Where does your voice come from?

The idea

In humans, sound is produced by vibration of the vocal cords, tightly stretched muscular flaps in the larynx; the tongue, lips, mouth and nasal cavity help convert it into speech or music.

Touch your throat

Say "mmm" and gently rest your fingers on your throat. You can feel a tickle.

Where in the throat do you think your voice is made?

• In the voice box, where flaps vibrate
• In the stomach
• In the nose alone

Three tabs

Open every tab.

A voice box and a few tricks

Your voice starts as a vibration of the vocal cords. Your tongue, lips, mouth and nasal cavity then shape it into words or a song. Not all animals use vocal cords.

In humans, sound is produced by the vibration of the vocal cords, tightly stretched muscular flaps in the larynx (voice box) in the throat. The tongue, lips, mouth and nasal cavity help convert it into speech or music.

Notes

In humans the vocal cords in the larynx vibrate to make sound. The tongue, lips, mouth and nasal cavity turn it into speech or music.

Check yourself

What vibrates to produce your voice?

What are the vocal cords?

Which parts help to convert the sound into speech or music?

How do grasshoppers and crickets produce sound?

• The tongue. The tongue helps convert the sound into speech or music. The sound itself starts with the vibrating vocal cords.
• The teeth. The vocal cords, tightly stretched flaps in the larynx, are what vibrate.
• The vocal cords in the larynx — correct. Yes!
• Tightly stretched muscular flaps in the voice box — correct. Yes!
• Thin rubber bands in the nose. The vocal cords are muscular flaps inside the voice box (larynx), in the throat.
• Hard bones in the mouth. The vocal cords are tightly stretched muscular flaps, not bones.
• Stomach and ribs. The tongue, lips, mouth and nasal cavity help in converting sound into speech or music.
• Tongue, lips, mouth and nasal cavity — correct. Yes!
• Ears and eyes. The ears are for hearing. The tongue, lips, mouth and nasal cavity shape the sound into speech or music.
• They vibrate vocal cords like humans. Grasshoppers and crickets rub certain body parts, their wings or legs, to produce sound.
• They blow air through a pipe, like a bansuri. Grasshoppers and crickets produce sound by rubbing their wings or legs.
• They rub their wings or legs — correct. Yes!