If you have recently noticed a man’s voice getting lower you are probably be wondering why and what it might mean.

This post will try to help you to figure that out and to help you to make sense of it as it happens in the future.

So, what does it mean when a man’s voice gets lower? Possible causes of a man’s voice getting lower are that he is being aggressive, dominant, that he is attracted to someone that he is with or it could be that he is mirroring the people that he spends most of his time with.

Since there are a number of reasons that a man’s voice might get lower it would be very helpful to consider other body language signals that he is showing.

By doing so you will be able to figure out what kind of emotional state he is in since the lower voice and the other body language signals will likely tell it to you.

Possible meanings of when a man’s voice gets lower

There are a number of reasons why a man might begin to speak with a lower voice and each of them will likely come with a number of other clues with their body language.

Below, I will mention a number of reasons that a man’s voice might get lower and the body language signals to look for with it.

Attraction

When a man is speaking to a woman that he finds attractive he will often speak with a lower voice. The reason for this is that it will highlight his masculinity in hopes of making the woman find him more attractive.

However, studies have also found that men will speak with a higher-pitched voice when speaking to a woman that they find attractive.

This means that, when a man is with a woman that he finds attractive, he will vary his vocal pitch between low and high.

This could be because speaking at a lower pitch could be perceived as being dominating and so by also speaking at a higher pitch, it shows that he is not a threat.

If he is speaking with a lower voice due to attraction then it would be likely that he would show a number of other signals with his body language such as:

  • Holding eye contact for longer
  • Glancing at the woman regularly
  • Pointing his feet towards the woman
  • Touching her often
  • Getting anxious when she’s with other men
  • He maintains a close proximity to the woman
  • He stands and sits with his legs spread apart
  • Increased smiling
  • Talking to her more than others
  • Licking his lips often

Aggression

One reason that a man might speak with a lower voice is that he is being aggressive.

Bigger animals in the wild will tend to make lower sounds so by speaking with a lower voice it would imply that he is larger on an instinctive level. It would also imply that he has more testosterone.

This means that when he is being aggressive speaking with a lower voice will help to intimidate the other person.

If he is speaking with a lower voice due to aggression it would likely be apparent based on the context.

There would also likely be a number of other clues in his body language such as:

  • Clenched jaw
  • Clenched fists
  • Constricted pupils
  • Tight lips
  • Showing the teeth
  • Tensing of the muscles
  • Redness of the face
  • Pupil constriction and slight squinting
  • Furrowing of the eyebrows
  • A posture where he looks larger

Mirroring

One reason that a man might begin to speak with a deeper voice over the course of weeks and months is that it is converging to the pitch of those that he spends most of his time with.

It has actually been shown that, as time passes, people will actually begin to speak at a similar pitch to those that they spend most of their time with.

This means that if the man lives or spends a lot of time around other people that have deep voices then he could be subconsciously adjusting his own voice to be more like theirs.

It was also found that people will begin to mirror the vocal tone of the person that they like the most.

So, if the man’s best friend as a deep voice then it could be that he is starting to talk like him.

If the reason that he is beginning to speak with a deeper voice is that he is mirroring those around him then he would likely also be mirroring other behaviors.

This can include:

  • Copying their smile
  • Copying their walk
  • Mirroring their posture
  • Mirroring their hand gestures
  • Wearing similar clothes as them

Dominance

When people are trying to dominate others they will often speak with a lower voice.

If this is the case, then it would likely be happening in a setting where he feels like he is in charge. This could be in the workplace, at home or with his friends.

If he is doing it due to dominance then it is likely that he would show other dominance type behaviors in his body language such as:

  • Pointing
  • Not showing palms
  • Frowning
  • Pursed lips
  • Leading (ie going through doors first)
  • Touching others in a non-emotional way
  • Handshakes with the palms facing down and a firm grip
  • Strong eye contact
  • Taking up a lot of space
  • Taking up the space belonging to others
  • Claiming things as their by putting their arms or legs on them

Why men speak at certain pitches

The type of person that a man thinks he is and the position that he thinks that he fits into society can actually have an effect on his voice.

It has been shown men who consider themselves as having dominating personalities will generally speak with a deeper voice.

It was also shown that if a man thinks that he is of a high status in society he will speak with the same tone regardless of who he is talking to. This means that if he naturally speaks with a lower pitch or a higher pitch he will always maintain that pitch.

Consider where it happened

It would be helpful to consider where the man began to speak with a lower voice.

If he did it in the workplace or with a group of people then it could suggest that he was doing it to try and place himself as the dominant person in the group.

If it was on a date then obviously it would be a stronger indication that it was due to attraction.

Think about when it happened

It would also be helpful to think about where the man began to speak with a deeper voice.

If it was when a particular person entered then it could be that he considers him as a competitor or even that he is attracted to them.

If it was after he was asked about a particular question then it could be that it caused him to become defensive.

Think about his normal body language

Getting to know what his normal body language would also be helpful in figuring out why he might be speaking with a lower voice.

If he normally speaks with a lower voice then it could just be that it’s his natural voice or that he is mirroring people around him.

If he doesn’t normally speak that low then it would suggest that something is making him feel differently emotionally. In this case, his other body language signals that appear different would likely help you to figure out why.

Related

What causes a man’s voice to be low pitched? It could just be that he naturally speaks that way or he might be trying to be dominating, that he is attracted to someone, that he is being aggressive or that he is mirroring those that he spends his time with.

If you want to learn more about body language, a book I would recommend would be The Definitive Book of Body Language (on Amazon). It shows you how to interpret body language and understand people's true intentions.

Author

I created and currently manage Body Language Central, one of the premier sources for body language-related knowledge. Body language plays a key role in our daily lives. I hope that my website can help condense the wide amount of body language information available and allow you to make full use of it in your daily life. You can read more about me and my website here.