[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Clinical exam](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/) › [Respiratory system](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/#a-respiratory) › Voice sounds: bronchophony, egophony and whispered pectoriloquy [Clinical exam](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/) · [Respiratory system](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/#a-respiratory) # Voice sounds: bronchophony, egophony and whispered pectoriloquy - Sign The examiner listens while the patient speaks or whispers: if the voice comes through clearly, the lung beneath is solid. Updated 2026-11-01 **See it in 3D:** [Pleura](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/pleura/) · [Lobar bronchi](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/lobar-bronchus/) ## Key points - Bronchophony: the voice sounds louder and clearer than normal over consolidated lung. - Egophony: a spoken 'E' sounds like 'A' with a nasal quality (in Spanish, «i» sounds like «e»); over consolidation and at the upper border of an effusion. - Whispered pectoriloquy: whispered words are clearly understood; strongly suggests consolidation. - Reduced or absent voice sounds: effusion, pneumothorax, obstructive atelectasis, emphysema. - Compare symmetric points, as for fremitus. ## What it is Auscultating the voice tests the same thing as fremitus, but by ear. Over normal lung the voice sounds muffled and indistinct; over consolidation it sounds loud and clear (bronchophony), nasal (egophony) or even a whisper is clear (whispered pectoriloquy). These signs help confirm a suspected consolidation. ## The anatomy it tests - Aerated lung filters out the high frequencies of the voice, the ones that make words intelligible. - Consolidated tissue with an open bronchus carries those frequencies well, so voice and whisper come through sharply. - At the upper border of an effusion, compressed lung and a thin layer of fluid change the voice quality (egophony). ## How to elicit it - Patient seated; listen with the diaphragm at symmetric points, starting over the suspicious area and its mirror point. - Bronchophony: ask the patient to say 'ninety-nine' in a normal voice; compare loudness and clarity on both sides. - Egophony: ask the patient to say a long 'E'; note whether it sounds like a nasal, bleating 'A'. - Whispered pectoriloquy: ask the patient to whisper 'one, two, three'; normally the whisper is barely heard. - Mark the borders of the abnormal area and relate them to percussion and fremitus. ## What a positive result means - All three positive over the same area, with dullness and increased fremitus: consolidation (pneumonia). - Egophony only in a band at the top of a basal dullness: pleural effusion compressing the lung. - Absent voice sounds with dullness: large effusion or atelectasis with a blocked bronchus. - A negative test does not rule out pneumonia, especially if small, central or early. ## Usefulness and limits - These signs are fairly specific but not sensitive: their absence does not exclude consolidation. - They need a patient who can speak or whisper clearly; they cannot be tested in very ill or intubated patients. - A chest radiograph or lung ultrasound confirms consolidation. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## What is whispered pectoriloquy? Hearing whispered words clearly when listening over the chest; it indicates lung consolidation. ## Besides over consolidation, where can egophony be heard? At the upper border of a pleural effusion, where the lung is compressed. ## How are voice sounds in a pneumothorax? Reduced or absent, because pleural air separates the lung from the wall and damps the voice. [Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/clinical-exam/voice-sounds-bronchophony-egophony-and-whispered-pectoriloquy/) ## See it in 3D The structures of Durgical's 3D anatomy where it is found. - [Pleura](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/pleura/) - [Lobar bronchi](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/lobar-bronchus/) ## Related - [Lung auscultation: normal breath sounds](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/lung-auscultation-normal-breath-sounds/) - [Chest palpation: expansion and tactile fremitus](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/chest-palpation-expansion-and-tactile-fremitus/) - [Consolidation syndrome](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/consolidation-syndrome/) - [Pleural effusion syndrome](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/pleural-effusion-syndrome/) ## Related conditions - [Community-acquired pneumonia](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/community-acquired-pneumonia/) - [Pleural effusion](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/pleural-effusion/) [← All of the clinical exam](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/) Educational content on the clinical exam; it is learned and practised under supervision. It does not replace assessment by a health professional and is not for self-diagnosis. Sources: [Breath sounds: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007535.htm) (MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2024); [Community-acquired pneumonia in adults: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000145.htm) (MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2024). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/voice-sounds-bronchophony-egophony-and-whispered-pectoriloquy/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/voice-sounds-bronchophony-egophony-and-whispered-pectoriloquy/