Monotonic speech

What it means

A speech pattern characterized by a persistently abnormal lack of tone in the voice. Monotonic speech is typically ongoing, lasting throughout the day, but may have a diurnal variation in the pattern, i.e. slower at specific times of the day.

Often accompanied by reduced variation of rate and rhythm.

Rare diseases that can present with this3

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Flat speech