why does your voice sound differently to you than how it really sounds??

Question

to me my speaking voice sounds womenly, assertive and intellectual

but whenever i hear my voice back on a recording or on the phone it sounds high pitch and almost childlike

why does this happen?

Answer 1

You are not hearing your own voice from the same place as a listener. The sound comes from your vocal cords which are in your head near your ears so you hear it with no interference and a much better sound quality

Answer 2

The previous answer that talks about the location of the vocal chords is good but I think slightly off. I would say that what the speaker hears is traveling through the solids and liquids in the body and the air in an indirect path, the listener hears it only through the air and usually if they are being spoken to (not just overhearing) through a more direct sound wave path.

Answer 3

You really have opened Pandoras box with this question..thank you!
Could be the recording equipment is not that good, also being replayed at a different sound level to your normal speach... Honestly!!
Telephones calls are being tampered with by a third party. Tone, accent, volume are all easily changed....Also a third voice can be heard very quitely.
Don't be fooled by recordings...

Answer 4

That is true. I have had people say that I have a good singing voice, but I taped myself and thought that I was really bad. I am continuing to sing in a chorus but it leaves me doubting my singing ability. I am also an English born Canadian and sound quite Canadian to myself when I speak but when I hear my telephone message I can see why Canadians tag me as an immigrant after only a couple of words.

Answer 5

I agree with the third answerer. Also, I feel that sound recordings such as those on audiotape are of very low quality.

Answer 6

I have the same proplem! I wish I knew the reason for it!