The age when boys' voices break. Voice breaking in boys: how and why it happens How to understand that a boy’s voice is breaking

It has long been established by nature that a person should communicate. Almost all children are born with thin voices, and by adolescence the voice begins to break down. In fact, this process affects both male and female ligaments, although in girls it is not so noticeable.

What does the process look like?

The beginning of the air wave comes from the lungs, reaches the ligaments and causes them to vibrate. As for the chest and nasopharynx, they act as resonators. The pitch of the sound depends on the thickness of the vocal cords - the thinner they are, as in girls, the higher the voice, and vice versa - the thicker the cords, as in boys, the lower.

Nature has made sure that parents always hear their child. Therefore, from birth, every person has small and thin ligaments.

As they grow, they increase in size and thicken, and accordingly, the sound changes its tonality.

But during puberty, the speed and degree of growth has gender differences. The female larynx changes twice, while the male larynx changes by 70%.

This is why teenagers have such significant differences in timbre, both by gender and between each other. But it’s worth saying right away that this process is absolutely individual, which is why some boys have had bass for 12 years, while others still communicate in tenor at 15.

There are three main stages of mutation.

Premutation period. At this time, the body is preparing for future changes, and at this stage all systems are involved.

the sound becomes more hoarse;
hoarseness and tickling, which are accompanied by a slight cough, are noted.

But it is worth noting that if a boy or girl sings, then such symptoms may manifest themselves somewhat differently, because singers have more trained ligaments. Firstly, high notes will not come as easily as before. Secondly, the child may begin to complain of pain in the larynx while singing.

The vocal teachers themselves will begin to make comments about the “dirt” in the sound. Although in a “quiet” state such signs may not be observed. The vocal cords need rest at this time, since the process of restructuring and the simultaneous load on them can lead to a person simply losing “his sound.”

Voice breaking. At this time, the larynx begins to swell, and mucus may be released. Such moments provoke the onset of the development of inflammatory processes.

Therefore, if you look into a teenager’s mouth, you will see that the surface of the vocal cords has turned red. It is this condition that requires rest, since increased load can lead to underdevelopment of the organ.

During such a period, it is worth taking special care to protect yourself from colds and viral diseases, otherwise, after adolescence has passed, there is a risk that boys will still have a tenor sound.

Post-mutation period. This is an individual process. Many factors play a role here, ranging from nationality to personal physiological and sometimes genetic characteristics. It can happen differently in boys and girls and take different amounts of time. Usually, towards the end of the development of “own sound”, the child begins to complain of rapid fatigue of the vocal cords. But now it will become more noticeable that the voice no longer has fluctuations, it becomes more stable.

The teenage period is characterized by rapid activation of hormonal processes. It is these substances that are responsible for external and internal changes in the human body - in boys, hair begins to actively grow throughout the body, puberty develops, emissions are observed, and a sharp increase in skeleton and muscle mass is observed. As for girls, their breasts begin to grow, their body shape changes, and menstruation begins.

The vocal cords are also very dependent on hormones. If during adolescence they do not receive enough of their components, they will not be able to acquire “adult” sizes - to become more elongated and dense. Accordingly, the young man’s voice will not break, which means that the young man’s voice will remain quite high.

By the way, it is always higher in girls, since they do not produce sex hormones in the same quantities as in boys, and they are also completely different. It is interesting to note that with old age, a man's voice becomes higher and a woman's voice lower. And all these points are due to the fact that the hormonal background does not receive enough of its components.

Voice failure is associated not only with physiological, but also with psychological discomfort. And both boys and girls. But female ligaments grow a little slower, so when puberty comes, they are still short compared to male ones. Therefore the mutation is not so obvious.

A sharp change in timbre in a girl may be associated with a hormonal imbalance. But in this case, parents are obliged to show their daughter to an endocrinologist, because this may indicate serious endocrine diseases. If the girl does not have obvious symptoms of voice failure, then the mutation process occurs naturally and there is no need to worry about anything.

Most teenagers don't even notice how their voice breaks. This is due to the fact that such a process simply does not cause them any discomfort.

