The Larynx

body systems · how sound works · throat

Your voice box speaks. The larynx is a special organ in your neck that makes sound. When air from your lungs pushes through it, tiny stretchy parts called vocal cords vibrate to create the sound of your voice.

It protects your airway. The larynx is like a gatekeeper between your windpipe and your food pipe. It makes sure that when you swallow, food goes down to your stomach and not into your lungs.

Surprisingly small opening. The opening of your larynx is only about 4 to 5 centimeters wide, about the size of a large grape. Yet this tiny tube is powerful enough to let you shout, whisper, and sing.

Changes pitch and volume. Your vocal cords can stretch tight or loose, which changes how high or low your voice sounds. When you squeeze them harder, you get louder, and when you relax them, your voice gets quieter.

Sits at a crossroads. The larynx is located right where your pharynx, or throat, splits into two paths: one for air going to your lungs and one for food going to your stomach.