The voice of Siri is incredibly familiar to anyone who uses an iPhone. But what does the person behind the voice really sound like?
What the voice of Siri really sounds like
Phil Edwards was a senior producer for the Vox video team.
Susan Bennett, a voice actor and singer based in Atlanta, Georgia, recorded the original voice of Siri in 2005. In the video above, she explains why her real voice sounds so different than the voice that millions hear on their iPhones.
“A Siri-like voice is still, at this point in time, very robotic,” she says. “The pitch is a little bit lower...it’s not as evenly paced as if you were speaking naturally.” She told me that few people recognize her on the street, since her speaking voice is different.
You can hear her recording sample speech for a digital assistant in the clip below, which also includes a bit more of her normal speaking voice:
Learn more about Bennett — and how voice acting works — by reading her explanation of voice acting.
Susan Bennett
