Why Young Men Sound Less Manly

Your Head Trucker has noticed in the last several years that many girls and young women have developed the irritating habit of ending every sentence on a higher note - as we normally do when asking a question.  For example:  I live in Boston?  I am majoring in biology?  I want to work in hydroponics?  This is a childish habit born of insecurity, it seems to me:  as if the speaker is asking permission to say something, or unsure if she is saying the right thing.  A careless, highly annoying habit they should have gotten over by third grade.

Recently, I've noticed boys and young men adopting this same rising tone at the enf of their sentences, which is so girly.  Many of them also tend to pronounce their words at the front of the mouth, just behind the teeth, instead of vocalizing from the back of the mouth.  This naturally produces higher-pitched sounds (trying saying a few words at the front and at the back of your mouth), and in some cases tends to produce a slight lisp.

Probably these young people are not choosing to speak as they do, but are unconsciously imitating the sounds of women they heard when they were forming their speech habits.  Which I suppose is a natural result of so many kids growing up without fathers in the home, as well as being parked in daycare with nearly all female teachers from the time they can toddle across the floor.  Perhaps the pendulum has swung too far in one direction.

Adults, men and women, should speak clearly and confidently, not like shy little kids.  But that's just my unexpert opinion.  Here is Dr. Taylor Jones, a linguist who explains what the research shows about this "unmanly" speech phenomenon.  I don't have the experise in that field either to agree or disagree with him.  See what you think.

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