This thread is about the action of speaking in itself, or how people learn to speak. This is about how your manner of speaking comes off to others. Many have told me that I have either a British accent or some other peculiar one. I also have a very quiet voice, so I often repeat what I say. What mannerisms do others notice in your speaking?

I was told the other week I have a very calm demeanor in the way I speak, as well as being articulate and concise with what message I'm trying to convey.

It actually came up because I said something about feeling like I could improve on my communication, but no one else seemed to think so. I do tend to be one of the more quiet people in any given room, but not so much in the aspect of volume (I'm far from a loud-mouth though lol). It's hard to say what kind of accent I have, because it just seems like a plain US one to me. I don't talk like a Southerner, from New England / East Coast (like New Jersey or Boston for example), or any of the distinct American accents. I guess the best description I could give it is a "Mid-Western US" accent.

I've noticed that when I get really excited or hyped up about something I'll start to talk slightly faster than usual, and sometimes get a little louder than normal, but I think that's pretty standard for just about anyone (and doesn't happen all that much personally). When stressed out or sad / angry, I tend to get extremely quiet and half the time ignore others speaking as much as I can get away with. I've almost never lashed out in those situations, but it has happened on occasion, and just like anyone else I get loud as well as having a somewhat emotional tone depending on the circumstances.

My issue isn't so much with communicating with others, but being able to interpret what others are saying to me. I have some kind of issue where my brain just doesn't make out words well, regardless of how well my ears hear them lol.

I've been told many times I speak way too fast. I first noticed it myself when I realized how fast I read, we had a test as kids in school and I doubled the score of anybody else in words per minute.

As per my mannerisms, in my mother language (Spanish) I don't have any kind of accent. I do have the ability of using accents if I want to due to my heritage, but I use it more as a joke rather than in useful conversations. I don't use English orally that much but I guess I'd still have a Spanish accent, no matter how slight. I got a score of 189 out of 210 in my CAE exam, so I want to believe my accent is indeed slight.

About the tone of my voice, my mother and her sisters have all passed to me and my cousins the great power of loud speaking. I don't mean by this that I have a powerful voice, just that whenever we talk we make such a big noise. It's kind of a nuisance, to be honest, but luckily this power of mine doesn't come out with friends for my shyness and only showcases in family reunions.

I am told I have a high voice by many people, but not high to the point that it is annoying. Also I really do have my English accent more than my African one which I am supposed to be more of. Because of how my jaw the way I was born from it makes me to sound a little different. I'm not really too sure how to explain this sadly. But, I am told that a lot of people like my voice in a way I feel its annoying.

I've been told I have a "low, sexy female voice" by one of my college friends. He overheard me saying hello through my phone and they started teasing me about it since then. Apart from the low tone, I also have a pretty quiet voice, so unless I semi-shout (if there's even a word like that), you won't be able to hear me amidst the buzzing noises in loud public places.

Eniitan :

Oh yes, Genetics do play a part in how you pronounce words. There are several African Americans in the USA, but you can tell who they are just by their voices and the way that they talk. It's not a negative thing at all, but it is definitely a characteristic that is there. I've noticed it.

I don't have any accents. I sound very American, but I wouldn't say I sound the least bit like anyone from the south. My voice is as normal as. . . normalcy. . .

So yeah. . . I am nothing special, just a 1/4 German who lives in the United States of America. . . although one person commented on the fact that one my brothers actually looked German. At least this is something I can be proud of. . . I think? lol XD

Sword legion : Its fine, but I am sure its far more different from how they sound from people that live in Nigeria. I have heard what the differences are its similar, but both still sound different in a way. I could be wrong I'm just stating the knowledge I know towards it.

I rarely talk but when I do I probably sound a bit like mike tyson but not as high pitched. I don't believe I have any accent at least not compared to people in the South or east coast. Those people usually have very thick and distinct accents.

People are always telling me to speak up and stop mumbling and they also tell me to slow down sometimes when I'm speaking to them so they can understand me.

I have been told my voice is loud and I tend to be a bit fast with my words for the area I live in.

I've been told by quite a few people that I speak in a clear and concise manner. The fact that I have severely cut back on how often I use filler words including "um" and "like" probably help with that as well, instead, I replace those words with silence so that I can focus on what it is I want to say. I'm not much of a talker, but I like to be straightforward and direct when it comes to getting a point across or speaking my mind.

