# 10 Best and Worst Speaking Voices **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725 "2011-04-17T15:06:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/41 "2011-04-18T03:42:00Z")
I’m going to nominate Ann Widdecombe for worst speaking voice period. As evidence I will submit [this clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3g66BkQdrY) with the disclaimer that I couldn’t bear to watch more than the first minute. ---
**Author:** ![expectopatronum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/expectopatronum/32/173_2.png) [@expectopatronum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expectopatronum)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/42 "2011-04-18T04:07:27Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Seth MacFarlane isn’t on there for best speaking voices? > > I think his voice is just all kinds of perfect…his singing voice is top notch too. i agree, i love his voice. not only can he sing well, but he sings well in all the voices he does. i always found that impressive. my contribution for best is tony jay. he’s been in lots of stuff but i know him best as shere khan (in the jungle book sequel and tale spin) and frollo in disney’s hunchback of notre dame. swoon! ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/43 "2011-04-18T04:09:45Z")
> [@Tyrannosaurus\_Volcano](#): > > William Marshall (the actor who played Blacula) God love ya. I knew William very well when I was a kid because my mom dated him for years, off and on. He really sounded like that, and it tickled me to death when he’d apply that beautiful voice to doing a little ebonics for me. Cracked me up. And your list is kind of all over the map. George takai??? ---
**Author:** ![gone2thedogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@gone2thedogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gone2thedogs)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/44 "2011-04-18T04:13:30Z")
I have to add Garrison Keillor as one of the best. When I was in college and couldn’t sleep, I would put on ‘Stories from Lake Woebegone’ and his deep, soothing voice just made all the tension in my body melt away. I have never heard such a smarmy, oily, sycophantic voice in my life! Guess you know where I would put him! \ ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/45 "2011-04-18T04:56:44Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Worst: The late Howard Cosell, Jay Leno > > Best: Sofía Vergara … Seriously? Have you actually listened to her speak or could you have been preoccupied by her … other assets? I find her voice grating. I thought she might just be playing it up for the camera in Modern Family but I’ve seen her on talk shows and she talks the same. I vote Tallulah Bankhead for Best. It’s unique and I just love it, dahling! ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/46 "2011-04-18T05:55:41Z")
I don’t have 10, but I cannot stand the voice of the former Boston Celtics play by play man Johnny Most. It’s not just because I’m a Lakers fan, I wasn’t even watching basketball when he was still announcing, but I get irritated when people refer to him as some legendary sports announcer. Yes, he may have done it a long time and been part of a good franchise, but his voice stinks. It’s a high pitched, whiny, nasally screech. It’s an ugly voice. I imagine that’s how Nazi’s sounded like, I don’t know, it just sounds evil and squirrelly. I cannot imagine having to listen to that scratchy drone for one single quarter in a game, let alone years. He makes old Celtics broadcasts unwatchable unless you mute it ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/47 "2011-04-18T12:18:23Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Seriously? Have you actually listened to her speak or could you have been preoccupied by her … other assets? I find her voice grating. I thought she might just be playing it up for the camera in Modern Family but I’ve seen her on talk shows and she talks the same. Fair question, but no, I’m actually not all that taken with her other assets. I just dig that accent. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/48 "2011-04-18T12:34:33Z")
Best: Ronald Colman James Mason Claude Rains Linda Hunt ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/49 "2011-04-18T13:17:50Z")
Worst Female: Florence Stanley (Mrs. Fish, the judge in My Two Dads) Worst Male: Gilbert Gottfried ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/50 "2011-04-18T13:50:17Z")
Peter Serafinowicz has an amazing voice - he’s the guy who Fran in Black Books made those, er, stimulating phone calls to. Almost as deep and beguiling as another comedian, Reginald D Hunter. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/51 "2011-04-18T14:08:12Z")
Another couple good male voices: Morgan Freeman James Earl Jones ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/52 "2011-04-18T16:43:49Z")
Best male list: Ian McKellan Derek Jacobi Ian Holm Best female list: Cate Blanchett Worst female list: Paula Deen Clara Bow ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/53 "2011-04-18T17:22:55Z")
First name that came to mind (on the Best list): Richard Burton. ---
**Author:** ![surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/surrounded_by_literalists)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/54 "2011-04-18T17:35:59Z")
I may be alone on this, but I love Alan Rickman’s voice. I cannot bear to listen to John Madden for any reason. ---
**Author:** ![Tyrannosaurus\_Volcano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@Tyrannosaurus\_Volcano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tyrannosaurus_Volcano)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/55 "2011-04-18T17:48:05Z")
> [@surrounded\_by\_literalists](#): > > I may be alone on this, but I love Alan Rickman’s voice. WRONG!!! Alan Rickman has one of the most popular voices on the Internet, especially with women. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/56 "2011-04-18T18:02:56Z")
I want to add Shannon Sharp to the worst male voice list. Some times he is understandable and then at other times I can close my eyes and imagine a toothless drunken prospector saying some mush-mouth babble to his mule. There are times I’ve actually paused the broadcast and rerun his part more than once and still could not understand what the hell he was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/57 "2011-04-18T18:08:10Z")
Fans of Bioware’s video games will probably recognize my best male nominees: [Raphael Sbarge](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0768620/): Mass Effect (Kaidan Alenko), Knights of the Old Republic (Carth Onasi) [Steve Valentine](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0884313/): Dragon Age (Alistair) And whoever the voice actors were that voiced Aarin Gend and Valen Shadowbreath in Neverwinter Nights. Damn, whoever does their voice casting is just spot on. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/58 "2011-04-18T18:13:16Z")
> [@Tyrannosaurus\_Volcano](#): > > WRONG!!! > Alan Rickman has one of the most popular voices on the Internet, especially with women. I think I may be alone in that I can’t stand his voice. It sounds like he needs to clear his throat, yet he never does. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![expectopatronum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/expectopatronum/32/173_2.png) [@expectopatronum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expectopatronum)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/59 "2011-04-18T18:18:41Z")
> [@Tyrannosaurus\_Volcano](#): > > WRONG!!! > Alan Rickman has one of the most popular voices on the Internet, especially with women. this is true. especially as professor snape. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725/60 "2011-04-18T18:19:56Z")
For worst Kourtney (?) Kardashian [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-best-and-worst-speaking-voices/578725.md?page=4)