What characterizes a voice disorder?

A voice disorder is primarily characterized by variations in voice quality, pitch, and loudness. This can manifest in several ways, such as a hoarse or breathy voice, an unusually high or low pitch, or difficulty controlling the volume of the voice. These changes disrupt the normal communication process and can affect a person’s ability to convey their thoughts clearly or may make speech more difficult to understand.

The focus of voice disorders is specifically on how the voice sounds and functions, which distinguishes them from other types of speech or language disorders. For example, inappropriate facial expressions relate more to social communication deficits rather than the voice itself. Similarly, inconsistent speech sound production pertains to speech disorders, while rapid rates of speech might indicate a fluency disorder. Therefore, the defining aspects of voice disorders revolve around the quality, pitch, and loudness of the voice.