Why are we able to tell we’re speaking with a black person on the phone?

[Uchiha God]

There’s something specific about the way black people sound that allows me to tell it’s a black person with 98.7% accuracy - and I’m not referring simply or specifically to speech patterns and/or colloquialisms, or even accents. In fact, the reason this came to mind is because yesterday I had a work call with a british breh from London - and I could tell from the start I was talking with a black man.

I’m fully aware this isn’t a new phenomenon. I’m more so asking if there’s some sort of scientific reason for this

 

[skokiaan]

We got soul.

 

[Caca-faat]

I think it’s the timbre in their voice, it’s like a sub group we can recognise automatically.

Definition:

In simple terms, timbre is what makes a particular musical instrument or human voice have a different sound from another, even when they play or sing the same note. For instance, it is the difference in sound between a guitar and a piano playing the same note at the same volume

 

[Hater Eraser]

We got soul.

 

[TEH]

Yeah

Same with Asians - they all low key sound like Sulu on Star Trek

 

[Yaboysix]

American Asian Brehs can tell when another Asian American is on the phone(they sound Caucasian to me)

Other races can tell too probably....

 

[Fanservice]

 

[TEH]

American Asian Brehs can tell when another Asian American is on the phone(they sound Caucasian to me)

Other races can tell too probably....

No part of me is Asian

I can tell White, Black (often which region), usually Asian and a lot of English speaking countries or big countries like Spain and France …

 

[DaPresident]

We got soul.

And we SUPER bad!!

 

[PatCake]

We don't put on a face. Also very little filter trying to find the subtle words

 

[CopiousX]

This is nonsense. I've met Asians that sound black. They exist everywhere in the south.

Similarly, I have met black men and women (ironically also in the south) who sound indeciferably white. One had a white redneck accent while the other was raised by whites and she sounded like a valley girl (despite being from Kentucky)

While in London, I encountered pakistanis who sound exactly like black londoners .





Anybody of any ethnicity can sound like anybody else, based on whatever culture they choose to partake in. Especially if they do so early in life. Black people obviously partake in black culture and will sound black, but those black people who do not partake, will sound nothing like black people. Folks of nonblack ethnicities can sound like us too, but very few of them embed themselves in our culture , relative to how much they embed themselves into white ones.

 

[Shamayw_33]

 

[Buddy]

Timbre. There's a certain... idk what to call it but "grit" in our voices that you just don't hear with other groups. The same goes with singing. If you play along with this game you'll probably get them all right too. The big girl got em all and kept pointing out how "airy" the non-black singers sounded. They don't have that "grit" in their timbre. RIP Teddy Ray

 

[invalid]

I have a hard time distinguishing white people from black people in Louisiana.

I think it has to do with Timbre.
Also, throw in a mix of class and segregation/lack of assimilation.

The black people that I know that sound completely white are what I would consider assimilated. It's what a lot of black American culture has actively fought against which is encouraged in other ethnic immigrants communities.

 

[skylove4]

You have to be African American to hear it, not just black. That’s why we know when someone is “ talking white” and please before c00ns come in with y’all’s bullshyt yall know exactly what I mean.