Book 14, Question 41
Why Do People Talk Louder When It Is Noisy?
People talk louder in noisy places because their brains turn up their voices without them noticing! When it is noisy, you hear your own voice less. This is called the Lombard effect.
More fun facts
- Raising your voice in background noise is called the Lombard effect, a vocal response to noise around a speaker.
- In noise, people's voices get louder and also higher in pitch, and their vowels last longer.
- In one study, people did not change their voices much until the background noise reached about 43.3 dB(A).
- Above that level, voices got about 0.65 dB(A) louder for every 1 dB(A) the noise went up.
- After the turning point, people in the study said talking felt more uncomfortable for their voices.
- How much people adjust depends on the room's acoustics, the background noise and the kind of conversation.
Sources: National Institutes of Health
Questions kids ask
Do people choose to talk louder in noise?
Mostly no. It happens automatically, and many people do not notice they are doing it.
Why does my voice feel tired after a noisy party?
Talking over noise takes more vocal effort, and in studies people reported more vocal discomfort.