What type of voice sound is a lesion or growth on the vocal folds more likely to cause?

A lesion or growth on the vocal folds is most likely to cause a breathy voice sound because these irregularities can disrupt the closure of the vocal folds during phonation. When the vocal folds do not come together completely, air escapes during sound production, leading to a voice quality characterized by breathiness. This occurs because the airflow is not properly modulated, resulting in a sound that lacks clarity and strength.

In contrast, a strained voice typically results from excessive effort in trying to produce sound despite the obstruction, while a harsh voice might arise from a different set of vocal fold dynamics, such as muscle tension or incomplete glottal closure. Hoarseness can describe a combination of breathiness and roughness, but the presence of a lesion specifically leads to more pronounced breathy qualities due to the inability of the folds to close tightly.