quavering

Quavering refers to a tremulous or wavering quality in a voice or in singing. In everyday use, it describes a voice that shakes or wavers in pitch, often when expressing emotion, fear, sadness, fatigue, or aging. The effect can be transient and situational, or it may indicate a more persistent irregularity in vocal control. In a broader sense, quavering can also describe any sound that fluctuates irregularly in pitch, though the term is most commonly applied to human voice.

In vocal performance, quavering is distinguished from a controlled vibrato, which is regular and deliberate. Quavering implies instability or breaks in the voice, sometimes with accompanying changes in loudness. It can appear in speech or song and may be voluntary or involuntary.

Causes of quavering include emotional states (anxiety, fear, excitement, sadness), physical fatigue or dehydration, throat irritation, and age-related changes. It can also accompany medical conditions affecting the larynx or neuromuscular control, such as vocal tremor or other motor speech disorders. Medications, alcohol or sedatives, and overuse of the voice can contribute as well.

Etymology: the verb quaver means to shake or tremble. Quavering, the -ing form, denotes the action or quality of such tremulous voice. In British English, quaver additionally denotes an eighth note in music, but the musical term is etymologically distinct from the vocal tremor sense.