Different children of the same age may have different voice tones because their larynxes will be at different stages of development. But regardless of what state the child is in, parents should know what actions are permissible during this period, and why they should abstain.

moderate load. Here the advice applies more to parents of boys than of girls. Excessive stress on the vocal cords provokes the formation of nodules, which subsequently lead to hoarseness. Such a defect may go away on its own, but in some cases surgery cannot be avoided;
During the mutation period, it is worth protecting the child from colds. This may prolong the loss of voice. If a young man continues to have high tones for a long time, then parents are advised to show him to a specialist such as a phoniatrist;
parents must explain to the child that “own sound” is unique, and it will be the same as intended by nature. Very often, little boys try to imitate one or another hero. Such fanaticism can lead to the young man overloading his ligaments and they simply “break.”

Nature itself lays down this or that tone of voice, and no one can change it. Therefore, you should take your timbre as a given and not resist it. And there is no way to speed up the breakdown of the voice, because this process is natural and cannot be influenced.

All you have to do is be patient and follow the recommendations so that this process goes faster and, if possible, without complications.

Voice breaking

The appearance of a voice in a person occurs through several organs: vocal cords, larynx, nasopharynx, chest, lungs. Air escaping from the lungs causes the vocal folds to vibrate, and the nasopharynx and chest are resonators. The pitch of the sound depends on the thickness and length of the vocal cords - the larger and thicker they are, the lower the sound. In children, the larynx is small and the vocal folds are small, so children's voices are high and ringing.

When and why do boys' voices break?

At the age of 12-14 years, boys begin to experience age-related changes in their bodies; under the influence of sex hormones, the ligaments begin to grow, thicken and lengthen. At this time, they show signs of voice breakdown - it switches from a high timbre to a low one and vice versa. This is what is called voice mutation. Often at this time a problem arises, but not physiological, but rather psychological: the boy is accustomed to the sound of his high voice, but an adult bass voice sometimes scares him. But for most boys, voice mutation is a completely natural process and it lasts on average for several months.

What to do if your voice breaks?

Parents should know about three features of teenage voice mutation:

during the withdrawal period, you cannot load the vocal cords; due to overstrain, nodules appear on the folds, as a result of which the voice becomes hoarse;
avoid colds - the mutation may be delayed;
It is not known what kind of voice a teenager will have in adulthood: what is inherent in nature cannot be changed.

Teenagers are often interested in how they can speed up the loss of their voice. So, this cannot be done in any way because mutation is a natural physiological process, and, as you know, it is not worth interfering with nature.

Do girls' voices break?

The thing is that the vocal folds in girls grow more slowly than in boys, and by the beginning of puberty they are even much shorter in girls. Girls' voices also break, but not as clearly and not as quickly as in boys. This process cannot be called a mutation because such a change in voice is not associated with hormonal changes in the girl’s body.

This or that timbre of voice is inherent in a person by nature and must be taken for granted. It will take time for a growing child to get used to his new voice. Explain to your child that voice loss is a kind of beginning of the path to adulthood. And if parents take the teenager seriously during the mutation of his voice and support him with practical advice, then this process will be less painful and much faster.

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How and why voice breakdown (mutation) occurs in boys, read our article.

Just yesterday your son spoke in a normal, boyish voice, and today you heard the first breakdown. He has started to develop, so a lot of things are changing in him, including his voice breaking (voice mutation). Along with obvious external changes, the boy's voice takes on a completely different sound. For some time, it will even be difficult for him to control his cords, so due to his voice breaking, he will make a variety of strange sounds.

Changes in the larynx during voice mutation in boys

It is the larynx that is responsible for the production of sound. As puberty progresses, the larynx enlarges and becomes thicker. This happens in both boys and girls, but for a boy, of course, the changes due to voice mutation are more noticeable. Girls' voices can literally go down a key or two, and it's barely noticeable, but a boy's voice becomes much lower and deeper.

Why do boys' voices sound so strange during mutation?

The larynx, located in the throat, plays an important role in creating sound. The two main muscles, the vocal cords, are stretched like rubber bands across the larynx.

When a person speaks, air from the lungs causes the vocal cords to vibrate, which produces sound. The pitch of the voice depends on how tightly the ligaments close as air flows through them. If you've ever tugged on a small, thin rubber band, you've probably heard a high-pitched, drawn-out squeak as you pull it. A thicker rubber band produces a deeper, lower, lingering sound. The same thing happens with the vocal cords.

Before a boy reaches adolescence, his larynx is very small, and his vocal cords are thin and small. That's why a boy's voice is higher than a grown man's. But with maturation, the larynx enlarges, and the ligaments become longer and stronger, and accordingly the boy’s voice becomes deeper.

