Question: I have more trouble understanding women’s voices than men’s voices. Is this typical for most people as we mature?
Answer: In general, women speak at a higher pitch – about an octave higher than the man’s voice. The average range for an adult woman is 165 – 255 Hz, and a man’s voice range is usually 85-155 Hz.
A man’s voice is generally deeper because the vocal cords have elongated and thickened with testosterone. Lower, more bass pitched voices appear louder because of the resonance.
Women’s voices just don’t carry as far as men’s do.
Then, consider that the frequencies most impacted with hearing loss as we mature are the higher pitch frequencies, and you can see that female voices would be more difficult to hear in the presence of high frequency hearing loss.
If you aren’t able to hear women as easily as you used to, contact us today to schedule an appointment!