Voice breaks: why and when the voice “breaks”
When their voices break, boys, but also girls, swap their child’s voice for their adult voice during puberty. Here you can find out how the voice breaks and why the voice changes during the process.
Before puberty , girls’ and boys’ voices sound very similar. This changes as soon as the so-called voice breaks and boys in particular develop a much deeper voice. The average boy’s voice breaks or changes during puberty at the age of 13.5 and it can take a few months or even years before the voice stops cracking, cracking or sounds hoarse. Of course there are also “early starters” and “late bloomers”. With some boys, the voice breaks as early as 11 years of age, with others as late as 17 years of age. By the way: Even if the voice breaks with its typical features is over, the adult voice is not fully developed until the mid-twenties.
Voice breakage triggered by testosterone
The hormone testosterone, which is mainly produced in the testicles, is responsible for the broken voice. The hormonal changes lead to a growth spurt in the vocal cords and larynx. The vocal cords become wider and up to one centimeter longer. The larynx enlarges and shifts its position, showing the characteristic Adam’s apple in boys.
During this development, the voice becomes about an octave – i.e. 12 semitones – lower and can sound hoarse and brittle in between. When the voice breaks, the voice often shifts between high and low tones. This is because the vocal cords grow a little unevenly. The rapid growth also puts a strain on the muscles and tendons of the speech apparatus. Boys with a broken voice should rest their voice a little and consult an ear, nose and throat doctor in case of pain or other complaints. As a rule, however, the transition from the child’s voice to the adult’s is completely unproblematic and is at most a little embarrassing for boys in puberty.
Girls have their voices broken too
The female body also produces testosterone, but in much smaller amounts. This is why girls often experience a broken voice during puberty . During this time, the vocal cords grow about three to four millimeters and the voice is only two to three semitones lower. The voice break in girls is therefore rather inconspicuous and usually completes after a short time.
How the fully developed voice sounds is largely genetic. Of course, environmental factors or bad habits—such as heavy smoking—can put a strain on the voice, changing the way it sounds. On the other hand, it can be positively influenced with targeted voice training. Speech therapists help with voice disorders or other speech difficulties to stabilize and strengthen the voice.