A MEMS transducer includes a transducer substrate, a back plate, a diaphragm, and an intermediate layer. The transducer substrate includes an aperture. The back plate is coupled to a first surface of the transducer substrate and covers the aperture. The diaphragm is oriented substantially parallel to the back plate and is spaced apart from the back plate to form a gap. The intermediate layer is coupled to the diaphragm and the back plate and includes an acoustic relief channel, which fluidly couples the gap to an environment surrounding the MEMS transducer.