Vocal tract explained

The vocal tract is the cavity in human bodies and in animals where the sound produced at the sound source (larynx in mammals; syrinx in birds) is filtered.

In birds, it consists of the trachea, the syrinx, the oral cavity, the upper part of the esophagus, and the beak. In mammals, it consists of the laryngeal cavity, the pharynx, the oral cavity, and the nasal cavity.

The estimated average length of the vocal tract in men is 16.9 cm and 14.1 cm in women.^[1]

See also

• Language
• Talking birds – species of birds capable of imitating human sounds, but without known comprehension
• Speech organ
• Speech synthesis
• Manner of articulation

Notes and References

1. Ph.D. . Goldstein . Ursula Gisela . 1980 . An articulatory model for the vocal tracts of growing children . Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Cambridge, MA . 1721.1/22386 .