The "Does my voice pass?" thread

[Guinevere]

On average it sounds feminine but I am not a fan of the "valley girl" accent. As far as passing goes, you pass. The fry is an especially nice touch.

Hi, I tried to send you a PM but I can't. I just saw what you wrote and I'm not sure if you quoted the right people, because I'm not sure if my voice could be considered "valley girl". I just wanted to check because I really want to sound natural, but I find I'm a bad judge of my own voice so I might have missed it? (My voice was http://vocaroo.com/i/s1gJW5eNYgj3.) I'm guessing if you did mix them up, then you're saying my voice sounds good. That means I pass, right? Thanks for your time. 

[iKate]

Hi, I tried to send you a PM but I can't. I just saw what you wrote and I'm not sure if you quoted the right people, because I'm not sure if my voice could be considered "valley girl". I just wanted to check because I really want to sound natural, but I find I'm a bad judge of my own voice so I might have missed it? (My voice was http://vocaroo.com/i/s1gJW5eNYgj3.) I'm guessing if you did mix them up, then you're saying my voice sounds good. That means I pass, right? Thanks for your time.

Oh sorry, it was someone else... You do sound good, and feminine, and your voice does pass.

[iKate]

Well, I've been full time for three years... although my passing has gone off as hit or miss basically. I have tons of anxiety over my appearance and my voice but this is about voice. Friends tell me all the time I sound normal, especially considering I recovered from a throat injury(related to the vocals.) I haven't exactly checked myself with programs, so I wouldn't really know.

I'm 100% self trained, haven't seen a coach or anything.. just watched videos and read webpages.

http://vocaroo.com/i/s0Plr7AterR1

This is the one I thought sounded "valley girl." If that's your thing, great. Your voice passes. However, I'm not a fan, and there are some who encourage it to pass, so if you're talking this way strictly to pass, I'd say don't do it.

[Cadence Jean]

I like the pitch and resonance of your voice, Missing. I agree with Kate that your inflection does come off Valley girl, but to each her own.

[Cadence Jean]

Here's my contribution to this thread.  Feedback appreciated!

http://vocaroo.com/i/s03ZLo4RZYJC

[TheMissingM]

I like the pitch and resonance of your voice, Missing. I agree with Kate that your inflection does come off Valley girl, but to each her own.

Thanks but Kate did actually hit the reasoning why I spoke like that..

You definitely sound amazing yourself, but you should go drink some water.

This is the one I thought sounded "valley girl." If that's your thing, great. Your voice passes. However, I'm not a fan, and there are some who encourage it to pass, so if you're talking this way strictly to pass, I'd say don't do it.

Being told I pass, but in such a negative tone really isn't great.. at all. It really goes against everything I've heard in the past and it doesn't make me feel so great. You basically hit it on the head, that I was using the other voice basically to pass.. hence why I call it a presentation voice. It isn't how I naturally speak at all... I don't want to do it that way but I don't take rejection all that well and my actual voice gave me so much trouble..

I also used it to mask the fact that I have trouble regularly speaking which you'll probably hear me having to take breaths because of my injury 6 years ago that involved my vocal chords.

So I guess, here's my "actual results" this time.

Thanks for the brutal honesty, and sorry again.
http://vocaroo.com/i/s0dqHvchz2T3

[iKate]

Thanks but Kate did actually hit the reasoning why I spoke like that..

You definitely sound amazing yourself, but you should go drink some water.

Being told I pass, but in such a negative tone really isn't great.. at all. It really goes against everything I've heard in the past and it doesn't make me feel so great. You basically hit it on the head, that I was using the other voice basically to pass.. hence why I call it a presentation voice. It isn't how I naturally speak at all... I don't want to do it that way but I don't take rejection all that well and my actual voice gave me so much trouble..

I also used it to mask the fact that I have trouble regularly speaking which you'll probably hear me having to take breaths because of my injury 6 years ago that involved my vocal chords.

So I guess, here's my "actual results" this time.

Thanks for the brutal honesty, and sorry again.
http://vocaroo.com/i/s0dqHvchz2T3

Well, wow. I didn't mean to offend you. But here is honesty.

