Therian Vocals

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Voice Fundamentals

To understand how to sound like different animals, we first have to understand the human voice. On this page, you'll learn the body parts behind the voice, how we use them, and how to describe the different ways to make our target sounds.To understand the voice, we can look to the source-filter theory. This which describes how human speech (and animal vocalizations) are produced.

Sources

Sound starts with a source of vibration. All sound is made of vibration, such as a plucked guitar string or the buzzing lips of a trumpet player.

Respiration

Vibration begins with the breath. We contract our muscles of breathing, like the diaphragm, to fill the lungs with air. As we relax, we exhale air, sending it up through the vocal tract and out of the nose and mouth.

Phonation

Phonation is the vibration created when structures in the vocal tract are pushed into motion by airflow.Human voice is made by the motion of the vocal folds. These are two side-by-side muscles that remain open in a V shape when we breathe and come together to vibrate when we speak and sing.Not all sounds made by humans include phonation. Linguists distinguish between "voiced sounds" and "unvoiced sounds."Let's feel for the difference. Place a finger on your throat, close to your adam's apple. Then, make these sounds:

Notice how the voiced sounds in the left column make a vibration in your throat. This is the level of the vocal folds.The unvoiced sounds, in the right column, do not vibrate your throat. Instead, the vibration comes from constricting airflow elsewhere in the vocal tract. For example, "sss" constricts air between the tip of your tongue and the back of your teeth. "fff" constricts air between your upper teeth and lower lip.Many animal sounds are made by vibrating other structures, such as your ventricular folds (false vocal folds), velum (soft palate), and tongue.

Filter

Sound is filtered by our throat, mouth, and nose on its way out of our bodies. We can change the size and shape of our vocal tract to change the resonant quality.Let's try it out. Open a video of white noise on your phone, and place the speaker in the front of your mouth. Try changing the sound by changing the size and shape of your mouth. This is an example of adjusting the resonant quality of the sound.We also use our tongues, lips, teeth, and more to constrict the sound in different ways, called articulation, to create the sounds of speech.

Place

Place of articulation describes where constriction is occurring. All consonants have a place, including both voiced and unvoiced sounds.Place is described by the body part, for example, an "alveolar" sound refers to sounds made by placing the tip of the tongue on the alveolar ridge, the tissue right behind the teeth. "Labiodental" sounds are made by the closing the the lower lip (labio-) and upper teeth (-dental).

Manner

Manner of articulation describes how the sound is being made. All consonants have a manner, including both voiced and unvoiced sounds.Manner is described by linguistic terms. For example, a fricative (like zzz, sss, vvv, or fff) is made by pushing the air through a narrow opening. A stop (like t, d, p, b) includes a complete stoppage of the air which is pushed open to make the sound

Based on your new understanding of place, can you guess what "bilabial" means? Tap the line below to reveal the answer.
bi = two, labial = lips. These sounds are made with both of your lips. Try it for yourself by saying "buh" and "puh".

Putting it Together

With this linguistics crash course out of the way, let's try an animal sound! How about an easy one, a hiss.If we were to describe a hiss, like a snake's, we might call it an "unvoiced alveolar fricative," or simply, the "s" sound in English.

However, what about a cat's hiss? Try making this sound on your own, and take a guess at how to describe it. It's okay to not have the exact linguistic or anatomical terms in mind.

How did you do?Throughout our guides, we will describe sounds in this way as best as we can. However, this is a tool, not a requirement. An in-depth linguistics knowledge isn't necessary to play around and have fun with sound.If you'd like to play around more with how sound is produced, check out the website Pink Trombone.

Keeping Your Voice Healthy

Many of the sounds you'll learn to make will use your muscles in unfamiliar ways. Over time, you'll learn how to make these with less strain and effort. Remember to stay well hydrated and take things slow.If you experience any of these issues, take a break from practicing:

If any of these issues last longer than 4 weeks, it is important to get evaluated by a medical professional, such as a laryngologist and/or speech-language pathologist who specializes in the voice.

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Canines

Canines are a family of animal including dogs, wolves, foxes, coyotes, and more.

Before You Begin

Please read our page on Voice Fundamentals to understand the terms and skills referenced here!

Canine Vocal Anatomy

Canine vocal anatomy is nearly identical to human vocal anatomy, meaning many of the sounds produced by canines can be easily replicated by humans.

