breathy voice

a type of phonation in which the vocal cords vibrate as in normal voicing, but the glottal closure is incomplete, thus allowing air to leak between the cords throughout the vibration cycle. Examples are heard in normal articulation in the [h] sound in such words as behind and hippopotamus. When the voice is both weak and breathy, the condition is sometimes described as phonasthenia.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

ABR

abbreviation for auditory brainstem response. See brainstem auditory evoked response.