I think if you perfect this voice without the "valley girl" accent it will work much better than the other.

To me it sounds very passable. Based on the voice alone I would read you female 100%. However I don't see your whole presentation and that is why maybe people don't use feminine pronouns with you as there may be something else that tips them off and the voice just kind of pushes it over the edge.

For me for example I know it is not my voice that makes me pass 100% because I get gendered female before I speak many times. It has always been that way (and when I did speak before I die my VFS they would call me "sir" or "him" or "he.")

So I would say perfect this voice and it will do good.

I do apologize if you were offended in any way. I was just trying to be helpful and to be honest it's mostly my preference. You are free to speak however you want.

[Dena]

Missing: I just listened to both voices and of the two I like the second one better. It sounds more professional and like you have you act together. I think you may be misreading people when you use the second voice in public. I think the reason they give you the look is because the voice is very young pitch wise. It is in the female voice range but I think it's on the upper end. Most but not all women past the age of about 25 would have a lower voice and people may be trying to resolve the difference between your voice pitch and the age they think you are. Just checked you profile for your age and that could be the problem. A question for you is do you pass the telephone test with the second voice. I suspect you do.

Pronouns tend not to be used on younger people and are reserved for adults. If they consider your voice to be teenage, you will find pronouns few and far between.

I consider the second voice to be clear and understandable, contains enough inflection and genders female. I would be happy of my surgical voice ends up half as good as yours.

[TheMissingM]

Well, wow. I didn't mean to offend you. But here is honesty.

I think if you perfect this voice without the "valley girl" accent it will work much better than the other.

To me it sounds very passable. Based on the voice alone I would read you female 100%. However I don't see your whole presentation and that is why maybe people don't use feminine pronouns with you as there may be something else that tips them off and the voice just kind of pushes it over the edge.

For me for example I know it is not my voice that makes me pass 100% because I get gendered female before I speak many times. It has always been that way (and when I did speak before I die my VFS they would call me "sir" or "him" or "he.")

So I would say perfect this voice and it will do good.

I do apologize if you were offended in any way. I was just trying to be helpful and to be honest it's mostly my preference. You are free to speak however you want.

Honestly, you didn't really offend me. You just gave me an opinion I guess I really needed to hear.

With how old I am now, I really shouldn't be trying to go the valley girl route... I guess to be fair though, I am going off the past when my hair wasn't as long as it is now and also the fact I had literally zero confidence in myself. That could of been what was making people read me as masculine, even though I have little confidence now I'm still better then I was then. If anything is probably pushing in person for masculine pronouns, it's probably my appearance and I'm a tad uneasy to go showing that just quite yet.

So I'll take your advice and try to work with my natural voice, rather then the presentation voice. Thank you again.

Missing: I just listened to both voices and of the two I like the second one better. It sounds more professional and like you have you act together. I think you may be misreading people when you use the second voice in public. I think the reason they give you the look is because the voice is very young pitch wise. It is in the female voice range but I think it's on the upper end. Most but not all women past the age of about 25 would have a lower voice and people may be trying to resolve the difference between your voice pitch and the age they think you are. Just checked you profile for your age and that could be the problem. A question for you is do you pass the telephone test with the second voice. I suspect you do.

Pronouns tend not to be used on younger people and are reserved for adults. If they consider your voice to be teenage, you will find pronouns few and far between.

I consider the second voice to be clear and understandable, contains enough inflection and genders female. I would be happy of my surgical voice ends up half as good as yours.

Honestly, thanks for this. In the past I just didn't know what to think as far as my voice went but maybe the problem wasn't fully my voice or I just can't read people. I honestly didn't realize my pitch made me sound very young, that'd probably be part of the looks.. cause I definitely don't look younger then my age. I actually have tried the telephone test with my natural voice and usually people will again, avoid pronouns or I will get a ma'am. It's mostly been social gatherings that led me to believe my natural voice was bad that and online 'calls' which could of arguably been my microphone at the time.

Thank you, really.. I'm sure your voice will come out really amazing after surgery.

[Paige]

Hi All,

Well I finally decided to give it a try.   I'm pretty sure I have lots to work on.  Anyway here's my first attempt.

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1KmlYHYEYzG

Thanks,
Paige

[Dena]

Hi All,

Well I finally decided to give it a try.   I'm pretty sure I have lots to work on.  Anyway here's my first attempt.

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1KmlYHYEYzG

Thanks,
Paige

It isn't bad for your first shot. The inflection is good and and it is close to female. The problem and I don't know if you can overcome it is the pitch is on the boarder line between male and female. I would suggest software on your computer or smart phone so you can see where you are. The voice might work if you present a strong feminine image but sadly you might expect the voice on a older woman. The pitch shouldn't need to move much. 30Hz may be enough to put it the feminine ranges. The chart in the link might help you if you don't already have it.
http://www.nyspeechandvoicelab.net/transgender/voice-feminization/

[Paige]

It isn't bad for your first shot. The inflection is good and and it is close to female. The problem and I don't know if you can overcome it is the pitch is on the boarder line between male and female. I would suggest software on your computer or smart phone so you can see where you are. The voice might work if you present a strong feminine image but sadly you might expect the voice on a older woman. The pitch shouldn't need to move much. 30Hz may be enough to put it the feminine ranges. The chart in the link might help you if you don't already have it.
http://www.nyspeechandvoicelab.net/transgender/voice-feminization/

Thanks for the advice Dena.  I've started using the Praat software and got my average pitch up to as high as 245Hz.  Sounds a little squeaky so I need to play with it but not that bad.  I'll practice for a bit and then post a new recording.

Thanks again for the help,
Paige

[Dena]

Thanks for the advice Dena.  I've started using the Praat software and got my average pitch up to as high as 245Hz.  Sounds a little squeaky so I need to play with it but not that bad.  I'll practice for a bit and then post a new recording.

Thanks again for the help,
Paige

Target 190-220 Hz depending on what's comfortable for you. 245 Hz is higher than you need.

[Paige]

Target 190-220 Hz depending on what's comfortable for you. 245 Hz is higher than you need.

I was seeing how high I could go and still have a reasonable voice.   I will take your advice and bring it down a bit.
Thanks Dena,
Paige

[iKate]

Remember that pitch isn't everything. You have a good foundation but I can see some resonance issues plaguing you.

[VioletKnight]

So this is my speaking voice. I used the Rainbow passage thing. I'm not sure if I sound differently than this because of the microphone I'm using. I haven't done any therapy or speaking classes, though I probably will in the future.

https://soundcloud.com/ultravioletknight/voice-refording

Lemme know how I sound.

[Dena]

So this is my speaking voice. I used the Rainbow passage thing. I'm not sure if I sound differently than this because of the microphone I'm using. I haven't done any therapy or speaking classes, though I probably will in the future.

https://soundcloud.com/ultravioletknight/voice-refording

Lemme know how I sound.

That one was a hard one to figure out because it is pretty good but was a little off. I had to play it three times to figure it out. The pitch sound like it is in the right range and it genders female and while has inflection, there isn't quite enough. If you can put a bit more feeling in to the voice you will have a pretty good voice. From the sound of it I think you have been working on it/using it for a while.

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[iKate]

So this is my speaking voice. I used the Rainbow passage thing. I'm not sure if I sound differently than this because of the microphone I'm using. I haven't done any therapy or speaking classes, though I probably will in the future.

https://soundcloud.com/ultravioletknight/voice-refording

Lemme know how I sound.

I think you sound good. The inflection could be a bit more but the pitch and timbre sounds femme.

[DollTG]

So, I've been using this voice for public for a while now but I am really not sure about it. My family says it's alright but I'm really iffy on it when I hear my self.

Anyway, here's the link: http://vocaroo.com/i/s1OKxjyy5nkO

How is it? I think I keep changing pitch but I'm not sure.

[Dena]

The voice sound good but it also sounds young. This is because the pitch is higher than where most women speak. If you are small in size, that voice would be fine but if you are physically large in size you might want to go a bit lower in speech.