What is the Human Voice Frequency? How Sound is Produced by the Human Body

What is the human voice frequency?

Why is each persons voice so unique?This is a question that has been asked for centuries. Scientists and researchers have worked tirelessly to figure out what makes each person's voice special.

Let's explore what the human voice frequency is and how sound is produced by your vocal cords.

Some people have higher frequency in their voices and some people have lower, more baritone voices. A high-frequency range can be from a few hundred hertz up to several thousand hertz.

The fundamental frequency of a persons complex speech tone lies in the range of 100-120 Hz for lower sounding voices, but variations outside this range can occur. For higher pitched voices the fundamental frequency can be an octave higher around 200 Hz. Children can produce a fundamental voice frequency as high as 300 Hz.

The fundamental frequency of a human voice can also be known as the pitch, or f0.

The below charts show what SPL is produced at each frequency band for various inflections of low, high, and children voices. The SPL is basically how loud the sound is. The higher on the chart the louder the sound. 

Low Human Voices

High Human Voices

Children Voices

Keep in mind that the human ear cannot hear sounds above 20 kHz (20 kilohertz). This is why dogs and other animals can hear higher pitched sounds than humans.

How does the human voice produce sound?

The vocal cords are located in your throat. When you speak, air passes through your vocal cords and causes them to vibrate. This vibration creates sound waves that travel through the air and into your ears, where they are perceived as sound.

The vocal cords are also known as vocal folds which is the more modern term. Your vocal folds need to vibrate symmetrically and in regularly in order to get crisp and clear sound that is not raspy or harsh.

Fun facts about the human voice!

Countertenors: Some males possess a rare vocal ability to sing in the alto or soprano range, and they are known as countertenors.

Whistle Register: The highest register in the human voice is known as the whistle register, and it allows some individuals to produce extremely high-pitched sounds.

Vocal Classification: Singers are typically classified into vocal categories like soprano, alto, tenor, and bass based on their vocal range and timbre.

Vocal Range Expansions: With proper vocal training, singers can expand their vocal range and improve their ability to hit higher or lower notes. Don't get down on yourself if you can't hit those high notes in the shower. There is always hope ;)

Vocal Health: Maintaining good vocal health through proper hydration, rest, and avoiding vocal strain is essential for preserving and enhancing the human vocal range.

Chart Of Frequencies Produced By People With Lower Voices

Freaquency [HZ]	Shouted	Loud	Raised	Normal	Casual
125	42	50	51	48	44
160	42	55	49	44	42
200	58	58	52	48	45
250	67	60	55	52	44
315	68	61	54	51	43
400	69	65	58	53	47
500	74	68	60	54	48
630	78	69	58	52	45
800	78	65	54	46	38
1000	78	64	53	45	37
1250	80	66	54	47	39
1600	78	63	51	43	39
2000	73	59	48	40	34
2500	72	59	48	41	33
3150	70	57	47	41	33
4000	68	55	44	38	35
5000	62	49	40	34	34
6300	61	48	41	35	33
8000	59	46	39	33	33

 

Chart Of Frequencies Produced By People With Higher Voices

Freaquency [HZ]	Shouted	Loud	Raised	Normal	Casual
125	20	20	26	20	26
160	30	35	35	37	36
200	40	45	48	48	46
250	50	55	53	47	43
315	55	55	49	43	40
400	61	55	53	49	45
500	64	59	57	50	45
630	67	62	55	48	44
800	70	62	54	46	39
1000	72	61	52	42	35
1250	74	62	53	43	35
1600	74	62	52	42	35
2000	69	56	47	38	34
2500	66	54	45	36	31
3150	66	53	45	38	30
4000	65	53	45	40	30
5000	60	49	42	36	30
6300	56	47	40	36	32
8000	55	45	39	34	33

 

Chart Of Frequencies Produced By Children's Voices

Freaquency [HZ]	Shouted	Loud	Raised	Normal	Casual
125	25	25	26	26	24
160	45	30	30	30	26
200	44	42	41	40	41
250	49	49	52	51	46
315	53	54	54	48	40
400	61	58	53	48	43
500	66	60	55	53	49
630	66	60	58	52	48
800	67	63	57	49	44
1000	72	61	54	44	39
1250	72	62	54	43	38
1600	72	63	54	43	39
2000	71	60	50	41	39
2500	65	54	47	38	33
3150	66	54	48	39	33
4000	66	54	49	40	33
5000	63	52	46	38	33
6300	67	49	43	35	33
8000	55	48	43	37	33