Why the sound of your own voice can be unsettling

Many people experience a sense of discomfort or cringe when hearing a recording of their own voice, a phenomenon that is rooted in human biology rather than personal flaw. Kim Rittberg, an award-winning speaking coach and former TV producer, notes that this reaction is common among the many individuals she has encountered throughout her 20-year career.

The biological explanation for this reaction lies in how sound reaches our ears. When speaking, individuals hear a combination of sound waves traveling through the air and vibrations moving directly through the skull. These internal vibrations tend to emphasize lower frequencies, creating a perception of the voice that is deeper and richer than what others hear. When listening to a recording, a person hears only the sound waves traveling through the air, which results in a version of their voice that feels unfamiliar.

Rittberg suggests that this discomfort is also a result of evolutionary timing. Humans have only had access to audio recordings for approximately 150 years, dating back to the work of Thomas Edison. Consequently, the human body has not yet adapted to the experience of hearing one's own voice from an external source.

To overcome this reaction, Rittberg recommends that people normalize the sound of their own voices by listening to unrehearsed audio or video, such as recordings from virtual meetings. By separating the message being delivered from the delivery itself, individuals can move past the initial judgment and become more comfortable with how they sound to others.