Who provided the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid?

Jodi Benson provided the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid (1989).

Benson was chosen because the filmmakers wanted one performer to handle both Ariel’s spoken dialogue and singing. Her youthful, warm voice helped define Ariel as a curious, emotionally impulsive teenager rather than simply a traditional fairy-tale princess. Benson also recorded “Part of Your World,” one of the film’s central songs.

The role was especially important because Ariel’s voice is part of the plot: Ursula steals it in exchange for transforming Ariel into a human. When Ursula disguises herself as Vanessa, she uses Ariel’s stolen voice to enchant Prince Eric. Benson therefore also supplies the voice heard from Ursula’s disguise, although that character is still Ursula.

A common mix-up is confusing Benson with Halle Bailey, who played Ariel in Disney’s 2023 live-action adaptation, or with singers associated with other Disney princesses. For the original 1989 animated film, the canonical answer is Jodi Benson.