Many people are surprised when they hear their own voice in a voice message or recording, feeling that the voice doesn’t sound like them or seems strange to their ears, even though it’s the same voice others hear daily.
This common phenomenon is not related to sound quality or speaking style, but has a clear scientific explanation connected to how sound travels inside the body and how the brain perceives it.
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We Hear Our Voice in Two Ways, and Recording Captures Only One
When we speak, our voice reaches the ear via two pathways simultaneously:
Air Conduction: The sound travels through the air to the ear, just as others hear it.
Bone Conduction: Vibrations from the larynx, bones, and tissues travel directly through the skull to the cochlea (inner ear).
This “combination” makes the voice we hear ourselves speak with sound deeper and fuller (especially in lower frequencies). Traditional audio recording, however, typically captures only the air conduction pathway, which is why the recorded voice often sounds higher-pitched or thinner than we expect.
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The Skull Alters the “Timbre” of the Voice (Internal Resonance)
Inside the head, there are cavities (like sinuses) and bony structures that act as resonators, altering the timbre of the sound that reaches us as we speak. This creates an “internal” version of the voice that differs from the “external” version heard by others or captured by a microphone.
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Technical Effects
Even if the sound is essentially the same, its perceived difference can be amplified by technical factors, including the type of microphone and its frequency response, as it may emphasize certain frequencies and hide others.
In addition, there is audio compression used in messaging applications, as well as the distance and direction of the microphone from the speaker. These factors alone do not explain the phenomenon, but they can amplify the feeling that “this is not my voice.”
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“Expectation Shock”
Psychology describes the surprise or aversion some people feel towards their recorded voice as a phenomenon known as “voice confrontation,” which arises from a gap between the voice an individual has formed a mental image of for themselves and the voice they hear objectively when listening to a recording.
This sudden difference can cause a feeling of discomfort because it conflicts with the accustomed auditory self-image.
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Brain Processing of One’s Own Voice and the Sense of Control
Research in auditory neuroscience explains that the brain perceives a person’s voice differently when it originates from themselves, due to its association with the sense of control and self-monitoring during speech. However, when listening to an audio recording, many of the neural signals accompanying voice production are absent, making the voice seem less familiar to its owner.
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Bone Conduction and Its Role in Distinguishing One’s Own Voice
A study published in the journal “Royal Society Open Science” showed that the absence of the bone conduction element in a recorded voice is one of the main reasons behind the feeling of voice strangeness.
The study also clarified that the presence of this type of conduction helps the brain distinguish between “my voice” and “the voice of others,” which explains the difference in our perception of the voice during recording.
