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How to whistle: Techniques you can try 

An image of a woman displaying  how to Whistle.

You still don’t know how to whistle huh 

So, for a while you’ve been wondering how Jake or Marissa whistle so good and you can’t. You may have wanted to express your mood or feelings in form of a whistle at some point in your life but you just haven’t been able to do so. Well, this article could just be the solution to the puzzle. Keep reading to discover tips that could help you get started.

4 Techniques You Can Try

 Technique 1 : How To Whistle through your fingers 

Most  people use this style of whistling to either catch a cab or call someone’s attention.

How to do it 

a. Let your thumb face you and hold down your other fingers, then place the tips of your two pinkies together to form the letter A. Yo can also use your index finger or your thumb on one hand.

b. Moisten your lips and tuck your lips inward over your teeth (like a baby with no teeth).

c. Then push your tongue back on itself with the tips of your pinkies, right until your first knuckles reach your lip. 

d. Keep you awake tongue folded, your lips tucked, and your fingers in your mouth, and close your mouth tightly let the single opening be between your pinkies. 

e. Now blow gently. Let out air only in the opening between your pinkies. If air seems to be escaping anywhere else, it means your mouth isn’t closed all the way.

f. Now, once you’re positive you’re in the right position, blow harder until you hear a high-pitched voice.


Technique 2 : How to whistle with your tongue 

When you use your tongue to whistle, the sound produced is usually softer compared to other techniques. 

How to do it

a. Make sure to lick your lips to make them wet, then pucker them slightly.

b. Open your mouth slightly and place your tongue on the roof of your mouth right behind the front teeth. So at this point, you should able to produce a high-pitched sound when you try to blow air.

c. To make a louder sound, pucker your lips more and blow harder.

d. You can alter the sound you produce by widening and puckering your mouth. 

Technique 3. Whistle through your lips 

You can use your lips or tongue to whistle without using your fingers. Keep in mind that you would have to try a few more times before you get it right, so don’t feel bad if you don’t get it the first time.

How to do it

a. Now pucker your lips like you want to blow a kiss. Make sure you leave a small round opening in your lips, they should be form just about the way they do when you pronounce the number two. If your lips are dry, just lick them beforehand. 

b. Curl the edges of your tongue in a forward manner but don’t rest then against your teeth. 

c. Gently blow air over the tongue, and through the puckered lips and you should hear a whistling sound. As time goes, with more practice, you can try altering the shape of your lips and the curve of your tongue to create clearer sounds.

d. Once you are very familiar with the correct form of the lips and tongue, you would be able to blow loudly to create louder whistles. If you push the tongue forward, you’ll get higher notes. If you a hissing sound comes out instead of a whistle, it may be that your tongue is too close to the roof of your mouth. Just try to change the position of the tongue and try again.

Keep practicing more until you get it right.

Technique 4. Whistle by sucking in air. 

This technique may be a bit hard, but if you do it hard enough you could make a sound loud enough to attract someone’s attention.

How to do it

a. Try wetting your lips 

b. Suck in air as much as you can until you hear a whistling sound.

c. Now the harder you suck in air, the louder you sound. 

I’m still not able to whistle, Why?

If you’ve tried all the different ways (correctly) to whistle and you still can’t, it may be due to an underlying medical condition for your lack of sound. 

The thing is, when you whistle, a muscular sphincter in your throat (the velopharynx) must be shut completely, if this doesn’t happen, it can become difficult to whistle. Although, there isn’t much scientific evidence to back this claim.

Now, according to Seattle Children’s , some of the following conditions may be the reason for a Velopharyngal dysfunction:

  • Having adenoid surgery 
  • Cleft palate
  • Having a motor speech disorder 
  • Weakened throat muscle 
  • Too much space between the palate and throat.

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Frequent FAQs 

Can I learn how to whistle?

Yes you can. Everyone can learn the art of whistling using the above techniques that are easy and straight to the point. Just remember to always practice so you can get better at it.


Am I the only one that can’t whistle 

Whistling can be fun especially when you do while doing the laundry or cleaning the house. But for some people, it’s a feat that is easier said than done.

The reason for some people struggle to whistle while others find it quite easy to do remains somewhat of a mystery.

So if you’ve tried to whistle at some point and can’t even make the slightest toot sound, don’t sweat it just keep practicing and you may just whistle one day! And even if you don’t, it doesn’t make you less of a human and you can always opt for humming next time you feel like making a sound. 

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