As a voice specialist, I recently had the opportunity to conduct research at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) looking at vocal creak in student actors. I'll admit, I went into this study with plenty of questions: Would their voice training affect their everyday speaking patterns? Does creak show up more in casual conversation than formal speech? Here's what I discovered...
What's Vocal Creak, Anyway?
If you're not familiar with the term, vocal creak (or vocal fry, creaky voice) is that low, creaky sound that happens when your vocal cords vibrate very slowly. Think of Kim Kardashian's speaking style, or that gravelly sound some people make at the ends of sentences.
The Surprising Results
Working with several drama students, I recorded their voices in different contexts and analysed the patterns using spectrographic software. What fascinated me was that even though these students could project their voices beautifully on stage, with clarity and resonance, they still used vocal creak in everyday conversation – and when reading text. Even more interesting? The creak completely disappeared when they were performing or rehearsing!
Some key findings that surprised me:
Both male and female students showed vocal creak. I assumed males would have less but that’s not what my research showed. The creak is there, it's just not as obvious, possibly due to most males having a lower fundamental frequency.
Most creaking happened in the middle of sentences
The amount of creak varied significantly between students
One student showed creak in up to 34% of their words in casual conversation
Should We Care?
Here's what caught my attention during the research: while occasional vocal creak isn't harmful, there are a few things worth considering. Using spectrographic analysis, I could actually see how creak disrupted the voice's natural resonance through harmonics. 'Indistinct harmonics affect the clarity and carrying power of the voice' (Bozeman, 2014).
School teachers, for example need clear resonant voices to have carrying power in the classroom and playground.

But there's another aspect that really caught my attention: the social implications.
A large Duke University study in 2014 revealed some eye-opening findings. After studying public reactions to vocal creak among 800 participants, they found that women who used vocal creak were often perceived as less competent, less educated, less trustworthy, and even less hireable than those who didn't. Perhaps most surprisingly, these negative perceptions were even stronger when the listeners were other women.
I think these findings are particularly relevant for anyone working in performance or public-facing roles. While we should never judge someone's abilities based on their speaking patterns, it's worth being aware of how our vocal choices might be perceived by others.
The Good News
What I love about these findings is that they show how adaptable our voices are. These students naturally switched to clearer speech patterns when performing, suggesting we all have the ability to modify our speaking patterns when we're aware of them.
Moving Forward
This research has really shaped how I think about vocal habits. Rather than seeing vocal creak as "good" or "bad," I've come to view it as just another speaking pattern we should be aware of. If you're curious about your own vocal patterns, try recording yourself in different situations - you might be surprised by what you discover!
What's your experience with vocal creak? Have you noticed it in your own voice or others around you? I'd love to hear your thoughts and continue this conversation.
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