Expert: Dana Krempels, Ph.D. - 1/2/2012

Question
hi,
A Man can imitate female voice.But a female cant imitate a male voice.Why?
Thanks
Syam

Answer
Dear Syam,

It's not true that no females can imitate a male voice.  It depends on the individual, and her ability to change the shape of her vocal chords.  I myself can do a pretty good male voice, and I even fooled my mother on the phone once.  :)

Most females, though, find it harder to imitate a male voice than vice versa.  This is simply a matter of the overall size of the vocal chords:  the male "voice box" is larger than the females, and so as a sounding device, it will make a lower pitched sound, as its vibrations will be slower (i.e., its sound waves will be farther apart).

It's easier to constrict the vocal chords, making the sounding box smaller to create a higher-pitched voice than to expand the vocal chords, create a larger voice box and a lower tone.  And a female will ultimately be limited in her ability to stretch by the absolute size of her vocal chords.  They won't go beyond a certain size, and I doubt any female will ever be capable of mimicking a basso profundo.  

How's that?  :)

Dana