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Structures involved in speech and voice production
The sound of your voice is produced by vibration of the vocal folds, which are two bands of smooth muscle tissue that are positioned opposite each other in the larynx. The larynx is located between the base of the tongue and the top of the trachea, which is the passageway to the lungs (see figure).
When you are not speaking, the vocal folds are open so that you can breathe. When it’s time to speak, however, the brain orchestrates a series of events. The vocal folds snap together while air from the lungs blows past, making them vibrate. The vibrations produce sound waves that travel through the throat, nose, and mouth, which act as resonating cavities to modulate the sound. The quality of your voice—its pitch, volume, and tone—is determined by the size and shape of the vocal folds and the resonating cavities. This is why people’s voices sound so different.
Many people use their voices for their work. Singers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, nurses, sales people, and public speakers are among those who make great demands on their voices. This puts them at risk for developing voice problems. An estimated 17.9 million adults in the U.S. report problems with their voice. Some of these disorders can be avoided by taking care of your voice.
If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you may have a voice problem:
If you think you have a voice problem, consult a doctor to determine the underlying cause. A doctor who specializes in diseases or disorders of the ears, nose, and throat, and who can best diagnose a voice disorder, is an otolaryngologist (oh-toe-lar-in-GAH-luh-jist), sometimes called an ENT. Your otolaryngologist may refer you to a speech-language pathologist. A speech-language pathologist can help you improve the way you use your voice.
Causes of voice problems include:
Most voice problems can be reversed by treating the underlying cause or through a range of behavioral and surgical treatments.
Stay hydrated:
Maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet:
Use your voice wisely:
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) supports research that includes laboratory studies to understand diseases and stresses that can harm the voice, and clinical research to test new ways to diagnose, treat, or cure voice disorders.
Researchers are exploring how the brain controls the muscles and nerves of the larynx and tongue, and how these structures move to produce speech. This information may help other scientists design better treatments for conditions such as vocal fold paralysis and spasmodic dysphonia, which can damage the voice. It may also help researchers design new rehabilitation strategies to improve the quality of life for people challenged by severe voice disorders.
Another area of interest to researchers is developing replacement tissues to repair damaged vocal folds. NIDCD-funded scientists are testing man-made and biological materials and stem cell technologies that may eventually be used to engineer new vocal fold tissues, as well as methods to encourage nerve regrowth to treat laryngeal paralysis.
Researchers are also looking at new ways to assess vocal disorders and testing new methods of voice therapy for people with growths on the vocal folds. Research continues to explore ways to prevent scarring of the vocal fold after injury and to treat vocal scarring when it occurs. Additional ongoing research studies aim to understand the mechanisms of laryngeal papillomatosis caused by HPV (human papillomavirus), and to develop new drug treatments for the disorder.
New techniques to combat age-related weakness in the laryngeal muscles have the potential to prevent voice disorders in the aging population. Recent results from NIDCD-funded researchers showed that, in an animal model of the aging voice, vocal training exercises helped the muscles of the larynx stay strong.
Because teachers have a high incidence of vocal disorders, the NIDCD is supporting the development of an educational website for teachers to support healthy behaviors and protection of their voices. The NIDCD is also supporting research into the effectiveness of voice hygiene education and voice production training for teachers.
The NIDCD maintains a directory of organizations that provide information on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.
For more information, contact us at:
NIDCD Information Clearinghouse
1 Communication Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20892-3456
Toll-free voice: (800) 241-1044
Toll-free TTY: (800) 241-1055
Email: nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov
NIH Pub. No. 14-5160
Updated March 2021
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Information specialists can answer your questions in English or Spanish.
Voice: (800) 241-1044
TTY: (800) 241-1055
nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov