Vocal

Tract
○ Parts of the body used in the creation of speech sounds - from the abdominal muscles that contract to push air out of the lungs, to the lips and nostrils
from which the sound emerges - the organs of speech - and other body parts used for speech - the lungs for breathing, the tongue and teeth for eating,
the larynx ti close off the lungs and keep the two systems separated;
▪ Speaking is the act of making the movement of air out of the mouth and nose audible, using a code that associates different sound combinations with
different meanings;
▪ There are no parts of the body used exclusively for speech;
▪ Speech is the movement of air made audible;
○ Is divided in 14 different parts;
Alveolar Ridge
○ Is also referred to as the alveolar process, this inferiorly directed ridge of the maxilla houses the upper teeth;
Soft Palate
○ Is also referred to as the vellum, this musculotendinous sctructure extends posteriorly from the hard palate and acts to modify the communication
between the oral cavity below and the nasal cavity above;
Teeth
○ Are embedded in the alveolar process of the maxila and the mandible;
Lips
○ Form the orifice of the mouth and are comprised of muscle fibers from a number of different facial muscles;
Oral cavity
○ Is also referred to as the mouth; it is a resonating chamber whose shape is modified by the articulators to produce the various oral and nasal speech
sounds;
Epiglottis
○ Is a leaf shaped cartilaginous structure located behind the hyoid bome and root of the tongue;
Vocal folds
○ Are located in the larynx, coursing from the thyroid cartilage anteriorly to the arytenoid cartilages posteriorly; they vibrate to create sounds for vowels
and voiced consonants;
Pharynx
○ Is a resonating cavity or chamber lying above the larynx and posterior to the oral cavity;
Nasal cavity
○ Is a resonating chamber lying above the hard and soft palate;
Mandible
○ Is also known as the lower jaw and houses the lower teeth; the tongue and lower lip also ride on the mandible;
Hard palate
○ Forms the roof of the mouth with the soft palate;
Tongue blade
○ Is the part of the tongue lying just below the upper alveolar ridge;
Tongue back
○ Is the part of the tongue lying below the soft palate;
Tongue tip (appex)
○ Lies closest to the front teeth