Only 4 Syllables Needed to Recognize Voice | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Only 4 Syllables Needed to Recognize Voice

Friends and family need to speak only two words before being recognized

53
Only 4 Syllables Needed to Recognize Voice
gigaom.com

It only takes four syllables to identify the voice of a close friend or relative, according to a new study preformed by scientists. At least the excuse for not hearing your mom still holds up.

The study used forty-four Canadian-French speakers between the ages of eighteen and sixty-five and the close friends and family of those being tested. Each listening participant heard the recorded voice of their friend mixed in with similar voices—a sort of ‘voice line up’. The voices sounded similar based on pitch, accent, and other similar speech qualities. The speakers would say simple words and phrases, between one and eighteen syllables each. While there little to no ability to distinguish voices with short, one-syllable words, the rate of success sky rocketed at four. The phrase in this case that got the listeners to recognize the voice, in this case, was ‘Merci beaucoup,’ (Thank you very much) though any four-syllable word or phrase should do the trick.

The study’s data was extremely impressive: when the voice of a friend or family member was put into a mix of similarly sounding voices and said made than four syllables worth of speech, participants could distinguish their friend’s voice with a 99.9% accuracy. This rate of accuracy even beats out computers, including those built for vocal recognition: these have about a 92% when identifying voices.

Though the data is impressive, it is not necessarily shocking to audio scientists. From a young age, babies are able to distinguish the voice of their mothers from the voices of others, and this, then, carries over into childhood and adolescence. And now is proven to continue into late adulthood as well.

There are, of course, some exceptions: past studies have found that those with autism were less likely to successfully identify a familiar voice, and several other studies found that those with dyslexia found it harder to recognize voices in their own language than those without dyslexia.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

11 College Misconceptions Every Incoming Freshman Needs To Know

Think of everything that you've heard about college... and completely forget it.

123
Helen Horton and friends
Helen Horton

College is a crazy, beautiful, amazing whirlwind. It is highly popularized in television and movies, but not necessarily in the most accurate way. Yes, there's frats, dingy dorms, raging house parties—but there's also a lot that people fail to mention.

1. If you thought that you knew how to study, you're wrong.

All of your classes aren't taught every day, so professors aren't on your case constantly about reading and memorizing material. Once you get back that "questionable" first exam grade, you'll kick it into high gear and figure out what works for you

Keep Reading...Show less
woman in black turtleneck shirt smiling beside woman in black shirt

Your mom: you can't live with her, but you can't live without her. You love your mom, but she is insanely predictable. Here is a list of things your mom has probably done.

Keep Reading...Show less
Girl With Bleached Hair
Tumblr

I've been a bleach blonde for over a year now, and let me tell you, it is a lifestyle. More hair appointments, longer showers, and special shampoo. But it is totally worth it!

1. Mentally preparing yourself to convince your hair dresser that white is the way to go.

2. Or the anxiety of what could go wrong by bleaching your hair at home.

3. You could either become a ginger

4. Or a pixie

5. The face you make in the mirror when you take off your towel to unveil the perfect white strands.

6. Taking a million selfies the day you bleached it, because you know your roots will be back in literally 2 days.

7. Having to get bangs or a big chop because your hair is so damaged.

8. Having orange highlights in between touch-ups.

9. Going out for a drink afterwards to debut your updated look.

Despite the struggles, you love your platinum blonde hair! You make sure Instagram knows it, too. You don't need a filter, because the color is flawless by itself!

Parks and Recreation
The Playlist

Finals: just thinking about them gives you anxiety. Only two weeks separate you from summer, but they're the longest of the semester. There's a familiarity to this season, now that you have had so many testing cycles under your belt. But that doesn't quell the ever present stress to pass your finals and your classes. Even better, as a package deal during these wonderful weeks, you get to wake up early to study and you get to take exams that can begin anytime from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. Now that we have established that this week is not fun, here are some super relatable moments that punctuate finals week.

Keep Reading...Show less
girl partying
HeyMIkeyATL

I've been at this college thing for almost three and a half years, and while I thought that high school was truly the lowest point of my existence, I'm beginning to realize that it was a walk in the park. Like, I miss the days when the biggest white lie I told my parents was my made up excuse about being late for fourth period. These days, the white lies are a tad more complex, and as ashamed as I am to admit it, I've definitely told a few of these.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments