Subsystems of Speech

1
Subsystems of Speech

• Respiratory system
• Laryngeal system
• Resonating system
• Articulatory system

2
Respiratory system

• Primary function is to sustain life by geting
  oxygen to the blood and removing carbon dioxide
  from the body
• Respiratory system includes
• Trachea
• Bronchi
• Lungs

3
Respiratory system

• Quiet breathing versus speech breathing
• Quiet breathing (tidal breathing ) is to sustain
  life
• Contraction of the diaphragm causes the lungs to
  expand
• Expansion of the lungs results in pressure
  differences in the lungs and atmosphere
• Air rushes into the lungs until pressure is
  equalized
• Inhalation and exhalation cycles are nearly equal
• Speech breathing
• Uses 4 times the air during inhalation cycle than
  tidal breathing
• Active muscle contraction during exhalation phase
  

4
Laryngeal system

• Larynx
• Primary function is protect the airway
• Speech is an overlaid function

5
Structure of the Larynx

• Suspended from the hyoid bone by connecting
  membranes and ligaments
• Consists of
• Cartilage
• Muscles

6
Cartilages of the Larynx

• Thyroid
• Largest of the cartilage
• Butterfly-shaped
• Superior horns inferior horns
• Thyroid prominence (Adams apple)

7
Cartilage of the Larynx

• Cricoid
• Signet-ring shaped
• Sits on the trachea
• Attaches to thyroid via cricothyroid muscle
• Contraction of this muscle causes elongation and
  tensing of vocal folds pitch variation

8
Cartilage of Larynx

• Aryetnoid (pair)
• Pyramid-shaped cartilage
• Vocal folds attach to them and to thyroid
  cartilage (thyroarytenoid muscle)
• Space between the vocal folds is the glottis

9
Cartilage of the Larynx

• Epiglottis
• Large, leaf-like structure
• Attached to the thyroid cartilage
• Serves as a trapdoor to the trachea

10
Cartilage of the Larynx

• Corniculate (pair)
• Sit on top of the arytenoid
• No protective or speech function

11
Cartilage of the Larynx

• Cuneiform (pair)
• Located within folds of membrane that extend from
  epiglottis to the arytenoids
• Lend support to the aryepiglottic folds in
  protective function

12
Process of phonation

• Myoelastic-aerodynamic theory of phonation
• v.f. approximate (adduct)
• air pressure below the glottis increases
  (sub-glottic air pressure)
• pressure blows open the v.f.
• Air rushes through space between v.f., creating a
  vacuum that sucks the v.f. back together
• cycle repeats

13
Resonatory system

• Resonators (chambers through which sound travels
  and is changed)
• Pharynx
• Oral cavity
• Nasal cavity

14
Resonance balance

• Oral sounds and nasal sounds
• Velo-pharyngeal closure

15
Articulatory system

• Tongue
• Lips
• Soft palate(velum)
• Jaw (mandible)
• Hard palate
• Alveolar ridge
• Teeth

16
Videotape

• The Singers Voice The Vocal Tract

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uizzes/multiplechoice/larynx1/quiz.html