What does dysarthria sound like?

Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder caused by neurological damage that impairs the muscles used for speech production. Because it affects the nerves controlling articulation, phonation, and respiration, it results in distinctive alterations to speech patterns.12

Depending on the location and severity of the neurological damage, dysarthria may sound like:

• Slurred or mumbled speech: Articulation may be imprecise, leading to speech that is difficult to understand.13
• Abnormal rhythm and volume: Speech may be slow, soft, or inaudible. In some cases, it may sound breathy or hoarse.1
• Jerky or explosive patterns: Conditions like chorea can cause bizarre, explosive disruptions in the flow of speech.3
• Ataxic quality: Damage to the cerebellum can result in a "drunken" or disorganized quality of speech.3
• Stilted or rigid patterns: Similar to the physical symptoms of Parkinson disease, speech may reflect rigid or tremulously repetitive movements. In severe cases, the voice may be reduced to a faint grunt or total muteness.3

It is important to note that individuals with dysarthria are sometimes incorrectly perceived as having intellectual disabilities or hearing impairments due to these speech distortions.1