Which statement correctly describes voiced sounds?

• A. They are produced with vibration of the vocal cords
• B. They are produced without vibration of the vocal cords
• C. They are produced during breathy voice only
• D. They involve nasal resonance only

Answer: (A)

Voiced sounds are distinguished by vibration of the vocal cords as air passes through the larynx. When you produce vowels or voiced consonants like b, d, or z, the vocal folds rapidly vibrate, adding a buzzing quality to the sound. That vocal-fold vibration is the defining feature that sets voiced sounds apart from voiceless ones, where the cords stay still and no vibration occurs.

Saying that voiced sounds come from breathy voice isn’t accurate for all cases—breathy voice is one possible phonation style, but many voiced sounds use modal (normal) vocal cord vibration and aren’t breathy. And describing sounds as involving nasal resonance only misses the key point about vocal cord vibration; nasal resonance relates to the sound’s resonance in the nasal cavity and can occur with various voicing patterns, not the fundamental distinction between voiced and voiceless.