parallel, muscular bands inside your throat—particularly the larynx—located just behind the adam’s apple. Air flows between them and if you’re not in a whispered voice, you should be in a speech like tone, with the vocal cords vibrating very closely together.
This coordination is called ‘cord closure’ or ‘compression’, but does not mean strained, squeezed or over-pressed. Another name for this is ‘phonation’, which simply means to: produce vocal sound. Breathy phonation is an unhealthy tone on the other end of the extreme of squeezed tone.
Think of it as muscle imbalance. Too little air flow and too much vocal cord pressure can be harmful and fatiguing. Too much air flow, pushing the vocal cords apart and not hearing the vocal cords vibrate, is a quality that should only be used under healthy circumstances, for effect or communicating something that seems appropriate to whisper. This could even be in a public speech or a vocal performance.
Excessive air can create an un-felt whiplash on your voices. But once you feel your voice starting to get hoarse, shouting will NOT fix you. Laryngitis is very serious!
Comparing Whispering to Normal Voice Usage
Whispering and speaking with a normal voice are distinct vocal techniques with notable differences. Unlike normal usage of the voice that involves vocal cord vibration, whispering relies on minimal vocal cord engagement, resulting in a softer and breathier sound.
However, this difference in vocal cord activity can lead to a hoarse voice, due to strain on the vocal cords during prolonged or excessive whispering. The lack of vocal cord vibration and the increased airflow required for whispering can put additional stress on the delicate tissues of the vocal cords, potentially leading to vocal fatigue or irritation.
It is important to be mindful of the potential strain that whispering can impose on the vocal cords, to maintain optimal vocal health.
Another consideration is:
Voice Rest: An Alternative to Whispering
Many years ago, Seth Riggs told me a story about Celine Dion (before email or texting!!!), where she’s been on the road and would call home to her husband, but her extreme rest meant tapping the voice once for yes and twice for no.
Voice rest is an essential practice for maintaining vocal health and preventing strain or injury to the vocal cords. Instead of whispering, which can still impose strain on the vocal cords, giving the voice adequate sleep allows the vocal cords to recover and rejuvenate.
Refrain from speaking, whispering, or excessive voice usage! Give the vocal cords time to heal and recover from any potential strain or irritation.
By practicing vocal rest—one to three days—most people can reduce the risk of vocal fatigue, vocal cord damage, and other vocal-related issues. It is a beneficial approach to preserve vocal health and ensure optimal vocal performance.
If the problem persists, you may need to try out some vocal coaches or try out some speech therapists.
The idea is…. MINIMIZE YOUR RISKS!
Whispering and Voice Disorders that Effect the Voice Box
The formation of whispered phonation-caused vocal disorders can be avoided. Voice therapists and vocal coaches can build healthy habits, so you don’t destroy your gift. These include vocal disorders such as: vocal nodules, vocal polyps, or vocal cord paralysis.
Whispering can have detrimental effects on individuals with existing vocal disorders, such as vocal nodules or vocal cord paralysis. The repetitive and prolonged use of whispering places additional strain on the voice box, potentially exacerbating existing conditions and leading to discomfort or damage.
It is important for individuals with these vocal disorders to be aware of the risks associated with whispering and to seek professional guidance on appropriate vocal techniques to protect their voice box and minimize vocal strain.
Tips for Healthy Voice Usage
To keep healthy, stay informed about important protocols with hygiene, hydration, taking vocal breaks, and incorporating vocal warm-up and cooldown exercises. I recommend alternatives to whispering, such as speaking softly or using visual aids when needed.
Our Online vocal courses and coaches at Singing Success, can take the mystery out of this protocol.
However, be cautioned against guessing. Reputation and effectiveness are crucial!
Surprising Benefits of Whispering
Whispering, when done with intention and care, can be a powerful tool in a singer’s toolkit. Technically, it offers a safe buffer for singers who tend to push or yell, helping them recalibrate their approach by reducing vocal load and encouraging a lighter onset.
Instead of slamming the cords together, whispering—particularly with just a hint of tone—encourages the vocal folds to come together in a more balanced, less forceful manner. This can be incredibly effective in breaking patterns of tension or over-squeezing. Even completely toneless whispering can be useful: it strips away pitch and forces the singer to focus solely on articulation and clarity.
From a stylistic perspective, whispering brings its own unique emotional texture. There are moods and atmospheres it can create—mystery, vulnerability, intimacy—that pure tone singing simply doesn’t access in the same way.
In contemporary genres especially, whispering isn’t just a technique; it’s a choice with dramatic impact. Whether used in warmups or performance, whispering—when not abused—can unlock subtlety, sensitivity, and control that elevates both the technique and the storytelling.
Just be prepared for potential abuses and DO NOT keep going and irritate damaged vocal folds, once you start having voice complaints and have an imbalance between normal and whispered phonation.
Vocal production should primarily have vocal fold closure, and your family doctor may not even know what a vocal fold ought to look like. So contact the otolaryngology department in your local medical center and check out the reviews to see what most patients say about them.
Conclusion
Vocalists, public speakers, or anyone sensing they speak with more strain or more muscles than normal, should pay attention to their throat.
If you’re getting sick and your throat hurts to speak, you can’t project because your throat is swollen, not allowing your muscles inside the larynx to take over for the pushing muscles, or your body is feeling like you’re getting sick, don’t risk damage!
We are here to help. Try our vocal therapy system, or book with a coach today.
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