dysphonia

American  

[dis-foh-nee-uh] / dɪsˈfoʊ ni ə /

noun

1. any disturbance of normal vocal function.

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dysphonia British  

/ dɪsˈfɒnɪk, dɪsˈfəʊnɪə /

noun

1. any impairment in the ability to speak normally, as from spasm or strain of the vocal cords

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dysphonic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of dysphonia

1700–10; < New Latin < Greek dysphōnía roughness of sound, equivalent to dys- dys- + phōn ( ḗ ) sound, voice + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

The symptoms of muscle tension dysphonia tend to carry over into laughing, singing, and changing the pitch of one’s voice.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

Laryngeal dystonia, known previously as spasmodic dysphonia, is a rare condition that affects over 50,000 people in the US and Canada.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2024

Consultations with doctors eventually brought a brutal diagnosis: spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological disorder in which the muscles in the larynx tighten or lapse into spasms, strangulating speech while making singing a significant challenge.

From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2024

He also has a noticeably strained, raspy voice caused by spasmodic dysphonia, a disorder that causes involuntary spasms in the muscles of the voice box.

From BBC • May 8, 2024

But his worst symptom was dysphonia; he would try to articulate one word, and find himself using another.

From File No. 113 by Gaboriau, Émile