Why inhaling helium gas affects our voice, and other things to know about vocal cords, the larynx and how we speak
- Ever wondered what goes on in our bodies when we talk, whisper put on accents or inhale helium? We look at the role the larynx, or voice box, plays
- Cancer is the most worrisome condition to affect the voice box, and smoking and heavy drinking are risk factors
To speak, to communicate abstract and complex ideas, is a uniquely human trait. The vocal cords that allow this are in the voice box, or – to give it its correct medical name – larynx, a part of the respiratory system.
The organ in the top of the neck is involved not only in producing sound, but breathing and protecting the trachea against food aspiration (choking). The larynx houses the vocal folds and manipulates pitch and volume. The second-century Greek physician Galen was the first to describe it as the “first and supremely most important instrument of the voice”.
The 5cm-long tube made of cartilage sits between the pharynx and the trachea. The vocal cords are two bands of muscle that form a “V” inside it.
When we breathe, the vocal cords relax and air moves through the space between them without making a sound. When we talk, it’s our tongue, lips and teeth that are responsible for shaping the words and forming the sound, and the vocal cords tighten and move closer together. Air from the lungs is forced between them which makes them vibrate, which is what gives sound to our speech – our voice. Whispering is talking without using the vocal cords.
