6. Speech
Production
Process
Detailed / 1
The lungs
In order to produce the majority of sounds in the
world’s languages, we take air into the lungs
and expel it during speech. A certain level of air
pressure is needed to keep the speech mechanism
functioning steadily. The pressure is maintained by
the action of various sets of muscles coming into
play during the course of an utterance. The muscles
are primarily the intercostals (the muscles between
the ribs) and the diaphragm (the large sheet of
muscle separating the chest cavity from the
abdomen). The intercostals raise the ribcage to
allow air to flow into the lungs during inhalation,
while the diaphragm helps to control the release of
air during exhalation for speech so that we can
speak for a reasonable period of time between
breaths.
7. The larynx
As air flows out of the lungs up the
trachea (windpipe), it passes through
a box-like structure made of cartilage
and muscle; this is the larynx.
As air passes through the space
between the vocal folds, which is
called the glottis, different glottal
states are produced, depending on
the positioning of the vocal folds.
Sound is produced in the larynx.
Speech
Production
Process
Detailed / 2
8. Glottal States:
space between the vocal folds
• In the most basic terms, a
sound produced while the
vocal folds are vibrating is
called a voiced sound.
• A sound produced while the
folds are not vibrating is
called a voiceless sound.
• All vowels are voiced, but
consonants can be either
voiced or voiceless.
Speech
Production
Process
Detailed / 3
9. Whispering is voiceless
No vibration of the cords
Vocal cords are almost
completely closed
Murmuring is voiced
Vibration of the cords
Vocal cords are relaxed
i.e. Dense Tense
Speech
Production
Process
Detailed / 4
10. REVISION
In most speech sounds, including all the soun
producing ds used regularly in English, the air we
use comes from the lungs. This air travels up
from the lungs, passing through the trachea
(windpipe), until it reaches the larynx, where it
might be set into vibration. The larynx is commonly
known as the voice box. The air passes through the
larynx into the vocal tract, which is the air passages
of the head and neck.
11. Vibration of the vocal folds
The vocal folds do not stay in the same position all the
time. A person can either keep the vocal folds wide apart
(known as keeping them abducted), as happens during
normal breathing, or shut them completely (known as
keeping them adducted), as happens when coughing.
When they are shut, they block the flow of air from the
lungs, as happens when we hold our breath. During
speech, the folds can either be kept far apart, or they can
be narrowed, so that they vibrate when air from the lungs
passes through them.
Sound is produced when air is made to vibrate
REVISION
