ABSTRACT
The division of content between this chapter and the previous one follows a traditional division between “phonation” (i.e., production of a sound source by vocal fold action, the subject of chap. 18) and “articulation” (in this context, the actions of the speech organs above the larynx). The division is useful in that the larynx works in a different way from the supralaryngeal organs. The primary contribution of the larynx to the speech production process comes from the workings of its internal mechanism. A supralaryngeal organ usually makes its contribution by the shape or position it adopts. However, when it comes to explaining the motor control of speech production, the division is not always relevant. For example, the important phenomenon of coarticulation, which is discussed in this chapter (in Dynamics of Speech), includes the larynx just as much as the other speech organs. Ultimately, a theory of speech production must explain how all components of the system, from the lungs to the lips and nose, work together in concert.
