Eleazar P. Chavez Jr.

CIT – 2A

1. The Organs of Speech

A. The Respiratory or Breathing Parts

 Nose and Nasal Cavity – The nose and nasal cavity form the main external opening
for the respiratory system and are the first section of the body’s airway—the
respiratory tract through which air moves.
 Trachea - The trachea, or windpipe, is a 5-inch long tube made of C-shaped hyaline
cartilage rings lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium. The trachea
connects the larynx to the bronchi and allows air to pass through the neck and into
the thorax. 
 Lungs – The lungs are a pair of large, spongy organs found in the thorax lateral to
the heart and superior to the diaphragm. Each lung is surrounded by a pleural
membrane that provides the lung with space to expand as well as a negative
pressure space relative to the body’s exterior.
 Diaphragm – Muscle that separates the ribs from the abdomen.  It plays a major
role in breathing, as its contraction increases the volume of the thorax and so
inflates the lungs.

B. The Phonating or Vocalizing Parts

 Larynx – The larynx, also known as the voice box, is a short section of the airway
that connects the laryngopharynx and the trachea. The larynx is located in the
anterior portion of the neck, just inferior to the hyoid bone and superior to the
trachea. Several cartilage structures make up the larynx and give it its structure. 
 Pharynx - The pharynx, also known as the throat, is a muscular funnel that extends
from the posterior end of the nasal cavity to the superior end of the esophagus and
larynx. 
 Vocal Cords - The vocal cords, also known as vocal folds, are composed of twin
infoldings of mucous membrane stretched horizontally, from back to front, across
the larynx. They vibrate, modulating the flow of air being expelled from the lungs
during phonation.
 Laryngeal Muscle - The intrinsic laryngeal muscles are responsible for controlling
sound production. Posterior cricoarytenoid muscles abduct and externally rotate
the arytenoid cartilages, resulting in abducted vocal folds.
C. The Resonating

 Mouth - The mouth, also known as the oral cavity, is the secondary external opening
for the respiratory tract. Most normal breathing takes place through the nasal
cavity, but the oral cavity can be used to supplement or replace the nasal cavity’s
functions when needed.
 Uvula - a small fleshy finger-like flap of tissue that hangs in the back of
the throat and is an extension of the soft palate above the back of the tongue.
 Nasal Cavity - Is a large air filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of
the face. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils.
 Jaw - The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth,
typically used for grasping and manipulating food.

D. The Articulatory

 Lips - Lips are a visible body part at the mouth of humans and many animals. Lips are
soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of
sound and speech. The lips play a role in changing the resonance of
different speech sounds.
 Tongue - The tongue is, of course, a very important articulator and it can be moved
into many different places and different shapes. It is usual to divide the tongue
into different parts, though there are no clear dividing lines within the tongue. 
 Teeth – The upper front teeth are used in producing some speech sounds. The
tongue is in contact with the upper side teeth for many speech sounds.
 Hard Palate - The hard palate is often called the "roof of the mouth". You can feel
its smooth curved surface with your tongue.
 Velum or Soft Palate - The velum or soft palate is seen in the diagram in a position
that allows air to pass through the nose and through the mouth. Yours is probably in
that position now, but often in speech it is raised so that air cannot escape through
the nose. 
 Jaw - The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth,
typically used for grasping and manipulating food. Jaw stability is the foundation
for adequate dissociation and grading of the articulators.
2. Chart of Human Speech Mechanism