Library · Physiology
How the voice is made
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The voice is made in the larynx, which is called the voice box for a reason. That is where the vocal cords sit, and that is where the sound comes from, what medicine calls phonation.
Most of the work is done by the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, the ones inside it. Their job is to bring the vocal folds together or move them apart; vocal fold is the anatomical name for the cords. When we are simply breathing, air flows best with the folds apart. To get the best sound they have to come together, which is called adducting them, and then they vibrate over the superficial lamina propria, the gel-like layer just beneath their surface. Think of the neck of a balloon: leave it wide open and the air slips out silently, but pinch the edges almost shut and they buzz and make noise.
High notes come out best when the folds are tense and lengthened. That is handled by the cricothyroid muscle's two bellies, the two bundles of fibers. And one thing depends not on the moment but on size: a large larynx is associated with a deeper voice.
In brief
The larynx is the voice box: it holds the vocal cords and produces sound, which is called phonation.
The intrinsic laryngeal muscles do most of the work: air flows best for breathing when the folds are apart, and the best sound comes with the folds adducted, vibrating over the superficial lamina propria.
High pitch is best achieved when the two bellies of the cricothyroid muscle tense and lengthen the folds; a large larynx is associated with a deeper voice.
Sources (2)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingAnatomy, Head and Neck: Larynx, StatPearlsPublished
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingAnatomy, Head and Neck, Larynx Vocal Cords, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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