The document discusses the intricate processes involved in speech production, detailing the roles of various body systems, including the respiratory, phonatory, articulatory, resonatory, and regulatory systems. It highlights how these systems work together to create sounds through coordinated actions from structures such as the lungs, larynx, vocal folds, and articulators like the tongue and lips. Additionally, it covers the nervous system's role in controlling and regulating speech activities, emphasizing the importance of areas in the brain dedicated to speech and language functions.

1. PROCESS OF SPECCH
PRODUCTION
ANSHITA SINGH(ASLP)

2. SPEECH PRODUCTION

3. INTRODUCTION
 The processes by which air in the lungs is transformed
into the meaningful sequence of sounds i.e. "speech".
 Speech is a highly coordinated fine motor act.
 It involves a high integration and coordination between
various systems.
 The structures involved in speech production are the
organs and structures that are a part of the systems in
the human body that participate in the speech
production act

4. CONT…
 These structures include:
 (a) Structures in the respiratory system: Lungs, trachea, bronchi, the
rib cage, diaphragm and other muscles of respiration.
 b)Structures in the phonatory system: Larynx, the vocal folds in the
larynx and the muscles of the larynx.
 c)Structures in the articulatory system: Lips, tongue, teeth, jaw and
palate.
 d)Structures in the resonatory system: Oral cavity (mouth), nasal
cavity (nose) and pharyngeal cavities (throat).
 e) Structure in the nervous system which act as controlling or
regulating centres during speech production.

6. RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

8. RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
 Respiration provides a power source for speaking.
 The respiratory tract begins at the mouth and nose openings
and terminates deep within the lungs
 One part of the respiratory tract is upper respiratory tract, which
is formed by nasal cavity, oral cavity, pharynx and larynx.
 The other lower part of the respiratory tract is composed of the
trachea, two bronchi and the lungs.
 The lower respiratory tract functions exclusively for respiration
for speech production (elevation of ribs).
 The lungs are housed in the bony rib cage, which is formed by
12 pairs of ribs.
 All the ribs are joined to each other by muscles which are called
as intercostal muscles.

9. CONT…
 The lungs are composed of elastic, non-muscular tissue
surrounding the alveoli or air.
 The lungs are capable of expansion and contraction only by
intervention of the respiratory movements activated by the
muscles of respiration.
 Air enters the lungs through the passage of nose, pharynx,
larynx, trachea and bronchi.
 The trachea is made up of about 16-20 rings which are made
up of cartilage.
 There is bifurcation of last cartilage into 2 bronchi.
 Bronchi are divided into bronchioles.
 These bronchioles open into alveoli.

10. CONT…
 The actual gaseous exchange between the blood and
oxygen rich air takes place in the lungs.
 The oxygen is absorbed from the air by blood
circulating though capillaries of air-sacs. While at the
same time carbon dioxide passes from the blood into
the air sacs to be exhaled during exhalation.
 We speak during expiration.
 During the act of speaking there is quick inhalation and
prolonged exhalation.

11. PHONATORY SYSTEM

12. LARYNX

13. PHONATORY SYSTEM
 After the air has been inhaled during inspiration the larynx acts
on the exhaled air stream to create voice. This act is called as
"phonation".
 Voice is produced by the vibration of the two vocal folds (also
called vocal cords) in the larynx.
 The larynx lies in the anterior midline of the neck extending from
the root of the tongue to the trachea.
 It is at the level of the third to sixth cervical vertebrae.
 It forms a continuous tube with the laryngeal portion of the
pharynx above.
 It consists of a skeletal framework of various cartilages bound
together by ligaments and membranes and activated by the
intrinsic laryngeal muscles.

14. LARYNX
 It is about 44 mm length in males and 36 mm in females.
 Until puberty the size is more or less the same in males and
females but at puberty the male larynx grows rapidly and
becomes larger than that of females.
 Structure of larynx:
 The larynx is made up of skeletal framework of cartilages.
 These cartilages are connected by joints, ligaments, and
membranes and are moved by a number of muscles.
 The cavity of the larynx is lined by mucous membrane.
 The skeleton of larynx is made up of 9 cartilages, 3 paired and 3
unpaired.
 The unpaired cartilages are thyroid cartilage, cricoid cartilage
and epiglottis.

