There are six main voice types. From highest to lowest they are soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone and bass. The first three are the traditional female voice types and the last three the male ones. Each type is defined by three things: its range (the notes it can sing), its tessitura (where it sits most comfortably) and its tone colour, or timbre.
Which one are you? Choose any of the six types in the checker below. Then sing your lowest and highest comfortable notes into your microphone, or pick them from a list. You’ll see how much of that range your voice covers and which voice type your notes are closest to.
Voice Type Checker
Find your lowest and highest comfortable singing notes, then see how much of the mezzo-soprano range (A3–A5) your voice covers.
No result yet. Sing or choose your lowest and highest comfortable notes.
- Your range
- –
- Mezzo-soprano range
- A3–A5
- Range covered
- –
- Closest type by range
- –
Range is one part of voice type. Tone colour, tessitura (where your voice feels most comfortable) and register changes matter too. Sing gently and stop if anything feels strained.
Related Tools
- Voice Type Test
Get one voice-type result that compares your range with all six types at once.
- Vocal Range Test
Find your lowest and highest singing notes before you compare voice types.
- Vocal Range Calculator
Count the octaves and semitones between any two notes, such as D3 and A4.
- Voice Frequency Test
See the pitch of your voice in Hz and match it to the chart below.
- Octave Range Test
Check how many octaves your voice spans. Each voice type below covers about two.
- Singer Comparison Tool
Compare your range with well-known singers.
- Deep Voice Test
Find out how low your voice goes, which is useful for baritones, basses and contraltos.
Voice Types Chart: All 6 Voice Types at a Glance
The chart lists each voice type’s typical comfortable range, from highest to lowest. Frequencies assume standard tuning (A4 = 440 Hz), rounded to the nearest hertz. Middle C is C4.
| Voice type | Range | Frequency | Tessitura (approx.) | Usual choir part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soprano | C4–C6 | 262–1,047 Hz | F4–G5 | Soprano |
| Mezzo-soprano | A3–A5 | 220–880 Hz | D4–E5 | Alto or second soprano |
| Contralto | F3–F5 | 175–698 Hz | B♭3–C5 | Alto |
| Tenor | C3–C5 | 131–523 Hz | F3–G4 | Tenor |
| Baritone | A2–A4 | 110–440 Hz | D3–E4 | Bass, or high baritones on tenor |
| Bass | E2–E4 | 82–330 Hz | A2–B3 | Bass |
Each range spans two octaves, and neighbours overlap a lot. The tessitura column is an approximate “comfortable core”: the middle of each range, about a fourth in from the lowest and highest notes. Every singer’s real tessitura is a little different.
“Female” and “male” are the traditional classical groupings by pitch range, not by identity. Anyone can sing any part their voice fits.
The 3 Female Voice Types
The three female vocal ranges are soprano (C4–C6), mezzo-soprano (A3–A5) and contralto (F3–F5). Together they cover roughly F3 to C6.
1. Soprano
Range: C4–C6 (262–1,047 Hz) · Tessitura: about F4–G5
The soprano is the highest voice type. It has a bright, clear tone and feels most at home above middle C. Notes below C4 usually sound thinner. Classical singing also uses sub-types: coloratura (light, agile and very high), lyric (warm and flowing) and dramatic (heavier and more powerful). Renée Fleming and Kristin Chenoweth are well-known sopranos. See the full soprano vocal range guide.
2. Mezzo-Soprano
Range: A3–A5 (220–880 Hz) · Tessitura: about D4–E5
Mezzo is Italian for “middle”, and the mezzo-soprano sits between soprano and contralto. The tone is warmer and darker than a soprano’s, with a fuller sound around middle C. Many voice teachers consider it the most common female voice type. Cecilia Bartoli is a famous classical mezzo, and Adele is widely described as one. Read more on the mezzo-soprano vocal range page.
3. Contralto
Range: F3–F5 (175–698 Hz) · Tessitura: about B♭3–C5
The contralto is the lowest and rarest female voice type. It has a deep, dark tone and a strong chest voice that stays full around F3–A3, where most female voices thin out. The top of the range usually takes more effort. “Alto” and “contralto” are often mixed up: alto is the choir part, while contralto is the solo voice type. Nathalie Stutzmann is a classical contralto, and Cher and Tracy Chapman are often described as contraltos. See the contralto vocal range guide.
The 3 Male Voice Types
The three male vocal ranges are tenor (C3–C5), baritone (A2–A4) and bass (E2–E4). The male types sit about an octave below the female types, mainly because the vocal folds grow longer and thicker during male puberty. Countertenors, who sing in the alto range with a light head voice, are rarer and sit outside the six standard types.
4. Tenor
Range: C3–C5 (131–523 Hz) · Tessitura: about F3–G4
The tenor is the highest common male voice. It has a bright, ringing tone that carries well in the upper range. Lower notes around C3 are usually lighter than a baritone’s. Lyric tenors are lighter and more flexible, while dramatic tenors are heavier and more powerful. Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli are famous tenors. See the tenor vocal range guide.
5. Baritone
Range: A2–A4 (110–440 Hz) · Tessitura: about D3–E4
The baritone sits between tenor and bass. It’s generally considered the most common male voice type, and most pop and rock melodies for men sit in its range. The tone is warm and full in the middle. Sustained notes above about F4 take more effort than they do for a tenor. Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley are usually described as baritones. Compare the baritone vocal range with its neighbour in tenor vs baritone.
