ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Puberphonia

Hi kiddo! You know how our voices change as we grow up? Well, sometimes, for some boys, their voice gets stuck sounding like how it used to when they were younger. This is called puberphonia!

Basically, when a boy is going through puberty, his voice starts to change and become deeper. But for some boys, their voice doesn't change as much as it should, so even though they might be 15 or 16 years old, their voice may still sound like a little kid.

This can be tricky because having a high-pitched voice may make them feel embarrassed or uncomfortable around their peers, especially if others make fun of them for it. Fortunately, there are ways to help change their voice to sound more mature!

Speech therapists can help by teaching them exercises that help lengthen and stretch their vocal cords, which can help make their voice sound deeper. With time and practice, the boy's voice may start sounding like how it would naturally during puberty.

So, puberphonia is like a temporary pause in a boy's voice changing during puberty. Luckily, there are people who can help fix it so the boy can feel more confident and happy with the way he sounds!