3 Assumptions in the Goal "I Want to Sound Cis" (and How to Reframe Them) - Prismatic Speech Services

3 Assumptions in the Goal “I Want to Sound Cis” (and How to Reframe Them)

General, LGBTQ+, Tips, Guides & Practice, Trans Vocal Training, Voice Kevin Dorman September 24, 2025

When asking new clients about their initial goals for gender-affirming voice work, the number one response we receive is, “I just want to sound like a cisgender [man/woman].” While this is an understandable and valid initial goal, we find that there are vast differences in what these new clients mean; at this early stage, they may not fully know what they mean!

It’s the job of both the speech-language pathologist and the client to dig into the statement “I want to sound cis” in order to find smaller, concrete goals that are easier for both of us to measure, and celebrate when the client meets them! In this article, speech-language pathologist and owner of Prismatic Speech Services, *Kevin Dorman (they/them)**, breaks down the challenges caused by the assumptions the assumptions that accompany the broad goal “I want to sound cis,” and some ways to recast that goal into more actionable items:*

When clients say “I want to sound cis,” they often mean “I want to have a voice that listeners assume belongs to a cis person of my gender.” The tricky thing about this framework is that there are billions of cis people in the world, with billions of different presentations, different connections (or disconnects!) with their gender identity, and different bodies. All of these factors come together to inform how one’s voice sounds, and how one uses the voice that they have. Think about the differences between the voices of Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, comedian Leslie Jones, hip hop artist Chali 2na, and voice actor Richard Horvitz. All four of these people identify as cisgender (as far as I’m aware), but they all have very different voices!

While the nature of voice work becomes vastly more open-ended (and perhaps intimidating) with this understanding, I hope that the freedom it brings ultimately engenders optimism. After all, if all these cis people’s genders are respected regardless of their vocal differences, yours should be, too! But my purpose in saying this isn’t to tell you how to feel about your voice and what your goals should be; rather, to help you make your goals more specific. Here’s a way to help internalize this truth, and define your vocal desires more explicitly:

Reframe 1: Listen for different types of voices in your life.

How do they match your own gendered expectations, and how do they break them? Think about their pitch, their resonance, how they express emotions, their speaking volume, etc. Do these qualities change in different contexts, like speaking with "someone they care about" vs "someone they’re intimidated by" vs "a large audience?" A few different categories of folks I suggest you check out:

Family members of different generations
Coworkers or friends
Randos on social media from a variety of cultures

Communication isn’t a one-way street, and for as much focus we put on the speaker in this line of work, let’s shift attention to the other half of the exchange: the listener!

Humans are social creatures, and our voices hold a lot of information about who we are that listeners can’t help but process and interpret- oftentimes, incorrectly! We all grew up in different families and communities, consuming different media and messaging about what is acceptable for which gender, and what isn’t. As a result, we all have different expectations and biases that race to the forefront of our minds when we hear someone speak.

When others gender us, we can’t:

Control what other people think when they hear us speak
Read their minds and know if their expressed reaction aligns with their gut interpretation
Know whether our interpretation of their reaction is an accurate read of their thoughts

What we can do is examine our own beliefs about what makes a speaker’s voice read to us as male, female, or androgynous, and encourage other listeners to do the same.

Reframe 2: Rethink your own assumptions about voices- other people’s, as well as your own!

Ask the cis folks in your life if they ever get read as the wrong age, gender, sexuality, etc, because of their voice. Their responses may surprise you, they may not!
If someone says they truly see you as your gender, but you don’t see it or believe them: consider that they may have different gendered expectations than you. Also consider that you are likely your own harshest critic when it comes to these matters!
- On the other side of the coin, some people are jerks, and deliberately misgender others to cause distress, regardless of gender interpretation
- Ultimately, we’ll never know if people correctly gendering you is a conscious choice to see and respect your identity, or a subconscious gendering based on these norms; the same holds true for instances of misgendering

