Glossary · Voice
What is a writer's voice?
Voice is the distinctive personality in your writing — the sense that a real person, not a template, is behind the words.
Voice is what makes your writing sound like you and no one else. It comes from your word choices, rhythm, humour, and the way you see things. Two students can answer the same prompt correctly, but the one with a clear voice is far more engaging to read.
You build voice by writing about specifics, trusting your own observations, and reading your work aloud to hear where it sounds flat or borrowed.
How markers see it
“A real voice” is named directly in selective-style style criteria; markers reward writing that feels genuine and engaging.