Men speak with a vocal fry just as much as women

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. As with the Valley Girl uptalk of the 1980s, or the supposed overuse of the word "like" in the 1990s, vocal fry remains a divisive conversation topic over 10 years on. The term refers to that distinctively creaking or crackly tone heard in the voices of certain individuals or whales . But at least in humans, it's often used while expressing apathy at the end of a word or phrase. Think of celebrities like Aubrey Plaza, Britney Spears, or Kim Kardashian.