How is there so much variation in peoples voices to the point that we don’t regularly encounter strangers who sound like people we know?

Question

I can walk around all day and not encounter a voice of someone who sounds like someone else I know, yet if I was facing away from someone I knew and heard their voice, I’d likely turn around at the sound of it. There are times where I’ll see faces and think they look like someone I know, but I don’t think I’ve ever thought to myself or commented to someone that they sound like someone I know. I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone who’s voice sounds like a celebrity that I’d recognize, unless they’re doing an intentional impression.

Does the brain not seek out similar voices in the same way it may faces? Is the brain able to identify people that distinctly that it can remember their exact voice pattern and discern it from others?

In: 124

Answer 1

There is a lot of variation in people’s voices because people have different vocal cords. The size, tension, and thickness of a person’s vocal cords can create a lot of variation in sound. Additionally, the way a person uses their voice can also create variation. For example, some people speak in a higher pitch than others, and some people have more nasally sounding voices.