Voice Change

[kyrocks03]

I started growing pubic hair when I was 13. I turned 14 in March. My voice sounds exactly like it always has and I'm getting super frustrated because the majority of my friends have changed voices and I still sound like I'm 11. Even when people call the house, they assume I'm my mum.

I know it will change in time, but I'm frustrated and sick of being looked at like I'm a little kid even though I'm as tall, if not taller than all of my mates (I'm just shy of 5'10.

Seriously ... wtf. How old were you guys when your voice finally changed?

[Vegas2933]

I wouldn't know to be honest. In my opinion my voice is quite deep but it's been like thst for as long as I can remember. Your's will change eventually. :)

[ShineintheDark]

Well either it's been changing steadily and you just haven't noticed or it may happpens eventually in its own time and you shouldn't worry

[Chris298]

Dude I kinda had similar problems too, I wasnt tall like you but my voice was like one of the last things to hit puberty lol. I mean it was weird for me, I started getting hairy legs at 11, first guy in the class, and I didnt even hit 5 ft tall until I was almost 14. My voice didnt really start to do much until 15 and even then it has been looooooong and slow. Imagine being 14 and barely 5 ft tall with monkey legs and talking like a girl haha. Even now my voice has dropped some bit it sounds more like a young teen than an adults, and it evens still has an occasional crack. You should record your voice and compare it every month, then you at least can hear your voice changing even when it doest seem like it has been.

[jls0001]

My voice changed right about 15 1/2 now I'm nearly ending my 15 year life turning 16 and my voice still changes

[pauly]

I wouldn't worry Kyle. I know its embarrassing and I know I was one of the lucky ones whose voice started dropping quite early in puberty before I had my growth spurt. But try not to let it get you down. It will soon happen to you and then you'll definately start feeling proud of yourself.

[pjones]

think i was 15, almost 16 when it finally finished changing. yeah it can be frustrating. i'm 17 and still look like i'm 14, a few inches shorter than you are and i'm done with puberty

[Orange Kenny]

It changed when I turned 16.

[Hermes]

Mine changed early. I hadn't really noticed but on the the last day of term of our year 7, the first year of secondary school, so I would have been 12y8m, I went back to my primary school to say hello to some friends there and someone commented that my voice had changed.

So do be alive to the possibility it may have been slowly changing and you haven't noticed. Recording yourself and getting others to listen is a good thing to try. Also try recording yourself at intervals, for example a month or two apart, and see if you can hear a difference.

Physiologically I am not sure I can be much help other than to say based on what you say here, when you are writing, rather than speaking, you come across and mature and well-educated.

I did also notice an interesting thing in that more guys seemed to get their voice change in year 8 (12/13) and in year 10 (14/15) than in either of years 9 (13/14) or 11 (15/16). That's a little strange as you'd normally expect most variation to follow a normal (bell-shaped) distribution whereas this one seems to have two peaks with a lull in between.

Now, bear in mind I have not been able to study this, as in something scientific, but I have a theory this is because the process is slightly different in different people according to how they control their voices. It is possible in the first group, those whose voices changed earlier, that the brain remembers the amount of tension to apply to the vocal folds in order to speak and continues to apply the same amount of tension as the larynx expands and the vocal folds gain mass. This would result in the voice becoming gradually lower at the same rate as the growth. In the second group, those whose voices changed later, it is possible the brain instead remembers the pitch of their speaking voice and seeks to maintain that pitch. That would mean as the larynx expands and the vocal folds gain mass the brain would compensate by increasing the tension on the vocal folds. Eventually it comes to a crunch where it is no longer possible to maintain that pitch with any level of control because the speaker's vocal range has dropped to the point the old speaking voice is now in a part of the voice called the passagio resulting in squeaks. At that point the speaker's brain has to adapt by choosing a new, lower pitch and the result is the speakers voice seems to change almost overnight.

So, if there is anything to this theory it means it may be worth experimenting to find out what your vocal range is relative to the pitch you normally speak at and try consciously changing pitch. Don't do anything that seems like a strain and don't be tempted to talk in a kind of growling tone - this at the very bottom of the vocal range, called vocal fry of strossbass, and using it for normal speech can leave you hoarse but otherwise do try experimenting.

[mick01]

I'm 15 1/2 and my voice has finally gotten to be normal.

[Jamiec1130]

My voice has been the same for a while after changing. You may not even be noticing it. I sure didn't until I was talking to my piano teacher one day. I'm 15 1/2, btw. It will change. Don't worry, some people develop differently than others.

[jamie_n5]

I was between 14-15 when my biggest change. I have a deep softer voice and some of my friends kid me and say I sound like an old man.

[Flapjack]

I think I was like 16?? My voice didn't really change that much though tbh xD Don't stress buddy it will all happen in time, it's not a big deal :) I doubt anyone is looking at you like a kid because of your voice, I suspect they are not and you just see it like that because you are paranoid about your voice :)

[robertd2001]

I read sonewhere that of all the organs in the body, the vocal chords take the longest to mature completely. I imagine this is at least part of why a guy in his 40's-50's sounds noticeably different than he did in his 20's.

[Chris298]

I wouldn't worry Kyle. I know its embarrassing and I know I was one of the lucky ones whose voice started dropping quite early in puberty before I had my growth spurt. But try not to let it get you down. It will soon happen to you and then you'll definately start feeling proud of yourself.



Yeah I think the kids whose voices change earlier definitely have it the easiest. Its funny though now that I am a little older when I see one of those kids that still looks like a kid but has a deep voice I still do like a double take, its like dang where did that come from haha.

[igalg]

My voice changed about 15.

[Kai2001]

I think mine changed at around 14

[KING_ivy]

Idk about you guys, but I haven't really noticed a voice change for me...

[lliam]

Unlike my growth, my voice changed (felt) slightly. I never really noticed any changes myself, but ... now and then I was told how it has changed.

[logan2002]

Mine broke a lot in the summer between 6th and 7th grade, age 11 to 12

[scott2002]

I started growing pubic hair when I was 13. I turned 14 in March. My voice sounds exactly like it always has and I'm getting super frustrated ....I'm frustrated and sick of being looked at like I'm a little kid even though I'm as tall, if not taller than all of my mates (I'm just shy of 5'10.)

We know that our puberty body clocks all seem to all be set different. I remember being shocked the first week of 7th grade to see two boys in the showers, still 12, with huge hairy dicks already, while mine didn't have much visible hair on it yet and was still pretty small.
Some guys voices change a lot and some not very much. Mine changed a lot shortly after I turned 14, but I started growing pubic hair before I turned 12. You say you didn't start growing pubes until 13, so maybe your body clock is a little slower.
I'd say, try not to dwell on it. I've never heard any kid made fun of because of his voice. I bet you're just overly self-conscious of it.

[user-999]

My voice changed when I was almost 15 so it might be happening pretty soon for you too!

[Jericho14]

Mine changes pretty slow, But im sure i was 12 when my voice started dropping

[pconnor]

It hasn't changed yet for me neither.

[pageninetynine]

Like 14 or 15.