A recent study titled ‘Candidate’s Voice Pitch Sways Voters’ claims that people with lower-pitched voices are more likely to win elected office as they are believed to be superior leaders with greater physical prowess and integrity. To determine if there is a correlation between voice pitch and leadership ability, researchers from Florida Atlantic University and University of Miami in the U.S correlated a measure of the voice pitch of some members of a political party with a measure of their leadership ability. The results, published in the ‘Journal of Evolution and Human Behaviour’, revealed that while voters prefer to vote for candidates with lower sounding voices, elected officials with lower voices are not necessarily more effective or better leaders. Voice pitch influences how people are judged on a variety of dimensions such as attractiveness, physical strength and social dominance.

What is voice pitch?

Voice pitch is the perceived highness or lowness of your voice and differs from volume, which is the loudness or softness of your voice. In scientific terms, the frequency of vocal fold vibrations, determines the pitch of your voice.

Frequency is the number of times the vocal folds vibrate in one second and is measured in Hertz [Hz]. When your pitch is low, the vocal folds are vibrating at a lower frequency or relatively slowly. The faster your vocal folds vibrate, the higher is your pitch. Adult males naturally have longer and thicker vocal folds, that vibrate at a lower frequency compared to adult females. Men also have longer vocal tracts as compared to women which further contributes to a lower pitch. Therefore, the pitch of a man’s voice is naturally lower, as compared to women. The average pitch or fundamental frequency for men during conversations ranges between 100 and 150 Hz, and for women between 180 and 250 Hz. Some men and women, who are naturally endowed with longer vocal folds and vocal tracts will have a relatively lower pitched voice as compared to those with shorter vocal folds and vocal tracts. Does that mean that you cannot develop a deeper, richer and lower pitched voice?

Can the pitch of your voice be lowered?

It is possible to lower the pitch of your speaking voice and make your voice sound richer and resonant through vocal optimization training, to help you sound authoritative credible and confident. Although the speaking voice is generally in the lower part of the pitch range, some speakers habitually speak at a higher pitch without being aware of it. Others may develop the habit of speaking at a higher pitch by tightening the muscles in the throat and around the larynx [voice box] in order to sound louder and authoritative. But end up sounding shrill, high pitched and ineffective, instead. And if you suffer from public speaking anxiety, the pitch can rise further, as anxiety increases muscle tension, affects your breathing and resonance.

However vocal habits and patterns can be changed through effective vocal techniques that help reduce muscle tension, improve breathing, develop vocal resonance and find your optimum pitch to unleash your leadership voice.


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