Understanding the Human Voice Box (Larynx): Anatomy & Function

The voice box, also known as the larynx, makes it possible for people to speak, shout or sing. This set of muscles in the throat also controls pitch and tone quality.

Anatomy

• The vocal cords make up the central functional unit of the voice box, according to Vocal Focus. This pair of muscular folds, lubricated with a coating of mucous, extends across the airway in the throat called the trachea.

Function

• The voice box creates sound as air flows past its vocal cords to make them vibrate against each other. The vocal cords can stretch or contract, with the aid of other small muscles attached to them, to change the pitch of the vibration.

Position

• The upward or downward positioning of the voice box changes the tonal qualities of speech or singing. Tension in the muscles of the neck, for instance, often raises the larynx to create a strained sound. Pushing the larynx unnaturally downward can rob a voice of resonance in a large space.