Troubleshooting Nasality: Soft Palate, Tongue Position, and Vowel Clarity

What “nasality” actually is (and what it is not)

When singers say “I sound nasal,” they often mean one of three different things: (1) true nasal resonance (too much sound energy escaping through the nose), (2) a bright, forward tone that feels “in the nose” but is not actually nasal, or (3) muffled diction where vowels lose clarity and the tone becomes pinched. Troubleshooting gets much easier when you separate these.

Two pathways: oral vs. nasal

Your vocal sound is shaped above the vocal folds by the vocal tract. Ideally, for most singing vowels, the majority of the sound exits through the mouth (oral resonance). Nasal resonance becomes dominant when the velopharyngeal port (the space between the soft palate and the back wall of the throat) is open, allowing sound to couple into the nasal cavities.

Some nasality is stylistic and some is required for nasal consonants (m, n, ng). The problem is when that nasal coupling stays “on” during vowels that you want to be primarily oral, making the tone buzzy, thin, or “stuck.”

“Nasal-sounding” but not nasal: the important distinction

A singer can feel vibration around the nose and cheekbones even with a well-lifted soft palate. That vibration is not proof of nasality; it can simply be sympathetic vibration from a bright, efficient tone. The more reliable test is whether the sound changes when the nostrils are blocked (details below). If blocking the nose changes the vowel quality a lot, you are likely leaking resonance into the nose during vowels.

Quick diagnostic tests (before you try to fix anything)

Test 1: The “pinch the nose” check

Sing a sustained vowel like “ah” or “oo” on a comfortable pitch. While sustaining, gently pinch your nostrils closed.

Continue in our app.

You can listen to the audiobook with the screen off, receive a free certificate for this course, and also have access to 5,000 other free online courses.

Or continue reading below...

Download the app

• If the sound changes noticeably (muffles, gets quieter, or feels blocked), you are sending significant resonance through the nose during the vowel.
• If the sound barely changes, your vowel is primarily oral; any “nasal” sensation is likely just forward vibration or vowel brightness.

Test 2: Contrast vowels vs. nasal consonants

Alternate “ah” with “ng” (as in “sing”) on the same pitch: “ah–ng–ah–ng.” The “ng” requires an open nasal port; “ah” usually does not. If your “ah” sounds very similar to your “ng,” you are likely leaving the nasal port too open on the vowel.

Test 3: The “mirror fog” clue (optional)

Hold a small mirror under your nostrils and sustain a vowel. If you see consistent fogging during a vowel (not during m/n/ng), you may be leaking airflow through the nose. This is not perfect, but it can support what you hear in Test 1.

Soft palate control: the main valve for unwanted nasality

The soft palate (velum) is the movable, soft tissue at the back of the roof of your mouth. When it lifts, it helps close off the nasal cavities from the oral tract, keeping vowels primarily oral. When it lowers, sound and airflow can enter the nose.

What makes the soft palate drop unintentionally

• Over-relaxed “speechy” setup: Some singers keep a conversational, low-velum posture into sustained singing vowels.
• Tongue tension: A tongue that pulls back can interfere with the space where the soft palate needs to lift, and it can create a “stuffy” or “honky” quality that people label as nasal.
• Vowel spread: Very wide, smiley vowels (especially “ee”) can encourage a higher laryngeal posture and a narrower pharyngeal space, which can make the tone seem nasal even if the velum is not dramatically low.
• Staying in a nasal consonant: If you sing lyrics with lots of m/n/ng and do not clearly transition back to an oral vowel, the nasal port may remain open longer than intended.

Step-by-step: Find the lift without forcing

The goal is not to “yawn” constantly or to jam the soft palate up. You want a responsive lift that can stay stable while the tongue and jaw remain free.

Step 1: Silent yawn-sigh (no sound)

• Inhale as if beginning a gentle yawn. Notice the dome-like lift in the back of the mouth and the feeling of space behind the tongue.
• Exhale silently through the mouth, keeping that lifted feeling for a moment.
• Repeat 3–5 times, staying easy and quiet.

Step 2: Add a light “kah”

• With the same lifted feeling, speak a soft “kah” (as if clearing a tiny crumb, not a hard cough).
• Notice that “kah” tends to encourage oral resonance and a lifted velum.
• Do 5 gentle repetitions: “kah, kah, kah.”

Step 3: Sustain a vowel with the same space

• Choose “ah” or “uh.” Sustain on a comfortable pitch for 3–5 seconds.
• Pinch the nose briefly mid-note. Aim for minimal change.
• Repeat 3 times, resting between.

Step-by-step: The “ng release” drill (nasal-to-oral coordination)

This drill teaches the soft palate to move quickly and cleanly from nasal consonant to oral vowel, which is where many singers get stuck.

• Start on “ng” (as in “sing”) on a comfortable pitch. Feel the back of the tongue high and the sound clearly in the nose.
• Without changing pitch, release to “ah”: “ng–ah.”
• On the “ah,” aim for a clear mouth tone. Use the nose pinch test: pinch during “ah” only; it should not collapse.
• Repeat slowly 6–10 times. Then try “ng–eh,” “ng–oh,” “ng–oo.”

