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

“Jealous Lover” is a spacious, soul-inflected number in the vein of “Beast of Burden” that allows Mr. Jagger to indulge his Curtis Mayfield-style falsetto.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 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

But they hit their stride with 2022’s “The Death of Peace of Mind,” which melded a Weeknd-worthy R&B falsetto with rotted, churning guitars and tasteful electronics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 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 sings French folk songs in a screechy falsetto, harbors a weakness for sherry, and regularly falls asleep standing up.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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

Both Sumney and Hadreas are intense, fervent singers, with voices that reach from baritone and tenor up to pearly, richly androgynous falsettos.

From New York Times ● May 17, 2020

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

Related Words

• singer