6. Bass
Range: E2–E4 (82–330 Hz) · Tessitura: about A2–B3
The bass is the lowest voice type. It has a dark, resonant tone and a full sound around E2–G2, where other voices fade. True basses are uncommon, and the very deepest (basso profondo) are rare. Singers between the two types are called bass-baritones. Samuel Ramey is a well-known operatic bass, and Johnny Cash and Barry White are often described as bass-baritones. See the bass vocal range guide and baritone vs bass.
What Is Tessitura? (Range vs Tessitura)
Tessitura (Italian for “texture”) is the part of your range where your voice sounds best and feels easiest for long stretches. Your range is every note you can sing. A song also has a tessitura: the zone where most of its melody sits.
Tessitura often says more about your voice type than your highest or lowest note. A baritone may be able to hit a tenor’s high C5 once, but a song that keeps returning to G4 and A4 will tire that voice quickly, while a tenor sings it with ease. Two singers with the same range can be different voice types because their comfortable zones sit in different places.
The tessitura values in the chart use one simple rule: the middle of each range, about a fourth in from each end. For example, the baritone tessitura is about D3–E4 and the tenor tessitura about F3–G4. Treat these as starting points. Training, style and the individual voice all shift them, and trained classical singers often work in a higher zone.
How to find your tessitura: warm up, then sing a simple melody or slow five-note scales in several keys. Notice where your tone stays full and easy, and where you start pushing or thinning out. Check those notes with the Voice Frequency Test. Songs whose melody sits in that zone will feel easiest. The guide to finding songs that fit your vocal range explains how to use it.
What Are the 4 Vocal Ranges? (SATB)
Choirs usually use four parts rather than six voice types: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass (SATB). Choral parts are written narrower than a soloist’s full range, so everyone in a section can sing them comfortably. The limits below are approximate and vary by piece.
| Choir part | Typical range (approx.) | Who usually sings it |
|---|---|---|
| Soprano (S) | C4–A5 | Sopranos, some mezzo-sopranos |
| Alto (A) | F3–D5 | Mezzo-sopranos, contraltos, countertenors |
| Tenor (T) | C3–G4 | Tenors, some high baritones |
| Bass (B) | E2–E4 | Basses and most baritones |
The two “middle” voice types don’t get a part of their own. Mezzo-sopranos usually sing alto, or second soprano when the sopranos split. Baritones usually sing bass (often the higher “Bass 1” line), and some sing second tenor. See the full SATB vocal ranges guide.
Difference Between Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass
- Soprano: the highest part. It usually carries the melody, with a bright tone above middle C.
- Alto: the lower of the two upper parts. It fills in harmony just below the sopranos, with a warmer, darker tone. It shares much of its range with the soprano between about C4 and D5.
- Tenor: the higher of the two lower parts. It sits roughly an octave below the soprano and often carries a secondary melody or inner harmony.
- Bass: the lowest part and the harmonic foundation, roughly an octave below the alto.
In short, the parts differ by pitch. Higher parts sound brighter and lead the melody, and lower parts sound darker and support the harmony.
How to Find Your Voice Type
- Warm up for a few minutes with gentle humming or lip trills. A cold voice tests narrower.
- Find your comfortable range with the Vocal Range Test. Count only notes you can sing clearly, not strained or shouted ones.
- Compare it with the six types. Use the checker at the top of this page, or the Voice Type Test for a result across all six at once.
- Find your tessitura (see above). If you fit two neighbouring types by range, the one whose comfortable core matches yours is usually the better fit.
- Listen to your tone. Brighter, lighter voices lean toward soprano or tenor. Darker, fuller voices lean toward contralto or bass.
- Notice your register shifts. Where your voice changes gear between chest and head voice (the passaggio) differs by voice type. It’s one of the markers voice teachers use.
An online check is a good first answer. For auditions or classical training, confirm it with a voice teacher.
FAQs
What are the 6 types of voices?
The six voice types are soprano, mezzo-soprano and contralto (the traditional female types) and tenor, baritone and bass (the traditional male types). Most voices fit one of them or sit on the border between two neighbours.
Which voice type is the most common, and which is the rarest?
There’s no large-scale survey. Voice teachers generally find mezzo-soprano the most common female type and baritone the most common male type, with each sitting in the middle of its group. Contralto and true bass, especially the very deep basso profondo, are the rarest.
Can your voice type change?
Yes, to a degree. Puberty lowers male voices by about an octave, and female voices drop a little. Training often adds notes and can shift a singer to a neighbouring type. Plácido Domingo, for example, sang tenor for decades and later took on baritone roles. Hormonal changes and ageing, including menopause, can also lower the voice.
What is the difference between vocal range and tessitura?
Your vocal range is every note you can sing, from lowest to highest. Your tessitura is the smaller zone inside it where your voice sounds best and stays comfortable for a whole song. Voice type depends more on tessitura and tone than on your extreme notes.
What voice type is a D3 to A4 range?
D3–A4 spans an octave and a fifth. Among the female types it is closest to contralto: it reaches lower than the usual contralto floor (F3), and the missing top notes often come with practice. Among the male types it fits inside both the tenor (C3–C5) and baritone (A2–A4) ranges, so tone and tessitura decide between them. Enter your own notes in the checker above to see which type they overlap most, and count the octaves with the Vocal Range Calculator.