The period when boys' voices break. Age when boys' voices break

Otorhinolaryngologist and phoniatrist, MD, tells: Gennady Ivanchenko.

Whistles and flutes

The voice is born using several systems of the body: the larynx, vocal folds (in everyday speech they are called ligaments), lungs, chest and nasopharynx. A stream of air escaping from the lungs causes the vocal folds to vibrate at a certain frequency, with the chest and nasopharynx serving as resonators. The larger and thicker the vocal folds, the lower the sound. Not always though. Caruso, for example, had vocal folds twice as large as another bass profundo, and Caruso sang in a tenor.

In boys, like in girls, the larynx is small, the folds are small, and only their edges vibrate under the action of a stream of air. Experts call this the falsetto mechanism of sound creation. The larynx is like a whistle. Nature designed it this way so that a child, whose sound-producing systems are still small, can still be heard. And in fact, the squeals of children are so clearly audible that if you walk into school during a break, for example, you can simply go deaf.

Folds are a hormone-dependent structure

But at the age of 13-14, under the influence of various hormones, mainly sex hormones, boys’ vocal folds begin to grow, lengthen and thicken. These folds are a hormone-dependent structure. It is not for nothing that eunuchs have a high-pitched, childlike voice - they themselves have the build of fully grown men, and the vocal folds do not reach adult sizes, because the body does not produce sex hormones.

For the same reason, older people’s voices become higher - because there are less and less sex hormones in the body. And in women, in old age, on the contrary, the voice sounds in lower tones; again, there are not enough hormones, only female ones, which change the folds so that the sound is high and ringing.

An adult can speak and sing in falsetto even with a normally developed vocal apparatus. True, without habit it is not very convenient. But it’s fashionable, it’s not for nothing that some radio hosts say so and Presnyakov Jr. sings. For an adult, such a mechanism of sound formation is still more natural, when the entire fold vibrates, the vocal wave travels both horizontally and vertically. Therefore, an adult voice turns out to be deeper, more beautiful, and varied in color. In ordinary speech, we use 2-3 tones above and below our fundamental tone. And the singer takes two octaves.

Fear of the new

For a teenager, switching from falsetto to a full-fledged sound formation process is difficult. But the problem here is more likely not a problem, but a psychological one: the boy is accustomed to the sound of his childhood voice, but a new voice - a baritone or bass - scares him. When talking, he uses either the old mechanism of sound generation or the new one.

Since children grow unevenly, one guy may still be small, but his bass voice is already breaking through with all his might, while the other has grown a mile tall, and his larynx is still small, his voice is still childish. It’s these boys who are ahead of their peers or behind them who have the hardest time; they are the most embarrassed about their voices. But for most people, voice loss is a normal physiological process: the voice becomes lower and rougher - well, okay. Most quickly discover a new mechanism for producing sounds. In rare cases, any teenager needs the help of a phonopedist - a voice specialist who usually works with singers. Perhaps only a few of those who grow up surrounded by women alone. These boys have no one to even imitate, no one to take an example from. But for them, one lesson is usually enough, during which a doctor or phonopedist will show you exercises for establishing and strengthening a normal male voice.

Three features

There are three features of teenage mutation that are useful for parents to know.

● When breaking your voice, there is no need to load the vocal folds. But the boys, unfortunately, do not take care of them, they strain them at every step: either while playing football they scream like crazy, or they sing songs at the top of their lungs with a guitar... Due to overstrain, nodules can appear on the folds, doctors call them that - screamer knots. These nodules change the vibration of the folds and the voice becomes hoarse. Some nodules then resolve on their own if the loads drop, but sometimes you have to remove them - microsurgical operations.

● Colds can prolong the mutation. 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 redder, and it seems that the child has laryngitis. They begin to treat the boy for a cold, give him medicine, take him to doctors... But it’s just a normal physiological process.

If the mutation has been prolonged, that is, the boy has already stopped growing upward, and his voice has not become low like a man, the teenager must be shown to a phoniatrist. The longer a guy speaks in falsetto, the more difficult it will be for him to switch to adult tones.

● We are not destined to know what kind of “adult” voice a beautifully singing little boy will have. In childhood, there is a high, clear voice, but a mutation has occurred, and the voice turns out to be the most banal - both in color, and in timbre, and in strength. A well-known example is Robertino Loretti. And nothing can be done: what is given is given.

Interesting

A curious case. Once, an officer, and not of the lowest rank, turned to phoniatrists - doctors who study the peculiarities of the functioning of the vocal apparatus. Quite an adult, and his voice is like that of a boy. It turns out to be frivolous. Doctors helped him and taught him to speak in a baritone voice.

Signs of voice breaking

As noted above, on average, the formed female larynx is 1/3 smaller than the male larynx, i.e. one and a half to two times. During puberty, the growth of all its signs in both sexes is activated.

In males, the following grow at maximum speed: the thyrohyoid membrane, conical ligament, vocal cords, and the wall of the larynx in height from the side of its cavity and from the outside.

