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Vocal Cords

Vocal cords, or vocal folds, are ligaments covered by soft mucous membranes in the larynx (voice box) that allow voice production.

The stiff-edged vocal ligament is a band of elastic tissue that stretches between the two cartilages that make up the larynx. The cartilages are the thyroid cartilage and the arytenoid cartilage. The thyroid cartilage is the largest of the laryngeal cartilages.

When air passes over closed vocal cords, they vibrate and make sounds.

Last Revised: December 28, 2010

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & Donald R. Mintz, MD - Otolaryngology

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