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

Etymology

Origin of falsetto

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

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

“I did that yesterday, when I was a kid,” he sings over hectic guitar strums, and his trilling digital falsetto, warped to maximize irritation, makes clear that those days are far behind him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 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

On “All Them Horses” Mr. Kahan ably channels Mr. Vernon’s falsetto howl on a song that uses a flood as a metaphor for personal transformation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

Hooligan is equally audacious, with a rhythm track built from the sound of sharpening knives and snatches of cinematic strings that somehow leads into a dizzying falsetto chorus.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026

She walked on, and a falsetto followed her—“Oh, Aron, I do love you so.”

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

In Hill's song with iconic '90s R&B artist, D'Angelo, "Nothing Even Matters," the two showcase through buttery falsettos and a stunning vocal performance that love is the answer.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2023

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

The album’s sharply sensitive lyrics, Jordan’s whispery falsettos and fuzzy guitars combine for an excellent sophomore showing from the young indie rock powerhouse.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2021

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

But loving distraction, they listened with deep amusement to my rendering of American airs, as we might listen to Chinese falsettos.

From White Shadows in the South Seas by O'Brien, Frederick

Related Words

• singer