The larynx is the part of your throat that contains your vocal chords.
The French ice hockey team stand on La Rink (larynx) and are told by a woman with a loud voice standing on a box (voice box) to “Get off the ice!” so it can be cleaned.
When we inhale (breathe in), air enters our nose or mouth. It proceeds through the larynx and trachea, down into our lungs. As we exhale (breathe out), air goes the opposite way.
The vocal cords relax as we breathe, so that the air moves through the space between them without making a sound.
The vocal cords tighten and come closer together when we speak. They vibrate as air from the lungs is forced between them. This produces the unique sound of our voice. The sound is modified by our tongue, lips and teeth, to make words that others can understand.
The esophagus is the tube that transports food from the mouth to the stomach; it is just behind the trachea and the larynx.