In addition, the facial bones also grow: the size of the sinuses, nose and back of the throat becomes larger. More space gives the voice more opportunity to resonate.

Creaking and wheezing are part of the normal development of the body during this period. Even when the boy gets used to the changes, it will be difficult for him to control his own voice for some time after the voice mutation. So, along with accepting general changes in appearance, you will need to get used to your new sound.

Speaking of external changes. When the larynx begins to enlarge, it tilts inside the neck at a slightly different angle than before and partially begins to protrude. This is the same Adam's apple or Adam's apple. In girls, the larynx also enlarges, but not as much as in boys.

When does voice loss occur in boys?

Everyone develops at their own pace, so boys experience voice loss at different ages. This usually occurs between ages 11 and 14.5, often after a big growth spurt. For some, the mutation (break) of the voice lasts a long time and gradually, while for others it happens very quickly.

If your son is bothered, annoyed, or confused by the strange sound of his voice, explain to him that this is temporary and everyone goes through it. In a couple of months he will already have a low, deep and powerful adult voice of a man, and not the voice of a boy!

A stream of air escaping from the lungs causes the vocal folds (also called cords) to vibrate at a certain frequency, and the chest and nasopharynx serve as resonators.

In children, the larynx is small, the folds are small, and under the influence of a stream of air only their edges vibrate, producing high-pitched, piercing sounds. But at the age of 13–14, under the influence of sex hormones, the vocal folds in boys begin to grow, lengthen and thicken. There is a transition to the adult mechanism of sound formation, when the entire fold vibrates, the vocal wave goes both horizontally and vertically, so the adult voice is deeper, more beautiful, and varied in color.

Children grow unevenly: one guy may still be a small sprout, but his bass voice is already breaking through with all his might, while the other has grown a mile tall, and his voice is still childish. Such boys, who are ahead of or behind their peers, have the most difficult time - they are more embarrassed than others about their voice.

Most teenagers quickly discover a new mechanism for producing sounds. But sometimes the help of a phonopedist is required - a voice training specialist who usually works with singers. More often this happens to boys who grow up surrounded by only women: they have no one to imitate, no one to take an example from. Usually one lesson is enough, during which the doctor will show you exercises for establishing and strengthening a normal male voice.

THREE TIPS FOR PARENTS FROM A PHONIATER

The boys, unfortunately, do not take care of them: when playing football, they scream like crazy, and sing songs at the top of their lungs with a guitar. Due to overstrain, nodules can appear on the folds, which are called screamer nodules. They change the vibration of the folds, and the voice becomes hoarse. Some nodules resolve on their own if the load is reduced, but sometimes they have to be removed using microsurgery.

SECOND. Colds can prolong the mutation.

If the boy has already stopped growing upward, and his voice still does not sound low like a man, you need to show the teenager to a phoniatrist. The longer a guy speaks in falsetto, the more difficult it will be for him to switch to an adult voice. By the way, a red throat in a teenager is not always a sign of a respiratory infection. When the larynx grows, blood circulation increases in it, the tissues become more red, as with laryngitis.

They begin to treat the boy for a cold, give him medicine, take him to doctors, but only a normal physiological process occurs.

No one is destined to know what kind of “adult” voice a beautifully singing little boy will have. A well-known example is Robertino Loretti. And nothing can be done about it: the capabilities of the voice depend on the natural characteristics of the body. So be philosophical about age-related voice mutation and try to teach your child this.

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Voice breaking in boys: how and why it happens

How and why voice breakdown (mutation) occurs in boys, read our article.

Just yesterday your son spoke in a normal, boyish voice, and today you heard the first breakdown. He has started puberty, so a lot of things are changing in him, including his voice breaking (voice mutation). Along with obvious external changes, the boy's voice takes on a completely different sound. For some time, it will even be difficult for him to control his cords, so due to his voice breaking, he will make a variety of strange sounds.

Why do boys' voices sound so strange during mutation?

In addition, the facial bones also grow: the size of the sinuses, nose and back of the throat becomes larger. More space gives the voice more opportunity to resonate.

When does voice loss occur in boys?

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Hello, Sasha.

