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Helium is a super light gas which can make your vocal cords vibrate at a much faster rate, producing a high-pitched tone. You can inhale helium directly from a balloon for a few seconds and then say something funny to enjoy the effects! Just make sure to use caution and stop immediately if you get lightheaded or dizzy—when you breathe in helium you aren’t getting oxygen, so take frequent breaks to breathe normally.
Steps
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Get a balloon filled with helium. It doesn’t matter if it’s an aluminum or rubber balloon. They’re sold at party centers or you could rent a helium tank to fill up your own balloons for a special event. [1] X Research source
- You’ll know a balloon is filled with helium if it floats. Helium is lighter than air, so it naturally rises. If a balloon stays down near the ground, it doesn’t have helium in it.
Warning: Never suck helium straight from a helium tank. The pressure coming from the tank is much stronger than that from a balloon, and the pressure could damage your lungs and cause a serious injury.
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Poke a small hole near the balloon’s knot with a safety pin. If you don’t have a safety pin, a pushpin or sewing needle will work just the same. Use the pin to prick the balloon and create a really small hole, and then squeeze the hole shut with your fingers to keep the helium from escaping until you’re ready to inhale.
- If the balloon is inflated but not knotted, you don’t need to poke a hole in it. You can simply suck the air directly from the opening.
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Put your mouth over the hole and inhale while squeezing the balloon. Don’t just hold the helium in your mouth—breathe it in like you would a normal breath of air. Just 3-4 seconds should be enough to fill your lungs with helium. [2] X Research source
- It helps to exhale fully before inhaling so that you can get as much helium into your lungs at once as possible.
- Helium doesn’t have an odor, taste, or smell, so you really won’t be able to tell that you’re breathing in an element different from oxygen until you try to speak.
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Say something funny to hear how the helium affected your voice. As soon as you’ve finished inhaling, start talking! The helium-effect will only last for 5 seconds or so, so don’t wait too long. [3] X Research source
- What you say is totally up to you! Have fun and come up with unique phrases or just repeat your name over and over again to hear how you sound.
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Wait 2-3 minutes between each helium-inhale to rebalance your oxygen. If you suck too much helium at once or for too long of a period of time, you can hurt yourself. So between each inhalation of helium, take a few minutes to breathe normally. [4] X Research source
Warning: Stop inhaling helium immediately if you feel lightheaded or are unable to catch your breath.
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Write down a few funny lines to say beforehand so you don’t forget. Knowing what you want to say ahead of time can make your experience that much more enjoyable! Try out a few of these fun tongue-twisters : [5] X Research source
- “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
- “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”
- “Betty bought a bit of butter, but the butter Betty bought was bitter.”
- “Round the rough and rugged rock the ragged rascal rudely ran.”
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Sing a short song to entertain your friends. The changes in pitch can make your helium-effected voice sound that much funnier. Pick a favorite song or make something up. [6] X Research source
- See how far into a song you can get before the helium wears off. You could even make this into a challenge with your friends!
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Record yourself to post online and share with your friends. Use the video function on your phone or have a friend do it for you. Put the video on your social media pages so your friends can make comments.
- Try coordinating with your friends to make a video of you all talking or singing at the same time right after having sucked helium.
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Order food in the drive-through with your helium voice to crack people up. Get a helium balloon and hop in the car with some friends to go through a local drive-through. When it’s time to place your order, inhale some helium and talk as fast as you can.
- Have someone else drive the car; otherwise, you might be too distracted by driving, sucking helium, and talking to be a safe driver.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionIs there any danger to sucking helium from an aluminum balloon rather than a regular latex one?Community AnswerUsing a mylar (foil) balloon is actually safer for two reasons. First, it is easier to control how much helium you get. Second, there is no talcum powder inside the balloon.
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QuestionHow long does the effect last?Community AnswerOnly a few seconds.
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QuestionWhy can't I breathe in helium from a pressurized tank?Community AnswerUnlike a balloon, which has a very slight pressure difference from your lungs, a helium tank is under high pressure. If you inhale directly from a tank, you're forcing a lot of helium into your lungs, which is bad for many reasons. It can cause your lungs to become overinflated and even possibly rupture (tear open) and you will quickly lose the oxygen in your lungs and blood, causing you to suffocate, which can lead to unconsciousness, brain damage, or even death. Not a good idea.
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Tips
- There is no age restriction to inhaling helium, but remember to be responsible and not put yourself in danger or encourage others to do something that may hurt them.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Only suck in helium every once in a while. Using it too often can have negative side effects like a sore throat.
- Stop sucking in helium if you feel at all lightheaded. Any more, and you may faint or collapse.
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Warnings
- Helium doesn’t contain any oxygen and breathing it in repeatedly for a long time can make you dizzy or even cause you to pass out. Always spend time breathing in oxygen in between each inhalation of helium.Thanks
- Never suck helium directly from a tank. Use a balloon so you can control the pressure flow.Thanks
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References
- ↑ http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/chemistry/helium.html
- ↑ https://www.scienceforkidsclub.com/helium.html
- ↑ http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/chemistry/helium.html
- ↑ https://www.womansworld.com/posts/is-helium-bad-for-you-137085
- ↑ https://www.smart-words.org/tongue-twisters.html
- ↑ https://youtu.be/k8Pwv3-T08k?t=5
About This Article
Article Summary
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Sucking in a helium balloon will make your voice high pitched and entertain your friends and family. Use a safety pin or needle to poke a hole in the stretchy part of the balloon just above the knot. Then, put your mouth over the hole and breathe in for 3 to 4 seconds. After inhaling, say something funny or sing a song and your voice will sound all high-pitched. It only lasts for about 5 seconds, so think about what you’re going to say before you inhale the gas. When you’re not inhaling from the balloon, cover the hole with your thumb so you don’t waste any helium. Wait 2 minutes between sucking helium so you can catch your breath. If you start to get lightheaded or short of breath, stop and wait a while. For more tips, including how to try a tongue-twister while sucking helium, read on!
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