Same Words, Different Voice
Look at a line and the picture of the voice it is said in, then pick how it sounds and how the listener might feel.
About 6 to 12 · Tone of voice: how the way words are said changes what they mean.
Same words, different voice
The same words can sound kind or unkind. It is the voice that changes them.
No sound plays. Each voice is drawn, so read the words in that voice if you like.
Tap a voice to see the same words change.
Hi, it's you.
Pick a voiceTap a voice. The words stay the same.
Answer your way. Tap it, point to it, say it, sign it, or show a card or device. Every way counts the same.
For grown-ups
Away from the screen: Say “oh, really” three ways, excited, bored and surprised, and take turns guessing which.
No sound plays. Each voice is drawn as a face and a wave, so read the line aloud in that voice if you like. Hearing tone is hard for many people, and that is fine.
- Easy
- Words that sound clearly kind or clearly unkind.
- Medium
- The same words said in two different voices.
- Hard
- A voice that flips the meaning, like a flat “great”.
- Start on Easy, even if it looks too simple. Success first, then move up when your child wants to.
- Say the lines aloud together. Hearing a phrase in a real voice is the point of the game.
- These are common patterns, not rules. Your child's own way of talking is real talking.
- Wait a little longer than feels natural. Quiet thinking time is part of it.
- If they pick something you did not expect, ask them to tell you about it. Their reason is often interesting.
- Pointing, signing, a device or a picture card are all real answers. Speaking is not the goal here.
- Stop when it stops being fun. A few minutes, often, beats a long sitting.
A game and a starting point, not an assessment. All Talking Together games