Vocal Fry is a way of speaking that sounds low and raspy. A more technical description is that it’s “a low, staccato vibration during speech, produced by a slow fluttering of the vocal cords” (Source).
Here are some examples of vocal frying:
- Examples in popular music
- Example from everyday speech
Similarly to uptalk, a way of speaking that adds a high intonation in the end of sentences, vocal fry is a contested speech pattern. Despite being part of the general diversity in human expression, this pattern has been associated with negative stereotypes (Learn more here and here).
- 'Vocal Fry' Creeping into U.S. Speech by Marissa Fessenden
- The Vocal Habit That Women Are Being Criticized for at Work by the Wall Street Journal
- Have you ever vocal fried? Is it a common practice where you live?
