Introduction: The vocal mutation is the period of voice change that occurs during puberty. It is characterized by acoustic modifications and vocal instabilities that occur in both men and women. Objective: To conduct a narrative review of published studies on vocal mutation, whether spoken or sung. A search of papers published between 1990 and 2019 in PubMed and LILACS was performed. Results: the bibliographic review consisted of eight articles. The studies reviewed included from six to 600 subjects. The investigations were carried out in men and women in both spoken and sung voices. Overall, study data revealed that vocal mutation occurs after age 13, and that emotional repercussions may occur during this period. Conclusion: To date, there are few published studies on changes in the voice in puberty. The vocal mutation involves various modifications in the organic, functional and emotional aspects of the individual.