Do you hate your voice?

[Kiwong]

It probably sounds worse to me than it really is.

 

[Plz]

I hate it so much that I almost always whisper. I have to get pretty angry to not whisper, and at that point I'm yelling... It's only happened once...

 

[Psychedelicious]

Shhhh

Yes, I do. I hate my voice, and several elements of it. It just sounds weird and isn't very pleasant to listen to. One thing I hate the most is that I can't say things clearly, and I usually talk fast and jumble up my words which makes it even harder to understand. I also have some gaps in my words, and can't really say anything while making it flow nice and smoothly. I also hate the tone, and the general sound of it. There's a lot I just don't like at all.

 

[MrJones]

I don't usually hear myself when I'm talking... maybe one of the reasons why I make those embarrassing mistakes that make me blush, sweat and all that stuff.

 

[Error]

only when it's recorded and played back at me

x2
That and when I on the phone and I can hear my own voice because of the feedback.

 

[Lonelykitsune]

I'm a girl and I have a really horrible deep voice, that actually breaks quite a lot. Really embarrassing

 

[mikebird]

Do you hate your voice? Who hates who?

WOW!

An unaddressed topic! Thanks!

Never thought about it. No vocal expert. Maybe I sound a bit alto. I have no idea. I guess I'd get further in life if I had a gruff voice rather being a tweeter... I can't hear it! I can't say!!

There is an aspect of every part of myself that I want someone to tell me about, eg. I'm ugly... but nobody ever does. It would put me right on track

A once-girlfriend told me someday at Notting Hill Carnival, while we were out in sunshine, in the middle of the crowds... and said "everyone's looking at you" and then later in the day: "do you know why?"

That will haunt me until my grave. No contact with her, ever again, and even if I did (well, I do - FB) she wouldn't remember it to give me an answer.

All I can do is... come up with suggestions about me + ve or -ve?

ugly or handsome?
wearing too little
moobs? or too fat? or big muscles?
too much body hair?

Actually, that's all I can think of - so not too bad!

 

[mikebird]

only when it's recorded and played back at me

Ahhh..

I'm the opposite. I always felt confident and acceptable by others - the way I act, and speak. From my perspective - twisted

Would be nice if anybody recorded me on video, as parents do, don't they? Mine certainly didn't. They still live in the 2nd World War today, and always will, but only one of them is alive, and won't be for much longer.

Looking at a practice recording of me a few years ago - whooooaa!! So timid - unable to speak up, even when recording myself...

Well that's why I'm like this! I wouldn't like to speak to someone like me!! That person's got NO CHANCE!

 

[Aussie_Lad]

No because my voice is me. It is easy having a voice that sounds like every other person that is around, but the ones that are unique have a special quality because when you hear them speak then you immediately know who is talking without seeing them of having them identify themselves

 

[FalseAlarm]

yeah its too quiet and people often can't even hear what i'm saying

 

[Aussie_Lad]

‪How Can I Project My Voice More Powerfully?‬‏ - YouTube

 

[vanfuggle]

Great thread. Yes, I always hated my voice. I cringe when I hear myself on an answering machine. Now I just let the generic voice do all the talking.

What was weird was I send a friend in the UK an mp3 I made for her and the first thing she said was what a "lovely voice" i had. That made me feel good. Now i wonder if it's just me? Maybe it's not so bad after all.

 

[Hastings & Main]

I used to absolutely hate my voice.
Then a couple years ago I was at a friend's house when they had some other friends over, and as I was leaving later on and said goodbye, one of the women commented to my friend's wife, "Doesn't he have a sexy voice?", and she agreed, both looking at me kind of intently. It was a little weird (and unexpected!), but flattering.

Since then I've had a different perspective on my voice, and realized it only sounds weird to me. I still get at least two "Pardon?"'s whenever I say something, so projection and loudness is something I definitely have to work at.

 

[Srijita52]

Not in general,my voice is fine.But while talking to someone I become so nervous that anyone can hardly hear my voice.I have to repeat myself at least 3 times.....

 

[Rembrandt Broam]

The voice I hear when I speak, the one in my head, that one I don't mind. I hated it for a while but it's grown on me and I'm okay with the way it sounds. Unfortunately, this is not the voice everyone else hears. My "actually" voice I hate, it's just not good. It just sounds so dorky and forced and awkward. That's probably because it is forced and sounds awkward for that reason. When I hear my recorded voice I have a hard time believing it's me, and continue to dislike it.

That's pretty much how I feel. I don't mind my voice the way I hear it, but I can't bear to listen to it played back from a recording. Sometimes when I'm speaking, I get this sudden realisation of how I will be sounding to others, and it makes me just want to shut up. ::

I've always had people comment on my voice throughout my life, and it's no wonder why, my voice is strange I think.

What kind of comments have you had? I don't think anyone's ever commented negatively on my voice. I've had people say they like it, but I have a very hard time believing that's true.

 

[myflyingfriend2]

I really disliked my voice but I found you do not have to live with it. You really can change your voice with just a little work.

I read a book called, Set Your Voice Free by Roger Love, who is a voice coach. This is not a plug: I have no stake in this. However I can say that voice training is really a science and with just a little work you can change your voice. You will not sound like someone way different, but you can let your "best voice" come out.

I found that when I talked my larynz would jump (anxiety related and subconscious). There was a simple exercise to train the larynx to not jump, and it made a world of difference.

You don't have to live with the voice you have, you can improve it with a little voice coaching or self-learning.

 

[Aussie_Lad]

I mean in high school I was dead quiet, almost never said anything at all so when people heard me speak they were surprised anyway, and a lot of times they'd comment on a uniqueness of my voice, or "not what I expected."

That is not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe you had / have a sexy voice and they weren't expecting it from such a quiet person.

When I was younger younger (middle school) people would imitate my voice a lot though, and that was never complementary.

I have seen a lot of people get similar treatment, but the imitators never put on a good show. They always make sure the imitation is 10 times worse than the person that they are imitating and quite often there really isn't anything fundamentally strange about the person's voice that they are imitating anyway. Remember also that voices change once you hit puberty.

And no one has ever said they liked my voice before.

Having compliments about voice is like seeing the Loch Ness monster. It can happen, but the cases are few and far between even with those that really do have good voices.

 

[Kathryn.fr]

Yes I do. Or, used to, it was deep and raspy. Kinda sounded like I was stuffed up all the time too. Now I don't sound like that but I wish I sounded better.

 

[dancingintherain]

well, people comment on my 'different accent' I have a london accent and live in cumbria so I have lots of comments about it ..and I do get a little annoyed.
I like my voice when i sing at least

 

[Graeme1988]

Yes, it's one of the reasons why I rarely talk. ::