Voice characteristics refer to the unique qualities of a person's voice, including aspects like pitch, tone, volume, and speed. Pitch determines how high or low a voice sounds, while tone reflects the emotional quality, such as warmth or harshness. Volume indicates how loud or soft the voice is, and speed refers to how quickly someone speaks. These characteristics can vary widely among individuals and can be influenced by factors such as age, gender, and cultural background. For example, children typically have higher pitches than adults, and regional accents can affect tone and pronunciation, adding to the diversity of voice characteristics.