A study was made of the duration of bilabial closures for /p/, /b/, and /m/ under voiced and whispered speaking conditions. The results, obtained from 12 normal‐speaking young adult males, indicated significantly greater whisper durations for /p/ and /b/ but not /m/. An explanation for this finding is offered in terms of the hypothesis that individuals conserve air when whispering by prolonging air‐arresting articulatory gestures.