Common mistake: pulling the tongue back when leaving “ng.” Keep the tongue tip resting lightly behind the lower front teeth as you release to the vowel.

Tongue position: the hidden driver of “nasal” tone

The tongue is a powerful shaper of resonance because it changes the size and shape of the oral and pharyngeal spaces. Many “nasal” complaints are actually tongue-related: the tongue retracts, bunches, or presses upward, narrowing the space behind it. That narrowing can create a honky, congested sound that resembles nasality, and it can also prevent the soft palate from coordinating efficiently.

Signs your tongue is the main issue

• You feel tightness under the chin or a “gripping” sensation at the tongue root.
• Your jaw wants to open wider and wider to compensate, but the sound stays pinched.
• Consonants like “l,” “t,” “d,” “n” feel heavy or slow.
• Your “ah” becomes “uh” or “aw” unintentionally, as if the back of the mouth is blocked.

Step-by-step: Tongue tip anchor + free middle

This is a simple way to reduce tongue retraction without forcing the tongue forward.

• Place the tongue tip gently behind the lower front teeth (not pressing hard).
• Speak “yah-yah-yah” lightly. Keep the tongue tip anchored; let the middle of the tongue move as needed.
• Now sing “yah” on a 3-note pattern (for example 1–2–3–2–1). Keep the jaw easy and the tongue tip stable.
• Switch to “gah” and compare. If “gah” feels stuck, return to “yah” and re-establish freedom.

Step-by-step: “L” release for tongue root tension

The consonant “L” can help you feel the tongue moving forward and up without bunching at the root.

• Speak “lah” slowly, exaggerating the light touch of the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper front teeth.
• Keep the back of the tongue relaxed; avoid pulling it down or back.
• Sing “lah” on a comfortable 5-note scale. If the sound gets nasal, pinch the nose and check whether it is true nasality or tongue congestion.
• Progress to “lee, leh, lah, law, loo,” keeping the same easy tongue tip action and stable vowel.

What to avoid: aggressive tongue flattening

Trying to “flatten the tongue” can backfire by creating downward pressure and rigidity. Instead, aim for a tongue that is responsive: tip stable when needed, middle shaping the vowel, and root not pulling backward.

Vowel clarity: when unclear vowels mimic nasality

Vowel clarity is not only about diction; it is also about resonance stability. When vowels are vague or inconsistent, the vocal tract shape changes unpredictably, and the sound can become thin, buzzy, or “stuffy.” Many singers interpret that as nasality.

Three vowel problems that create nasal-like tone

• Over-spread vowels: “ee” and “eh” become too wide, narrowing the back space and producing a sharp, nasal-like edge.
• Over-darkened vowels: “ah” becomes “aw/uh” with a pulled-back tongue, creating a covered, congested tone that can still leak into the nose.
• Unstable vowel targets: the vowel drifts during sustained notes, often because the tongue and jaw are searching for a “better” spot.

Step-by-step: Vowel “frame” practice (jaw stable, vowel precise)

This drill builds consistent vowel shapes so the soft palate and tongue have a stable target.

• Choose one vowel, start with “ah.”
• Set a comfortable jaw opening (moderate, not maximal). Keep it steady.
• Sustain “ah” for 4 seconds. Listen for a steady color (no drifting toward “uh”).
• Repeat 3 times, then do the same with “eh,” “ee,” “oh,” “oo.”

Tip: If “ee” gets nasal, try slightly rounding the lips (not a full “oo,” just a hint) while keeping the tongue high in front. This often reduces spread and helps the soft palate stay lifted.

Step-by-step: Vowel transitions that commonly trigger nasality

Some lyric transitions encourage the nasal port to stay open or the tongue to retract. Practice them slowly on one pitch.

• From nasal consonant to vowel: “me, may, my, mo, moo” and “no, nay, knee, new.” Keep the vowel oral; pinch the nose on the vowel to confirm.
• From “ee” to “ah”: “ee–ah” (as in “we are”). Avoid spreading “ee” so wide that “ah” collapses into a dull “uh.”
• From “oo” to “eh”: “oo–eh.” Keep the tongue from pulling back on “oo.”

Use a metronome at a slow tempo (for example, 60 bpm). Hold each vowel for 2 beats: “mee (2)–mah (2).” Then increase speed while keeping clarity.

Putting it together: a troubleshooting map

Use this sequence when you hear nasality on vowels. The order matters: you want to identify the cause before applying a fix.

Step 1: Confirm whether it is true nasality

• Do the nose pinch test on the problem vowel and pitch.
• If the sound changes a lot, treat it as true nasality (velopharyngeal opening).
• If it barely changes, treat it as “nasal-like” tone (often tongue/vowel shaping).

Step 2: If true nasality, address soft palate coordination first

• Do 6 repetitions of “ng–ah” slowly.
• Then sing the lyric fragment that triggers the issue, replacing the vowel with “ah” first.
• Reintroduce the original vowel while keeping the same lifted feeling.

