What is the hyoid bone?

The hyoid bone is a U-shaped bone in the front of the neck, at the root of the tongue, between the lower jaw and the voice box. It consists of a body, greater cornua, and lesser cornua and serves as an attachment for the tongue and oral cavity muscles. The hyoid bone doesn't connect to other bones and facilitates mastication, swallowing, and voice production. During swallowing, the hyoid bone, tongue, and larynx move upward rapidly.

Where is the hyoid bone located in the body?

The hyoid bone is in the front of the neck, at the tongue's base, between the lower jaw and the voice box (larynx). Its primary job is to hold the tongue in place. The hyoid doesn't connect to any other bones. The hyoid is U-shaped and consists of a body, greater horns, and lesser horns. When swallowing, the hyoid bone, tongue, and larynx move upward rapidly.

What does the hyoid bone look like?

The hyoid bone is a U-shaped bone at the base of the tongue, between the lower jaw and voice box, that serves as an attachment for the tongue and other oral cavity muscles. It consists of a body and two pairs of horns called the greater and lesser cornua. The hyoid doesn't connect to other bones. The body forms the central part of the U-shape, while the greater cornua make up the U's limbs, and the lesser cornua are small projections where the body and greater cornua join. The hyoglossus muscles originate from the greater cornua and body, while the geniohyoid muscles connect to the body of the hyoid.

How is the hyoid bone different from other bones in the body?

The hyoid bone, found at the base of the tongue in the front of the neck, differs significantly from other bones in the body because it has no articulation with other bones. The hyoid is U-shaped and serves primarily as an attachment structure for the tongue and muscles in the oral cavity. This positioning and lack of direct connection to other bones gives it a unique anchoring function, crucial for mastication , swallowing, and voice production.

What is the function of the hyoid bone?

The primary function of the hyoid bone is to act as an attachment point for the tongue and for muscles in the floor of the oral cavity. The hyoid bone is U-shaped and is located at the base of the tongue in the front of the neck, between the lower jaw and the voice box. The hyoid bone is made up of a body, a pair of larger horns (greater cornua), and a pair of smaller horns (lesser cornua). The hyoid bone plays an important role in voice production, mastication, and swallowing. The hyoglossus muscles originate on each side from the whole length of the greater cornua and also from the body of the hyoid. The hyoid bone anchors them when they contract to depress the tongue and widen the oral cavity.

How does the hyoid bone help with speaking and swallowing?

The hyoid bone is a U-shaped bone at the base of the tongue, between the lower jaw and voice box. It serves as an attachment for the tongue and other oral cavity muscles and has no articulation with other bones. During swallowing, the hyoid bone, tongue, and larynx move upward rapidly. The geniohyoid and mylohyoid muscles elevate the hyoid bone and the mouth floor, pressing the tongue against the palate to move food backward. The hyoid's position relative to attached muscles helps with chewing, swallowing, and voice production .

hyoid bone

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Illustration of the human hyoid bone showing its body, greater horns, and lesser horns, alongside a diagram of its location in the neck above the thyroid cartilage and trachea.

Illustration of the human neck showing labeled muscles, arteries, veins, and bones, including the sternocleidomastoid, digastric, mylohyoid, trapezius, carotid artery, jugular vein, clavicle, and thyroid cartilage.

Quick Facts

Related Topics:: bone; tongue; greater cornua; lesser cornua

See all related content

hyoid bone

anatomy

Also known as: hyoid apparatus

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

Top Questions

What is the hyoid bone?
The hyoid bone is a U-shaped bone in the front of the neck, at the root of the tongue, between the lower jaw and the voice box. It consists of a body, greater cornua, and lesser cornua and serves as an attachment for the tongue and oral cavity muscles. The hyoid bone doesn't connect to other bones and facilitates mastication, swallowing, and voice production. During swallowing, the hyoid bone, tongue, and larynx move upward rapidly.
2 Britannica Sources
1. hyoid bone
2. human skeleton: The hyoid: example of the anchoring function
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where is the hyoid bone located in the body?
The hyoid bone is in the front of the neck, at the tongue's base, between the lower jaw and the voice box (larynx). Its primary job is to hold the tongue in place. The hyoid doesn't connect to any other bones.