Canine Sounds

Barking
Growling
Whining
Howling
Chuffing
Gekkering
Squealing

Barking

A bark is a short, sharp sound. It is used to signal many emotions, including excitement, alertness, fear, or a desire to play. Barks vary by species and breed. They are much more common among domestic dogs, and rarely used by wolves. They are often written with the onomatopoeia "arf," "ruff," or "woof."

Source

Respiration: The bark is powered by a quick exhale. To produce this forceful exhale, we will use the abdominal muscles, which may feel like tensing your belly.
Phonation: This sound is voiced with the vocal folds. Pitch depends on species and breed.

Filter

Place: The tongue is raised to take up most of the room in the mouth. The front and back of the tongue are raised the highest.
Manner: A bark is produced by a continuous stream of air. Linguistically, it resembles a "liquid," best described as R- and L- like sounds.

Try It

Growling

A growl is a low, harsh sound. It is primarily used to signal aggression, but can also be used during play. They are often written with the onomatopoeia "grrr."

Source

Respiration: A growl is produced with minimal, but consistent, airflow.
Phonation: This sound is voiced with the vocal folds. The pitch of a growl will likely be your lowest possible pitch.

Filter

Place: Similar to a bark, the tongue is raised to take up most of the room in the mouth. The front and back of the tongue are raised the highest.
Manner: A bark is produced by a continuous stream of air. Linguistically, it resembles a "liquid," best described as R- and L- like sounds.

Try It

Whining

Definition

Source

Respiration:
Phonation:

Filter

Place:
Manner:

Try It

Howling

Definition

Source

Respiration:
Phonation:

Filter

Place:
Manner:

Try It

Chuffing

Definition

Source

Respiration:
Phonation:

Filter

Place:
Manner:

Try It

Gekkering

Definition

Source

Respiration:
Phonation:

Filter

Place:
Manner:

Try It

Squealing

Definition

Source

Respiration:
Phonation:

Filter

Place:
Manner:

Try It

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Felines

Felines are a family of animal including domestic cats, as well as big cats such as tigers, lions, cheetahs, and more.

Before You Begin

Please read our page on Voice Fundamentals to understand the terms and skills referenced here!

Feline Vocal Anatomy

Feline vocal anatomy is similar to human vocal anatomy, but has some notable exceptions. For example, cats have an extra pad of tissue on their vocal folds, allowing them to reach the low pitches that make up a purr.

Feline Sounds

Meowing
Purring
Hissing
Chirping
Chattering
Roaring
Growling

Meowing

Definition

Source

Respiration:
Phonation:

Filter

Place:
Manner:

Try It

Purring

Purring is a soft, steady vibration that shows contentment. A cat's purr is very low frequency sound, typically from 20-30 Hz, or vibrations per second. Humans typically speak between 80-300 Hz, making this low of a note difficult to achieve. Cats also purr when inhaling and exhaling, which is not typical for humans. We can produce a similar sound by using different parts of the body.

Source

Respiration: A purr is produced with strong and steady airflow.
Phonation: To reach the low frequencies of a purr, we will not be phonating with the vocal folds. Instead, we will vibrate the tip of the tongue.

Filter

Place: The tongue is raised to take up most of the room in the mouth. The front and back of the tongue are raised the highest. The tip of the tongue should be near the alveolar ridge - the bump right behind your teeth.
Manner: A purr is produced by a continuous stream of air putting the tip of the tongue into motion. This is called a "trill." It is similar to a "rolled R" in Spanish.

Try It

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Coming Soon!

Thanks for your patience.

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Equines

Equines refer to horses, zebras, and similar animals.

Equine Vocal Anatomy

Equine vocal anatomy is similar to humans, however, there are several key differences. Horses have reduced control over the range of pitches and sounds they can make, resulting in a small number of sounds. Their long nose and muzzle contribute to a distinct sound.

Equine Sounds

Neigh

Nicker

Blow

Snort

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Mustelids

Thanks for your patience.

Mustelid Vocal Anatomy

Felines are a family of animal including domestic cats, as well as big cats such as tigers, lions, cheetahs, and more.

Mustelid Sounds

Squeaking

Chittering

Trilling

Barking

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other

There are countless animals not yet included on this site. Have a request? Let us know: