Tense, distress continually returning - you can hear it in the voice (5)
I believe the answer is:
twang
'can hear it in the voice' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.
'tense distress continually returning' is the wordplay.
'tense' becomes 't' (abbreviation used in many dictionaries).
'distress continually' becomes 'gnaw' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
'returning' says the letters should be written backwards.
'gnaw' written backwards gives 'wang'.
't'+'wang'='TWANG'
'you' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for twang that I've seen before include "Sound of a tense wire or bowstring being plucked" , "Sound of plucked string (or certain dialects)" , "Noise made by a plucked string" , "Pluck (a string)" , "Sound of elastic being plucked" .)