How can I make my quiet voice louder?

[eightjust8]

I am naturally quietly spoken and people struggle to hear me, if I really try to talk up it sounds unnatural and like I’m shouting at someone.
I find even strangers who I ask a question to will always ask me to repeat myself and I see them leaning in and trying hard to listen.
My voice is just quiet and I don’t know how I can become loud. OK not loud but be heard.

I’m never heard if I talk in a crowd and if I’m behind someone saying excuse me I’m never heard, I try to talk up but it’s still too quiet.
I often say something to someone and they don’t respond because they don’t even realise I spoke.
I really would appreciate any techniques or advice please as I hope there is something I can do about it.

Have you had your hearing checked? I have mid frequency hearing loss and this is often my struggle!

Can you sing? Or join a choir? Engage a private tutor for singing lessons? Singers can really modulate their voice and dial it up or down as needed. If you don’t like singing would you consider a vocal coach that theatre actors use to learn how to harness your voice?

Are you a confident person generally?

I'm the opposite, I have to check myself for being loud. I hope you get good advice.

Go see a voice coach. Someone in real life

I would look for an elocution teacher or drama teacher for some lessons in how to project your voice. You need to project from your diaphragm, not your throat/mouth and you will find that your voice carries much further. A teacher will give you lessons and exercises to help achieve this.

I used to be like this until I got a dog. Trying to recall him meant I got much louder 🤣

Watching with interest, I speak quietly. When I make myself speak louder it makes my throat hurt.

Agree with elocution / voice coach.

I did a lot of public speaking as a child and now naturally project my voice.

I wish i could lower mine.

I'm also very softly spoken, although since having kids and working in a school I've learnt to project my voice. Although the days I work I come home with a sore throat!

I have a friend just like you. If we’re in a pub or restaurant I miss most of what she’s saying. When I’ve mentioned it to her she’s said that when she speaks up she feels like she’s shouting but she really isn’t, she’s still quiet. I wonder if you feeling like your louder voice is unnatural and shouty is just because you’re not used to it and in fact you’re probably still quieter than most.

OP do you speak more loudly on the phone?

I had a friend at school who spoke very quietly, and it was like she was trying to make the noise by speaking from her throat & forehead. My hobby (coxing) involves speaking clearly and audibly so the mic can pick it up over the other noises - You might find it helps to imagine feeling the voice coming from the upper-middle of your body, sort of where your bottom bra strap goes across the middle of your chest at the front. Imagine the noise being centred/produced there and that your mouth is just letting the sound out. If your jaw muscles start to tense up you've switched to shouting, and need to relax.
Good luck!

It does sound unnatural when I speak up because it sounds strained.

Yes I suppose I do.

That’s because you’re not used to it, and you’re straining. If you don’t want to go the vocal couch or choir route (though singing is great for this), try this kind of thing.

https://www.speakeasyinc.com/vocal-exercises-for-speaking/

My hearing is fine, I’ve always been quiet both in volume and not someone who’s particularly chatty/outgoing.

I'm exactly the same OP. I find men especially don't hear me and I always have to repeat myself. If there's a crowd I just give up!

Agree elocution or drama lessons. Or a speech therapist. You have one very specific issue which shouldn't take them long to address.

Singing is a good way to strengthen your voice. If you get lessons you can also be taught how to project your voice - that's quite hard to learn IME. Someone right at the back of a large lecture hall can hear me without me raising my voice but getting to that point took a few years of practice.

I have exactly the same issue so finding this thread v helpful!

I think I’d like to get to the point where I’m naturally talking louder and not so consciously trying to speak up and repeating everything so that’s all I’m thinking about while trying to talk and be heard. I can literally see people lose interest because it’s hard work trying to follow a conversation they can barely hear.
Someone at work once said it’s like talking to someone on the phone when the signal is cutting out and you have to really listen carefully and try to piece together the sentence from the few words they can decipher.

Do you know why your voice is so quiet? Is it a functional thing with your throat or were you shushed a lot as a child?

It’s absolutely doable with work.