Question

Which speech organ is responsible for controlling airflow into the nasal cavity?

• A. Tongue
• B. Uvula
• C. Soft palate
• D. Lips

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Soft palate

The Soft Palate (Velum) and Airflow Control

• The soft palate, also known as the velum, is a movable muscular flap located at the back of the roof of the mouth. It extends posteriorly from the hard palate.
• Its primary function in speech production is to control the passage of air into the nasal cavity from the pharynx. This control is crucial for distinguishing between oral and nasal sounds.
• For oral sounds (e.g., /p/, /t/, /k/, /a/, /e/), the soft palate is raised and pressed against the back wall of the pharynx, creating a complete seal. This action, known as velic closure, prevents air from entering the nasal cavity, forcing all the airflow out through the mouth.
• For nasal sounds (e.g., /m/, /n/, /ŋ/), the soft palate is lowered. This allows air to pass freely from the pharynx into the nasal cavity, resulting in the characteristic resonance of nasal sounds. Concurrently, an oral closure (e.g., lips for /m/, tongue tip for /n/) is formed to direct the airflow through the nose.
• The movement of the soft palate is controlled by several muscles, primarily the levator veli palatini (which raises the soft palate) and the tensor veli palatini (which tenses the soft palate, indirectly aiding in opening the Eustachian tube).
• Disorders affecting soft palate function, such as insufficient velic closure (velopharyngeal insufficiency), can lead to speech impairments like hypernasality (too much nasal resonance) or, conversely, hyponasality (too little nasal resonance, often due to blockage like adenoids).
• Beyond airflow control for oral/nasal distinction, the soft palate also plays a role in the articulation of velar consonants (e.g., /k/, /g/, /ŋ/), where the back of the tongue makes contact with or comes close to the soft palate.