A&P of Speech Mechanism Review

Respiration

100

These organs oxygenate our blood and also power our speech

Lungs

200

This is the primary muscle involved in respiration. On inhalation, it contracts to create more space for the lungs to take in oxygen. On exhalation, it relaxes and assumes its dome-like shape.

Diaphragm

300

This is the cartilaginous tube running from the larynx to the lungs that serves as our "airway"

Trachea

Phonation

100

This is the u-shaped bone that suspends the larynx. It's the only bone in our body that doesn't articulate with other bones

Hyoid bone

200

The vocal folds attach at the front to the thyroid cartilage and attach at the back to these pyramid-shaped cartilages

Arytenoids

300

This is the large, leaf-like structure above the vocal folds that deflects food into our esophagus when swallowing

Epiglottis

Resonance

100

This is the resonating chamber that houses a number of our articulators, including our teeth, tongue, and cheeks

Oral cavity

200

This is the resonating chamber we use to make sounds like "mmm"

Nasal cavity

300

This is the resonating chamber located just above the larynx

Pharyngeal cavity

Articulation

100

This is another name for the lower jaw

Mandible

200

We place our tongue between these articulators to make the "th" sound

Teeth

300

This is the bumpy part of our hard palate just behind our teeth where we place our tongue for a number of consonant sounds

Alveolar ridge

Wild Card

100

True/false: Inhalation shortens and exhalation lengthens when breathing for speech.

True

200

Which sounds require more constriction by the articulators -- vowels or consonants?

Consonants

300

As we age, our laryngeal cartilages turn to bone and the muscles atrophy, resulting in this condition that literally means "old larynx"

Presbylarynx