15. CONT…
 Thyroid cartilage: This is the largest cartilage of the larynx. It
is shaped like a shield and can be thought as shielding the
structures inside. The most anterior angle of this cartilage is
commonly referred to as the Adam's apple, which can be
seen on the neck in some men. Thyroid cartilage is
composed of two plates of cartilage, joined at midline to form
an angle. Posteriorly thyroid cartilage has two horns or
cornua. The superior horn connects hyoid bone and the
inferior connects the cricoid cartilage. The vocal folds extend
from the interior (inside portion) thyroid angle to the
arytenoids across the laryngeal cavity

16. CONT…
 Cricoid cartilage: It is a ring shaped cartilage, narrow in
front and broad behind. It is attached to the thyroid
cartilage on its upper end and to the first tracheal ring.
 Epiglottis: It is a leaf shaped large cartilage. It is not
considered important for phonation. It is attached to the
posterior cricoid elevation and the root of the tongue. It
funnels the food to the esophagus and away from the
laryngeal inlet

17. CONT…
The paired cartilages are arytenoid cartilages,
corniculate cartilages and cuneiform cartilages.
The corniculate are small cone shaped cartilages
that form the apex of the arytenoids.
The cuneiform cartilages are small rod shaped
cartilages found within the ary-epiglotttic-fold, a
fold of tissue and muscle coursing from the
arytenoids to the epiglottis.

18. CONT…
 Arytenoid cartilages: These are two cartilages each
positioned on either side of the midline on the
supraposterior surface of the cricoid cartilage. They are
roughly pyramidal in shape. The most anterior angle of the
base of the arytenoid is called vocal process. On this the
vocal folds are attached. The body of vocal folds are made
of thyroarytenoid muscle. There are various muscles
attached to these cartilages. Some muscles are extrinsic
muscles, which alter the position of the larynx. Other
muscles are called intrinsic muscles, which help in
phonation

19. VOCAL FOLDS
 The vocal folds are two muscle bands that serve to open
and close the trachea by vibrating to and fro. When the
vocal folds are open, free flow of air from the trachea to
the oral and nasal cavities is possible. The opening
between the two vocal folds is called the glottis. During
normal breathing, the vocal folds are separated from each
other (glottis is open), allowing air to flow easily. When the
vocal folds vibrate to and fro, the air stream coming from
the lungs is released into the cavities above the larynx in
small air puffs. This results in the production of a complex
sound called the laryngeal tone (phonation).

20. CONT…
 The laryngeal muscles play an important part in
opening and closing the glottis. The glottis can be
completely open when the vocal folds are away from
each other and it can be completely closed when the
vocal folds are tightly closed against each other.
 The laryngeal muscles can also close the glottis only
lightly so that the vocal folds can be parted by air
pressure from the lungs, causing rhythmic opening and
closing of the glottis for phonation.

21. RHYTHMIC CYCLE
 During phonation, the vocal folds follow a rhythmic cycle:
 vocal folds come together.
 air pressure below the glottis is increased.
 due to the pressure the vocal folds open up.
 emission of a puff of air.
 vocal folds close again due to the decrease in air pressure and
constant muscle tension.
 When the vocal folds close, air pressure below the glottis again
increases and the pattern is repeated.
 The resulting periodic puffs of breath (air) give the sound of
voice.

22. FUNDAMENTAL FRQUENCY
 The frequency at which the vocal folds vibrate (number of
vibrations per second) determines the fundamental frequency
of the voice.
 The fundamental frequency of the voice depends on an
interaction between the height of the larynx in the neck and
the length, thickness and tension of the vocal folds.
 The vocal folds of males vibrate at a lower frequency while
that of females vibrate at a higher fundamental frequency.
 The frequency of vibration is the highest in children.
 The fundamental frequency of vibration decides the
individual's vocal pitch.

23. RESONATORY SYSTEM

24. RESONATORY SYSTEM
 The physical (acoustic) changes made in the original vocal
tone are called resonance phenomenon.
 The sound waves created by vibration in the larynx travel
up through the other structures of the airway, primarily the
hypopharynx, the oropharynx, oral cavity, nasopharynx
and nasal cavity.
 The place where the velum meets pharynx is the
beginning of nasopharynx, which leads to the nasal cavity.
The site is known as the "velopharygeal port".

25. CONT…
 When the velum hangs down during breathing, it
connects nasal cavity with oral cavity. This nasal-oral
coupling is required for nasal resonance
 When the velum is lifted by the muscular action the
velopharyngeal port is closed. This closed position is
required for the oral resonance of all vowels and
consonants except nasal sounds

26. ARTICULATORY SYSTEM

27. ARTICULATORY SYSTEM

28. ARTICULATORY SYSTEM
 After phonation, that is the production of voice, the next
action is to create specific speech sounds needed to speak.
This is done by the articulatory system.
 The production of various speech sounds such as
consonants and vowels is done by the articulatory system.
 The structures in the oral cavity which are responsible for
articulation of the phonemes are called the articulators.
 These include the tongue, lips, teeth, lower jaw (mandible),
the hard palate and the soft palate (velum). The articulators
can be classified into two types:

29. CONT…
 Active articulators are the organs in the oral cavity which take
an active part in articulation. These include the parts which
move to change the shape of the vocal tract. Active
articulators in the vocal tract are lips, tongue, mandible and
soft palate.
 Passive articulators are the organs in the oral cavity which do
not move but take part in articulation by providing a surface
for contact by the active articulators. The alveolar ridge
(gums just behind the upper front teeth), hard palate and
teeth are passive articulators

30. Role of various articulators
 1. Tongue: The tongue is a highly mobile muscular organ
arising from the floor of the mouth. It occupies most of the
space in the oral cavity. Muscles within the tongue enable it
to change its shape easily. Other muscles coming from
various sites allow important movements such as tongue
upward movement, protrusion elevation or outward
movement, retraction or backward movement and
lateralization c to side movement. The tongue can be divided
into its tip, middle portion and back. The tongue is the most
important structure for articulate speech.

