# What is jitter in VoIP?

> Jitter is the variation in the arrival time of RTP voice packets. Packets sent at even intervals arrive unevenly because of network congestion and varying routes, and that unevenness garbles audio if played straight out. A jitter buffer holds incoming packets briefly and releases them at a steady rate to smooth playback — trading a little added delay for cleaner sound. Excessive jitter beyond the buffer's depth causes dropouts. See /answers/voip-quality, /answers/what-is-rtp, and /answers/what-is-mos.

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- Language: en
- Last reviewed: 2026-07-22
- Publisher: BroadNet (https://www.broadnet.me)

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