Vocal Source Identity

Vocal Source Identity is an auditory display principle referring to the use of different speaking voices or sound sources to convey distinct types of information in an audio interface. In the context of non-visual web browsing, different synthesised voices might represent headings, body text, links, or other HTML elements, allowing users to perceive document structure through voice changes alone. Research has shown that the number of distinct voices should be kept small to avoid confusion, and that listeners incidentally process speaker characteristics as connotative information, meaning voice properties like pitch, speed, and timbre carry implicit meaning beyond the words spoken.