Men hoping to sound more alluring may want to think twice before dropping their voice an octave.
uncertain
Men → hop → voice
New research has revealed a 'sweet spot' when it comes to the vocal pitch that women find sexy.
asserted
women → reveal → pitch
Voices that are too high or too low lose their appeal, according to the researchers.
uncertain
that → lose → researchers
'Men's voices have a big impact on how they're perceived,' the team, from Durham University, said.
asserted
team → have → University
The videos manipulated to 95 Hz were preferred over all their counterparts.
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videos → manipulate → counterparts
For the study, the researchers recruited 1,466 people from the US to rate videos of men speaking in different altered frequencies
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researchers → recruit → frequencies
For the study, the researchers recruited 1,466 people from the US to rate videos of 17 men speaking.
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men → recruit → videos
The volunteers watched clips in which the men's voices had been digitally altered to different pitches and then judged them on traits including attractiveness and dominance.
At the lower end of the scale was a 75Hz voice, similar in depth to that of Fast & Furious actor Vin Diesel.
Higher–pitched options included a voice at 115Hz and 135Hz, similar to that of comedian Kevin Hart.
The findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, revealed the higher–pitched voices were rated by both men and women as less attractive and less dominant.
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voices → watch → men
The researchers said 95Hz was universally voted the best because it appeared to strike the ideal balance between sounding masculine without becoming excessively deep.
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it → say → balance
While women preferred the 95Hz voices over all the other versions, there was little evidence they favoured extremely deep voices, with attractiveness falling once pitch dropped below this level.
asserted
pitch → prefer → level
Other famous men with a vocal frequency in this range include Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, who is also thought to have a speaking pitch close to 100Hz.
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who → include → 100Hz
Higher–pitched options included a voice at 115Hz and 135Hz, similar to that of comedian Kevin Hart
The researchers said higher–pitched voices may be less appealing because they sound less masculine and less dominant, with participants consistently associating deeper voices with greater strength, fighting ability and influence.
uncertain
participants → include → strength
However, they say the overall preference for vocal masculinity was driven more by an aversion to the most feminine–sounding voices than by a strong preference for extremely masculine ones.
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preference → say → ones
This could explain the 'sweet spot' that is neither too high–pitched nor too deep.
uncertain
that → explain → spot
The findings suggest the classic 'deeper is better' theory may be oversimplified.
uncertain
theory → suggest → ?
While a low voice still conveyed strength and authority, women appeared to favour a tone that sounded masculine without tipping into an ultra–deep Vin Diesel–style rumble.
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that → convey → rumble
Last month, scientists issued an urgent warning over a 'voicemaxxing' trend in which men perform 'neck crunches' to deepen their voices.
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men → issue → voices
@nickfraserr shared his 'guide to voicemaxxing' on TikTok, claiming: 'Having a deeper voice is going to make you more attractive.'
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you → share → voice
@kiernansheridan added: 'Having a clear tone when you're speaking is really important to produce confidence and to persuade other people that you know what you're talking about.'
Proponents have put forward a range of wacky methods, including humming exercises, breathing techniques and even 'neck crunches'.
However, scientists warn that participating in voicemaxxing can do more harm than good.
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participating → add → good
'Habitually speaking at an artificially low pitch contributes to muscle tension dysphonia,' said Australian scientists Samuel Cornell, Krista Fisher, and Rob Brooks, in an article for The Conversation.
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scientists → speak → Conversation
'This is voice strain caused by squeezing the muscles around the voice box.
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This → cause → box
It leaves your voice sounding rough, tight or breathy, and can cut out mid–sentence.'
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It → leave → sentence
The Aporia
