vocal fremitus (VF), the vibration of the chest wall as a person speaks or sings that allows the person’s voice to be heard by auscultation of the chest with a stethoscope. Vocal fremitus is decreased in emphysema, pleural effusion, pulmonary edema, and bronchial obstruction and is increased in consolidation, as in pneumonia. The classic physical examination technique is to ask the patient to say the letter “e”; if there is consolidation, the examiner will hear the letter “a” through the stethoscope.
