# What is the most annoying sound a human voice can make? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585 "2005-08-18T14:46:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/1 "2005-08-18T14:46:15Z")
There are many contenders. A little girls piercing scream and yodelling would certainly be in the running. However, I get an almost uncontrollable urge to punch someone who “sighs” in my presence. It contains elements of self-centeredness, condescension, laziness, and prissiness all rolled up into one little sound. \*Please note that I have never hit someone who sighed although I have had to leave the room because someone did it multiple times. What human voice sounds drive you crazy? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/2 "2005-08-18T14:51:43Z")
Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? That sound is not a word. It’s a noise made when you are trying to vomit. A close second is the incessant giggling of adolescent girls. I’d rather hear fingernails on a blackboard. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/3 "2005-08-18T15:00:24Z")
Little kids screaming, in a tantrum-throwing/attention-seeking manner. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/4 "2005-08-18T15:10:14Z")
Whining. False laugh. Lying through their teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Cynical\_Optimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Cynical\_Optimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cynical_Optimist)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/5 "2005-08-18T15:16:59Z")
My boss saying “Stop what you’re doing and work on this.” ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/6 "2005-08-18T15:25:45Z")
Michigan fans “Let’s Go Blue” ---
**Author:** ![Typically\_Sunday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Typically\_Sunday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typically_Sunday)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/7 "2005-08-18T17:14:43Z")
Anyone trying to make pikachu or gollum noises. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/8 "2005-08-18T17:16:54Z")
Fran Drescher’s voice. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/9 "2005-08-18T17:17:45Z")
Children screaming or laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/10 "2005-08-18T17:45:40Z")
> [@gatopescado](#): > > Fran Drescher’s voice. Not while I’m keeping her occupied! ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/11 "2005-08-18T17:46:51Z")
I would say the sound of a crying baby, multiplied by the situation. The sound isn’t so much annoying is that it makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else being said or done; it’s a beacon. A close second is “Then after that MOM we went to MOM the grocery MOM store and bought MOM the kids MOM! some school MOM! supplies MO-OO-OMMM. I got MO-OO-MMMMM Joey MOM! some new MOM! hush, I’m on the phone MOM! I’ll be MOM! with you in a MOM! second…” ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/12 "2005-08-18T17:47:49Z")
" What about **my** needs? " What??? 😛 Okay. For real? I’d have to opine that the most annoying sound is the sound of a child who gets hooked into a feedback loop despite the parent’s attempts to curb it. As in: > [@Annoying Child At Playground](#): > > When can we have ice cream? I want ice cream now. Can’t we have ice cream now? When can we have ice cream? I want ice cream now. Now. I WANT IT NOW ! Can’t we have ice cream now? When can we have ice cream? =shudder= Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/13 "2005-08-18T17:51:52Z")
There’s a certain voice, I’m not sure how to decribe it… I often associate it with gay men, but not knowing or caring what orientation these abrasive people are, I could be mistaken. But it’s a very effeminate, nasally, resonant voice. It’s the resonant part that gets me. It somehow seems to fill a room with ease, and seems to be of the exact acoustical nature so as to rattle the wall hangings. As well as my nerves. Anyone know what I’m talking about? Anyone who can describe it better? ---
**Author:** ![Schuyler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/54ee81/32.png) [@Schuyler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schuyler)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/14 "2005-08-18T17:52:44Z")
I’ll go for the fish-market voice/tone/cadence that some women use - to me it’s the vocal equivalent of wearing curlers and a bathrobe in public. Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/15 "2005-08-18T18:08:09Z")
Another one that bugs me is the way some people ask questions. When most people ask a question, their voices rise slightly in pitch towards the end. It’s the people whose voice lowers in pitch instead that make me want to punch walls. See the movie _Butterflies Are Free_ for a grating example of this. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/16 "2005-08-18T18:23:09Z")
I’ve shown extraordinary restraint in not throwing a brick at my TV while it showed me John Ashcroft singing _Let The Eagle Soar._ ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/17 "2005-08-18T21:39:55Z")
In no way is this meant facetiously - “Nucular.” Mind you, I _do_ hate Dubya but even if it were Jeff Goldblum saying it, I’d scream and turn off the radio. I would love for NPR to start bleeping it out. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/18 "2005-08-18T22:05:23Z")
Screaming. Any kind of screaming, by persons of either sex\*, regardless of age. If there’s enough screaming in a movie or TV show, I have to turn it off. I very nearly boycotted _Farscape_ when that horrible screaming creature (Jool) joined the cast. Whining is a close second. \*However, I’ll admit that one of my favorite bits is when a tough manly-man unexpectedly screams like a little girl for comedic effect. Just one short scream, though. But it makes me laugh just about every time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/19 "2005-08-18T22:37:38Z")
Some voices have a piercing tone that’s extremely annoying to me. For example, there’s someone at work with a voice like that. It’s not the volume, it’s just something about it that sometimes just feels like a knife going through my brain. My mother’s voice occasionally sounded that way, too. (Don’t call Dr. Freud.) ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585/20 "2005-08-18T22:44:01Z")
This week, it’s definitely, “Mama? Mama? Mama? (whining about being in the carseat too long) Mama? Mama? Mama? MAMA?! . . . Shoes! Mama, mama? Mama? Ma-MA! Mama! . . . eyes! . . .” _ad infinitum_. I’m thinking of buying a little ticker to count the number of times I hear “Mama” each day. Really, underneath, I love that she loves me so much and wants my attention, and that she’s talking more. But sometimes, that underneath stuff gets obscured by the part of me that really needs some hard liquor after a day with her. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-a-human-voice-can-make/317585.md?page=2)