The original and widely recognized voice behind Apple's intelligent assistant, Siri, for its initial US English female iteration, is a professional voice actor.
The actual original voice of Siri in its seminal US English female version is Susan Bennett.
The Story Behind the Voice
Susan Bennett is a seasoned voice actor who unknowingly became the voice of one of the world's most ubiquitous digital assistants.
- Early Recordings: Bennett recorded phrases and sentences for a software company in 2005. These recordings were part of a larger project, not specifically for Apple or a digital assistant, but rather for a voice generation system.
- Apple's Acquisition: Years later, Apple incorporated these pre-existing voice recordings into their new intelligent personal assistant, Siri, which launched with the iPhone 4S in 2011.
- Personal Discovery: Susan Bennett herself found out she was the voice of the digital assistant years after Siri's launch, a surprising revelation for her.
Key Facts About Susan Bennett's Role
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | Original US English Female Voice of Siri |
| Profession | Professional Voice Actor |
| Recording Year | 2005 (recordings used by Apple for Siri) |
| Siri Launch | 2011 (with iPhone 4S) |
| Discovery | She discovered her voice was Siri's years after its debut |
Siri's Evolving Voices and Global Presence
While Susan Bennett provided the iconic original voice for the US English female version, Siri has evolved significantly since its debut, offering a diverse range of voices globally.
- Multiple Voices: Apple has introduced a variety of voices, genders, and accents for Siri across different languages and regions worldwide. Users often have options to select their preferred Siri voice within their device settings.
- Neural Text-to-Speech (TTS): Modern Siri voices frequently utilize advanced neural text-to-speech technology. This allows for more natural-sounding, expressive responses generated dynamically, moving beyond pre-recorded phrases.
- Regional Variations: Depending on your device's language and region settings, you may hear a completely different voice actor for Siri. For instance, distinct voices are available for British English, Australian English, French, German, Japanese, and numerous other languages, catering to global users.
For more information on Siri's capabilities and features, you can visit Apple's official Siri page.
