Vocal biomarkers are acoustic features of speech — things like pitch, rhythm, speech rate, and vocal energy — that have been shown to correlate with physical and mental health states. When stress, mood, or cognitive function change, they often produce measurable shifts in the way a person speaks, even before those changes are consciously noticeable.

Canary Wellness analyzes these patterns using machine learning models trained on thousands of voice samples to give you an objective measurement of how you’re doing across several health dimensions. Scores are benchmarked against population norms and tracked over time, making it possible to identify meaningful trends rather than isolated moments.

This is not a diagnosis. It’s a clinically-informed starting point for understanding your wellbeing and having more informed conversations with your care team.

Your Wellness Score is a composite metric that aggregates your mood, stress, and energy scores into a single indicator of overall vocal wellbeing. Rather than reflecting any one dimension, it captures the broader pattern across all three.

A strong score suggests your vocal indicators are aligned with positive mental and emotional health. A lower score isn’t cause for alarm on its own, but a persistent downward trend may warrant closer attention — whether that means lifestyle adjustments like sleep and physical activity, or a conversation with a healthcare provider.

Tracking this score over time gives you a more complete picture than any single metric can on its own.

Your Mood Score is based on acoustic features in your voice — things like intonation, pitch variability, and speech rhythm — that shift in measurable ways depending on your emotional state. Research has shown these patterns correlate with indicators used in clinical mood assessments like the PHQ-9. It’s not about what you say, but how you sound when you say it.

Scores fall into three categories:

• Excellent – Your vocal patterns align with strong emotional wellbeing.
• Good – Your voice reflects generally positive emotional health, with some mild fluctuation. Light wellness habits can help keep you on track.
• Low – Your vocal indicators are consistent with more significant mood disruption. If this score persists, it’s worth having a conversation with someone you trust — or a healthcare professional.

One low score on a bad day isn’t something to worry about. A pattern of low scores over time is worth taking seriously.

Stress triggers measurable physiological changes — and many of them surface in your voice. Canary Speech detects acoustic markers like elevated pitch, irregular speech cadence, and vocal tension to assess how much autonomic arousal may be present when you speak.

Scores fall into three categories:

• Low – Your vocal patterns reflect a calm, regulated state with effective stress response.
• Medium – There are some stress indicators present, but nothing that appears to be significantly disrupting daily function. Simple interventions — movement, breathing, social support — can help prevent escalation.
• High – Your voice is showing markers consistent with significant stress load. If this persists, it’s worth speaking with a doctor or counselor.

Everyone has stressful stretches. Tracking this score over time helps you spot when stress is becoming more than just a rough week.

Your Energy Score measures vocal indicators of vitality and engagement, drawn from three acoustic components:

• Dynamics – The degree of pitch variation in your speech. A wider range reflects expressive, engaged communication; a flatter pattern can indicate low affect or fatigue.
• Speed – Your rate of speech in words per minute. Both significantly elevated and reduced speeds can be clinically relevant markers of mental and physical state.
• Power – The strength and respiratory effort behind your voice. Lower power scores reflect reduced vocal projection, which can correlate with disengagement or low energy.

A single low score may simply reflect a tired day — that’s normal. What’s more meaningful is how your score trends over weeks and months.

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