rhizoverbBeta
DictionarylaryngealRelating to the voice box
adjective / noun

laryngeal

luh-RIN-jee-ul/ləˈrɪndʒiəl/

Of the voice box and its sound-producing action.

The cutaway highlights laryngeal structures in the neck.

Clean medical educational cutaway showing laryngeal structures around the voice box in the neck, larynx highlighted coral amid subdued neighboring tissues, no labels.
Etymology
laryngeLatinof the larynx
+alEnglishpertaining to

Latin laryngeus already meant ‘of the larynx,’ so the English ending reinforces that relationship. The term concerns the voice-producing cavity, rather than the throat generally.

In context

Dwarkesh Patel26:05
were very unusual on the modern human specific lineage? There was a huge statistical signal that was very, very surprising and unexpected. It was the vocal tract. It was the laryngeal and pharyngeal tract.
David Reich — How one small tribe conquered the world 70,000 years ago

More examples

  • Smoke can cause laryngeal irritation and a hoarse voice.
  • Small laryngeal muscles help control the pitch of your voice.
  • The linguist describes the sound as a laryngeal.

Forms

laryngeal · laryngeals

larynx noun — The voice box containing the vocal cords.

Similar words

glottal
Specifically concerns the vocal cords and the opening between them.
vocal
Describes the voice generally, not specifically the voice box.