How to Get a Sultry Voice (& What It Means to Have One)

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Expert advice for a seductive tone while speaking or singing
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A sultry voice captivates listeners and projects confidence whether you’re speaking or singing. While some people are born with naturally sultry voices, anyone can learn techniques to make their voices sound more alluring. This article covers what it means to have a sultry voice and examples of famous people with sultry voices. We also spoke with expert vocal therapist Amy Chapman and vocal coach Tanisha Hall for practical tips for getting a sultrier speaking or singing voice.

How to Tell If You Have a Sultry Voice

People with sultry voices tend to speak slowly with a low and smoky or breathy tone. Men and women can have sultry voices, but they are most commonly associated with sexy femme fatales and bombshells like Marilyn Monroe.

Section 1 of 4:

What is a sultry voice?

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  1. A sultry voice tends to have a lower tone that resonates from the chest instead of the throat or head. People with sultry voices often speak with a slower, more measured pace that draws listeners in. They also have a breathy tone that adds an airy, intimate quality that makes the voice sound more personal, intimate, and sexy. [1]
    • People with sexy, sultry voices also make smooth transitions between sounds as they speak, but they don’t slur their words.
    • They often also have a slight, warm raspiness or hoarseness to their voices.
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Section 2 of 4:

How to Speak with a Sultry Voice

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  1. 1
    Slow down your speaking voice and lower your tone. Start by making an effort to slow down your speech and slightly lower your tone . When you speak, picture your words as honey smoothly dripping from a spoon. This gives each word more weight like you’re stopping to think about everything you say. To help lower your pitch, yawn more, which helps relax your larynx (or voicebox) and throat muscles. [2]
    • Practice humming very low notes to help expand your lower registers.
    • Once you’ve lowered your pitch, try to keep it in the lower registers as you speak.
    • Moving your pitch up and down too much makes you sound less confident. [3]
  2. 2
    Add more breath or vocal fry for an appealing texture. One way to add texture to your voice is to use vocal fry. Vocal fry is your lowest vocal tone and sounds deep and a little creaky. [4] In a man’s voice, people often call it a gravelly tone. While this is very appealing in men’s voices, many find a breathier texture more desirable in a feminine voice. [5]
    • To use vocal fry, try to relax your vocal cords as much as possible, with only the slightest tightening to let air through.
    • Practice diaphragmatic breathing exercises to gain more control over your breath.
    • Breathe in slowly through your nose, filling with air so your stomach pushes out and your chest is still.
    • Tighten your stomach muscles and breathe out through pursed lips, still keeping your chest still. [6]
  3. 3
    Relax and project a strongly confident vibe. Remember that confidence is key when speaking in a sultry voice. Release any tension in your shoulders and jaw, and imagine you're speaking to someone you feel completely comfortable with. Use confident body language like smiling and standing tall with your head up and shoulders back to help yourself feel more confident. [7]
    • Feeling relaxed naturally comes through in your voice, making you seem cooler, calmer, and sexier.
    • Let your personality shine through rather than trying to exactly copy someone else's style.
    EXPERT TIP

    Patrick Muñoz

    Voice & Speech Coach
    Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association.
    Patrick Muñoz
    Voice & Speech Coach

    Breathe, relax, and open your mouth for a deeper resonant tone. Often, your voice has a higher tone because you're constricting your throat. So breathe deeply, relax your throat, relax your body, and relax your voice. Open up your mouth and notice how suddenly your voice is much more rounded, more resonant, and has a deeper sound.

