breathy

Breathy is a term used in phonetics and linguistics to describe a voice quality where the glottis remains relatively open during phonation, allowing air to escape continuously. This creates an airy, softer-sounding voice with increased airstream noise compared to modal voice, where the vocal folds come together more fully.

In language, breathy voice can be phonemic, meaning vowels or consonants contrast with or without breathy voicing. It occurs in numerous languages across the world, including many South Asian languages such as Hindi, Marathi, and Bengali, as well as Southeast Asian languages like Thai and Vietnamese. In these languages, breathy voice is part of the phonological system and can distinguish meaning, often alongside other features such as aspiration or vowel length. Acoustic cues typically associated with breathy voice include higher spectral tilt (e.g., larger H1-A3 differences), increased noise in the glottal region, and particular cepstral properties; analyses may use measures from spectrograms and cepstral peak prominence to quantify breathiness.

Breathy voice also appears as a descriptive term in voice pedagogy and music, where it refers to an airy, nearly whispery timbre used for expressive effect. In singing and performance, breathy phonation can be employed for warmth and intimacy, though it can reduce vocal projection and vocal fold efficiency if overused. Across contexts, breathiness is treated as a distinct voice quality with perceptual and linguistic significance.