voice
highformal, informal, literary, technical
Definition
Meaning
the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song; the ability to produce such sound; the distinctive tone or style of a writer or speaker.
The right to express an opinion or desire; the medium through which thoughts are expressed (e.g., 'the voice of reason'); in grammar, the form of a verb that indicates whether the subject performs or receives the action (active/passive voice); in music, an individual melodic line or part; in technology, a function that converts text to speech or recognizes speech.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Metonymically used to represent a person ('a respected voice'); can imply agency ('give voice to concerns'); in phonetics, refers to vocal cord vibration ('voiced consonants').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. 'Voice mail' (US) vs 'voicemail' (UK) in spelling. In telecommunications contexts, 'voice call' is equally common, but UK may favour 'telephone call' in formal contexts.
Connotations
Similar core connotations. In political contexts, 'having a voice' is equally strong in both. In customer service, 'voice of the customer' is a shared business term.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
voice + noun (voice concerns)have + a + adjective + voice (have a strong voice)give + voice + to + noun (give voice to fears)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “at the top of one's voice”
- “a voice in the wilderness”
- “like voices in the dark”
- “speak with one voice”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Referring to customer feedback ('the voice of the customer') or employee representation ('giving employees a voice').
Academic
In linguistics (phonetics, syntax: active/passive voice), literature (narrative voice), music (polyphonic voices).
Everyday
Talking about someone's ability to speak or sing, leaving a telephone message.
Technical
In telecommunications (VoIP), computing (voice recognition, voice user interface), medicine (strained voice).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The committee voiced serious reservations about the plan.
- He finally found the courage to voice his dissent.
American English
- Shareholders voiced strong opposition to the merger.
- She voiced the character of the hero in the animated film.
adjective
British English
- Voice-activated devices are becoming more common.
- She took part in a voice-recorded interview.
American English
- The new phone has excellent voice clarity.
- He is a voice-over artist for commercials.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I like her voice. It is very kind.
- He has a loud voice.
- Please keep your voice down in the library.
- She lost her voice after the concert.
- The article gave voice to the frustrations of many young people.
- The passive voice is often used in formal reports.
- His narrative voice throughout the novel is both cynical and compelling.
- The legislation aims to voice the will of the marginalized communities.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a choice (sounds like 'voice') you must announce – you need your voice to state it.
Conceptual Metaphor
VOICE IS AN INSTRUMENT (modulate your voice), VOICE IS AGENCY (have a voice), VOICE IS A CHANNEL (the voice of experience).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'voice' for 'sound' in general (e.g., 'the voice of the river' is poetic; 'the sound of the river' is standard).
- Do not confuse 'voice' (голос) with 'vote' (голосование) despite the shared root.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He voiced out his opinion.' (Correct: 'He voiced his opinion.' 'Voice' as a verb doesn't need 'out').
- Incorrect: 'She has a good voice of singing.' (Correct: 'She has a good singing voice.')
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'voice' used in a grammatical sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'voice' as a verb is transitive and does not require 'out'. Simply say 'voice a concern' or 'voice an opinion'.
'Voice' specifically refers to sounds made by the human vocal apparatus for speaking or singing. 'Noise' is any sound, especially an unpleasant or unwanted one.
Typically, 'voice' is for humans. For animals, we use words like 'call', 'cry', 'howl', 'chirp', etc., unless personifying them in literature.
In grammar, the active voice is when the subject of the sentence performs the action (e.g., 'The cat chased the mouse'). It's often more direct than the passive voice.
Collections
Part of a collection
Literary Language
C1 · 48 words · Vocabulary for reading and writing about literature.