Which term refers to the voice box?

• A. Windpipe that conducts air to the lungs.
• B. Voice box.
• C. Nasal cavity.
• D. Epiglottis.

Answer: (B)

Think of where sound is produced and the airway is protected. The voice box refers to the larynx, a structure in the neck between the pharynx and the trachea. It houses the vocal cords; when air from the lungs passes between those cords, they vibrate to create sound, and changing the tension and length of the cords changes pitch and volume. The larynx also helps protect the airway during swallowing by coordinating with the epiglottis and other muscles to prevent food from entering the trachea. So the term that best matches “voice box” is the larynx. The windpipe is the trachea, which carries air to the lungs; the nasal cavity is the nose pathway for air; the epiglottis is the flap that covers the laryngeal opening during swallowing, not the voice box itself.