nasality
speech pathology
Quick Summary
Nasality in speech refers to the quality of an utterance where the airstream passes through the nose due to the lowering of the soft palate. This can manifest in two primary ways:12
- Open nasality (hypernasal speech): Occurs when too much air escapes through the nose, affecting oral speech sounds. This can be caused by organic issues like palate defects or functional problems such as faulty speech habits.3
- Closed nasality (hyponasal speech): Happens when nasal resonance is decreased, muffling nasal sounds. This is often due to obstructions like colds, adenoids, or nasal diseases.3
A combination of these, known as mixed nasality, can also occur. Cleft palate is a congenital condition that can lead to nasal speech due to difficulties in achieving proper velopharyngeal closure. Treatment requires careful consideration of all contributing factors.345
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