Step 3: If nasal-like tone, check tongue and vowel shape

• Anchor tongue tip behind lower teeth and sing the phrase on “yah.”
• Then sing it on “lah.”
• Return to the original words, keeping the tongue tip light and the jaw stable.

Step 4: Re-test with the nose pinch

After adjustments, pinch the nose again during the vowel. The goal is not “zero sensation in the nose,” but minimal acoustic dependence on the nasal cavity for non-nasal vowels.

Common scenarios and targeted fixes

Scenario A: “My ‘ee’ is nasal and thin”

Likely causes: spread “ee,” tongue tension, or a velum that drops when the vowel gets bright.

• Practice “ng–ee” then “ng–ee–ah” on one pitch. Make sure “ee” stays oral (nose pinch test).
• Add slight lip rounding on “ee” while keeping the tongue forward and high.
• Use “nee” vs. “gee”: if “nee” is more nasal, you may be staying in the nasal consonant posture too long; release cleanly into the vowel.

Scenario B: “I sound congested on ‘ah’ and people call it nasal”

Likely causes: tongue retraction and a narrowed pharyngeal space (congested/honky), not necessarily a low velum.

• Sing “lah” on the phrase melody, then switch to “ah” while keeping the tongue tip active and forward.
• Try “yah” to prevent the tongue root from grabbing.
• Check under-chin tension: if it hardens, reduce volume and re-establish tongue freedom.

Scenario C: “Nasality appears only on certain words with m/n/ng”

Likely causes: the nasal port stays open after the consonant, or the vowel target is unclear.

• Isolate the word and sing it on a single pitch, slow tempo.
• Over-articulate the transition: hold the nasal consonant briefly, then release decisively into the vowel (without extra jaw movement).
• Practice minimal consonant duration: shorten the m/n/ng and lengthen the vowel while keeping the vowel oral.

Scenario D: “Pinching my nose changes everything, but I can’t keep the palate up”

Likely causes: you are trying to lift the soft palate with too much effort, or you are using a “yawn” posture that collapses when you sing.

• Use smaller, repeatable cues: silent yawn-sigh, then light “kah,” then vowel.
• Keep volume moderate. Excess loudness can make you compensate with tension that destabilizes the velum.
• Alternate 2 seconds of vowel with 2 seconds rest, rather than long holds.

Practice mini-routines (5–10 minutes)

Routine 1: True nasality reset (soft palate focus)

• 1 minute: silent yawn-sigh, easy and quiet.
• 2 minutes: “kah, kah, kah” then sustain “ah” (nose pinch check).
• 3 minutes: “ng–ah” then “ng–oh” then “ng–oo,” 6 reps each.
• 2 minutes: sing a short lyric line, replacing vowels with “ah,” then restore the original vowels.

Routine 2: Tongue + clarity reset (nasal-like tone focus)

• 2 minutes: tongue tip anchor behind lower teeth, speak then sing “yah-yah-yah.”
• 3 minutes: “lah” on a 5-note scale, then cycle vowels: “lah, leh, lee, loh, loo.”
• 3 minutes: vowel frame practice on the problem vowel (steady jaw, steady color).
• 1–2 minutes: sing the phrase on “yah,” then on lyrics, keeping the same tongue freedom.

Self-coaching cues that work in real songs

Soft palate cues (choose one, not all)

• “Back roof gently high”: a subtle dome feeling, not a forced yawn.
• “Vowel stays in the mouth”: imagine the vowel projecting from the lips rather than the nose.
• “Release after m/n/ng”: treat the consonant as a quick doorway, not a room you stay in.

Tongue cues

• “Tongue tip resting”: lightly behind lower teeth for many vowels, especially when you tend to retract.
• “Front of tongue does the work”: let the middle/front shape the vowel; avoid pulling from the root.
• “Jaw doesn’t chase the vowel”: keep jaw movement minimal and purposeful.

Vowel clarity cues

• “One vowel per note”: prevent drifting during sustained pitches.
• “Less smile on ee”: reduce spread; keep brightness without narrowing the back space.
• “Match vowels across words”: if the same vowel appears repeatedly, aim for identical shape each time.

Targeted practice examples (use with any melody)

Example 1: Lyric with many nasals

Take a phrase like “no more nights” (or any line with n/m). Practice in three passes:

• Pass 1: sing on “ah” only, keeping it oral (nose pinch check).
• Pass 2: sing with consonants but replace vowels with “ah”: “n-ah m-ah n-ah-ts.” Keep consonants quick.
• Pass 3: sing the real words, keeping the same oral vowel feeling.

Example 2: “ee” clarity without nasality

Use “see me” or any “ee” phrase:

• Sing “ng–ee” once to feel the contrast, then immediately sing “ee” alone with the palate lifted.
• Add tiny lip rounding on “ee” and keep the tongue forward.
• Sing the phrase softly first, then medium volume, maintaining the same vowel shape.

Example 3: Congested “ah” fix

Use “ah” in a phrase where you feel stuck:

• Sing the phrase on “lah” (light tongue tip contact).
• Sing it on “yah” (tongue forward, less root pull).
• Return to lyrics, keeping the tongue tip light and the vowel stable.