# Whistling physics

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whistling-physics/315300>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 2, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whistling-physics/315300 "2005-08-02T14:04:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecb155/32.png) [@Hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hombre)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whistling-physics/315300/1 "2005-08-02T14:04:26Z")

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I’ve notinced that it works better with wet lips but can’t imagine why that would matter.

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**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whistling-physics/315300/2 "2005-08-02T14:54:26Z")

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WAG: The moisture acts like a lubricant and allows the air to travel faster over the lips by reducing friction.

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**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whistling-physics/315300/3 "2005-08-02T19:55:17Z")

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WAG: It might also have something to do with the closed parts of the lips becoming airtight.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whistling-physics/315300/4 "2005-08-02T23:12:54Z")

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Huh. I just tried whistling first with normal, slightly damp lips, then dried off the open parts, then dried the whole lips, and then panted heavily for a minute or so to dry the whole mouth and tried again. It did not seem particularly harder to me, and nor did it sound any different. Flaw in the original premise?

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whistling-physics/315300/5 "2005-08-03T02:21:14Z")

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> [@Hombre](#):
>
> works better with wet lips but can’t imagine why that would matter.

Like Chronos, I find it doesn’t seem to make a great deal of difference. In cases where it does, might it have to do with moisture making the lips slightly more flexible?

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**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whistling-physics/315300/6 "2005-08-03T02:47:46Z")

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I don’t know if it is suggestion, or tubulence, but it seems a tiny bit easier to get an original tone with wet lips, and control of pitch is similarly slightly easier.

Not in a range that satisfies me as proof either way, though.

Tris