I'm sorry for women about this, I'd never have though about it. But nothing that can't be solved using diaphragm, thus controlling the air stream, avoiding the strain of vocal chords such as excessive closure, using mouth resonator to speak loud without compressing the chords, passing to head bone consonance when ascending in pitch. In a few word a correct vocal tecnique used by every *good* singer [not synonimous of famous XD]. The cause may be cultural, like speaking at high pitch *uncorrectly* in attempt to deliver the stereotype of the feminine voice, especially altos in closet with no pride for their rich, low and ,I'd say, sexy voices, also cultural is the greater variation of pitches used by some women when talking, which stress the fold much more than a more constanto pitch, like some men do, not only, these men even tend to emphasize masculinity my keeping themselves in the lower or neutral part of their dynamic range which is also comfortable . Nothing bad per sè, but talking at a swinging pitch (which I do as a man!) requires more technique than a regular, nearly monotone talking as it stretches in and out the chords and so requires not compressing excessively the chord muscle, nor ascending pitch via contracting the chords and pushing burst of air through the throat. This is known as the "glottal stop" and really stress the vocal chords which sound better cleane and even louder with a sustained stream of air controlled by the diaphragm. A slightly swinging pitch is better and more expressive than a fixed pitch, but women don't strain yourselves to conform to a model, be comfortable. Ingmar