Acoustic Characteristics of Women's Voices with Advancing Age

The purpose of this study was to increase current understanding of acoustic characteristics of women's voices with advancing age. Phonated and whispered [ae] vowel productions by 75 women at three age levels (25 to 35, 45 to 55, 70 to 80 years) were assessed on acoustic measures related to fundamental frequency stability and vocal tract resonance characteristics. Two acoustic variables effectively differentiated the three age groups. First, frequency stability, as reflected by fundamental frequency standard deviation, decreased with advanced age in women, suggesting that laryngeal and/or respiratory control of phonation shows some deterioration with age. Second, spectral analysis of phonated and whispered [ae] vowel productions revealed significant lowering of the frequency of the first format (F1) with advanced age, suggesting age-related changes in vocal tract dimensions, or positioning of speech structures.