How to Disguise Your Voice

Co-authored by Patrick Muñoz

Last Updated: June 4, 2020 References

Whether you're playing a prank on your friend or trying to get a day off of school, learning to disguise your voice can be a fun way to play a joke. If you want to change up your voice over the phone or change up the way you speak, there are a variety of little changes that will have big effects.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Disguising Your Voice on the Phone

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1
Download a voice-changer app. There are a variety of smart phone apps for iPhones and Androids that you can use to change the sound of your voice, many of them free. New apps are always coming out, so check out the app store to find out what's available.^{[1]
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- Some of them allow you to record your voice and play it back in manipulated form, while others allow you to speak into the phone and project weird robot noises and other big changes. One app, Call Voice Changer, even lets you make calls with your new fake voice.
2
Record your voice on the computer and add effects. You can use a Digital Audio Workstation (D.A.W) on a Windows or Mac. Garageband, ProTools or Ableton can all be used to record and manipulate your voice, then change it.^{[2]
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- Use effects and plugins like distortion, pitch shifters, speed adjustments to make your voice sound gravely, low, or high, according to what you want.
- Record yourself saying common or funny phone phrases like, "What do you want?" or "Can I take a message?" or "My son won't be coming to school today" to pull off the gag.
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3
Disguise your voice with background noise. Play music just loud enough so that your voice can be heard over it. You can use other recorded sounds as well, including traffic noise, white noise and static, or even the sounds of heavy machinery.
- Another person can help you by making humming noises or other sounds while you are speaking that have the same effect as recorded sounds.
- Put a handkerchief or other piece of cloth over the phone’s voice input area and move it around to create a static effect. Try using different materials for a different effect.
4
Get a cheap voice changer toy. One of the easiest and fastest ways to change your voice is to buy a little megaphone with silly effects to speak through. Voice changers can be found in magic or joke gift shops, as well as more serious surveillance stores, and even Halloween stores.
- These toys are usually available at a wide range of prices, and the cost will usually determine the quality. Even the cheap ones help to make your voice sound a lot different.^{[3]
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- A regular megaphone can be used to change the sound of your voice too. Just stand back from the phone, or you'll blow the other person away.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Speaking Differently

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1
Change the tone of your voice.^{[4]
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Research source} If you want to talk differently without the aid of electronics or other tricks, you can learn to change the pitch of your voice. This will make you sound very different than you normally sound.^{[5]
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- If your voice is naturally low, use your head voice to speak in a higher pitch than you normally do. This can be done by pinching your tongue against the roof of your mouth and talking from the back of your throat. Imagine you have a cold.
- If you have a higher voice, speak from lower in your throat and your diaphragm to make your voice much lower. Pretend your voice is coming from deeper in the back of your throat.
2
Change the way you pronounce words. If you start pronouncing the words you use differently, it will sound like someone else is saying them. It can be a funny way to change up certain words and sound different.
- Drop the endings of words. Instead of pronouncing it "going" say "goin." Instead of saying "car" say "cah."
- Slide over letters in the middle of words. Instead of saying "library" say "liber'ry." Instead of saying "whatever" say "whatevrr."
- Add extra syllables where they don't belong. Instead of saying "where" say "whey-uhr."
- Change up the vowels in words. Instead of saying "there" say "thur."
- Speak with an accent if you know how to pull one off convincingly.^{[6]
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3
Change the shape of your mouth. You can do a few little things to the shape of your jaw, lips, and mouth to change the way your voice sounds. Try out the following:
- Purse your lips the way you do when you whistle, and then speak. The sound of your voice will be much different.
- Try sticking your tongue out a little while you are speaking. This tends to garble your words somewhat.
- Open your mouth wide and speak.
4
Try to do an impression of someone. Even if your impression doesn't sound very accurate, if you're trying to sound different than yourself, shoot for a weird accent of a celebrity, or just a person that you know.^{[7]
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Research source} Here are some good celebrity impressions to shoot for:
- Bill Cosby
- Christopher Walken
- Sarah Palin
- Fran Drescher
- Al Pacino
- Sylvester Stallone
5
Use different kinds of words.^{[8]
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Research source} While your voice may sound basically the same, if you're using words you wouldn't normally use, it can be an effective disguise as well. Try out the following tips for picking words you don't normally use:
- Use very smart-sounding or expensive words. Don't say something is "good" say that it's "spectacular" or "stupendous." Don't say that "Yeah" say "That is affirmative."
- Use old words, or words that you've only heard your grandparents use. Don't call something "cool" but call it "keen" or "dandy" or "groovy."
- Use lots of shortened words or slang words or use lots of text-speak. Any new youth phrases would be great. Or, totes fetch.
^{[9]
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Research source} Pause between words and sigh a lot, or draw out the words as you speak them, putting a bunch of extra syllables into them. You could also speed up the way you speak and chatter really quickly, although this is sometimes more difficult.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I change my voice naturally?

Patrick Muñoz
Voice & Speech Coach
Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association.

Patrick Muñoz

Voice & Speech Coach

Expert Answer

Well, that depends on how you want to change it, really. For instance, you can have a deeper voice by breathing, opening up the mouth and relaxing. By focusing on the breath and having it come from a lower place you'll be able to deepen your voice. Many people don't use the full range of their voice, and by finding your higher and lower pitches, you'll be able to combine them to change your voice.

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I'm a girl and I want to have a guy's voice, but how?

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Learn how to control your voice and access different pitches. Try speaking with more of your diaphragm and a deeper pitch. There are tutorials on YouTube for speaking in guy voices that may help you.

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What if I'm doing a random number?

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Just use your imagination! Think of any voice that comes to mind. It can be as serious or as silly as you like!

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Warnings

Don’t use any of these technique for monetary gain. This is one reason why identity theft is a serious crime.

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Don’t disguise your voice to hurt someone’s feelings. Hurting people’s feelings is never funny.

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Don’t use any of these techniques to make threatening phone call. The person you are talking to can call the police and report you.

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