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How does the soft palate control whether air passes through the nose?

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Diagram of a human head in profile showing the location of vocal organs and possible places of articulation for speech sounds, with labels for lips, teeth, tongue, palate, uvula, pharynx, and vocal cords, and numbered regions corresponding to types of articulation such as bilabial, alveolar, and velar.
phonetics Diagram depicting the location of human vocal organs and possible places of articulation used for speech.

In phonetics, the soft palateā€”also known as the velumā€”acts as a muscular flap that regulates airflow between the oral and nasal cavities.12

Its position determines whether air is directed through the nose or the mouth during speech:

  • Nasal sounds: When the soft palate is lowered, the nasal tract remains open, allowing air to pass through the nose. This occurs during the production of nasal stops (such as the sounds at the beginning of my or nigh) and nasalized vowels.1
  • Oral sounds: When the soft palate is raised and pressed against the posterior pharyngeal wall, it creates a velic closure. This action completely blocks the nasal tract, forcing the airstream to exit through the mouth. This is necessary for producing oral stops, where air pressure builds up in the mouth before being released.12

By moving in this way, the soft palate serves as a critical articulator for distinguishing between nasal and oral speech sounds.1