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How to Reduce Nasality in Spoken English

A practical, step by step guide for speakers who want to sound clear and natural

Many of our clients say, “I want work on my English so that it sounds more natural and easy to understand.” That can mean working on lots of things, but sometimes it means adjusting voice placement to reduce nasality, which is sometimes described as “talking through your nose” or “having a nasal voice.” Let’s take a look at what nasality is, why it happens, when you need it, when you don’t, and how you can reduce it for clearer vowels and a more pleasant speaking voice.

Table of contents

  1. What does nasality feel like?
  2. What is voice placement?
  3. The Velum: Your Speech Gatekeeper
  4. Step-by-Step Tips to Identify and Reduce Nasality
  5. Is Nasal Always Wrong? When SHOULD I be Nasal?
  6. Final Advice
  7. Private, Personalized Training

What does nasality feel like?

Quick test: Lightly squeeze your nostrils and produce these words:

  • bee, knee
  • see, me
  • sit, sing

Did you feel the expansion and vibration in your nose for n, m, and ng? And the resistance created by your fingers? Those sounds SHOULD be nasalized. The trick is getting nasality just where you want it, and removing or reducing it for the rest!

Fun fact: Close your nostrils and try to say “mom, nun, MIng.” If you can say it at all, it will sound very strange.

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What is voice placement?

Voice placement refers to where your voice resonates in your body when you speak. It is not the same as pitch.

When you have nasal voice placement, the sound vibrates mostly in your nose. This can make your voice sound congested or constricted, and is generally considered by English speakers to be less attractive than a “mouth voice” or a “chest voice.”

When your voice is overly nasal, it may sound whiny or unclear—especially on vowels, and that can result in:

  • Reduced attention or “listener resistance”: If people hear/experience your “voice personality” as whiny, they may be less inclined to listen to you and may (unconsciously) experience your speech as negative, complaining, or manipulative.
  • Confusion: If you are not easily understood due to unclear vowels, people may – consciously or unconsciously – avoid speaking with you.

When you have oral placement: The sound vibrates mainly in your mouth—this is what we aim for in most forms of clear, professional English.

If you have chest placement, you will produce deep, full tones. Watch the video below. But don’t worry, you do NOT have to sound like the late, great James Earl Jones. Oral voice placement will be just fine.

Actor James Earl Jones dramatic reading demonstrates the chest voice

James Earl Jones (Langston Hughes) Monologue - "Who But The Lord"

The velum: your speech gatekeeper

Have you ever wondered how your body shapes different speech sounds? One key player is the velum, also known as the soft palate. This small but powerful part of your mouth acts like a gatekeeper, directing the flow of air either through your mouth or your nose—and in doing so, it helps create the sounds of spoken language.

Oral sounds: Air through the mouth

When you make most sounds, such as [b], [p], [d], or [t], the velum is in what we can call a “neutral” postion, allowing almost all the air to pass through the oral cavity (your mouth), where it can resonate; and where your tongue, lips, and other articulators can shape it into lovely, clear sounds.

Nasal sounds: Air through the nose

But for sounds like [m], [n], and [ŋ] (as in song), the velum moves down and makes more contact with the back of your tongue. This more or less blocks your oral cavity and creates a path through your nasal cavity (your nose), giving these sounds their distinctive, humming quality.

See if you can feel the velum moving from neutral position (open sounds) to the low position, in contact with the back of your tongue, for the very nasal sound -ing sound by saying: ah-ung, be-ing, ho-hung, so-sung, to-tongue, row-ring, buy-bing. There are more exercises below.

One small part, one big job

Think of the velum as a valve that switches the airflow on command. Whether it’s neutral or down determines whether a sound is oral or nasal. It’s a small movement with a big impact—helping us produce the rich variety of sounds we use every day.

Step-by-step tips to identify and reduce nasality

1. Awareness: Feel the difference

  • Slowly say ung-ah. Repeat several times and feel the velum make contact with with back of the tongue, and then release.
  • Close your lips and say “mmmm” – feel the vibration in your nose and the expansion of your nostrils.
  • Now say “ahhh” – the vibration should shift to your mouth and throat.
  • Switch between “mmm” and “ahh” slowly to feel the difference in placement.
  • Slide between a high pitched ing and a low pitched ah. You will feel the velum lower.

The goal: Feel and hear the difference between mouth and nose resonance.

2. Find your soft palate

Find your soft palate with a gentle, clean thumb. Just place your thumb behind your teeth, then run it over the dental ridge, into the arch (“the roof”) of your mouth and gently back to the soft palate.

Exercise: Yawn (or fake yawn) and make an enthusiastic, relaxed “ah” vowel

When you yawn, the velum (soft palate) rises—often quite a lot. At the same time, the back of the tongue lowers, and the throat (pharynx) opens up. This creates a wide, open space in the vocal tract, which is part of why yawns feel so expansive and can even sometimes trigger changes in ear pressure. And they just feel good. Try it now.

