ORGANS OF SPEECH (modified)

1 Organs of speech
Organs of Speech

The various organs which are involved in the production of speech sounds are called
speech organs (also known as vocal organs). The study of speech organs helps to
determine the role of each organ in the production of speech sounds. Figure 1 shows that
the entire speech apparatus consists of a series of organs and cavities that form a passage
from the lungs to the lips and nostrils. The passage extending from the larynx upwards is
called the vocal tract.

Figure 1: The speech Apparatus

1. The Lungs
The airflow is by far the most vital requirement for producing speech sound. Since all
speech sounds are made with some movement of air. The lungs provide the energy source
for the airflow. They are the spongy respiratory organs situated inside the rib cage. They
expand and contract as we breathe in and out air. Below the lungs and separating them from
the stomach, is the diaphragm.
The lungs are incapable of any active movement, and expansion or contraction must be
carried out by the muscles that join them to the rib cage and/or by lowering the diaphragm.
The function of the lungs is that of a motor or activator that sets the passage of air into the
movements of inhalation and exhalation. When we speak, exhaling normally takes longer
than inhaling.
2. The larynx and the vocal folds

The larynx (also known as the voice box) is a box-like small structure situated in the front
of the throat, and it is popularly called the Adam’s apple. This casing is formed of cartilages
and muscles. It protects and houses the trachea (also known as windpipe) and the vocal
folds (or vocal cords).

The vocal cords are like a pair of lips placed horizontally from front to back. They are joined
in the front but can be separated at the back. At the back, they are attached to the two
arytenoids cartilages, which thanks to muscular action can bring the vocal folds close
together or draw them apart, and make them either tense or lax.
The laryngeal aperture (or space) between the vocal folds is called the glottis. The latter is
considered in open state when the folds are apart, and when they are pressed together, the
glottis is in close state.
The main function of the vocal cords is to convert the air delivered by the lungs into
an audible sound. The vocal folds do not stay in the same position all the time; they take
different positions:
-Wide Apart: when the vocal folds are wide apart (abducted), as happens during normal
breathing, they do not vibrate. The sounds produced in such position are called breathed or
voiceless sounds- they are produced with only breath. For example: /p/f/s/.

- Touched or Nearly Touched: the main role of the vocal folds is that of a vibrator in the
production of speech. The folds vibrate when these two are touching each other or nearly
touching. When they come into light contact, the pressure of the air coming from the lungs
and passing through them causes them to vibrate. This vibration of the folds produces voice,
and the sounds produced in this manner are called voiced sounds. For example: /v/z/m/n/.
-Narrow Glottis: If the air is passed through the glottis when it is narrowed, then there is an
audible friction. Such sounds are also voiceless since the vocal folds do not vibrate. For
example, in English /h/ is a voiceless glottal fricative.
-Tightly Closed: The vocal cords can be firmly pressed together (adducted) so that the air
cannot pass between them. When they are shut, they block the flow of air from the lungs, as
happens when we hold our breath or cough. Such position produced the glottal stop /?/
(also known as glottal catch or glottal plosive).
3. The Articulators

Articulators transform the (audible) sound into intelligible speech. They include the
pharynx, the teeth, the alveolar ridge, the hard palate, the soft palate (or velum), the lips, the
tongue, and the nose and its cavity. Figure 2 shows a midsection image of the head. This
figure is used frequently in the study of phonetics as it illustrates the main organ of speech
 Figure 2: The midsagittal view of the vocal tract

The pharynx: the pharynx lies between the mouth and the food passage, that is, just
above the larynx. It is just about 7 cm in women and 8cm long in men. At its top end, it is
divided into parts, one part being the back of the mouth and the other being the
beginning of the way through the nasal cavity; it branches into two cavities: the oral cavity
and the nasal cavity. The base of the oral cavity is occupied by the tongue, and the front
bounded by the lips. The nasal cavity extends from the pharynx to the nostrils, and is
 separated from the oral cavity by the palate. The entrance to the nasal cavity is controlled
by the velum.

The Roof of the Mouth: It is divided into three parts:

a. The Alveolar Ridge/Teeth Ridge: The Alveolar ridge is situated immediately after the
upper front teeth. Its surface is rough and it is covered with little ridges.
b. The Hard Palate: The hard palate is the concave part of the roof of the mouth. It is lies
over the centre of the mouth.
c. The Velum or Soft Palate: The lower part of the roof of the mouth is called the soft palate.
The tip of the velum is called the uvula. It could be raised or lowered. When it is lowered, the
air stream from the lungs has access to the nasal cavity. When it is raised and pressed
against the back wall of the pharynx, it closes the entrance to the nasal cavity, and the air
escapes through the oral cavity (mouth).
The Lips: The lips play an important role in the manner of articulation. They can be
pressed together or brought into contact with the teeth. They can also take different
shapes and positions.

The Teeth: The upper teeth and lower teeth play an important role in producing various
speech sounds. The upper teeth are used in speech to interfere or stop the airflow with
the help of the tongue or the lower lip.
The Tongue: It is the most agile speech organ, as it is made up of muscle. It can be
moved into different places and shapes. The upper surface of the tongue, which comes
into contact with other organs of speech is called the dorsum. For purposes of phonetic
description, the dorsum is subdivided into several parts: the tip, the blade, the front, the
back, and the root as indicated in Figure 3:

-The tip: it is the extreme end of the tongue.

- The blade: It lies immediately under the alveolar ridge.
-The front: it lies opposite to the hard palate.
-The back: it lies opposite to the soft palate or velum.
Notes

- Any hollow space containing air can act as a resonator. the human speech mechanism has
three resonators: the pharynx, the nasal cavity and the oral cavity.
-
-The epiglottis, an elastic piece of cartilage, has no function in speech, but acts as a valve. It
is raised during speech and lowered during swallowing; it prevents food from going into the
lungs.
- According to Roach (1991):
…the jaws are sometimes called articulators; certainly we move the lower jaw in speaking.
But the jaws are not articulators in the same way as the others because they are incapable of
making contact with other articulators by themselves. [… ] [ in addition, ] the nose and nasal
cavity are very important part of our equipment for making sounds, but they cannot be
described in the same sense as the above articulators.

Active and Passive Organs of Speech

Speech organs, or articulators, can be divided into two types: passive articulators and active
articulators. Passive articulators are the articulators that make little or no movement during
speech, while active articulators move relative to passive articulators, which remain still, to
produce various speech sounds. That is, they move from their position of rest to articulate
against other organs of speech that do not move. Active and passive organs of speech are
summarized in the following Table: