What is one of the main perceptual features of hypernasality?

Hypernasality is characterized by an atypical resonance during speech that occurs due to excessive airflow through the nasal cavity during phonation, particularly affecting speech sounds that are intended to be produced orally. One of the key perceptual features of hypernasality is that voiced oral consonants, which should primarily resonate through the oral cavity, can take on a nasal quality, leading to a distortion in their articulation. This occurs because the velopharyngeal valve does not close adequately, allowing nasal resonance to interfere with the normal vocal quality, making these sounds seem more nasalized.

The other options do not accurately reflect the perceptual features associated with hypernasality. For example, excessive consonant strength and sharp pronunciation are more related to articulation issues rather than resonance. Sound muffling may occur in various speech disorders but is not specifically tied to hypernasality. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify why voiced oral consonants becoming nasalized is a prominent feature of hypernasality.