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

The author believes this may have been his first point of contact with falsetto.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Mr. Costanzo pays tribute to both men—as well as to pop artists such as Michael Jackson and Prince, who turned the falsetto voice into a sound that won millions of listeners.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 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

“Slap the City” clatters and coos with R&B falsetto and at least makes the blank nihilism of Drake’s dating life feel self-aware.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

He looks at me like I’ve just sung the question to him in falsetto.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

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

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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Related Words

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