55 Words to Describe Someones Voice

adenoidal (adj): if someones voice is adenoidal, some of the sound seems to come through
their nose

appealing (adj): an appealing look/voice shows that you want help, approval, or agreement

breathy (adj): with loud breathing noises

brittle (adj): if you speak in a brittle voice, you sound as if you are about to cry

croaky (adj): if someones voice sounds croaky, they speak in a low, rough voice that sounds
as if they have a sore throat

dead (adj): if someones eyes or voice are dead, they feel or show no emotion

disembodied (adj): a disembodied voice comes from someone who you cannot see

flat (adj): spoken in a voice that does not go up and down; this word is often used for
describing the speech of people from a particular region

fruity (adj): a fruity voice or laugh is deep and strong in a pleasant way

grating (adj): a grating voice, laugh, or sound is unpleasant and annoying

gravelly (adj): a gravelly voice sounds low and rough

gruff (adj): this voice has a rough, low sound

guttural (adj): a guttural sound is deep and made at the back of your throat

high-pitched (adj): true to its name, a high-pitched voice or sound is very high

hoarse (adj): someone who is hoarse, or has a hoarse voice, speaks in a low, rough voice,
usually because their throat is sore

honeyed (adj): honeyed words or a honeyed voice sound very nice, but you cannot trust the
person who is speaking

husky (adj): a husky voice is deep and sounds hoarse (as if you have a sore throat), often in
an attractive way

low (adj): a low voice is quiet and difficult to hear; also used for describing a deep voice that
has a long wavelength

matter-of-fact (adj): usually used if the person speaking knows what they are talking about
(or absolutely think they know what they are talking about)
modulated (adj): a modulated voice is controlled and pleasant to listen to

monotonous (adj): this kind of voice is boring and unpleasant due to the fact that it does not
change in loudness or become higher/lower

nasal (adj): someone with a nasal voice sounds as if they are speaking through their nose

orotund (adj): an orotund voice is loud and clear

penetrating (adj): a penetrating voice is so high or loud that it makes you slightly
uncomfortable

plummy (adj): a plummy voice or way of speaking is considered to be typical of an English

person of a high social class; this word shows that you dislike people who speak like this

quietly (adj): in a soft, quiet voice

raucous (adj): a raucous voice or noise is loud and sounds rough

ringing (adj): a ringing voice is very loud and clear

rough (adj): a rough voice is not soft and is unpleasant to listen to

shrill (adj): a shrill voice is very loud, high, and unpleasant

silvery (adj): this voice is clear, light, and pleasant

singsong (adj): if you speak in a singsong voice, your voice rises and falls in a musical way

small (adj): a small voice is quiet

smoky (adj): a smoky voice is sexually attractive in a slightly mysterious way

softly spoken (adj): someone who is softly spoken has a quiet, gentle voice

soft-spoken (adj): speaking or said in a quiet, gentle voice

sotto voce (adj, adv): in a very quiet voice

stentorian (adj): a stentorian voice sounds very loud and severe

strangled (adj): a strangled sound is one that someone stops before they finish making it

strident (adj): this voice is loud and unpleasant

taut (adj): used about something such as a voice that shows someone is nervous or angry

thick (adj): if your voice is thick with an emotion, it sounds less clear than usual because of
the emotion
thickly (adv): with a low voice that comes mostly from your throat

thin (adj): a thin voice or sound is high and unpleasant to listen to

throaty (adj): a throaty sound is low and seems to come from deep in your throat

tight (adj): shows that you are nervous or annoyed

toneless (adj): does not express any emotion

tremulous (adj): if your voice is tremulous, it is not steady; for example, because you are
afraid or excited

wheezy (adj): a wheezy noise sounds as if it is made by someone who has difficulty
breathing

wobbly (adj): if your voice is wobbly, it goes up and down, usually because you are
frightened, not confident, or are going to cry

booming (adj): very loud and attention-getting

quavering (adv): if your voice quavers, it is not steady because you are feeling nervous or
afraid

a voice like a foghorn: very loud voice

in an undertone: using a quiet voice so that someone cannot hear you

someones dulcet tones: the sound of someones voice as they speak

MANNER OF SPEAKING

expressive style, style - a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that
is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period; "all the reporters were
expected to adopt the style of the newspaper"

address - the manner of speaking to another individual; "he failed in his manner of address
to the captain"

catch - a break or check in the voice (usually a sign of strong emotion)

paralanguage, paralinguistic communication - the use of manner of speaking to

communicate particular meanings
tongue - a manner of speaking; "he spoke with a thick tongue"; "she has a glib tongue"

shibboleth - a manner of speaking that is distinctive of a particular group of people

tone, tone of voice - the quality of a person's voice; "he began in a conversational tone"; "he
spoke in a nervous tone of voice"

elocution - an expert manner of speaking involving control of voice and gesture

prosody, inflection - the patterns of stress and intonation in a language

inflection, modulation - a manner of speaking in which the loudness or pitch or tone of the
voice is modified