Definition

1. Noun:
   • A speech disorder characterized by difficulty or discomfort in producing voice sounds: "Dysphonia" refers to a condition affecting the voice, where the quality, pitch, or loudness is impaired due to a problem with the vocal cords or the process of phonation (voice production). It is not a disorder of language or word finding, but specifically of the physical production of sound.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The singer was diagnosed with muscle tension dysphonia and had to cancel the tour.
  • Spasmodic dysphonia causes the voice to break or sound strained.
  • After a severe cold, he experienced temporary dysphonia.

Advanced Usage

• "Functional dysphonia": A type of voice disorder where there is no clear physical abnormality in the larynx, often related to voice misuse or psychological factors.

  • Her functional dysphonia improved with voice therapy and stress management.

• "Organic dysphonia": Dysphonia caused by a physical change or lesion on the vocal cords, such as nodules or paralysis.

  • The growth on his vocal cord was the cause of his organic dysphonia.

Variants and Related Words

• Dysphonic (adj): Relating to or suffering from dysphonia.

  • The patient presented with dysphonic symptoms.

• Aphonia (n): The complete loss of voice, which is a more severe form of vocal impairment.

  • The condition progressed from dysphonia to complete aphonia.

Synonyms

• Voice disorder: A general term for any impairment of the voice.
• Hoarseness: A rough or harsh voice quality, which is a common symptom of dysphonia.

Related Phrases and Collocations

• To suffer from dysphonia: To have the condition of dysphonia.

  • He has been suffering from dysphonia for several months.

• To treat dysphonia: To apply medical or therapeutic interventions for the disorder.

  • Speech-language pathologists are trained to treat dysphonia.

Noun

1. speech disorder attributable to a disorder of phonation