So, in short:

During a yawn, the velum moves upward.
This upward motion helps open the airway and is similar to what happens when you sing or take a deep breath.

3. Use the “NG-K” drill

To feel the back of your mouth in action:

  • Say “sing” and hold the “ng” sound.
  • Then snap into a sharp “kuh” sound (like in “kite”).
  • This engages the velopharyngeal mechanism (the muscles that separate the nasal and oral cavities).
  • Repeat: “sing-kuh… sing-kuh…”

4. Forward resonance humming

  • Gently hum while smiling. Feel the vibration move into your lips and face, not your nose.
  • Humming with a forward focus warms up the oral mask area (lips, teeth, cheeks).
  • Try saying “hmm-hmm-hmm” on different pitches while tapping your lips.

5. Vowel clarity practice

Over-nasality is most noticeable on vowels and can reduce intelligibility (=how understandable you are).

Practice these open vowel words clearly, with full mouth resonance. Be sure your lips are engaged and be aware of their postions.

  • go, slow, day, foe, Joe, too, key, so, law, pee, pie, why

Tip: Record yourself saying them, listen back, and ask, “Is the sound coming mostly from my mouth or my nose?”

6. Posture and breath support

  • Poor posture can reduce breath support and increase tension in the throat and nasal area.
  • Practice deep belly breathing and speak while standing or sitting upright.
  • A supported voice is easier to control and direct away from the nose.

7. Sample warm-up routine

  • Yawn and slide into a long lovely “ahhh” (3x)
  • NG-K drill (“sing-kuh,” 10x)
  • Humming warm-up with smile (3 pitches)
  • Read aloud 5 sentences with a focus on mouth movements. Exaggerate!
  • Practice horse lips (lips trills)

Record and review for nasality.

Is nasal always wrong? When SHOULD I be nasal?

We should be nasal only when producing nasal sounds: /m/, /n/, and /ŋ/. These sounds require airflow through the nose. All other sounds should be oral, not nasal.

Examples of nasal sounds:

  • /m/ – man, home, summer
  • /n/ – no, ten, dinner
  • /ŋ/ – sing, long, walking

But what about French? It’s beautiful and nasal!

The perception of nasality in speech—why it’s sometimes considered unpleasant in English but accepted or even admired in French—has to do with cultural expectations, phonetic norms, and aesthetic associations.

Here’s a breakdown:

🧠 1. Cultural expectations and norms

In English, especially in many native English-speaking cultures (like the US and UK), excessive nasality is often associated with:

  • Unpleasantness (e.g., a “whiny” or “stuffed-up” voice),
  • Illness (like having a cold or allergies),
  • Stereotypes (e.g., comic characters with nasal voices are often mocked).

In contrast, French has nasal vowels built into the sound system (like in bon, pain, un), and native French speakers often speak with a naturally nasal resonance even when speaking English. In that context, it’s simply part of the French phonetic identity, not a deviation.

🎵 2. Phonetic functionality

  • In French, nasality serves a phonemic function—changing a nasal vowel can change the entire word. It’s integral to the language.
  • In English, nasality is not phonemic (except when it’s a side effect of consonants like m, n, and ng), so a nasal quality is usually considered non-standard or even a speech impediment when overused.

💋 3. Romanticization of French

  • French is often labeled the “language of love,” and the soft, flowing nature of French (including its nasal vowels) has been romanticized in popular culture.
  • When a native French speaker speaks English with a French accent (including nasal qualities), it’s often perceived as charming or exotic.
  • But when a native English speaker speaks with strong nasality (without it being part of a foreign accent), it’s more likely to be judged as unattractive or awkward.

🔊 4. Voice quality vs. linguistic identity

  • In English-speaking contexts, clear, balanced resonance (not too nasal, not too throaty) is typically considered pleasant.
  • Nasality in English is often viewed as a voice quality issue rather than a linguistic trait.
  • In French, it’s part of the identity of the language, so it’s not judged by the same standards.

In summary, too much nasality is considered unattractive in English because it deviates from the language’s norms and is associated with negative traits like whining or illness. In French, nasality is normal, functional, and culturally accepted—so it doesn’t carry the same negative weight. And when French speakers bring that nasal quality into English, it’s often perceived through the lens of accent appreciation rather than critique.

Final advice for spoken English voice placement

  • Speak slowly and clearly.
  • Know what sounds are nasalized and what sounds are not.
  • Perfect your vowel sounds.
  • Practice in front of a mirror or with a coach if possible.
  • Record often—hearing is believing!

If nasality persists or you feel blocked, consider working with a voice coach or speech therapist. There may be underlying anatomical or habitual issues that need one-on-one guidance.

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How to Reduce Nasality in Spoken English

Authors: Brenda de Jong-Pauley, MA, Director, The English Center and Alexandra Roberts, BA, English teacher.

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