Ah, yes, what a dignified time of life-when, in the course of the same sentence, you can sound like Issac Hayes and Alvin the Chipmunk.

Your larynx is a hollow, tube-shaped piece of cartilage that is located at the top of your trachea (windpipe). There are two thin muscles-called vocal cords-that are stretched across the trachea, sort of like rubber bands. And when you speak or sing, air rushing from your lungs causes these vocal cords to vibrate, producing your voice.

During puberty, higher levels of testosterone cause the cartilage of a boy’s larynx to grow and the vocal cords to become longer and thicker, vibrating at a lower frequency, and creating a deeper tone of voice. There are other anatomical changes that contribute to the differences in an adolescent boy’s voice. His facial bones begin to grow, as do his sinus cavities, nose, and throat. This creates a larger space in which his voice can resonate more deeply. (Some of this is actually visible-as the larynx gets bigger, it also tilts at a different angle and protrudes farther. Yes, boys and girls-the Adam’s apple.)

That cracking and breaking voice that can mortify a pubescent boy is simply the result of his body adjusting to all of these physical changes. This is all very temporary. Once maturity and full laryngeal growth are achieved, those unpredictable squeaks become a thing of the past.

And the award for best all-time cracked voice in a leading role… envelope, please…Anthony Michael Hall in Sixteen Candles.