A low female voice is a vocal range that lies between the soprano and mezzo-soprano ranges. The two most common terms for this type of voice are ALTO and CONTRALTO. ALTO is a four-letter word that comes from the Italian word for 'HIGH' and refers to a singer with a range between the F below middle C to the second F above middle C. CONTRALTO is a nine-letter word that comes from the Latin word for 'OPPOSITE' and refers to a singer with a range between the E below middle C to the second E above middle C.