Who has a lovely speaking voice, and why?

Moira Stewart has a lovely accent/voice, as do Joanna Lumley and Jimmy Carr.
Years ago I met someone at work after chatting to them briefly on the phone. The first thing they said at our face to face meeting? "You sound younger on the phone than you look in real life"....

I always think my voice sounds quite deep and in fact one time, I had been talking to a customer on the phone and had to ring them back about something .
They told me that "I spoke to some bloke earlier" and it had been me!
It wasn't until I underwent a gastroscopy and one of my bosses said to me afterwards that my voice had changed and wasn't as deep as it had been before!

When I was about 14, a girl called Jennifer in my class had a very low mannish voice. One day a new teacher asked her a question which Jennifer answered in her deep voice. Teacher asked snappily why she was speaking in a silly voice. Jennifer said "Its my normal voice" and the whole class shouted that it was her own voice. New teacher swiftly back pedalled and then said "Oh, I'm sorry, you have a wonderful voice. Perhaps you should be a broadcaster one day."

Nick Eardley
On BBC
Has a great voice

Many years as a counsellor highlighted to me the importance of a calm and reassuring vocal tone. Has anyone noticed the prevalence of “vocal fry” now on TV? A particularly raspy and annoying was of enunciating. Sets my ears on edge.

I was often told I have a nice voice when I was younger. I think it’s a bit deeper now. I’ve also been told I sound ‘posh’, but that’s just because I live in the north of England and don’t have a local accent.

I like to hear clear, accentless English, standard RP in other words. If there is an accent, the one I like best is slight Scottish, like Andrew Marr or, heaven help us, Michael Gove. (I’m not talking about the man, just his voice.)

I don’t think enough attention is given to speech in schools now. How you speak, both tone of voice and accent, can affect life chances and job prospects even now.

what about dialects, there are certain ones that i am just not keen on, not saying which as i dont want to offend anyone, ones i do like are Liverpudlian and Newcastle accents

When I 'try' to sing my husband says I sound like Hilda Ogden but I still sing!

People often tell me I don't have a local accent. I say no, I'm not a local, I am an incomer. I live in Aberdeen but I was born in central Scotland. Oh Glasgow, no Lanarkshire. Then they want to know where in Lanarkshire. It can be a long conversation.

I was the media voice of an NHS helpline. When recording a podcast at a local radio station, the producer asked for my details because ‘ middle aged West of Scotland ladies’ were in short supply!

Im often mistaken for a man on the phone ?
And once in person.... despite having a 44dd bosom ? that man got very short shrift I can tell you!

I was told I have the kind of voice that should be coming out from under a man hole cover.

Hi Missadventure.
I don’t believe I have ever heard anyone say they like the sound of their own voice. I do like the sound of a well educated male voice oh and don’t forget the Irish lilt

I agree Glasgo about "vocal fry" had to Google it when I first heard the term on MN. I could never listen to Hugh Laurie's croaky voice he acquired for "House" set my ears on edge too.

Years ago when The Beatles put England on the world stage as far as talent was concerned, I like many others fell in love with their accents, I was a junior school kid at the time but had never heard anyone else talk quite like them, to my young ears their accents were not only unique but music to the ears along with their actual music. Moving on, a couple of decades later, for a while I watched "Brookside" set in Liverpool and have to say didn't like the overriding prevalent accents, probably best personified by an actress at the time "Jennifer Ellison" can't remember the role she played, but her and her sister in the series particularly, well put it like this, couldn't listen to them for too long! There you are one city, umpteen intonations.

Ive not been told i have a nice voice or a nasty one but people on the phone thing i am in my twenties because evidently i have a very young voice, not sure if thats good or bad

When my mum had nuisance calls, she was able to string them along for ages by saying her mum and dad were out, and she wasn't allowed to speak to them.
She was 80.

Phoenix
A male friend told me the same. He says it's the only reason he calls me ?

I teach English as a Foreign language and I am also from Liverpool. When asked my profession once by a very snobby gentleman he responded with " Oh how on earth can you teach English with an accent like yours" I asked him if he could understand me to which he responded 'yes, perfectly" I then said that therefore he would understand my students. Later on that year his wife decided to take an EFL course at the college where I was teaching and yes, I was her teacher and her assessor. When he next saw me (just before his wife's assessment) he made a point of telling me that his wife thought I was a wonderful teacher! People of extremely snobby about they way people speak, Fortunately this is changing and it is becoming more popular to have a regional accent which have so much more character to them, including a 'scouse' accent!

I have a rather flat London accent. I used to love to listen to my mother and her sisters having a natter because they came from Belfast and I love the northern Irish lilt.

I cover the Receptionist's lunch break. Mentioned something that happened to one of the Partners, re another Receptionist. Her response was, "Well she has the look, but you have sound." I didn't know whether to accept the compliment, or feel insulted! I also don't like hearing my own voice. Never had elocution lessons, but my father did insist on received pronunciation.

Or even The sound!!

I miss David Myles (Miles sp?) who used to read the shipping forecast on R4. He has a 'cultured' voice. Although Neil Nuness (sp again) has a lovely reassuring voice. Just what you need on the high seas in a storm

Well yes and I was absolutely amazed as I think I have a flat, deep voice. However in another life I taught relaxation techniques and would take participants through a guided relaxation. Most classes would ask me for a recording of my voice because they found it so Soothing!

I have lived here (southern England) for over 20 years, and in Switzerland for 5 years before that, but my American accent will never leave me. I understand that once you are an adult you are pretty much stuck with your original accent, and I don't mind too much, except for people in London (or other cities) assuming I am an obnoxious American tourist.
My voice itself, on the other hand, is apparently very nice. When living in Switzerland, a company making promotional videos called the American Women's Club, looking for someone to do a voiceover in that accent. I got the job and was subsequently called back by them several more times.
Until I was in my forties, I used to get cold callers asking for my mother, when I answered the phone. They got a sharp "You'd need to call her house to find that out" and a hang up. Now, regarding my accent, it has apparently 'softened' as some of my nicer locals say, which pleases me.

I have aCanadian friend who has lived in England since the mid 1960s. She still sounds Canadian - though her Canadian relations think she sounds English! People ask her whether she’s from the US, which annoys her very much. She has a lovely soft voice and accent.