Under Construction (please excuse the mess).
Click on the image to play with the interactive articulatory speech synthesis program.
Manipulate sound by shaping the vocal tract. (This works best on a multitouch device.)
Manipulate sound by shaping the vocal tract. (This works best on a multitouch device.)
The Voice Mechanism
Speaking and singing involve a voice mechanism that is composed of three subsystems.
Each subsystem is composed of different parts of the body and has specific roles in voice production.
Speaking and singing involve a voice mechanism that is composed of three subsystems.
Each subsystem is composed of different parts of the body and has specific roles in voice production.
Vibratory SystemLarynxHighly specialized structure atop the windpipe responsible for sound production, air passage during breathing, and protecting the airway during swallowing.
GlottisOpening between the two vocal folds. The glottis opens during breathing and closes during swallowing and sound production
Vocal Folds (also called Vocal Cords)“Fold-like” soft tissue that is the main vibratory component of the voice box; comprised of a cover (epithelium and superficial lamina propria), vocal ligament (intermediate and deep laminae propria), and body (thyroarytenoid muscle)
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Air Pressure SystemLungsThe lungs are our fuel tank. When our lungs expand, a vacuum is created and air is pulled into them (inhale). When our lungs collapse, air is pushed out (exhale).
Diaphragm
The Diaphragm
The "breathing pump." The diaphragm is a thin sheet of muscle that separates the abdomen (your guts) from the chest (your lungs). It is attached at you your lowest ribs and spine. It contracts and flattens when you inhale which creates a vacuum effect that pulls air into the lungs. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and the air is pushed out of lungs.
Intercostals, AbdominalsThe intercostal muscles are made up of several groups of muscles that run between the ribs and help form and move the chest wall. They help expand and shrink the size of the chest cavity to facilitate breathing.
Intercostal Muscles
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Resonating SystemVocal tractVoiced sound is amplified and modified by the vocal tract resonators: the throat, mouth cavity, and nasal passages. The resonators produce a person’s recognizable voice.
The vocal tract is a closed tube resonator, with the three prominent formants seen in vowel sounds corresponding to the harmonics 1,3,5. These frequencies are then modified by the cavity resonance of the vocal tract as influenced by the articulators.
Soft PalateThe soft palate is the soft, fleshy extension off of your hard palate (the roof of your mouth). Lifting the soft palate prevents air from entering and resonating in our nasopharynx. In its extreme, the resulting sound is yawnish, throaty, or dull. Lowering the soft palate allows air to enter and resonate in the nasopharynx. In its extreme, the resulting sound is nasal or "twangy."
Voice ArticulatorsVoice articulation is seen as the changes in the resonances of the vocal tract, and the agents of such changes can be called articulators. Movement of the tongue, pharynx, palate, jaw, or lips can change the basic factors which determine the frequency of cavity resonance (volume of cavity, area of opening, and port length).
Voice articulation produces sounds which are called vowels, diphthongs, semivowels, and nasals. Such sounds can be considered to be modifications of the basic vocal tract resonance, a kind of filtering of the acoustic spectrum of the voice mechanism. While the resonances for most voiced sounds are in the pharyngeal and oral cavities, the nasal sounds /m/, /n/, and /ng/ require added resonance in the nasal cavity 
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AnAnatomy
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Browse through the playlist (8 videos) for detailed 3D anatomy tutorials on the larynx and respiratory system.
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PLAYLIST VIDEOS:
1) Respiratory System Introduction - Part 1 (Nose to Bronchi) 2) Respiratory System Introduction - Part 2 (Bronchial Tree and Lungs) 3) Larynx - Cartilages - 3D Anatomy Tutorial 4) Introduction to Muscle Actions of the Larynx 5) Muscles of the Larynx - Part 1 6) Muscles of the Larynx - Part 2 7) Mucosa of the Larynx and Vocal Cords 8) Larynx - Ligaments, Membranes, Vocal Cords |
