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This article was written in collaboration with Patrick Muñoz. Patrick is an internationally recognized voice and speech coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal strength, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting, and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. Named Los Angeles’ Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, he is a voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies and a member of the Voice and Speech Coaches Association. This article has been viewed 1,080,251 times.
Hoarseness, or complete loss of voice, is caused by a condition called laryngitis in which the vocal cords (larynx) become inflamed. Laryngitis has many causes, so if you intend to lose your voice on purpose, you have a variety of potential options. However, proceed with caution as this is often accompanied by significant pain and/or irritation. See step 1 below to get started. Note: If you’re looking for how to get your voice back after losing it, check out How to get your voice back after losing it.
Talk talk talk. The easiest way to lose your voice is to simply use your larynx until it becomes unusable. Vocal activities like speaking, shouting, singing, etc. they require the vocal cords of the larynx to vibrate gently; With overuse, these cords can become inflamed, interfering with your ability to do these things. Always try to speak as loud as is reasonable wherever you are. With persistence, your voice should start to tire over time. The more you talk, the better!
- If you’re looking for opportunities to speak loudly and at length, sign up for a public speaking course or just chat in a crowded bar or club.
Sing. Singing can make a lot of demands on the vocal cords: singing loudly or in a very low or high register, even more so. These dangers are increased if you are not a trained or experienced singer. So, for a surefire way to destroy your voice, try singing out loud in a vocal range that you find difficult.
- Obviously, you’ll want to avoid warming up before singing.
- If you’re not comfortable singing out loud, try singing in the car with the doors closed and the windows rolled up. Other drivers will assume you’re just singing along to the radio.
Cough. While it’s not uncommon for people with colds to cough until they lose their voice, you don’t have to have a cold to cough. Any repeated coughing will irritate the larynx and eventually cause inflammation that can lead to loss of voice. Try combining your cough with one of the other methods in this article for maximum effect.
- As with screaming and singing, excessive and prolonged coughing can cause permanent pain and damage to the throat.
Keep your mouth open. As stated above, a dry throat is a throat that wears down easily. To speed up the process of voice loss, allow your mouth and throat to dry out by keeping your mouth open during the day. This will work especially well if you live in a dry climate.
- If you’re worried about how you’ll look after you get into the “drop jaw” look, try sleeping with your mouth open so no one sees you.
Don’t drink the water. Well-lubricated vocal cords are the enemy of anyone who wants to lose their voice. In fact, people who speak or sing professionally often hold a glass of water on stage to protect their vocal cords. If you’re trying to lose your voice, do the opposite! No soothe your frayed vocal chords with a refreshing sip of water after speaking, shouting or singing.
- Be sensible with this rule: do not avoid any source of moisture to the point of dehydration.
- If you’re looking for an alternative to water that will further wear down your throat, try an acidic or dairy-containing drink (see below for more information).
Eating acidic foods and/or dairy products. Certain foods and drinks, especially foods that are highly acidic (lemon, vinegar, etc.) and dairy products, cause mucus to build up in the throat of most people. While the mucus itself won’t irritate your vocal cords, it will stimulate a cough, which it can. So if you want to lose your voice, try consuming these types of foods and drinks in combination with some of the other methods in this article.
Drink very cold water. Some people find that very cold drinks can have a similar mucus-forming effect to dairy and acidic foods and drinks. Try drinking a glass of ice water to test its effect on your throat; If you find that you produce a lot of mucus after a cold drink, you can use this method to motivate yourself to cough.
Shout. The more you tense your vocal cords, the faster you’ll wear them down. Yelling and yelling puts a lot more stress on the vocal cords than regular talking and should lead to hoarseness or loss of voice in a fraction of the time. For maximum results, try to yell as loud as possible. However, keep in mind that yelling like this can be quite painful and can even cause permanent damage.
- If you’re worried about upsetting people with your yelling, try attending an event where yelling is encouraged, such as a sporting event or rock concert.
catch a cold Often when someone loses their voice, it is the result of a recent cold. If you really want to lose your throat, consider putting yourself in situations where you are likely to catch a cold. For example, you may want to spend time with friends who have a cold and get less sleep than you’re used to. However, it’s obvious that deliberately bringing on a cold can lead to many unpleasant side effects, including fever, nausea, aches, and general weakness, so stay away from the cold virus unless you really want to lose your voice.
- It may go without saying, but to be perfectly clear, knowingly exposing yourself to serious illness is never a good idea. Use common sense.
Make your allergies worse. Allergies have been known to cause sore throats and hoarseness in certain circumstances.[1]
If you have a history of mild allergies and a history of strep throat due to allergies, you may need to be exposed to allergens to lose your voice. For example, if you have seasonal allergies caused by pollen, while using one of the above methods, maybe you should go for a walk in the park and smell the flowers!- If you have a severe allergy, don’t flirt with danger by causing an allergic reaction just to lose your voice. Severe allergy attacks can be fatal.
Don’t give your voice a chance to rest. Over time, the body will heal most sore throats on its own. If you want to lose your voice, don’t let it happen! The less you allow your larynx to rest, the faster you will lose your voice. Get over the tiredness!
- However, keep in mind that you are putting your voice at risk. Wearing down your voice (especially if you do it repeatedly over a long period of time) can cause permanent damage to your voice. For example, many once-powerful singers have diminished in ability after years of vocal fatigue.
- Another thing you’ll want to avoid when trying to lose your voice is acid reflux, a painful condition in which stomach acid backs up into the throat, causing irritation. Although acid reflux is so unpleasant that it’s unlikely anyone would try it to lose their voice, it’s worth mentioning that repeated acid reflux can lead to a throat condition characterized by higher rates of esophageal cancer. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 14 Not Helpful 2
- Some things that make you lose your throat can be very harmful to your health, so you should avoid them even if you are dying to lose your voice. For example, you can lose your voice from smoking, but this is a very bad idea because tobacco use is linked to a number of health problems, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema, and many others.[2]
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Source: HIS Education