Age-related changes in the laryngeal system can be perceived as altered vocal pitch and increased pitch variability. However, reports vary as to the nature and extent of an age effect on fundamental frequency(F0)for analyses taken over long segments of connected speech. Analysis ofF0across a smaller time frame may be more informative. Young speakers show an increase inF0associated with phonetically governed devoicing gestures that is likely mediated by increased vocal fold stiffness. Anatomic and neurophysiologic changes in the aged larynx may limit the role of increased vocal fold stiffness in the devoicing gesture. This study tests the hypothesis that aged speakers show a smaller increase inF0in association with the devoicing gesture for production of an intervocalic voiceless obstruent than do young speakers. Normal young and aged speakers produced a short sentence containing an intervocalic voiceless obstruent. Measures ofF0were obtained for ten cycles before voice offset and ten cycles after voice onset. Young speakers showed a small increase inF0during devoicing whereas aged speakers showed a decrease inF0during devoicing. Aged speakers seem to rely more on vocal fold abduction rather than a combination of abduction and tensing to achieve devoicing.