The various organs which are involved in the production of speech sounds are called speech organs (also known as vocal organs). The four organs of speech – ocular, auditory, somatic, visual – work in unison to produce the sounds of language. Their respective structures come together to form the unique vocal apparatus of our body.
In the world of linguistics, researchers have pinpointed the structure of a particular organ to explain the sound of a word, the process of speaking, or a particular organ to explain how speech produces vocal sounds. The vocal apparatus of our body works according to principles established by an ancient understanding of how the human body works.
Scientists believe our lungs evolved to break down oxygen in our tissues into small molecular molecules. Those molecules move to the kidney to be converted into electrolytes. These electrolytes move to the pancreas where enzymes then break down them into smaller molecules that can carry messages in the form of biochemical messages.
The organs we usually think of are the vocal cords which are contained in the larynx (larynx means from whence the voice emanates). The vocal cords are composed of the vocal symphysis and the ligament which is attached to the voice box. The vocal cords open and close during normal speech production to allow air to escape from the lungs during breathing.
The mouth, tongue, lips and cheeks also contribute to speech production. Our lips are very sensitive to touch and our saliva (which we have in abundance) plays a critical role in creating any particular sound we want. The mouth and lips on the other hand provide us with different sounds (such as "wh" and "sh") depending on the muscles we use to move them during speech. Some muscles in the jaw, tongue, lips and throat (such as those involved in swallowing) are involved in the production of different sounds (for example, for "wh", the jaw moves forward and away from the body with the tongue going up and down but for the "sh", we move the tongue vertically up and down).
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