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Scientists Figure Out Formula for the Perfect Speaking Voice

by Will Safer on June 11, 2008 at 03:40 PM

Jeremy Irons' speaking voice is close to the ideal.

What kind of voice and speaking tone inspires the most trust and confidence in listeners?

An English linguist and a sound engineer say they have the answer. It's a combination of traits that includes tone, speed, frequency, words per minute and intonation.

The two have simulated the ideal speaking voices for both men and women, and say that real life actors Jeremy Irons and Dame Judy Dench come closest to the ideal when they talk.

Irons, for example, says 200 words per minute and pauses for 1.2 seconds between sentences. The ideal speaker would say about 164 words per minute and pause for 0.48 seconds between sentences.

This may explain why some radio talk show hosts and DJs are more popular than others. Listeners prefer to hear spoken sentences that fall in tone toward the end rather than rise. They prefer a deep voice that speaks slowly.

A rising intonation, the two researchers said, implies weakness and tells the listener that the speaker is unsure of what he or she is saying. To hear an example of the ideal speaking voices for men and women, click here. [Source: BBC News]

Tags: audio, breaking news, BreakingNews, Jeremy Irons, JeremyIrons, Judy Dench, JudyDench, studies

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