Esophageal speech, also known as esophageal voice, is a method of speech production that involves oscillation of the esophagus. This contrasts with traditional laryngeal speech which involves oscillation of the vocal folds. Instead, air is injected into the upper esophagus and then released in a controlled manner to create sound used to produce speech. Esophageal speech is a learned skill that requires speech training and much practice. Because of the high level of difficulty in learning esophageal speech, some patients are unable to master the skill.

Esophageal speech is a skill that can help patients to communicate after a laryngectomy, the most common surgery used for the treatment of laryngeal cancer. In the operation, the larynx and the vocal cords are removed completely. After this, the end of the trachea is sewn onto the edge of an opening cut out at the lower part of the neck, creating a breathing hole similar to that used by a whale. This hole is called a tracheostoma and permits the patient to breathe through it after the operation.