Frequently asked question (FAQ)
I find
that my voice is very quiet, almost a whisper. People – even my family – find
it difficult to hear me. Can you suggest anything to help?
A weak or quiet voice is not uncommon and we would
recommend that you seek an assessment from a speech and language therapist who
will be able to suggest exercises tailored to your particular needs. Meanwhile,
here are a few suggestions – you probably won’t be able to follow them all the
time, but keep trying and you will perhaps find things a little easier:
- Don’t
try to talk over noise, or from a different room
- Try
to keep your sentences short and precise
- Think
first what you want to say, then say it as simply as possible
- Face
the person you are talking to (people often lip read, which will help)
- Don’t
speak without taking a breath first
- Enunciate
(use your tongue, lips and jaw in a somewhat exaggerated way)
very clearly. You may find this difficult, but try
- You
may find it helpful to imagine the room in which you are speaking is bigger
than it really is
- Your
voice may tail off at the end of a sentence – try to make an extra effort
here, or take a breath in during the sentence
- The problem of a quiet
voice may be made worse if older family members have some
loss of hearing. If this is suspected, do encourage them to seek help
too.
