Physiology of Voice Production

Abstract

Many critical moments in a child’s early life relate to voice: the first cry on entering the world, the first laugh, and the first words. As a child grows, voice becomes an important part of identity, reflecting age, emotion, gender, and health (Smith, Semin Speech Lang 34(2):63-70, 2013). In order to understand and appropriately manage voice disorders, an understanding of normal phonatory physiology is required. This chapter provides an overview of laryngeal anatomy and physiology of voice production.