"It seems like characters would give the meaning but not the voice." Isn't this true for any general writing system? The textual recording of one's speech is a

"It seems like characters would give the meaning but not the voice." Isn't this true for any general writing system? The textual recording of one's speech is always lossy. That's why the writers, when they deem it to be important enough, add descriptions here and there about the speaker, to capture all kind of verbal or non verbal details.