How do I find out what my real voice sounds like?
 

So for much of these past few years, people have noticed that I sound like Robert from Everybody Loves Raymond. That's not good. I hate his voice; it's way too deep and nasally. However, I've had the following experience.

One day, while I was in my noisy school caf, I had to yell across the caf to this guy on the other side of the room. I had my playbook, so I decided to record myself and see what I sounded like, at least when I was yelling. The result was that I sounded so much lighter, and not nasally at all.

That was on the recording. My friend said that I actually did not sound different at all. So who should I trust, the recording, or my friend?



PS I ran experiments in my home when nobody was here, and I just basically yelled and recorded myself yelling. Again, my voice sounded really light, and not nasally at all.

I think I perceive my voice as lower than it actually is, even when I was a kid.

I like my recorded voice better than how I hear myself. There's a certain shock at first but these days its so easy to hear yourself you can get over the shock and make peace with your outer child.

My voice is way deeper than my inner voice, also sounds completely different too whats in my head.

However from what you asked i would side with your friend. Your friend hears your outer voice more often than you do, so they will have a much better perception of how you sound than yourself.

i wouldn't worry about it... it is near impossible for anyone to hear themselves the way that other people do because we get to hear our speech conducted through the bones in our face as well as through sound waves in the air... trying to change your voice itself is near impossible (you can change speech patterns, accent maybe, but not really your actual voice) so it is better to just not worry about it and learn to live with it. your friends like you for who you are, not for how your voice sounds or doesn't sound...