# Voice print analysis

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-print-analysis/511226>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 23, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-print-analysis/511226 "2009-09-23T13:26:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-print-analysis/511226/1 "2009-09-23T13:26:33Z")

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I have seen the Master call both forensic handwriting and fingerprint analysis into question in recent years and on they way into work, I began to wonder about how accurate voice print analysis is. Do people really have a unique voice print?

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**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-print-analysis/511226/2 "2009-10-06T19:05:56Z")

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Maybe if I bump this, someone in the know will be watching.

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**Author:** ![pan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pan1)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-print-analysis/511226/3 "2009-10-06T20:07:42Z")

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There is not much of a difference between Voiceprinting and fingerprinting - aside from the obvious.

Both require an expert to analyze and both require specialized tools to acquire. And both can be grabbed with amateur tools at the expense of quality.

And both may be more subjective than objective.

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**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-print-analysis/511226/4 "2009-10-06T20:19:48Z")

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Can an expert, or an NSA computer for that matter, tell the difference between Frank Calliendo and one of the celebrities he impersonates?

Rob

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**Author:** ![pan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pan1)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-print-analysis/511226/5 "2009-10-06T20:27:50Z")

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Without a doubt, yes.

He can make a good impression, but its just a good impression. There are aspects to a voice he cannot mimic.

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**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-print-analysis/511226/6 "2009-10-07T14:34:59Z")

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Do you (or anyone else) know what these are?

Thanks,  
Rob