Who has a lovely speaking voice, and why?

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 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!

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

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.

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

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.

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

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 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!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Nick Eardley
On BBC
Has a great voice

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."

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!

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"....

This is a sore point for me as I auditioned for a voiceover job! I worked for the Civil Service and they paid extra for people to speak on the automated telephone line where it gives you options. The person who auditioned me was one of the senior bosses and also a part-time actor (he does it fulltime now he's retired), and said he would recommend those who auditioned to the acting agency that he was in. Anyway some of the staff who auditioned got through, and one was actually taken on and actually does voiceover jobs on the radio. Me? He told me I sounded like a typical Mancunian even though I think I lost the accent years ago. I failed the audition despite changing my accent to a lovely Geordi one. He said I wouldn't be able to sustain it! I hear that woman's voice on the radio every morning now. He is an actor in rep after retiring! This question brought bitter memories for me!

I love an Irish accent...I could listen to Andrew Scott (actor) all day long when he speaks with his "normal" voice.

youtu.be/kfjYhje2zrE

This is absolutely beautiful.

I have been told many times that I have a young voice. I take this as a compliment as IL am nearly 80.

Richard Burton.

About 10 years ago , I entered a radio competition ( didn't win anything ) but the presenter asked me to read a jingle ( off air ) that they would use. I fluffed it up a few times so they never bothered !

My accent seems to reflect all areas of Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland!! I was born in England, my parents were Welsh, my schooling was in Ayrshire (where the accent is Scottish but closely related to Northern Ireland). Well, you did ask!!