Examples of interface systems and methods for voice-based interaction in one or more virtual areas that define respective persistent virtual communication contexts are described. These examples enable communicants to use voice commands to, for example, search for communication opportunities in the different virtual communication contexts, enter specific ones of the virtual communication contexts, and bring other communicants into specific ones of the virtual communication contexts. In this way, these examples allow communicants to exploit the communication opportunities that are available in virtual areas, even when hands-based or visual methods of interfacing with the virtual areas are not available.