Uncover the science behind the transformation of sounds into speech
Speech is the faculty of producing articulated sounds, which, when blended together, form language.
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Transcript
[Music in]
NARRATOR: Speech is the faculty of producing articulated sounds. When they are linked together, these sounds form language.
The faculty of speech calls on several parts of the body. The brain commands the lungs to expel part of the air that they contain. The air rises through the trachea to the larynx, a cartilaginous canal partially obstructed by the vocal cords. The vocal cords are bands of muscle tissue capable of moving toward and away from each other. When the vocal cords are close together, the pressure exerted by air from the lungs makes them vibrate, and this produces a sound. This sound is transformed by the shape of the cavities of the pharynx, nose, and mouth to form a unique sound. Each sound corresponds to a single element of language. A combination of these elements enables us to build words.
[Music out]
NARRATOR: Speech is the faculty of producing articulated sounds. When they are linked together, these sounds form language.
The faculty of speech calls on several parts of the body. The brain commands the lungs to expel part of the air that they contain. The air rises through the trachea to the larynx, a cartilaginous canal partially obstructed by the vocal cords. The vocal cords are bands of muscle tissue capable of moving toward and away from each other. When the vocal cords are close together, the pressure exerted by air from the lungs makes them vibrate, and this produces a sound. This sound is transformed by the shape of the cavities of the pharynx, nose, and mouth to form a unique sound. Each sound corresponds to a single element of language. A combination of these elements enables us to build words.
[Music out]