Have you ever heard a recording of yourself speaking? If so, you probably asked the usual question: “Do I really sound like that?”
It is a very commonphenomenonfor people to be surprised by the sound of their own voices in a recording. There are two main reasons for this. One is physiological, which means it is related to the body. The other is psychological, meaning it has to do with the mind.
When you speak, you can hear yourself through your ears. However, you are also hearing the sound vibrationscreated inside your skull. This makes the lower tonesof your voice sound louder. You can get a sense of this by speaking in a normal voice and pluggingyour ears. When your ears are closed off, your voice sounds richerand lower.
Our voices are unique, and they form an important part of our identities.That’s why hearing your voice in a recording can be so surprising. It reveals the difference between how you imagineyour voice sounds and how it is actuallheard by others. The “other” voice probably isn’t any better or worse, but we feel strange because the difference is so clear.
