The structures involved in the production of sound that is modified into spoken language. The production of speech sounds begins with air that is pushed out of the lungs and passes up through the trachea into the larynx (voice box). The larynx is a hollow organ, located between the pharynx and the trachea, and constructed of several pieces of cartilage. The largest of these is the thyroid cartilage, commonly called the Adam’s apple, which lies at the front of the throat and projects slightly outward. The cricoid cartilage is just below it, connecting the thyroid cartilage to the trachea. At the back, on top of the cricoid cartilage, are two projections called the arytenoid cartilages. The vocal cords (also called vocal folds) stretch across the larynx, suspended from the thyroid cartilage in front and the arytenoid cartilages at the back. At rest, the vocal cords lie apart, forming an opening (called the glottis) through which air passes for breathing.