Why does your voice sound different than you expect it to sound?

... like, when you hear it on playback from a tape recorder.

Sound can reach the inner ear by way of two separate paths, and those paths in turn affect what we perceive. Air-conducted sound is transmitted from the surrounding environment through the external auditory canal, eardrum and middle ear to the cochlea, the fluid-filled spiral in the inner ear. Bone-conducted sound reaches the cochlea directly through the tissues of the head.

When you speak, sound energy spreads in the air around you and reaches your cochlea through your external ear by air conduction. Sound also travels from your vocal cords and other structures directly to the cochlea, but the mechanical properties of your head enhance its deeper, lower-frequency vibrations.

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RE:JanieBelle/South Carolina: gosh, I guess our esteemed Vice-President had better watch his f---ing mouth while there, huh!
and I'm with you- I detest hearing my recorded voice. gives me hives and seizures.

I have a great voice. My only regret is that y'all don't hear it right.