The hyoid is U-shaped and consists of a body, greater horns, and lesser horns. When swallowing, the hyoid bone, tongue, and larynx move upward rapidly.
2 Britannica Sources
1. hyoid bone
2. human skeleton: The hyoid: example of the anchoring function
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What does the hyoid bone look like?
The hyoid bone is a U-shaped bone at the base of the tongue, between the lower jaw and voice box, that serves as an attachment for the tongue and other oral cavity muscles. It consists of a body and two pairs of horns called the greater and lesser cornua. The hyoid doesn't connect to other bones. The body forms the central part of the U-shape, while the greater cornua make up the U's limbs, and the lesser cornua are small projections where the body and greater cornua join. The hyoglossus muscles originate from the greater cornua and body, while the geniohyoid muscles connect to the body of the hyoid.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How is the hyoid bone different from other bones in the body?
The hyoid bone, found at the base of the tongue in the front of the neck, differs significantly from other bones in the body because it has no articulation with other bones. The hyoid is U-shaped and serves primarily as an attachment structure for the tongue and muscles in the oral cavity. This positioning and lack of direct connection to other bones gives it a unique anchoring function, crucial for mastication, swallowing, and voice production.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What is the function of the hyoid bone?
The primary function of the hyoid bone is to act as an attachment point for the tongue and for muscles in the floor of the oral cavity. The hyoid bone is U-shaped and is located at the base of the tongue in the front of the neck, between the lower jaw and the voice box.

The hyoid bone is made up of a body, a pair of larger horns (greater cornua), and a pair of smaller horns (lesser cornua). The hyoid bone plays an important role in voice production, mastication, and swallowing. The hyoglossus muscles originate on each side from the whole length of the greater cornua and also from the body of the hyoid. The hyoid bone anchors them when they contract to depress the tongue and widen the oral cavity.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How does the hyoid bone help with speaking and swallowing?
The hyoid bone is a U-shaped bone at the base of the tongue, between the lower jaw and voice box. It serves as an attachment for the tongue and other oral cavity muscles and has no articulation with other bones.

During swallowing, the hyoid bone, tongue, and larynx move upward rapidly. The geniohyoid and mylohyoid muscles elevate the hyoid bone and the mouth floor, pressing the tongue against the palate to move food backward. The hyoid's position relative to attached muscles helps with chewing, swallowing, and voice production.
2 Britannica Sources
1. hyoid bone
2. human skeleton: The hyoid: example of the anchoring function
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

hyoid bone, U-shaped bone situated at the root of the tongue in the front of the neck and between the lower jaw and the largest cartilage of the larynx, or voice box. The primary function of the hyoid bone is to serve as an attachment structure for the tongue and for muscles in the floor of the oral cavity. It has no articulation with other bones.

The hyoid consists of a body, a pair of larger horns, called the greater cornua, and a pair of smaller horns, called the lesser cornua. The bone is more or less in the shape of a U, with the body forming the central part, or base, of the letter. In the act of swallowing, the hyoid bone, tongue, and larynx all move upward rapidly.

The greater cornua are the limbs of the U. Their outer ends generally are overlapped by the large sternocleidomastoid muscles. The lesser cornua are small projections from the places called, somewhat arbitrarily, the junctions of the body and the greater cornua. The hyoid bone has certain muscles of the tongue attached to it. The hyoglossus muscles originate on each side from the whole length of the greater cornua and also from the body of the hyoid. They are inserted into the posterior half or more of the sides of the tongue. The hyoid bone anchors them when they contract to depress the tongue and widen the oral cavity. The two geniohyoid muscles originate close to the point at which the two halves of the lower jaw meet; the fibres of the muscles extend downward and backward, close to the central line, to be inserted into the body of the hyoid bone. Contraction of the muscles pulls the hyoid bone upward and forward.

Bones of the wrist and hand: dorsal view. skeletal system, human anatomy, appendage, hand bones, wrist bones, metacarpal bones, finger bones, phalanges.

Britannica Quiz

Human Bones Quiz

Inserting into the middle part of the lower border of the hyoid bone are the sternohyoids, long muscles arising from the sternum (breastbone) and clavicle (collarbone) and running upward and toward each other in the neck. Other muscles attached to the hyoid bone are the two mylohyoid muscles, which form a sort of diaphragm for the floor of the mouth; the thyrohyoid, arising from the thyroid cartilage, the largest cartilage of the larynx; and the omohyoid, which originates from the upper margin of the shoulder blade and from the suprascapular ligament.

The position of the hyoid bone with relation to the muscles attached to it has been likened to that of a ship steadied as it rides when anchored “fore and aft.” Through the muscle attachments, the hyoid plays an important role in mastication, in swallowing, and in voice production. At the beginning of a swallowing motion, the geniohyoid and mylohyoid muscles elevate the bone and the floor of the mouth simultaneously. These muscles are assisted by the stylohyoid and digastric muscles. The tongue is pressed upward against the palate, and the food is forced backward.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.

hyoid bone

Thank you for signing up!