Voicing en 13:43

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The larynx, which sits on top of the trachea, is composed of cartilages held together by ligaments. It houses the vocal cords, which lie horizontally just behind the Adam’s apple (see figure 1.2). The space between the vocal cords, which is known as the ‘glottis’, assumes different configurations for sounds known as ‘voiced’ and ‘voiceless’. When the cords are apart (open), the air passes freely through the glottis. Sounds made with such a configuration of the glottis are called ‘voiceless’ (see figure 1.3).

If, on the other hand, the vocal cords are brought together, the air passing through creates vibration, and the resulting sounds are ‘voiced’ (see figure 1.4). It is important to point out that the cord vibration is not a muscular action. When the cords are brought close to one another, the passing air creates a suction effect (Bernoulli principle), and the cords are brought together. As soon as the cords are together, there is no suction effect and the cords move apart. As soon as they are apart the suction is reinitiated, and the cycle repeats itself. One can easily feel the difference between certain voiced and voiceless sounds. If you pronounce the initial sounds of the word pairs ‘sip’–‘zip’ and place your index finger on your Adam’s apple or place your index fingers in both ears, you could feel the buzz created by the voicing of /z/; this effect will not be present in it's voiceless counterpart /s/.

The Vocal Tract en 13:41

 

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Starting from the outer extreme, we have the lips and the teeth. In the upper surface, behind the upper teeth, there is a bumpy area (alveolar ridge), which is followed by a larger bony area (hard palate). Further back is a flaccid area, the ‘soft palate’ (or ‘velum’) which is unsupported by bone. The soft palate is a movable organ, which opens and closes the velopharyngeal passage (the passage that links the pharynx to the nasal cavity). Finally, at the back, the velum narrows to a long, thin pointed structure that is called the ‘uvula’.

In the lower part of the mouth, after the lower lip and the teeth, lies the tongue. The ‘tip’ (or ‘apex’) of the tongue is the foremost part. Just behind the tip is the small surface called the ‘blade’ (or ‘lamina’).  The so-called ‘front’ part of the tongue is the area between tip/blade and the center. The hindmost part of the horizontal surface of the tongue is called the ‘back’ (or ‘dorsum’). At the end of the tongue, we have the ‘root’, which is the vertical surface against the pharyngeal wall. Finally, we have the ‘epiglottis’, which is a leaf-shaped cartilage that sticks up and back from the larynx.