4 Voicing and consonants

Apuntes

4 Voicing and consonants 4.1 The larynx We begin this chapter by studying the larynx. The larynx has several very impor- tant functions in speech, but before we can look at these functions we must examine its anatomy and physiology - that is, how it is constructed and how it works. The larynx is in the neck; it has several parts, shown in Fig. 10. Its main structure is made of cartilage, a material that is similar to bone but less hard. If you press down on your nose, the hard part that you can feel is cartilage. The larynx’s structure is made of two large cartilages. These are hollow and are attached to the top of the trachea; when we breathe, the air passes through the trachea and the larynx. The front of the larynx comes to a point and you can feel this point at the front of your neck - particularly if you are a man and/or slim. This point is commonly called the Adam’s Apple. Inside the “box” made by these two cartilages are the vocal folds, which are two thick flaps of muscle rather like a pair of lips; an older name for these is vocal cords. Looking down the throat is difficult to do, and requires special optical equipment, but Fig. 11 shows in diagram form the most importan...