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The Sound Producing System

Ultimately, a sound begins with a breath from the lungs pushed towards the larynx, or voice box. Here is where the first manipulation of the breath occurs. As it reaches the larynx, a set of muscles, called the vocal cords or vocal cords are tensed or relaxed to produce the first variation of sounds. These variations are called glottal states because they are formed at the glottis, which is the space between the vocal cords.

(O’Grady 18)

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O' Grady, William, Archibald, John, Aronoff Mark, Rees-Miller, Janie. Contemporary Linguistics

5th Edition. Boston: Bedford St. Martin's, 2005.

www.sil.org. 1999. Places of Articulation 24 May 2008. http://www.sil.org/Mexico/ling/Glosario/E005ci-PlacesArt.htm