Some go croaky, others whisper to sound weak. But it turns out almost all of us put on a voice when we’re calling in sick for work.
Millions of us use a specific voice for different occasions, according to a new survey of 2,000 adults, and this includes a “phoning in sick” tone. The majority (79%) of those surveyed said they felt the need to exaggerate their voice to be believed.
Brits were found to put on voices when playing with children, making jokes and telling someone off - one in 10 of us even have a job interview voice (not surprising when so many have their accents mocked at work).
Do you find yourself speaking to your partner in a special voice? Then you’re not alone. A quarter (25%) of the people surveyed had a distinctive voice they use when they speak to their partner, 37% described this as “cute” whilst 22% said theirs was “playful.”
But, nearly half of the respondents admitted that they have accidentally let their private voices come out in public. The unique voices Brits were most likely to let slip out were voices for pets and babies, as they believed it will help them be understood.
“When communicating with others, we unconsciously adapt the way we speak to mirror the tone and accent of the person we are speaking to,” vocal expert Sue Addlestone said.
“We can also make these unconscious changes in different environments, for example: sounding different when talking to a friend in a pub versus going to a job interview.”
The research was commissioned by Jakemans (who make sore throat sweets) and found that 37% of Brits make an effort to look after their own voice.