How to track your voice on T
- Record before you start T, if you can. A session in your everyday voice is the point every later one is compared with. Already on T? Record one now — it is still your starting point.
- Enter the day you started testosterone above the session table. Each session then shows as a week on T, and the trend chart marks the start.
- Repeat every week or two with the same short texts, at the same time of day, with the same phone or microphone. Change on T is gradual; a steady routine is what makes it visible.
- Read the trend, not one day. A cold, a late night or an early-morning session moves your pitch by itself.
Not on T, or not yet? The tool works for training on its own: the target line counts how much of your speech sits at or below the pitch you choose.
What testosterone does to speaking pitch
Testosterone usually lowers the speaking voice, but how far and how fast differs a lot from person to person. Two studies that measured the same people over a year:
- In a study of 50 trans men (Nygren et al., 2016), average speaking pitch fell at 3, 6 and 12 months. After 12 months the group average was 125 Hz, in line with reference values for men, with large differences between individuals.
- A smaller study followed 7 trans men every 3 months (Irwig et al., 2017). All reached an average male speaking pitch within 6 months, and the average drop after a year was 6.4 semitones (49 Hz). Some had no drop at all in the first 3 months while others had their biggest one then; most of the deepening came within 6–9 months.
So a quiet first few months does not mean nothing will happen, and a fast early drop does not tell you where you will end up. The week column is there so you can see your own curve rather than an average.
Why a lower pitch is not the whole of a masculine voice
Listeners judge a voice by pitch and resonance together (Hillenbrand & Clark, 2009), so a lower pitch with a bright, “small” resonance can still sound less masculine than the number suggests. Resonance comes from how your throat and mouth shape the sound, and it can be trained with or without T. The experimental resonance test shows whether a reading moved darker than your own starting point.
Intonation, loudness and how you shape words matter too; what makes a voice sound male or female covers the whole list.
Training before or without testosterone
- Expect a modest change in pitch. Without testosterone, how far speaking pitch can be lowered comfortably is limited; resonance and how you use your voice do more of the work.
- Do not press your voice down. Aim for the lower part of where your voice feels easy, and let the target line show how much of your speech sits there. Creaky voice (vocal fry) is not counted in your median, so pushing into it will not move the number either.
- Pick a target you can keep up in conversation. The default is 150 Hz, just below the 155–185 Hz gender-ambiguous band; lower is not automatically better.
Train safely
In the study of 50 trans men above, 24% reported voice problems such as an unstable voice or tiring quickly, and had voice therapy. If your voice cracks a lot, tires quickly or goes hoarse, rest it and see a speech-language pathologist, ideally one with gender-affirming voice experience. Questions about testosterone itself belong with your prescriber.
This page was written by the site’s developer from the published sources listed below. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not medical advice.
What stays on your device
Your audio is analysed inside your browser and is never uploaded — this site has no server that could receive it. Your sessions (date, median, range and time on target — never audio) and your T start date are kept only in this browser. The start date is never put in a share link or the CSV export; enter it again on a new device. Clear history removes the sessions; emptying the date field removes the date.
Frequently asked questions
How much does testosterone lower your voice?
It varies a lot. In a study of 50 trans men, the group’s average speaking pitch after 12 months on testosterone was 125 Hz, with large differences between people (Nygren et al., 2016). In a smaller study of 7, the average drop after a year was 6.4 semitones, about 49 Hz (Irwig et al., 2017).
How long does it take for your voice to drop on T?
In the 7-person study, some people had no change in the first 3 months and others had their largest drop then; all reached an average male pitch within 6 months, and most of the change came within 6–9 months. In the larger study, average pitch kept falling up to 12 months. Follow your own weeks rather than someone else’s timeline.
Can I make my voice deeper without testosterone?
Somewhat. Speaking pitch can be lowered a little without strain, and resonance, intonation and loudness can be trained and change how masculine a voice sounds. A speech-language pathologist can guide this safely. Pressing your voice down hard tires it.
What pitch should I aim for?
Adult men typically speak at about 85–180 Hz (Baken, 1987). This tool shows below 155 Hz as the male-typical band — a convention, not a line — which is why the target starts at 150 Hz. Pick one you can hold relaxed in conversation.
Is my T start date stored or shared?
Only in this browser, as a date. It is never uploaded, never put in a share link and not included in the CSV export.
Sources
- R. J. Baken, Clinical Measurement of Speech and Voice (College-Hill Press, 1987) — the adult speaking-pitch ranges as commonly cited from this textbook.
- U. Nygren, A. Nordenskjöld, S. Arver & M. Södersten, “Effects on voice fundamental frequency and satisfaction with voice in trans men during testosterone treatment — a longitudinal study”, Journal of Voice 30(6), 2016 — 50 trans men. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2015.10.016
- M. S. Irwig, K. Childs & A. B. Hancock, “Effects of testosterone on the transgender male voice”, Andrology 5(1), 2017 — seven trans men, assessed every 3 months. doi:10.1111/andr.12278
- J. M. Hillenbrand & M. J. Clark, “The role of f0 and formant frequencies in distinguishing the voices of men and women”, Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics 71(5), 2009. doi:10.3758/APP.71.5.1150
- The 155–185 Hz gender-ambiguous band is a convention from voice-training practice, not a measured boundary.
- A. de Cheveigné & H. Kawahara, “YIN, a fundamental frequency estimator for speech and music”, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 111(4), 2002. doi:10.1121/1.1458024 — the pitch detector this tool uses.
By Soluto, independent developer, not a clinician · Published · How this tool works and where the numbers come from