So which voice is the “right” one?
Strange as it may seem, both. These two different sounds are one and the same—your voice. Here’s how Nelson Vogan, a speech-language pathologist and professional voice coach for Hollywood actors, explains the process of how the voice is formed and perceived.
When we listen to our own voice during a conversation, we perceive it not only with our ears. We hear sound waves traveling inside us, through the fluid that fills our internal organs. Speech begins in the larynx, from which sound vibrations emanate. Some of these vibrations travel through the air. This is exactly what others hear when we speak, and what is recorded, for example, by a voice recorder. Other vibrations travel through the fluids and various tissues of our head. The inner and middle ears are located in bony cavities. The inner ear contains fluid, while the middle ear contains air, and both are under constant pressure. The larynx, in turn, is enclosed in soft tissue that also contains fluid. Sound travels differently through air than it does through fluid and dense tissues. This difference applies to virtually the entire range of tones we perceive, which is why those around us hear something completely different from what we hear. Research cannot prove that the voice we hear (our “inner” voice) is necessarily higher or lower than the one others hear (the “outer” voice). Therefore, we can say that we actually have two voices. And both of them are our “real” voices. It all depends on the listener’s ear.