Sound Produced by Humans

Acoustics is the science that deals with sound. It covers everything about sound, including how it is made, travels, and its effects on environments and objects.

• The intensity or loudness of sound is measured in units called decibels (dB). The higher the decibel, the louder the sound.
• Inside the human throat, there is a structure known as the larynx, commonly referred to as the "voice box."
• The larynx contains vocal cords, which are like two small, stretched bands.
• Two vocal cords are stretched across the voice box or larynx in such a way that they leave a narrow slit between them for the passage of air. When the lungs force air through this slit, the vocal cords vibrate, producing sound.
• Muscles attached to the vocal cords can adjust them to be tight or loose. When the vocal cords are tight and thin, the type or quality of voice changes.
• Tighter vocal cords vibrate faster and produce a higher-pitched sound. Looser vocal cords vibrate slower and make a deeper sound.
• Vocal cords are 20 cm in length in males, about 15 cm in females, and even smaller in children. Therefore, the voices of males, females and children are different.

Larynx in human