***Get Your Voice Out of Your Nose -- It Doesn't Belong There!

Nothing is more frustrating for me than listening to those who talk through their nose. And, you don’t have to be from New York to speak with excessive nasality. There are various pockets both in the United States and Canada where nasal talk is the norm. If you are plagued by too much nose, consider changing that habit because it is irritating for your listeners. Learning to speak with less nasal ‘qualities’ is easier than you may think. It requires retraining your inner ear to recognize the excess and enunciating your words lower in your mouth. What is happening with nasal talk is the forcing of sound up through the nose. In the English language we have 3 sounds known as nasals which should vibrate in your nose. They consist of the n, m, and ng sounds. Any word with one or more of those nasals will vibrate to some degree. The problem with excessive nasality is that many other sounds are traveling through the nose and they do not belong there. Words like he, day, and ask have no business in your nasal passages. (In an earlier article entitled Think Your Voice Is Nasal?, I discuss how to test for nasality.) If you know that you are nasal, you can begin to make the change by doing this one simple exercise. Say the word he and intentionally force it up through your nose. I want you to exaggerate the nasal sound. (You will look and sound silly so do this when you are alone!) Now say the word he with your jaw relaxed – the hinges of your jaw right below your ears should be unclenched, unlocked. In saying the word, try enunciating it along the floor of your mouth with your tongue lying flat, its tip against the inside of your bottom front teeth. If you understand this example and are able to relax your jaw, you will find this the best exercise for eliminating excessive nasality. Practice it with other words when you are driving, walking, or doing something else. Listen closely to the difference between the nasal sounds and the non-nasal sounds. Train your inner ear to hear when you are sending your words up through your nose. For the sake of your listeners, get your voice out of your nose. Not only will your listeners be grateful but your voice will sound somewhat deeper in pitch as well.