Which disorder is commonly associated with muscle weakness?

• A. AOS
• B. Dysarthria
• C. Aphasia
• D. Cluttering

Answer: (B)

Muscle weakness in the speech mechanism points to a motor speech disorder where the muscles used for speaking—the lips, tongue, jaw, palate, and vocal folds—are weak or poorly coordinated. Dysarthria fits this description because it stems from neuromuscular problems that affect articulation, voice quality, and prosody. You might hear slurred or imprecise consonants, slower speech, hoarseness, or altered resonance.

In contrast, apraxia of speech centers on planning and programming movements for speech rather than the muscles themselves, so weakness isn’t the defining feature. Aphasia involves language processing difficulties, not the motor control of speech. Cluttering is a fluency issue with rapid or disorganized speech, not primarily about muscle strength. So the disorder most commonly linked to muscle weakness is the one that directly involves the speech muscles—dysarthria.