A Little Hoarse Crossword Clue
By: Five Letter Words | Last edited: May 06, 2025
Are you working on the May 06, 2025 New York Times Mini crossword and puzzling over the "A little hoarse" clue? We've pinpointed the exact 5-letter answer you're searching for. To make your puzzle-solving journey more engaging, we've created interactive tools to assist you. Our letter-by-letter reveal feature lets you uncover the solution at your own pace, or you can explore our carefully crafted hints—such as helpful anagrams, related clues with the same answer, or detailed definitions to guide your thinking. We've also made it simple to navigate between different clues from the same puzzle, helping you solve multiple clues efficiently. Ready to discover how to describe a scratchy voice? Let's explore the solution together!
Crossword Answer:
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About This Clue
The May 6, 2025 New York Times Mini Crossword featured the clue "A little hoarse" with the answer RASPY. This clue employs clever wordplay, as "hoarse" refers to a voice that sounds rough and strained, often due to a sore throat, overuse, or illness. When someone is "a little hoarse," their voice would be described as "raspy"—having a rough, grating quality with a harsh tone. The clue creator skillfully uses the phrase "a little hoarse" to indicate a mild case of hoarseness, which perfectly matches the descriptive term "raspy." In crossword puzzles, this type of clue that relies on a common phrase or description is popular because it allows solvers to make the connection through everyday language usage rather than specialized knowledge.
Voice Terminology
The human voice has a wide range of qualities and conditions that can be described with specific terminology. "Raspy" refers to a voice that has a rough, harsh, or grating quality, often perceived as scratchy or husky. This quality can be temporary, caused by factors like vocal strain, dehydration, allergies, or illness. For some individuals, a raspy voice is a permanent characteristic and can even be considered attractive or distinctive—many famous singers and actors are known for their naturally raspy voices, including Tom Waits, Bonnie Tyler, and Scarlett Johansson.
Other terms used to describe voice qualities include "hoarse" (rough and breathy, often due to vocal cord inflammation), "gravelly" (extremely rough with a deep quality), "husky" (deep and slightly rough with a sexy connotation), "breathy" (soft with audible breath), "nasal" (with resonance primarily in the nasal cavity), and "melodious" (pleasant and musical). Vocal qualities can vary based on factors such as the speaker's anatomy, health, emotional state, and intentional manipulation for artistic or communicative purposes. Voice professionals, including speech pathologists, vocal coaches, and linguists, study these qualities to help people improve their vocal health, performance, or communication skills.
NYT Mini Crossword Tips
When tackling clues like "A little hoarse" in the NYT Mini Crossword, it's helpful to recognize potential wordplay. In this case, the phrase describes a vocal condition but could easily be mistaken for a reference to a small horse (especially since "A little horse" was another clue in the same puzzle!). This type of misdirection is common in crosswords and particularly in the Mini, which often employs clever wordplay to challenge solvers. Look for descriptive adjectives that might match the condition—in this case, a voice that's slightly rough or hoarse would be described as "raspy." The five-letter length requirement helps narrow down possibilities as well. When you encounter clues involving physical conditions or sensory descriptions, consider common adjectives used in everyday speech. The Mini Crossword generally uses accessible vocabulary rather than medical terminology, making "raspy" a more likely answer than clinical terms for voice conditions. Also, note that crossword constructors sometimes use similar-sounding clues with different answers in the same puzzle (like the horse/hoarse pair) as a playful challenge for solvers.
Related Crossword Answers
HUSKY
Clue: "Deep and slightly rough voice"
GRUFF
Clue: "Rough or stern in manner or speech"
HOARSE
Clue: "Having a rough voice from a sore throat"
NASAL
Clue: "Speaking through the nose"
More Clues & Answers For The New York Times Mini (May 6, 2025)
ACROSS
- 1. Everest and Kilimanjaro: Abbr.
- 4. A little horse
- 5. A little hoarse
- 6. Perfect
- 7. Unlike houses that have been professionally staged