While on the topic of how I speak, I find it silly that some people think that using big words in everyday conversation is a surefire way to sound smarter. I find the contrary to be true actually. There is nothing wrong with throwing in a few vivid words here and there, but cramming in words that most people have never heard of isn't the way to sound smarter. I believe the person that uses words that are readily understood and convey meaning to the largest amount of people is superior to the person that tries to show off by using fancy words. Why? Because the entire purpose of speaking is to inform, persuade, or entertain people. In order to do that, one must be able to make use of words that are easily understood and most effectively convey your intent. In other words, words that are more widely known have a much better chance of being understood by the person being spoken to and are therefore more likely to impart meaning than words that are not as widely known. 

I sure hear a lot of comments about my voice- the way it sounds and how I pronounce things- I don't really notice but I have a Puerto Rican accent and I am soft spoken. Explaining the accent- it's not thick as someone who just started learning English but, it is as noticeable as someone who has a British accent for example - so, it is noticeable in just about every word I say or so I am told. I do tend to roll the Rs more and pronounce the T with more emphasis. I make a lot of sound effects when I am trying to get my point across lol and use a lot of mannerisms.

I am mostly soft spoken and patient but, when I am mad, it's like a whole new person speaking- I tend to use a lot of slang and my tone is firmer and scary (or so I am told) lol.

When I speak Spanish, I speak much faster and  much much louder like an Islander that's trying to be heard across the Caribbean sea- that's what my Spanish teacher here in the US use to tell me lol. I guess she may be right.

zanderlex At least he likes my voice. 

For a 13 year old, i guess my voice isn't high pitched, but it isn't low pitched either. I don't speak loudly, but i'm not that soft spoken, either.

As for accents,

I guess you could say I'm a posh jerk (received pronunciation) but that's not entirely true. It's a bit odd for a dutch person like myself, but I'd say i have a combined posh, and Mancunian accent. (English and manchester for americans )

My dutch accent is a result of listening to too much hip-hop, hanging out with a lot of moroccans and turks, and using a lot of slang.

EX Palen : This doesn't really relate to the thread but do you speak Catalan?

imamonster : Yes, I do. I prefer how it sounds over Spanish, but it's harder to write. I'm also more used to Spanish because of my family and most of my friends, so luckily I don't have a Catalan accent like others I've heard in the radio or TV.

jlove92 : Spanish must be spoken loud or it loses its value. Your teacher deserves a medal for cherishing our number one rule so far away.

Something my mom always notices when it happens: when I get nervous, I tend to speak more firmly and loudly when people don't understand what I'm saying, and that gets often mistaken as if I were actually pissed off when I'm actually not. Ironically, I get pissed when that happens.

People say I should do the contrary, speak more calmly and softly, but it's kind of hard. My voice is already deep, so deep that if I speak like that I feel that I'm either just chanting an old African ritual or that every word I say never actually comes out of my mouth, they stay in my throat in an unintelligible form, like a murmur, and I hate having to repeat myself.

I haven't tested this with English yet, I speak Portuguese.

I started out with a very uh.... I don't know, suburban American accent...? Not midwestern, but nothing distinct, either. It's hard to explain. I was starting to pick up a little bit of ebonics before we left Nashville, but it was never very thick. It's taken a while, but after having lived "in the sticks" for six years, the rural Tennessee thing finally crept in and I can throw on about six different versions of hick, hillbilly and redneck. so pretty much, I have a few subtle accents that may come out depending on my mood or if I'm using them to add emphasis.

I speak English with no accents if that counts.

Apparently I switch accents on the spot when talking English. Usually it's a combination of British and Mexican accents, but I really can't go a sentence without switching accents for some reason.
Weird part is I can imitate accents when I don't mean to, but when I want to, I really can't.

From 2012 until 2014 my voice was thin.I guess because of I yelled.I was love it but it was a problem.After I was thickened my voice (thanks to 3 people).Right now, I have got 4 different voice.First one is thin voice, second is thick voice, third voice is deep/treble voice.I use it when I tell a match.4 is electro-bass voice.I do not use it often.If I sing a song, I sometimes use it.