Men use “vocal fry” more than women, counter to stereotype

Study suggests "the bias is real but socially constructed, rather than grounded in how women actually sound."

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[dagar9]

So it's a warbling, scratchy voice?

To me, it sounds more like intermodulation of a higher pitch tone and a very low one. Or listening with the sound source on the other side of a fan. But it's not something I'd normally notice in speech. Maybe if I was somebody who'd actually listened to Kardashians.

That said, I'm sort of a vocal chameleon. Put me in an environment where lots of people are talking that way, and in a week or so I will be too.

 

[dagar9]

How about a study on high rising terminal (upspeak, uptalk) which makes every declarative statement sound like a question? That is far more annoying to me that vocal fry. It makes people sound like they're uncertain about what they're saying (even though they know very well) and at worst sound like they're being condescending.

This feature seems common with Native Americans in the northern US, though I find it more noticeable with females. It's never sounded condescending to me, though.