THE SPEAKING PROCESS AND THE ORGANS OF SPEECH

During the speaking process, the organs of speech are coordinatedly and integratedly involved
in breathing, phonation, resonation and articulation. Normally, the organs of speech work together
smoothly during the speaking process but the speaker is not aware of their activity.

1. The Breathing Stage

Two phases of breathing: inhalation and exhalation
Organs involved: lungs, diaphragm, trachea, abdominal and rib muscles
The lungs serve as the reservoir of air. The diaphragm is a large sheet of muscle separating the
chest cavity from the abdomen. It gives pressure to the breath stream.

2. The Phonation/ Vocalization Stage

Phonation/vocalization takes place when voice is produced in speaking as the expiratory air stream
from the lungs goes up through the trachea or windpipe to the larynx.
Organs involved: larynx – vocal cords ,laryngeal muscles
Larynx is the principal organ of phonation found at the top of the trachea. Attached to its wall are the
vocal cords. In speech, the vocal cords come together under tension and the controlled pressure form
the lungs cause them to vibrate. These vocal cords make possible the voiceless and voiced sounds of
vowels and consonants and the various pitches of the voice in speaking and singing.

3. The Resonation Stage

The voice produced in the process of phonation is weak. It becomes strong and rich only when
amplified and modified by the human resonators which include the upper part f the larynx, the
pharynx, the nasal cavity, and the oral cavity. This process of voice amplification and modification
is called resonation.
Pharynx is the common passageway of air and food. It is located behind the nose and mouth and
includes the cavity at the back of the tongue. This space is divided into the nasal pharynx and the
oral pharynx. A small portion of the back wall of the pharynx can be seen behind the uvula and the
base of the tongue.
The nose consists of the internal and external portions. The external nose consists of cartilage
covered on the outside with skin and on the inside by the mucous membrane. The openings of the
external nose are called nostrils. The internal nose or the nasal cavity is found directly behind the
external nose through which the air passes on its way to the pharynx.
The mouth is composed f the following parts: lips, tongue, teeth (upper and lower), gums (gum
ridges), hard palate and soft palate. The mouth is an important resonator as it is the center for the
formation of specific speech sounds.

4. The Articulation Stage

Articulation occurs when the tone produced at the larynx is changed into specific sounds such as [g], [l],
[o] or [U]. This is the result of the movement of the articulators towards the points of articulation.
Organs involved: Articulators: jaw, lower lip, tongue, velum, and uvula
Points of articulation: upper lip, upper teeth, upper alveolar ridge(upper gum
ridge),hard palate and the velum (soft palate)
The teeth are embedded in the alveolar ridges of the oral cavity. The dome or the hard palate which
is the bony roof of the mouth divides the oral and nasal cavities. The velum or soft palate is attached
along the rear border of the hard palate. The uvula is the movable tip of the soft palate.