Why Do Americans Prefer Low Voices to High Voices?

When I learned Americans like low voices in public speaking class, I wondered about it. Why do Americans prefer to listen to low voices? How about Japanese? When Japanese people hear women's high voices, do they feel uncomfortable? I don't think so. Also, why do Americans prefer low speaking voices to high speaking voices?

First, I interviewed my last R.A., she said, "If you speak in a high voice, American people think you are not intelligent because Americans think high voices are childish, so you should speak in a low voice." So I asked her, "If you hear a woman's high voice, do you feel uncomfortable?" She said, "Yes, a little bit. If I talk with my friend who has a high voice, it's OK, but if it's a speech or presentation, it makes me uncomfortable." I asked, "Why?" , but she said, "I don't know.", so I decided to use the internet.

I found an interesting article about voices on the internet. It said, "In Japan, if the people speak in a low voice, it makes people uncomfortable because Japanese people feel it's brusque." I think so, too. Also, the article said, "When Japanese people talk politely, their voices are a little higher than their usual voices. Speaking in a low voice is one of the rules of etiquette in Japan." It's true because when I answer the telephone, my voice is a little higher than usual. And I noticed American anchor men and women's voices are lower than Japanese ones. Maybe they think it sounds more intelligent, I think.

In conclusion, Americans prefer low speaking voices to high voices because the American people think high voices are childish and not intelligent, so American people think low voices are good. Therefore, American anchor men and women use low voices because their voices are heard by a lot of people. However, Japanese anchors' voices are a litle high because they speak politely, so their voices are higher than usual. These are cultural differences, I think, so when I do my presentation, I have to speak in a lower voice because I want many American people to be interested in my topic!