Voice formation in both men and women is a rather complex and multi-stage process. It involves at least 5 body systems: lungs, chest, nasopharynx, vocal folds (also called “cords,” but this is incorrect), articulatory apparatus and larynx. The voice is formed precisely at the moment when the air inhaled by a person passes through the vocal folds, which begin to vibrate and vibrate, and sound, as is known, is born during vibration.

Since the vocal folds tend to grow, children's voices, when they are completely undeveloped, are high-pitched and squeaky. You can’t fool nature, because she has provided for everything: children need such voices so that their parents can hear them even over long distances.

When do boys' voices change?

It cannot be said for sure that at the age of 12 a boy’s voice will necessarily change and “break.” No! Firstly, in boys the process of changing their voice proceeds faster, because vocal folds grow and thicken at a faster rate. For girls, this process takes a little longer, so by about 10-12 years the difference in voices becomes obvious. After a couple of years (by about 13 - 14 years), sex hormones intervene in the process of voice mutation, because Boys begin puberty. It is at this moment that the voice changes greatly, because the rate of growth and thickening of the vocal folds is now influenced by hormones.

It is also impossible to say for sure about the duration of the voice mutation process, because withdrawal can last from one month to several years. On average, the process takes a couple of months, during which time growing men already have time to get used to their new “sound.”

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that boys experience serious psychological problems during the period of voice changes, so parents need to treat the child during this period of his development more attentively and leniently. Adults should avoid shouting and loud tones that become bass-heavy. Under no circumstances should the situation escalate to the point where the child himself screams, because... loud screaming can cause damage to his vocal folds, which can lead to the development of voice problems. Strong tension in warehouses at the stage of their active growth can lead to the formation of “nodules” that greatly change the voice. Among other things, screaming can provoke hemorrhage in the tissues of the folds.

What is early puberty?

I would like to draw your special attention to the fact that the age of 13 - 14 years for breaking a voice is very arbitrary. The average limit of voice breakdown (puberty) is defined in this range, but, as with any other rule, there may be exceptions to this one. In medical practice, there are indeed cases when boys experience puberty earlier (for example, at 8 - 10 years old), as well as situations when it occurs at a later age (for example, at 18 years old).

In this situation, we are interested in early puberty in boys, although it is called “early” only if it begins before the age of 10. The age of 11 in boys is considered absolutely normal for certain changes in his body - puberty.

At approximately 11 - 13 years of age (in this case, at 11 years old for you), the production of the hormone GnRH begins in a certain part of the child’s brain (the hypothalamus gland). It is this hormone that is involved in the formation of sperm and other sex hormones. As mentioned earlier, it is these sex hormones, androgens, that influence the vocal folds, which begin to actively increase in size and thicken. Accordingly, a change in the voice occurs, its mutation, which is called “breakage”.

Sincerely, Natalia.

It is very important for the fair sex to hear words of love and support from your man, and it is even more pleasant if the man’s voice is truly beautiful. However, guys don’t suddenly or immediately develop a velvety baritone or a luxurious and masculine bass. This is preceded by months of restructuring of the vocal cords - a process that is irreversible and inevitable for every young man. Let's find out when boys' voices break, how long it lasts, and whether it is possible to somehow speed up this transformation.

Starting point

Usually everything happens very suddenly. One fine (and for some, perhaps not so good) morning, yesterday’s child begins to turn into a young man. For men, growing up is extremely difficult. Moreover, this concerns all aspects of their existence - from the inner world to external transformations.

From about 9-10 years old, boys begin the pre-pubertal period. This is not “it” yet - the most terrible time, when testosterone in tomboys goes off scale, pushing them to various reckless (and sometimes completely stupid) actions, but by this age their body begins its restructuring. Also, this is not yet the time when boys’ voices break. This process occurs a little later.

According to average parameters, “breaking” of the voice occurs at the age of 11-14 years, at the peak of puberty. It all depends on when the boys started. From the start of the first changes, which externally manifest themselves in the form of skin imperfections and constantly oily hair (often mixed with dandruff), until the time when the voice of boys begins to break, about three years pass. At the age of 15, guys are no longer considered children, their puberty is complete, but the process of becoming a man will not be completed until the age of 22-23.

What is happening de facto?

Thus, we found out at what age boys’ voices break. Most often this happens around age 13. The rate of puberty is influenced by many factors, including heredity and the child’s living conditions. Scientists have proven that an unhealthy lifestyle of a young man hinders his development as a man.

