In recent years, the rapid rise of Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok, whose users now amount to one billion, has even brought about social changes. One of these involves our use of language. Linguists and researchers have observed a language-related phenomenon as a result of TikTok, popularly called “TikTok voice” or “TikTok accent,” which seems to be shaping the way many, especially younger generations, speak English.
While phrases that go viral on TikTok and enter mainstream culture tend to come and go, the influence on accent—a more ingrained aspect of speech—is rather difficult to get rid of.
What is ‘TikTok voice’?
As TikTok has become increasingly mainstream, it has developed its own unique ecosystem, consisting of brands, creators (who often double as advertisers), and, of course, its vast user base. It’s even given rise to its own distinct language—terms like “delulu” or “demure” are hard to find outside the TikTok bubble.
This also extends to the way TikTok creators speak. The “TikTok voice” is a specific speech style, marked by certain vocal traits, that many creators have adopted. These are mainly “uptalk,” a rising intonation at the end of sentences, and “vocal fry,” a creaky tone that softens sentence endings.
According to the 2023 Digimeter survey, the average TikTok user spends around 1.5 hours per day on the app, while some, especially creators, may spend four to five hours daily on it. The more users are exposed to TikTok voice, the more likely they are to subconsciously adopt its linguistic characteristics. In fact, we’re starting to see real-life evidence of this. TikTok voice is escaping the app’s sphere, “infecting” daily conversations particularly where women are concerned.
The social implications of ‘TikTok voice’
What is the purpose of TikTok voice? Is it just a random speech pattern that caught on as a trend, or does it have another function?
Experts like Christian Ilbury, who lectures in sociology at the University of Edinburgh, propose that TikTok voice and similar vocal trends have more than one aim. When someone speaks in uptalk, meaning their intonation rises at the end of sentences, their speech doesn’t seem to have an end.
This makes the audience feel that they have to keep listening since they don’t know if the speaker has finished. Ilbury suggests that the tactic helps creators maintain the “conversational floor”—and thus hold their viewers’ attention longer, which is the ultimate goal.
Nonetheless, while TikTok voice may be effective for grabbing attention, it doesn’t necessarily hold much social prestige. In fact, it’s often viewed negatively. Uptalk in social settings is commonly associated with hesitancy and a lack of confidence, which can undermine the speaker’s authority in everyday speech. Similarly, vocal fry is often linked to uncertainty rather than assertiveness.
A study cited in The Atlantic goes so far as to suggest that adopting these vocal traits could harm someone’s professional image or job prospects. Interestingly, it’s mostly women who are linked to the use of the TikTok voice.
Women drive linguistic change
If “TikTok voice” ends up becoming a widespread influence on the way we speak English, women will likely play a central role in that shift. Young women in particular, rather than men, are often seen as the drivers of linguistic change.
Linguistics Professor Christopher Strelluf, in speaking to NationalWorld, noted that we’re currently witnessing a major transformation in the English language, largely caused by TikTok creators and female celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande.
Strelluf also emphasized that “our language is always a product of innovations introduced by young women—so any changes we hear by young women are probably the future of English.” Whether women, and by extension the world, will fully embrace the “TikTok voice” and shape the future of the English language remains to be seen.