1. AIR FLOW & SPEECH
MECHANISM
 The two components of lung volume
capacity are:
1. Expiratory relaxation pressure
2. Expiratory muscle effort

2. AIR FLOW & SPEECH
MECHANISM
 Passive expiratory forces (relaxation
pressure) and supplementary expiratory
muscle effort are often required for
complete phonation of many phonemes.

3. AIR FLOW & SPEECH
MECHANISM
 Air flow from the lungs comes up through
the trachea and is modified by the vocal
folds of the larynx for phonation.

4. AIR FLOW & SPEECH
MECHANISM
 The air continues to be modified through
the larynx, then the articulators (the
tongue, lips, and teeth), and the soft and
hard palate with resonances of the nasal
cavity for phonation.
Ref. Zemlin pg #89

5. AIR FLOW & SPEECH
MECHANISM
 About half of the air required for phonation
is inhaled into the lungs. This is about the
same amount of air inhaled during
normal/quiet inhalation.
 Note: Normal respiratory rate is about 12 breaths per
minute.

6. AIR FLOW & SPEECH
MECHANISM
 Speech requires an energy source (the air
from the lungs)
 Speech requires a vibrating element (the
vocal folds of the larynx)

7. AIR FLOW & SPEECH
MECHANISM
 Fundamentally, in speech production you
have:
1. Fricative noise (air stream through the larynx
become turbulent)
2. Plosive sound (momentary blockage and
release of air flow by the larynx)

8. AIR FLOW & SPEECH
MECHANISM
 Let’s review the diagrams in Zemlin pages
31 and 89.

9. AIR FLOW & SPEECH
MECHANISM
 Articulation to Audition
The sound energy produced through
articulation/phonation must be received
with a minimum audible pressure at the
eardrum in order to have an opportunity
for auditory reception and processing to
occur.

10. AIR FLOW & SPEECH
MECHANISM
 Articulation to Audition
The sound energy produced through
articulation/phonation must be received
with a minimum audible pressure at the
eardrum in order to have an opportunity
for auditory reception and processing to
occur.