31. CONT…
 2. Lips: The lips are made up mainly of facial muscles which
make it possible for them to spread, round, come together or
pucker. They are the most visible structures of the mouth and
are also used in various facial expressions. The lips can
close to stop the air stream as in the production of sounds
such as p in parrot, b in bag and m in mummy. The lower lip
can touch the upper front teeth for production of sounds such
as f in father and v in van. Rounding the lips and changing
the degree of lip opening contributes to the production of
vowel sounds such as u in pull and o in four

32. CONT…
 3. Teeth: The teeth that are most important for production of
speech sounds are the four front teeth in each jaw-lower and
upper. They are used in the production of sounds such as f in
father, v in van, s in six and z in zebra.
 4. Alveolar ridge: This is the gum ridge just behind the upper
front teeth. This is an important point of contact by the tongue
for sounds such as t in ten, d in dog, n in nose, I in letter, s in six
and z in zebra.
 5. Mandible: The lower jaw or the mandible helps in opening or
closing of the mouth (oral cavity). It also changes the size and
shape of the oral cavity required for different vowels. Mandibular
movement is also important in maintaining optimal vocal
resonance.

33. CONT…
 6. Palate: This is the structure separating the oral and the
nasal cavities. It extends from the alveolar ridge to the back
of the mouth. The part of the palate just behind the alveolar
ridge is bony and hard. This is called as the hard palate. The
part toward the back of the oral cavity is soft, muscular and
mobile. This is known as the soft palate or the velum. The
hard palate helps to direct the air stream toward the front of
the mouth during consonant articulation. It also contributes to
vowel resonance. It provides various points of contact by the
tongue for articulation of different speech sounds.

34. CONT…
 The soft palate is a mobile structure and can be raised or
lowered. When elevated, it is in contact with the wall of the
throat (posterior pharyngeal wall), thus separating the oral
cavity from the nasal cavity. When it is not elevated, air can
flow from the oral and pharyngeal cavities to the nasal cavity.
This is required in production of nasal sounds like m in mat
and n in nose. The velum also serves as a point of contact
for the back of the tongue during production of sounds such
as k in kite and g in go. Any structural defect such as cleft
palate will have its effect on speech.

35. REGULATORY SYSTEM

36. REGULATORY SYSTEM
 The role of nervous system is to control the ongoing speech
activity.
 It is our brain that allows us to understand and use the complex
structure of language.
 The system investigates and transmits neural impulses that
stimulate our muscles to contract. At the same time muscle
contraction and movements about the joints initiate neural
impulses, and they in turn travel back to the coordinating
centres of the brain to "tell it" what is happening and if things are
happening as planned.
 The nervous system is divided into a central nervous system
and peripheral nervous system.

37. CONT…
 The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal
cord.
 The brain consists hemispheres which have different lobes
such as frontal lobe, temporal lob parietal e, lobe, occipital
lobe, cerebellum and brainstem.
 The brain stem finally leads to the spinal cord
 The peripheral nervous system is divided into voluntary part
(cranial nerves and spinal nerves) and involuntary part
(autonomous nervous system).
 There are specialized centres in the brain respectively for
the various speech and language functions

38. CONT…
 The functions of these centres are discussed below:
 The broca's area: It is located on frontal lobe of the left
hemisphere. The Broca's area is responsible for motor
speech. This area is responsible for originating, planning and
carrying out the transmission of messages. Damage to the
area leads to a problem in production of speech and
comprehension of spoken language may also be affected but
to a lesser degree.
 The wernike's area: Wernike's area is located in the
temporal lobe of the left hemisphere in most individuals. This
area is responsible for comprehension (understanding).

39. CONT…
 Cerebellum: The role of cerebellum is coordination of
movements required for production of speech.
 Cranial nerves: The command centres in the cerebral
hemispheres relay orders to the specific muscle groups of
speech production and receive information from the sense
organ of hearing through the peripheral nervous system. This is
done through the cranial nerves. There are 12 pairs of cranial
nerves. They emerge from the base of the brain and are named
primarily according to the function they serve. For the control of
speech mechanism the fifth (trigeminal), seventh (facial), ninth
(glossopharyngeal), tenth (vagus) and twelfth (hypoglossal)
nerves play important roles. The eight cranial nerve is the
auditory nerve, which is responsible for hearing and balance.