How to Stop Talking Through Your Nose: Causes of a Nasal Voice and Exercises
A nasal voice sounds as if the speaker has a permanent cold. Sometimes the cause really is medical, but often it’s just a habit: the soft palate is lazy, and air escapes through the nose when it shouldn’t. Let’s look at how to tell one from the other and what to do about it.
Two types of nasal voice
| Type | How it sounds | What’s happening |
|---|---|---|
| Hyponasal (blocked) | Like a stuffy nose: “my mom” comes out as “by bob” | Air doesn’t pass through the nose on “m”, “n” and “ng” |
| Hypernasal (open) | Everything sounds “in the nose”, the voice is muffled | Air escapes through the nose on every sound |
When to see a doctor
Rule out medical causes first. See an ENT doctor if:
- your nose is often blocked or you breathe through your mouth;
- the nasal sound appeared suddenly;
- you suspect adenoids, polyps or a deviated septum;
- the nasal voice comes with snoring or frequent colds.
If the doctor finds nothing, a nasal voice is almost certainly a habit, and exercises can fix it.
Exercises for a habitual nasal voice
1. Open-mouth yawn
Yawn widely and feel your soft palate (the little uvula at the back of your mouth) lift. 10 reps. This is the key exercise: it teaches you to control the palate.
2. The nose-pinch test
Pinch your nose and say a sentence with no “m”, “n” or “ng” sounds, such as “Look at the bridge” or “Kate set the table”. If your voice doesn’t change, the air is going the right way. If it sounds different, air is escaping through your nose.
3. Gargling
Gargle with warm water, head tilted back, for 20–30 seconds. Your soft palate works hard while you do it.
4. Puffed cheeks
Puff out your cheeks and hold the air for 5–10 seconds without letting any out through your nose. 10 reps.
5. Open-mouth vowels
Draw out “ah, eh, ee, oh, oo”, opening your mouth wide and aiming the sound forward, at your teeth. Make sure your nose doesn’t buzz.
6. “Ka-ga” syllables
Crisp and energetic: “ka-ka-ka”, “ga-ga-ga”, “ak-ak-ak”. These sounds engage the muscles at the back of the mouth and train the palate. Pair them with some diction exercises.
How to make it stick
Record yourself talking and listen for the moments your voice slips back “into the nose”. It usually happens when you’re tired or speaking fast. Slow down a little and open your mouth wider.
In the Голос app, you read a short passage aloud, record it and get feedback on your pronunciation and timbre. Then you get a weekly plan of short daily exercises, including articulation work, and after a week you record again and get a progress report. That makes it easier to hear the nasal sound fading.
FAQ
Can an adult get rid of a nasal voice?
Yes, if it’s a habit. With regular practice, noticeable changes usually appear within 3–6 weeks.
Will exercises help with a deviated septum?
No. With anatomical causes, you need treatment from an ENT doctor first. Exercises help after that.