vocal fry

American  

[voh-kuhl frahy] / ˈvoʊ kəl ˈfraɪ /

noun

1. a voice quality characterized by a low pitch and raspy sound and produced by a slow fluttering of the vocal cords: He wrote to the radio show to complain about the young woman’s vocal fry.

   Both men and women speak with vocal fry.

   He wrote to the radio show to complain about the young woman’s vocal fry.

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Etymology

Origin of vocal fry

First recorded in 1960–65; vocal ( def. ) + fry ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

The creator and lead actress of the HBO hit series “Girls” has long been castigated for her vocal fry and grating delivery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

She said the condition, called Reinke's edema, makes touring challenging because it causes the "ultimate vocal fry".

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2025

Singing a catchy verse about putting her hand on a stove, in her signature autotuned vocal fry, Shake was on the path to rap stardom.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2025

Famously, Butler's voice inexplicably shifted from his more nasally California vocal fry to a deep-toned sensual southern accent.

From Salon • Nov. 13, 2023

And they found that echolocation clicks fall within the vocal fry register.

From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2023