Which term describes auditory-perceptual aspect of voice?

• A. Roughness
• B. Breathiness
• C. Timbre
• D. Register

Answer: (A)

In voice assessment, we describe how a voice sounds to listeners using perceptual terms. Roughness names a specific auditory texture—a harsh, grating quality that comes from irregular vocal fold vibration and the resulting spectral noise. This is a direct perceptual description of what the voice sounds like.

Breathiness describes a more airy, open vocal quality due to incomplete glottal closure, which is a different perceptual cue. Timbre refers to the overall tone color or brightness of the voice—the character of the sound rather than its rough texture. Register relates to the pitch range over which the voice maintains a similar quality and does not name a perceptual texture.

So roughness best captures the auditory-perceptual aspect described here, distinguishing it from breathiness (airiness), timbre (tone color), and register (pitch range).