Surely readers are interested in what happens to the body when a boy’s voice breaks. This period in their life is marked by rapid physical growth. Guys become taller, stronger, gain muscle mass, and at the same time, the internal organs responsible for speech undergo changes.

The ability to reproduce sounds in humans depends on several systems and organs. The air accumulated in the lungs, when exhaled, forms a wave that exerts a force on the vocal cords located in the larynx. They are the main link in the chain of sound creation. The oral cavity, larynx, and nasopharynx also participate in this process.

Children's ligaments are thin and short, which is why they speak in gentle, melodious voices. During active activity, the ligaments themselves increase, as well as the muscles and cartilage located in the throat area, and the Adam’s apple is formed. A sharp change in physique causes the boys’ voice to change almost suddenly, preventing young men from smoothly adapting to the new manner of speech.

Hormones... Where would we be without them?

The time at which boys’ voice breaks directly depends on the state of their hormonal levels. Testosterone is responsible for this metamorphosis. If the endocrine system is in order, then by the time the boys’ voice begins to break, it will produce a sufficient amount of hormones for the growth of ligaments. Ultimately, the timbre of speech will become lower by 5-6 tones.

Due to the influence of special components of testosterone, a significant tightening and lengthening of the ligaments occurs, which provokes changes in the voice. It happens that the body does not have enough of the much-needed hormone during the active phase of its growth, then the boy’s voice remains quite high not only during the period of his transformation into a man, but also during the post-pubertal period, as well as maturity. It is curious that with age, representatives of the stronger sex often experience a deficiency of the “male hormone,” which is why their voices become higher in old age.

How to help?

Regardless of what time the voice begins to break, boys will have some difficulties associated with this process. The child will never be one hundred percent ready for this, and given his changeable psycho-emotional state, which is influenced by the active phase of puberty, he really needs the help of loved ones, although he is unlikely to admit this to anyone.

Parents, and best of all the father, should have a conversation with their son about the fact that his voice will change in the near future, clarifying that this is not a matter of one day. It is impossible to say definitely at what age boys’ voices break, but it is better to start preparing them for this by the age of 12.

Also, loved ones need to try to ensure peace for the child, or rather his ligaments. This recommendation is quite broad in nature, because it concerns not only the elimination of possible overstrain of the vocal cords, but also the comprehensive prevention of colds. Why is it important?

During the growth of ligaments, special processes occur in the laryngeal cavity: mucus production is activated, blood circulation increases, the throat swells and turns red. It is during this period that it is most susceptible to attacks from viruses and bacterial infections. Tonsillitis can cause the formation of nodules on the ligaments, which makes the voice hoarse.

What should you not do during withdrawal?

during conversations in raised voices;
when a person sings;
The ligaments also become tense during screaming.

It is in singing boys that a change in voice can be “diagnosed” the earliest. When this process just begins, children's speech sounds like tenor, but when the ligaments are strained, the voice breaks down and may briefly rise or fall.

When does the voice change end?

Typically, by the age of 15, the formation of the speech apparatus and vocal cords is completed. Losing his voice lasts on average about six months, it can happen even faster - in 3-4 months, but sometimes it happens that a boy breaks down into either a squeal or a bass voice for a whole year.

It is impossible to speed up this process or somehow productively influence it. Usually children do not notice changes and do not feel physical discomfort, but sometimes they may complain of a sore throat and a desire to cough.

What will it be like?

The timbre of the voice depends on the physiology of a particular child, or more precisely, on the thickness and length of his ligaments. His new dialect may be unusual for the boy, but parents should tactfully explain to the young man that when the transformation is over, he should get used to the way he “sounds.”

Changing or copying someone’s voice means breaking the natural course of one’s own development; its tone is set by nature, and this must be taken for granted. Working too hard on your speaking style can cause your voice to break down. You can independently develop its strength, improve diction and expressiveness of speech.

A sensitive question

Voice breaking is especially difficult for those young men for whom the voice is an “instrument.” Many boys love to sing and study music not only as amateurs, but also quite professionally. The gentle voice that children under 10-11 years old have will change very soon, and the young singer needs to be prepared for this.

The growth of the ligaments will greatly affect the tone of the boy's voice. Moreover, at first it will be extremely difficult for him to control the sounds he makes while singing. If a teenager is ready for this, he will more easily endure the difficult period of voice mutation that occurs as a result of puberty and active growth.