falsetto

American  

[fawl-set-oh] / fɔlˈsɛt oʊ /

noun

• falsettos
  plural

1. an unnaturally or artificially high-pitched voice or register, especially in a man.

2. a person, especially a man, who sings with such a voice.

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adjective

1. of, noting, or having the quality and compass of such a voice.

adverb

1. in a falsetto.

falsetto British  

/ fɔːlˈsɛtəʊ /

noun

1. a form of vocal production used by male singers to extend their range upwards beyond its natural compass by limiting the vibration of the vocal cords

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• falsettos
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of falsetto

1765–75; < Italian, equivalent to fals ( o ) (< Latin falsus false ) + -etto -et

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Explanation

Falsetto is a male singing voice that's unusually high. It's a voice so high it sounds false. A guy singing a mean falsetto could break a wine glass! Falsetto is a musical term for a male voice that's artificially high. Falsetto means “artificial voice” and comes from the Italian word falso for “false.” When men suddenly sing way up high above their speaking voices, it can sound almost fake. This word can also be used as an adjective — you could say he's a falsetto singer or a certain part should be sung with a falsetto voice. When you see the word falsetto, think "high voice."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

falsetto falsettos

Mr. Mattei’s velvety baritone brings rawness, lyricism, and even a bit of falsetto to the unfolding of Lincoln’s pain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

The propulsive groove on “Another Life” evokes a thudding drum break pulled from a dusty groove pressed in the early ’70s, as Ms. Howard sings forcefully, moving between a curling falsetto and a feral howl.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

But he’s just singing better than ever — the falsetto wouldn’t hide flaws, it would just emphasize them.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

Launched in an era where machismo meant a goofy wrestler or metal singer with an eight-octave falsetto, the steroidal beskirted barbarian has always been a bit ridiculous.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

In terms of the voice, both boys and girls should remain singing in their head voice or falsetto.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Somewhat obscured at the time by the hairy chests and falsettos of their disco peak was the enduring brilliance of Gibb’s songwriting.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 22, 2023

The angelic falsettos of The Bee Gees – brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb – give us and the song a lift — especially when the word "Alive" is stretched out enough to touch Heaven.

From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2022

Sasfy added, “The style is clear — male passion and pain made real by exaggerated timing, breathless gasps, resounding basso profundo, swooping falsettos and nervous yelps.”

From Washington Post ● Oct. 22, 2022

He began yowling along, tacking his versions of Jackson’s famous grunts and falsettos into the space between each phrase: “If they say why, why, tell ’em that it’s human nature!

From The New Yorker ● May 6, 2019

With downcast head, the mutilated wretch—for he was one of those maimed from their youth to sing falsettos in the choir of St. Peter—pondered how to act.

From Rule of the Monk or, Rome in the Nineteenth Century by Giuseppe Garibaldi

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