In females, the following grow at the highest rate: the thyroid, cricoid and arytenoid cartilages.

Unevenness in the growth rate of individual characteristics of the same organ or part of it leads to temporary age-related changes in its external shape.

Along with changes in individual parts of the larynx, it also changes in its structure.

Boys are in transition begins later than in girls, although both of them experience similar problems: bones grow faster than muscles, this causes frequent pain; disorder of the autonomic nervous system. One of the main problems is acne (small rashes on the skin and pimples on the face), the cause of complexes and dissatisfaction with one’s own appearance, which simply disappears over time.

To a teenage boy I want to show a strong-willed character that he is capable of decisive, courageous actions. But the child does not fully understand how to act and often simply becomes stubborn and does anything to defy his elders. At this age, it seems that the main thing is to go against public opinion and break generally accepted rules. Peers usually support such “dared souls” and even admire them; this is very valuable for a teenager. The boy cannot set his priorities correctly and adolescence is a truly serious test for him.

For the same reason, older people’s voices become higher – because there are less and less sex hormones in the body. And in women, in old age, on the contrary, the voice sounds in lower tones; again, there are not enough hormones, only female ones, which change the folds so that the sound is high and ringing.

Mutation.

This stage is characterized by swelling of the larynx, as well as excessive or insufficient mucus production. These factors cause inflammation, thereby the surface of the ligaments acquires a characteristic color. Overexertion can lead to wheezing, and subsequently to “non-closure of the vocal folds.” Therefore, during this period it is worth paying close attention to vocal hygiene, including the prevention of colds and viral diseases. There is instability of the voice, distortion of sound, as well as characteristic hoarseness. When singing, tension in the vocal apparatus is observed, especially when jumping over wide intervals. Therefore, in your classes you should lean towards singing exercises, rather than compositions.

Personal hygiene rules are changing...

Don’t forget to teach your son the basics of personal hygiene, because uncleanliness can lead to balanoposthitis and other dubious pleasures. Daily toilet, frequent change of underwear is a mandatory item in the personal care program not only for girls, but also for boys. Don’t forget that a boy’s sex glands are more active and, naturally, an unpleasant odor appears. The boy himself may not notice this, but his classmates and friends (and, of course, girls) will definitely notice. Don’t forget to pay attention to this and – again – “long live scented soap” and neutral deodorants.

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.

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 courageous 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), to 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.

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... screaming loudly 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.

A person's voice appears due to the passage of a stream of air from the lungs. In this case, the vocal folds (or, as they say, ligaments) vibrate at a certain frequency, and the nasopharynx and chest work as sound resonators.

Children's vocal organs (both the larynx and vocal folds) are small. The air stream makes only their edges vibrate. At the same time, all children make high-pitched sounds. Boys aged 13-14 years begin to grow vocal cords due to hormonal changes. In addition, they lengthen and thicken. At this time, the vocal apparatus is being rebuilt to a new, adult, sound reproduction mechanism. Now the teenager’s entire fold vibrates. In this case, voice waves can travel both horizontally and vertically, which provides a deep, rich sound.

It cannot be said that a boy’s voice loss will happen at any specific time. For some, this process occurs earlier, while for others it may be delayed for one reason or another. And, of course, boys who are ahead or behind the bulk of their peers have a hard time in a psychological sense; a teenager’s self-esteem may fall.

Most often this happens when teenagers are constantly surrounded by only women. Such boys simply have no one to imitate, nowhere to take an example from. If adults notice such a problem, it is worth showing the child to a phonopedist, whose specialization is correct voice production. Sometimes just one or a couple of classes are enough for a teenager to “sound” like a man.

Voice breaking in boys may not occur in those who are often susceptible to colds, throat diseases, especially laryngitis. Moreover, only a doctor will be able to determine whether a red throat is a consequence of a disease or a sign of voice mutation (after all, voice failure is often accompanied by inflammation of the organs of the speech apparatus, which is quite physiological and does not require treatment). Therefore, if the problem persists, it is worth visiting a special phoniatrist who treats or excludes diseases of the vocal apparatus.

The period of voice mutation in teenage boys should be spent under the motto of maximum rest for the cords. It is necessary to explain to the teenager that now is not the time for loud songs with a guitar, chanting during football matches or any kind of stress on the speech apparatus. Overexertion can lead to the formation of nodules on the vocal folds, which make the voice hoarse and unsightly.

If, with the onset of a boy’s voice breaking period, you pay attention to the health and lifestyle of a teenager and take this time seriously, then the process of physiological changes will go much faster and more painlessly. Moreover, it is worth understanding that the new, male voice depends only on the natural characteristics of the boy. It is impossible to "make" the voice sound melodic, definitely high or low.

The timbre of the voice is already genetically determined and it is worth taking a philosophical approach to how the child’s voice now sounds. Undoubtedly, both those around him and the teenager himself will need time to get used to the new voice. Teach your child to perceive himself correctly and not have complexes about his new “sound.”