Dysphonia is the medical term for disorders of the voice: an impairment in the ability to produce voice sounds using the
vocal organs (it is distinct from
dysarthria which signifies dysfunction in the muscles needed to produce speech). Thus, dysphonia is a
phonation disorder. The dysphonic voice can be hoarse or excessively breathy, harsh, or rough, but some kind of phonation is still possible (contrasted with the more severe
aphonia where phonation is impossible).