Speech, Language, and Voice: What’s the Difference?
Speech, language, and voice are all the same, right? No! Although they are all parts of communication, they are distinct from one another. Many people can identify that something is wrong with their communication ability, but they don’t quite know the terminology to describe what is happening. Here is a short and sweet difference between speech, language, and voice!
What is Speech?
Our speech is how we make sounds using our mouths. Some of the most common concerns with speech are articulation (saying the wrong consonant when speaking) and fluency (the rhythm of our speech). Often neurological impairments will result in slurred or slushy-sounding speech.
What is Language?
Our language is the way we use words to make sentences that convey our thoughts and ideas. There are four parts of language, expressing, understanding, reading, and writing. When someone experiences a neurological change, one or all of these parts of language may be affected.
What is voice?
Voice is the quality or sound of our voice. Voice is the basis of verbal communication. If you cannot produce a voice, you cannot speak aloud. Voice impairments can present as soft and mumbled speech, changes to pitch, or sounding very hoarse or breathy.
People may experience impairments in just one or all communication components! A speech-language pathologist can help with the proper diagnosis and treatment so you can become more confident speaking again. At Neuro Speech Solutions, we specialize in treatment for adults with communication impairments. Whether it is your speech, language, or voice that is causing you struggles, we would be happy to help you regain your skills.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Katie Brown, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIS
Katie is the owner and founder of Neuro Speech Solutions. She is passionate about providing person-centered treatment to her clients in order to meet their life participation goals. Katie is dedicated to helping other SLPs provide functional therapy through affordable materials and education courses.
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