How to Do a Zombie Voice
A zombie voice is all about slackness. Let your jaw hang, drop most consonants and make sound on loose, broken breaths: low moans, groans and half-formed words. Keep it relaxed and breath-driven, because a pushed, strained groan wears your voice out fast.
The sound
- pitch
- Low and wandering, with uncontrolled slides up and down.
- pace
- Very slow, broken into short, gasping pieces.
- resonance
- Hollow, throaty and open, as if the sound is falling out of the mouth.
- texture
- Moans, gurgles, a light rasp and wet breath sounds.
- signature
- A slack jaw, slurred words and moans that start and stop without warning.
How to do a zombie voice, step by step
- Drop the jaw and let the face go slack. Let your mouth hang open and your tongue rest heavily. Zombie speech happens without the muscles trying very hard, so most consonants blur on their own.
- Moan on an open vowel. Sigh out on a low 'uhhh' or 'ohhh' and let the pitch slide down at the end. Keep it breathy and relaxed rather than pushed.
- Break up the breath. Make your sounds in short, uneven pieces, as if the lungs don't work properly: 'Uhh... hhh... uhhhh.' Add small catches and stutters between them.
- Add texture lightly. A soft rattle from gentle false-fold distortion, or a wet, gurgly sound from a little saliva at the back of the tongue, adds realism. Use both in small doses.
- Choose your zombie. A freshly turned zombie might still try to form words. An old, decayed one only moans. A fast, aggressive one snarls in short bursts. Decide before you record.
- Slur the words. If your zombie speaks, keep the vowels and drop most consonants. 'Help me' becomes 'Hhheehh... mmeee.' The struggle to speak is the performance.
Practice lines
Read these with the voice, then record yourself and listen back. The teleprompter below scrolls through all of them.
- Uhhh... hhhunnngry... so... hungry...
- Mmmmhh... dooor... open... the dooor...
- Hhhh... I... remember... this house... mine...
- Graaahh... huhh... where... everyone... go?
- Nnnnoo... don't... leave... meee...
- Uhhh... huhh... cold... sooo... cold...
- Hhhey... friend... come... closer... hhhh...
- Rrrrhh... my... arm... where's... my... arm?
- Mmmuhh... school... bell... time... for... class...
- Hhhuhhh... sun... too... bright... uhhhh...
Common mistakes
- Pushing the moan from a tight throat. It sounds strained instead of lifeless.
- Keeping crisp consonants, which makes the zombie sound far too alive.
- Making every sound the same length. Uneven, broken timing is what sells it.
- Recording long takes of nonstop groaning, which dries the voice quickly.
Keep your voice healthy
Zombie sounds should stay loose and breathy. Avoid groaning on the in-breath, which dries and irritates the vocal folds, and never force rough sounds from a squeezed throat. If you add a rattle, use relaxed false-fold distortion lightly and briefly. Take water breaks, keep sessions short and stop if you feel scratchiness or pain.
Use it in a scene
Try the voice in a dubbing scene, roll a random prompt, or warm up first with the vocal warm-up.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a zombie groan?
Drop your jaw, sigh out on a low 'uhhh' and let the pitch slide down. Break the sound into uneven pieces and add a soft rattle or gurgle if you want more texture.
Should zombies talk?
That depends on the story. Many zombies only moan, but a recently turned zombie who can still force out a word or two is often more unsettling.
How do I make a zombie voice scarier?
Use silence. A quiet, wet breath, a pause and then a sudden snarl is scarier than constant moaning. Record close to the mic so the breath sounds come through clearly.