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Section 3 of 4:

How to Sing with a Sultry Voice

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  1. 1
    Always warm up before singing to protect your voice. Put the tip of your tongue behind your lower teeth and then hum up and down a scale without opening your mouth. Start each note with an “h” sound to avoid tiring your voice. [8]
    • Once you’ve hummed a few scales, try humming a simple song like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” to warm up a little more.
  2. 2
    Channel a sexy performer when you sing. Hall says to bring personalities into your singing and allow your training to guide you to connect to the song. To be a better overall performer, it’s important to get invested in the song so you feel it in a personal way when you sing it. [9] One way to do that is to picture a performer you think is sexy and then try to use their movements to connect with the song. It might even help to watch a few videos of live performances to really capture their vibe.
    • Remember to use your whole body when you sing. Move your hips and bend your knees to engage your quads. Hall says to use your movements to help you express your emotions and tell a story to your audience.
    • Sway with the song’s rhythm and use your body to bring more power to your performance.
    • Take inspiration from Eartha Kitt and imitate the slinky way a cat would move if they “sang” a song.
  3. 3
    Add a little rasp to your voice in a safe and healthy way. To add a touch of grit to your voice when you sing, always breathe from your diaphragm or push out your stomach when you breathe in. Take a deep breath, then tighten your vocal cords to make a low “uh” sound with a small amount of air. Continue to make the sound, only letting out a small stream of air until your tone sounds slightly raspy. [10]
    • Chapman cautions you to pay attention to how your voice feels when you sing with a growl or rasp to make sure you aren’t irritating your throat.
    • If you feel discomfort or pain, stop using a raspy tone for a few days to rest your voice.
    • Avoid letting too much air through your vocal cords to get “rasp.” This can damage your voice.
    • Only use this raspy sound temporarily, or it can strain your voice. Chapman says to make sure you're resting your voice and doing vocal exercises or warm-ups every day.
  4. 4
    Drink plenty of water to keep your vocal cords hydrated. Drinking up to 8 glasses of water a day helps to keep your body hydrated, which keeps your throat and vocal cords healthy and resilient. [11]
    • Divide your weight in pounds by 2 and drink that number of ounces of water to keep your body hydrated. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, drink 70 ounces of water.
    • If you use the metric system, drink 30 to 40 ml of water for every kilogram of body weight.
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Section 4 of 4:

Celebrities with Sultry Voices

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  1. Monroe’s infamous breathy performance of “Happy Birthday to You” for President John F. Kennedy’s birthday is the perfect example of a sultry voice. It’s even influenced generations of performers like Lana del Rey, Britney Spears, and Madonna. Other female celebrities with sultry voices are:
    • Angelina Jolie
    • Scarlett Johansson
    • Charlize Theron
    • Kathleen Turner
    • Angela Bassett
    • Liv Tyler
    • Gal Gadot
    • Salma Hayek
    • Rosamund Pike
    • Florence Pugh
  2. Having a sultry voice is more commonly associated with women than men. One study found that women are actually better at using a sexy voice than men. [12] However, there are a few men who speak with a sultry, breathy tone. Below is a list of male celebrities that many consider to have sultry or sexy voices.
    • Michael B Jordan
    • Gerard Butler
    • James Earl Jones
    • Daniel Kaluuya
    • Sam Elliott
    • Sean Connery
    • Henry Cavill
    • Jamie Dornan
    • Idris Elba
    • Chris Hemsworth
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.vpm.org/npr-news/2006-12-15/secrets-of-a-sexy-voice-tell-me-more
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/dy-bSggJq6E?t=265
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/dy-bSggJq6E?t=429
      4. ↑ https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/is-vocal-fry-ruining-my-voice
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/dy-bSggJq6E?t=667
      6. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphragmatic-breathing
      7. ↑ https://www.thepolicycircle.org/power-posing-body-language-can-boost-confidence/
      8. ↑ https://www.schoolofrock.com/resources/vocals/9-best-vocal-warm-ups-for-singers
      9. ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/jaw-dropping-singing-tips-7125/
      1. ↑ https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-your-voice-raspy
      2. ↑ https://wp.stolaf.edu/musician-health/staying-hydrated/
      3. ↑ https://time.com/71875/what-happens-when-men-try-to-sound-sexy/

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