When it comes to the voice changes that you can expect on testosterone, what is a reasonable timeline? I've talked to a lot of different people who have taken testosterone exogenously, and the one thing that I can say for sure is that there is no timeline.

Everybody's trans masculine voice changes at varying rates and to varying degrees of intensity. But, I have also noticed there are three distinct phases in the testosterone voice timeline.

Phase 1 of Your Voice on Testosterone

The first phase is an initial change in the voice. This might be a little drop in pitch or a little thickening of the vocal fold mass. When this happens, a lot of people think "Yay, my voice has changed!", and that's a really great feeling. This is often the first noticeable stage of voice deepening on testosterone during FTM voice training.

Phase 2 of Your Voice on Testosterone

The second phase, however, is complete and total voice chaos. You never know from one day to the next what to expect. You never know if your voice is going to break when you open your mouth to say something, or if you're going to be able to speak at all. You lose your voice. It's up, it's down, it's all over the place. This is a very concerning phase for the people who are on T, and a completely normal part of the trans voice transition process.

If you are in this phase right now, I just want you to know that it's temporary. It's going to change and it's not forever. If you are just starting T, I want you to be prepared for the chaos phase because I have seen it do some difficult things to people's mental health.

But I think even just knowing in advance that this is a temporary thing can help you be prepared. You will get through this as other people have before you as well, and transgender voice therapy can help you maintain healthy vocal habits while your voice adjusts.

Phase 3 of Your Voice on Testosterone

The third phase, once we've gotten through the chaos, is a period of settling. Now you start to get to know your voice. You have some idea of how it's going to behave when you speak, and it's settled into something predictable that you now love. This is the phase where FTM voice training exercises can help strengthen and stabilize your new voice.

Understanding Trans Masculine Voice Changes on Testosterone

Every trans voice journey is unique, but knowing what to expect during your testosterone voice timeline can make the process easier to navigate.

Here’s a quick recap of the three phases of FTM voice changes on testosterone:

• Phase 1 – Initial Change: Early signs of voice deepening on testosterone, like a lower pitch or thicker vocal folds.

• Phase 2 – Chaos Phase: Expect instability in your trans masculine voice, with cracking or voice loss. This stage is temporary!

• Phase 3 – Settling: Your new tone stabilizes. Transgender voice therapy or FTM voice training exercises can help strengthen and refine your sound.

💡 Tip: Stay patient and kind to yourself during your trans voice transition. Every body, and every voice, has its own pace.

Those are the three phases that I see in most people who take T exogenously, but I would love to hear about your experience! I would just love to see a huge library of experiential information in the comments, if we can put that together. I hope this helps!

And if you want more information to help you on your voice journey, check out my free 60-minute webinar, Change the Gender of Your Voice (No Hormones of Surgeries Required!)