ESL Podcast 433 - Describing People's Voices
deejay - DJ; disc jockey; a person who plays music and/or speaks on the radio, hosting a radio program
A good deejay is familiar with all of the most popular music.
to take (someone or something) - to use someone or something as an example; for example
Life is getting so expensive! Take the price of gas, which has increased about 100% in the past year.
deep - with a low sound, usually used to describe a man's voice
That singer has a deep voice that lets him sing even the lowest notes.
husky - with a low, attractive, quiet, and deep sound, usually used to describe a man's voice
All of the women in our office love that actor's husky voice.
sexy - sexually attractive or exciting
Shimo bought a very sexy dress to surprise her husband.
monotone - always on the same note (never higher or lower) and at the same volume (never quieter or louder), so that the voice never changes and is very boring to listen to
Students are more likely to fall asleep in classes where the professor speaks in a monotone.
to lull - to make someone feel calm, relaxed, and tired, possibly even making someone fall asleep
Sebastian uses quiet music to lull himself to sleep at night.
sidekick - someone who works with another person and helps him or her, but isn't as important as that person is
Joachim sometimes jokingly refers to his secretary as his sidekick.
music to (one's) ears - something that is very pleasant to listen to; something that one enjoys listening to
His baby's laughter is music to his ears.
lilt - the way that a voice goes up and down, higher and lower, while one is speaking, making the voice sound pleasant
People in the southern United States speak with a nice lilt.
high-pitched - a sound that is very high, so much so that it hurts one's ears and is unpleasant
The little girl let out a high-pitched scream when she got scared while watching the movie.
squeaky - making many quiet, high noises like those of a mouse
The baby wakes up every time we open or close the squeaky old door.
grating - irritating; annoying; aggravating; unpleasant
It's grating to call an office and have to listen to a recorded message for 20 minutes before you can speak with a real person.
gravelly - with a low, rough, unpolished, deep sound
Eberhard tried to speak with a gravelly voice, but it sounded like he was sick and had a sore throat.
fantasy - something that one imagines happening and would like to have happen, often about a sexual relationship
His fantasy became real when he was hired as a travel writer and got paid to go to many different countries.