Do you have the same voice in a foreign language?

Question

For people who speak two or more languages:
Is your voice (pitch, etc.) the same in all the languages, or does it change?

Answer 1

If you speak the other language well, PRONOUNCE it well, then your vocal structures change according to the other language's norms. If your mouth, tongue, lips, throat, don't change, then you are speaking the other language with a foreign accent, that of your native language. That's why we can often tell, not only that a person is a foreigner to our own language, but, where in fact that person is from. Most of us can tell it's a Chinese or Italian or Russian speaker speaking in English because their vocal structures have remained unchanged from their native tongue.

Answer 2

Depends on which language. When I speak Italian, Japanese, Walpiri or Mandarin, I do have a different 'voice', though it's probably influenced by cultural aspects of the target language. I actually switched to the western dialect of Japanese because I didn't like the way I sounded in the Tokyo dialect, but still don't have the exact same voice in my mother language, English.

Answer 3

It may change, but not necessarily. I think when speaking language #2 that my voice is softer and maybe higher (trying to sound cute?!?). . .probably bc I am not as confident. If someone were truly bilingual then I don't know. . .
I also have noticed that people are more willing to curse in language #2, I guess bc the full import of what they're saying doesn't hit them. But that's a different topic, isn't it.

Answer 4

No I don't! I noticed that when I'm speaking English, my pitch gets higher, but when I speak in both western/eastern Japanese dialect, my pitch is about normal. My pitch is about normal, deeper than when I speak English, when I speak French, too. For some reason, my pitch gets really high when I talk in Spanish.

I noticed that too and I was wondering why...because I have lots of friends who speak more than English, whose pitch and pace change.

I heard about how it has to do with the tonal languages, of how there are ups and downs in English and Spanish, but not in French or Japanese...according to my English teacher...

Answer 5

I speak English, German, and French. I find that my voice only changes slightly. Mostly due to the way I have to pronounce the words.

Answer 6

well, my native language is spanish, and i think that the voice is different in a different language, the personality changes, the lips movement changes, the lines of the face changes, the thinking changes too... so you are inmersed in a different way to express your self! so this is what makes the change, you are a person in a ENGLISH VERSION, A FRENCH VERSION, PORTUGUESE VERSION, etc...that is very exciting cause you explore sides of your personalitity you didnt use before.
The esence is kept the same in you, but the way to flow is different...

Answer 7

wow, you know i noticed that too. some people, when they switch from english to their own language, they do sound a bit different, like tone wise. that could be because of pronunciation and stuff. for some of my friends, some of their voices change, and for others, they don't. as for me, i don't really know my own language much so i can't say, but when i try to speak it, i do sound a bit deeper

Answer 8

Well my voice sounds a litlle different because of the way I pronounce the words in both English and my native tongue Irish.

Answer 9

I can also speak spanish and my voice sounds a litlle different because of the way you pronounce the words.

Answer 10

It changes slightly at least.
Arabic, French, and Hindi are all different. They all require different accents to pronounce the words.