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

• 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

My symptoms matched all the descriptions for the rarer form of the disorder, called abductor spasmodic dysphonia.

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

Spasmodic dysphonia, a rare neurological condition, in which an abnormality in the brain’s neural network results in involuntary spasms of the muscles that open or close the vocal cords.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2024

Symptoms.—Dryness of mouth and throat, intense thirst, dysphagia and dysphonia, quick pulse, noisy delirium and stupor.

From Aids to Forensic Medicine and Toxicology by Robertson, W. G. Aitchison (William George Aitchison )