If you are seeking a long-term partner and hoping to increase your attractiveness to the opposite sex, you can start by changing the way you speak. Scientific research has shown that a key vocal feature can influence how others perceive us positively.
People’s voices can range from high to low, and can be as dynamic as a roller coaster ride, transitioning from extremely low to extremely high pitches. The pitch of our voices can have different effects on others.
A study conducted by Pennsylvania State University in 2024 revealed that lowering the pitch of one’s voice can make them more attractive to the opposite sex, ultimately drawing potential long-term partners. For men, a lower voice can also make them appear more powerful and authoritative in front of other men.
Professor David Puts from the university’s anthropology department stated, “Communicating with our voices is one of the most important human characteristics, and pitch is one of the most noticeable perceptual elements in vocal communication. Understanding how vocal pitch influences social perception helps us to broadly comprehend social relationships, including how we attain social status, evaluate the social status of others, and choose partners.”
In this study, researchers asked over 3,100 participants from 22 countries to listen to recordings of speech by two men and two women, assessing which voices sounded more attractive, flirtatious, intimidating, and authoritative.
Both men and women spoke the same sentences, recorded in low, medium, and high pitches, amounting to 12 audio clips. The researchers then paired these recordings, creating “male-male” and “female-female” duos for evaluation.
The researchers found that when asked about their preference for pitch in long-term relationships like marriage, both male and female participants leaned towards lower pitches. Additionally, a lower pitch in men’s voices made them appear more intimidating, especially among younger men, and more authoritative, particularly among older men.
Puts mentioned that masculine traits such as deep voices and facial hair hold significant social importance. However, this study indicated that the significance of at least one of these traits may vary predictably across different social contexts, and other traits, like facial hair, are likely to follow suit.
The researchers also discovered that men find women with higher-pitched voices more attractive in short-term relationships. On the other hand, women perceive higher-pitched voices as more provocative and appealing to men. However, if women come from societies characterized by close relationships and low fluidity, they may view higher-pitched voices as a threat.
According to a report by IFLScience, a study published in 2018 by researchers from the UK and Poland explored whether people use vocal pitch to attract potential partners.
During a “speed dating” event involving 30 adult participants, microphones were set up to analyze vocal recordings, observing noticeable changes in pitch and their correlation with individual preferences and the presence of potential dates.
Results revealed that when men engage with women who are favored by other men, they lower their pitch. Moreover, when facing women they are interested in, especially when the attraction is mutual, men tend to lower their pitch as well.
On the flip side, women often raise their pitch when talking to potential partners. However, when conversing with men they admire — those also admired by other women — they tend to lower their pitch.
Overall, people tend to lower their vocal pitch when conversing with someone they are interested in. Conversely, when someone speaks to you with a lower pitch, it may signal their interest in you.
In addition to lowering vocal pitch, employing psychology techniques may also aid in attracting the opposite sex. Previous studies have shown that using strategies like “playing hard to get” can help build serious relationships and win the affection of the other person.