The pitch of the voice—how high or low it sounds—depends on the length, tension, and thickness of the vocal cords. Because males have longer vocal cords of up to 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) in length, the male voice is deeper in pitch, while women and children with shorter cords have higher-pitched voices. Vocal cords in women average 0.167 inches (0.42 centimeters) in length. Testosterone is the hormone that is responsible for the increase of length of male vocal cords during puberty.