Women do not rate men with lower-than-average voices as more attractive when they can see them, finds study

A deep, Darth Vader-style voice may make a man sound more commanding, formidable and difficult to challenge, but it may not give him the romantic advantage popular culture has long suggested. A new study by researchers at Durham University has found that women did not rate men with deeper-than-average voices as more attractive when they could also see the men’s bodies. The lower voices did, however, make the men appear stronger, better at fighting and more socially dominant.The findings offer a fresh twist on a familiar dating stereotype: the idea that a deep voice automatically makes a man more desirable. From movie-trailer narrators and brooding action heroes to the smooth, bass-heavy voices celebrated in pop culture, vocal depth is often associated with masculinity and confidence. But the Durham research suggests that sounding powerful and looking attractive may be two different things.Published in the journal Royal Society Open Science on September 23, 2026, the study, titled “Low voice pitch, when accompanied by video, increases perceived dominance but not attractiveness”, was conducted by psychologists James E Rutter and Lynda G Boothroyd of Durham University in the UK.The re...