Even if your goal is to be cis-assumed, there are many reasons why trans folks’ voices can be a better voice target than cis folks’:

There are many trans folks out there who are cis-assumed by listeners based on their voice
The size and shape of the structures that create the voice may be more similar to someone who was assigned the same gender at birth as you
- Beyond broad physical generalizations, cis folks have been socially conditioned into their assigned gender roles since birth, and thus have many patterns that have been ingrained and reinforced since early development

Many trans influencers have documented their transition online, allowing you to hear their voices at multiple points in embracing their identities. This can give you insight into where their expression started from, where they ended up, and many steps along the way.

Reframe 3: “Listen to some trans folks, see if anyone has voices you like!”

These can be people in your life or those you find online. Think about what makes their voice similar to, and different from, your own. Do you like how their voice sounds? What happens if you try to make your own voice sound more similar to theirs? If you like the change and it doesn’t cause physical discomfort or stress, why not do it again? If you don’t like the change, ask yourself why, and celebrate the fact that you’ve gained more specificity in your voice goals.

A Few People to Check Out:

Anonymous Discharged Client Samples*

Transfeminine:

Saint Josie*, TheSphereHunter, PhilosophyTube, ContraPoints

Transmasculine:

Charlie Adams*, JammiDodger, Brian Michael Smith, Miles McKenna,

*folks who have worked with Prismatic Speech Services!

Comparing yourself to others can be an accessible way to begin exploring your voice; however, depending on the model you choose, this can hurt more than it helps. Cisgender folks have a variety of voices and a variety of gendered norms they’ve internalized; beyond this, basing one’s satisfaction in one’s gender presentation based off of the treatment by others is a fraught foundation for growth. There are good people who respect one’s gender regardless of presentation, and there are jerks who disrespect one’s gender regardless of presentation; the people who fall in between these points (the majority of folks one interacts with) have different expectations of gender presentation. And to be quite honest, most strangers are not paying that close attention and just let the ‘gendering’ part of their brain go on autopilot. Why let random people who aren’t paying attention arbitrate the trajectory of your transition, a process that’s ultimately centered around becoming the most authentic version of yourself?

The Final Reframe: “Make your own voice the voice model!”

Comparing your own voice to others’ voices, cis or trans, is always going to be unfair to yourself, as these other people are at very different places in the exploration and realization of their own identities. These skills take time to develop, and no newbie should directly compare themselves to a veteran, regardless of what skill is being discussed. As an example: someone just beginning to learn to play the piano shouldn’t judge their skills against someone who’s been playing for a decade; how demotivating that would be!

In my opinion, the healthiest person to compare your current voice to is your earlier voice. Many of my clients forget what they sounded like when we first started our work together, and subconsciously move the goalposts of their voice expectations as their skills increase. Comparing the voice you’re currently practicing to earlier iterations can help highlight the changes you make more accurately: both the structures that produce the voice and the cultural background that informs your usage of the structures are consistent! When comparing your current voice to your past voice, ask yourself:

Does the current voice sound even a hair closer to my ideal gender presentation?
- If yes, fantastic! That’s a step forward. Now, what’s another change you could try that may result in a voice that’s even closer?
- If not, also fantastic! By going further away from your ideal presentation, you’ve learned more about what you do want. Try making the initial change more or less exaggerated, or consider even going in the opposite direction of your initial attempt!

You can learn from every choice you make about your voice; it all comes down to your perspective! This mindset comes more naturally to some than others, so no worries if you struggle with (or flat-out reject) internalizing the shifts I propose here. After all, your transition is your own, not mine, and all clinicians and medical professionals involved in your transition should be here to support you in achieving your goals.

If you’d like a more personalized roadmap to help you explore your voice, book a free consultation with myself or any of the other Prismatic clinicians! If there are no openings available in your state, consider joining our waitlist using the booking page!

Let us know how your independent practice is going, and if you have any specific questions you’d like some help answering! We’re here for you.