Resonant Voice — Single Words
Practice resonant voice quality on single words.
Session summary (SOAP)
Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.
Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.
How to run it
Keep the hum and the word joined. Mmm-me as one continuous production is the target; a hum, a pause, and then me is two separate things and teaches nothing. Ask the student to feel their lips and the bridge of the nose rather than listening for a change — the sensation is easier to notice than the sound at this stage. Eight minutes covers the twelve.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentThe student uses resonant voice on their own. Listen without reminding.Log as correct
- Visual reminderTouch your own lips and nose to show where the buzz should be felt.Log as cued
- Verbal reminderSay a short reminder, such as 'Easy, forward buzz.'Log as cued
- ModelSay it yourself using the technique; the student copies, then tries the card again.Log as cued
Voice work belongs after an ENT examination. If hoarseness lasts or gets worse, stop and refer back to the physician.
Adjust it
Go back to hums or single words, and shorten each turn.
Move to longer turns, then conversation, then a noisier room.
Matching IEP goal
Student will use resonant voice in single words in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a visual reminder.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Twelve single words each preceded by a hum: mmm… me, my, man, moon, more, mine, no, now, nine, name, none, mom. All start with m or n, which is the design — a nasal consonant forces the vibration into the front of the face, and the word inherits that placement from the hum before it.
What to listen for
Watch for the buzz stopping at the consonant. Mmm-moon should stay forward through the vowel, and many students carry the resonance through the m and lose it the moment the vowel opens. Notice mom and none, which have a nasal at both ends and are the easiest to keep forward — good words to start with and poor ones to judge progress by. Before any of this, the voice needs looking at: hoarseness lasting more than about four weeks should be examined by an ENT, whatever the student can do with a hum.
Carrying it home
Humming a few seconds before speaking is the portable version. There is nothing to carry and nothing that looks like practice, which is why it survives outside a session.
What's in this activity
- mmm… me
- mmm… my
- mmm… man
- mmm… moon
- mmm… more
- mmm… mine
- mmm… no
- mmm… now
- mmm… nine
- mmm… name
- mmm… none
- mmm… mom
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- Second through eighth, as the first stage of resonance work.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all twelve words play with no login.
- Why does the hum come first?
- Because it establishes the forward placement. The word is then produced out of that placement rather than started from scratch, which is what makes single-word resonance achievable.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.