Difficulty raising my voice

recluse

recluse

Well-known member
Anyone else experience great difficulty shouting/raising your voice?

For example a lady who was at the shop i work in left her brought item on the counter and started walking out, i had to shout to her and i could hardly raise my voice enough so i ended up having to run after her until she eventually heard me.

The same happened during register at school when my teacher couldn't hear me and got mad.

It's as if something physically restricts my voice, but i really know it's because i don't like drawing too much attention to myself.
 
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klytus

Well-known member
A good way to fight this issue is to "just do it". Ideally you start by shouting in a place where nobody could pay attention to you - like deep inside a forest. Gradually you move up to more populated places. Your body has to get used to making loud noises. It's not just a mental problem. I had a similar issue back in school - people would not hear me speak because of my faint voice. I started speaking a lot louder at home, and now I can do it virtually everywhere.

Sometimes it's not you - it's really the person you are talking to. Some just aren't used to the way you speak or have, in general, problems understanding others.
 
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lyricalliaisons

lyricalliaisons

Well-known member
That's a huge problem for me. People always say I have a very low voice & it's hard to hear me, but I feel like I'm talking loud. It's hard for me to talk louder because, even when I raise my voice so that I'm talking at the same level as other people, I feel like I'm yelling & it freaks me out. It's especially bad in situations like the one you described because no one ever hears me. Plus, when I'm on the bus, drivers get mad at me because they don't hear me say I need the next stop & drive right past it.
 
Qbmaster

Qbmaster

Well-known member
lyricalliaisons said:
That's a huge problem for me. People always say I have a very low voice & it's hard to hear me, but I feel like I'm talking loud. It's hard for me to talk louder because, even when I raise my voice so that I'm talking at the same level as other people, I feel like I'm yelling & it freaks me out. It's especially bad in situations like the one you described because no one ever hears me. Plus, when I'm on the bus, drivers get mad at me because they don't hear me say I need the next stop & drive right past it.
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My theory is that this has to do with the fact that some of us are highly introverted. I can clearly hear my own voice in my head saying what I want to say and it can be hard for me to realize that this voice cannot be heard by other people. It is not always easy to know the difference between thinking the words and actually saying them. And because I think that my voice is already loud enough when I am not even speaking at all, if I raise my voice it sounds to me like I am yelling.
Of course, this is just a theory and it is not unlikely that I am completely wrong :)
 
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da_illest101

Well-known member
I have that problem to, everyone i ever talked to ask me to speak louder, at work i'm like the only person who doesn't yell for the manager, i always go see them instead of yelling their name
 
neo

neo

Active member
Oh, I had this problem all the time. Recitals were the worst, the teacher constantly yelling 'LOUDEEEER! :)
But I guess my vocal organs are simply more sensitive. I know people that can yell for on and on with no problem, while my throat gets soar from yelling even for a short time.
And I think there's another factor here, too. It's not just the volume of the voice, it's how you say it. If you say it too quickly, or mumble (yeah, you can mumble loudly), it'll be hard to hear. But if you slow down and try to say it openly, clearly, without forcing it, somehow it just seems it will come out louder, even if you aren't really raising your tone very much.
 
illuminationSP

illuminationSP

1
Yeah, this is surely me. My voice is a very light monotone. I've always been asked to speak up, and people always gather that I'm calm due to my voice.
 
lyricalliaisons

lyricalliaisons

Well-known member
Qbmaster said:
My theory is that this has to do with the fact that some of us are highly introverted. I can clearly hear my own voice in my head saying what I want to say and it can be hard for me to realize that this voice cannot be heard by other people. It is not always easy to know the difference between thinking the words and actually saying them. And because I think that my voice is already loud enough when I am not even speaking at all, if I raise my voice it sounds to me like I am yelling.
Of course, this is just a theory and it is not unlikely that I am completely wrong :)
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That sounds like it could be at least somewhat true. I know for me, I rarely ever talk, except in my head, so when I talk out loud, I don't realize my voice doesn't sound loud enough to others until they point it out.
 
scrumblebee

scrumblebee

1
Absolutely, while I manage to raise the pitch in my voice to the point of probably sounding extremely passive and kind of pathetic. Almost a quiet whimper at times, although not comically delivered like Michael Cera.
 
M1tCh

M1tCh

Banned
Yeah, it's taxing when i try to raise my voice; that thing that doesn't travel very far, even when it's pushed to the limit. Usually comes off in a "Hey, why the F can't you f'ing hear me anyways?" kinda way. Sometimes it also takes snail-paced enunciation to register with the listener...Urrrrrrrrrgh!

I've thought about investing in (See below)

bullhorn.jpg


Anybody else? ::p:;)
 
A

applegirl

Active member
I can't speak loud either. Whenever I read in class in high school my teachers would tell me to PLEASE speak louder. I hate speaking in class in college now in fear my voice will come out small and shaky.
 
BlueDays

BlueDays

1
I find it annoying having the voice of a little girl! When tele-marketers ring my house, i frequently get asked if they can speak to a "grown up"!? I love the silence at the other end when i tell them i AM a grown up and i am in my 30's!::p:
 
ripewithdecay

ripewithdecay

Well-known member
Carry a long rope with you and lasso the fools when they wont turn around.

No but try pulling your voice out of your stomach or abdomen instead of squeezing it out your throat.
 
M1tCh

M1tCh

Banned
ripewithdecay said:
Carry a long rope with you and lasso the fools when they wont turn around.

No but try pulling your voice out of your stomach or abdomen instead of squeezing it out your throat.
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Reminds me of the movie Seven where Kevin Spacey/John Doe character says: "Wanting people to listen, you can't just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you'll notice you've got their strict attention." ::p:
 
K

klytus

Well-known member
Back in high-school I could talk to someone sitting right beside me, and he or she wouldn't hear me. Sometimes it's not about your voice. It's about you being you. The other person just doesn't like you and hence ignores you, or doesn't realize your existence or your presence. In those cases you have to stop trying to get the attention and focus on more rewarding activities.
 
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