Speech – Unique To You

Spoken language is one of the defining human characteristics that separates us from other species. Much like a fingerprint, speech is an integral feature of our identity and what makes us unique. Speech also plays a vital role in how we communicate with others and how we are received. For doctors, speech and the use of voice is particularly significant – the NHS Identity guidelines advise that doctors tones should be “clear, concise, straightforward, honest, open, professional, respectful and accessible”. In this week’s article, we explore how speech plays a key part in how we communicate.

Origins of speech

The origins of speech, and when it took place is a highly contested issue. Many historians believe that speech is an essential component to civilisation, and that communication plays a large role in what makes us human. Philosopher Noam Chomsky introduced the theory that language is not something that we learn, but rather that we are all born with a language organ “built in”.

Most historians believe that language couldn’t have evolved until the arrival of the anatomically modern Homo sapiens, which was 200,000 years ago!

Verbal communication

We all have differences in the tone and pitch of our voice – speech is unique to each individual. Clear and distinguishable voices often improve communication with others and how other people perceive and respond to us.

Many professions require the use of a slightly different tone of voice than what may be used outside of work. An example of this is news presenters who often enunciate much more than people typically do; this type of speaking is instantly recognisable due to the serious tone and is very clear and easy to understand.

Other professions use this too. To a lesser extent, doctors may increase their enunciation while speaking to patients to improve patient understanding. They also may use a different tone of voice or intonation based on the situation in hand. Intonation in speech varies with the message we are delivering, for example, a doctor may speak at a slower and more empathetic tone when delivering a diagnosis to a patient. This approach can help a patient to feel more comfortable.

The power of speech

A strong voice can completely shape our perceptions of an individual or a subject. Examples of iconic speeches include Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” (1963), and Winston Churchill’s “We shall fight on the beaches” (1940). Both of these speeches were incredibly influential. Although the content of both of these speeches is a major contributor to how they are remembered today, delivery, tone and intonation are all vital components to memorable speech.

Volume and projection are also considered essential components in speech. The world’s loudest voice belongs to Irish teacher Annalisa Flannigan, who holds the loudest shouting record at 121 decibels which for reference is comparable to the sound of a chainsaw!

Why do our voices sound different on a recording?

Many of us are surprised when we hear a recording of our own voice and ask, “Is that really me?”. Our voices often sound strikingly different when recorded than they do in our head, but why?

Differences in our voice in recordings could be due to a range of factors, such as background noise or poor recording devices. One major contributor is that when we hear our voice through a recording, it is due to vibrating sound waves hitting the ear drum – which is how other people hear your voice. When we hear our voice as we are speaking, the vibration inside our skull is hitting our ear drum. Those vibrations travel up through your bony skull and again set the ear drum vibrating. However, as they travel through the bone they spread out and lower in pitch, giving you a false sense of bass. Then when you hear a recording of your voice, it sounds noticeably higher.

At WeType our client’s voice plays a fundamental part in the smooth processing of dictations. That’s why speech that is clear and distinguishable and has an absence of background noise is music to our ears.