From Kim Kardashian to Paris Hilton, many female celebrities are known for their raspy, low voices.
This low drawl is known as ‘vocal fry’, and has become popular with young women who wish to speak more like their idols.
Now, a study has revealed how women who speak with vocal fry use the same technique as cats when the purr.
Researchers from the University of Vienna have discovered a special ‘pad’ embedded in cats’ vocal folds, which may explain why they can produce these low-frequency sounds.
‘The observed sound production mechanism is strikingly similar to human “creaky voice” or “vocal fry”,’ the team explained.
From Kim Kardashian (left) to Paris Hilton (right), many female celebrities are known for their raspy, low voices
Cats are known for their broad range of noises, whether it’s sharp screeches or low-pitched purrs.
Previous studies have shown that meows and screeches are produced in the cat’s larynx, or ‘voice box’, just like vocalisations in humans.
However, until now, the mechanism behind purring has remained unclear.
Research dating back 50 years suggested that purrs are produced by a special mechanism in which the muscles in the vocal folds within the larynx contract and relax in a cycle.
However, in their new study, the researchers questioned whether this is really the case – pointing out that such a process would require constant neural input and control from the brain.
To set the record straight, the team enlisted the help of eight domestic cats, whose voice boxes were analysed as they made a range of noises.
As predicted, the analysis revealed that cyclic muscle contractions are not needed to generate cat purrs.
Instead, the team found that cats have a unique pad within their vocal folds that’s responsible for the low-frequency noises.
To set the record straight, the team enlisted the help of eight domestic cats, whose voice boxes were analysed as they made a range of noises (stock image)
Christian T Herbst, lead author of the study, said: ‘Anatomical investigations revealed a unique “pad” within the cats’ vocal folds.
‘[This] may explain how such a small animal, weighing only a few kilograms, can regularly produce sounds at those incredibly low frequencies (20–30 Hz, or cycles per second) – far below even than lowest bass sounds produced by human voices.’
This process is very similar to vocal fry in humans, the researchers explained.
Writing in their study, published in Current Biology, they added: ‘This is comparable to vocal fry phonation in humans, which is found at frequencies below 70 Hz.’
Vocal fry sounds are usually used at the end of a sentence when users dip into lower, creaky notes.
It is compared to the way Britney Spears croaks out the line ‘Oh baby, baby’ in her number one hit ‘Baby One More Time’.
Unfortunately for those who’ve adopted the accent, a recent study found that women who speak with it are seen as less intelligent and attractive.
However, the University of Florida researchers did not find any difference in the impression it gave when used by men.
