Vocal folds facts for kids
The vocal cords or vocal folds are two special bands of tissue inside your larynx, which is also called your voice box. They are stretched across your larynx, like strings on a guitar. When air from your lungs passes through them, they can vibrate very quickly. This vibration creates the sounds you make when you speak, sing, or even hum! Humans use these sounds to create language and talk to each other.
Did you know that the size of vocal folds is different for everyone? This is why people have different sounding voices.
- Boys and Men: Adult males usually have longer vocal folds, which makes their voices sound deeper. Their vocal folds are typically between 17 mm and 25 mm long.
- Girls and Women: Female vocal folds are shorter, usually between 12.5 mm and 17.5 mm long. This is why female voices are often higher in pitch.
Vocal folds are a pearly white color. Women often have vocal cords that appear whiter than men's. The way your voice sounds, including its unique pitch, is influenced by your genes. Genes help decide how your larynx is shaped and how your vocal folds are made.
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True and False Vocal Folds
Sometimes, the vocal folds we just talked about are called 'true vocal folds'. This helps us tell them apart from another pair of folds called the false vocal folds.
What are False Vocal Folds?
False vocal folds are thick folds made of a special lining called mucous membrane. They sit right above your true vocal folds. Their main job is to protect the true vocal folds, like a shield.
How False Vocal Folds are Used
False vocal folds don't do much in everyday talking. However, they can be used in certain types of singing, like musical screaming or a style called death grunt singing. They are also used in a unique singing technique called Tuvan throat singing.
Other Names for False Vocal Folds
You might also hear false vocal folds called vestibular folds or ventricular folds. In some diagrams, you might see them labeled as 'ventricular folds'.
One interesting fact about false vocal folds is that if they are removed during surgery, they can grow back completely. This is different from true vocal folds.
Images for kids
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Larynx showing vocal ligaments
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The vocal folds in motion.
See also
In Spanish: Cuerdas vocales para niños
