It seems that studies done on the speaking voice say that men prefer women with higher-pitched voices. These studies report that men 'see' women with higher-pitched voices as being younger and thinner.
They certainly did. Research confirms that deep voices give men an aura of power and sexual allure.
Their study revealed that males find female voices that indicate a smaller body size—high-pitched, breathy voices with wide formant spacing—most attractive. Females, on the other hand, prefer to hear a low-pitched voice with narrow formant spacing, reflecting a larger body size.
So it tickled me to discover my voice was referenced in a recent dating study from the University of Sussex which found that men find a lower tone more attractive.
Sexually attractive. And it's a generalisation cos a woman's voice can be sweet and quiet, which can be attractive.. but it's not that common for a woman talking to be a sexually attractive thing. And most often it's the reverse, that the talking gets in the way..
Husky voices signal "sexual interest" and can help women stand out from the crowd, say researchers. Perhaps less surprisingly, the study found men also drop their pitch when they meet women they are attracted to.
As you go through puberty, the larynx gets bigger and the vocal cords lengthen and thicken, so your voice gets deeper.
It used to be thought that voice pitch in mammals relates to body size, but that is no longer believed top be the case. McElligott pointed out that you can have big men with higher-pitched voices, or smaller men with lower-pitched voices, so pitch is not always an indication of body size.
In a new study, U.S. researchers say your deep-pitched voice makes you sound more dominant and intimidating to other men, but it does little to impress women – over the long-term. This all goes back to evolution, according to Penn State University doctors.
"However," he says, "evidence suggests men evolved deeper voices mainly for intimidating other men rather than attracting women." Studies show that men with deeper voices tend to have higher testosterone levels (an indicator of dominance) and a more athletic body type.
As a result, women find men with lower-pitched voices more attractive. It's the opposite for men, who are more attracted to women with higher-pitched voices, which is perceived as a marker for femininity. Attractiveness in the voice is important for the impressions we give our potential partners.
Men prefer high-pitched voices that indicate a small body size, while women prefer low-pitched voices because they indicate a larger body size, though women don't care for voices that indicate aggression, according to a study published today in the journal PLOS One.
Women's voices may also have more "natural melody," he adds. Qualities like pitch and volume vary more during speech. "There's more prosody in female speech." Newspaper articles about Hunter's research said that men find the female voice more difficult to hear and understand.
In fact, owners of a deep voice get better ratings for all kinds of qualities. A 2012 study on electoral success found they were considered more intelligent, more trustworthy, more confident, more likable, healthier, and of a higher social status than high-pitched men.
"When you wake up, your vocal folds need to warm up just like the rest of you," says Pitman. "Before a runner goes out, they stretch and run slowly to get the blood flowing.
Men are more attracted to women with higher-pitched and breathy voices, as these seem to indicate smaller body size, a study published in Plos One suggests.
"We found that both sexes used a lower-pitch voice and showed a higher level of physiological arousal when speaking to a more attractive opposite-sex target," Hughes says in a news release.
A deep, strong, masculine voice is not without its benefits. Women prefer men with deeper voices, and find what they say more memorable than men with higher-pitched ones. And a strong, deep voice can make a man seem more confident and authoritative.
A different study on the perception of vocal sexiness says that men and women both find mid-pitched voices to be the “most sexy.” At the same time, a different study on interviewers' voices says that being high-pitched with an extensive vocal range is the most attractive.
Summary: A new study reveals a link between vocal characteristics and individual personality traits. Those with deeper voices were more dominant, extroverted, and tended to rank higher in sociosexuality.
"A deep voice is commonly associated with manliness and being male and, until recently, the majority of marketing from a male perspective has relied on the depiction of the male voice as being deeper in pitch," says Vinny Raval, a speech and language therapist, and director at The Speech Coach.
Your voice during puberty
Puberty is a process of sexual maturation. A voice change is one of the secondary sexual characteristics adolescents develop. In boys, this happens between ages 12 and 16; in girls, between ages 10 and 14.
Recent studies found men prefer a higher-pitched voice in women, while women preferred a steady, lower-pitched voice in men. This gender preference is because a higher-pitched voice indicates a smaller body, while a lower-pitched voice indicates a larger body.
The size of the vocal folds is largely determined by the size of the larynx, and their thickness is further influenced by the action of hormones such as testosterone. The larger the larynx, the longer and thicker the vocal folds and the lower the pitch of the voice.
A boy's voice typically begins to change between ages 11 and 14½, usually just after the major growth spurt. Some boys' voices might change gradually, whereas others' might change quickly.