<p><strong>Background.</strong> Aspiration or breath noise, or whispering in the extreme case, is produced from the vocal folds when they get closer to each other but far enough to not vibrate. If the vocal folds get even closer, additional voice sound is produced when the air flow of the lungs oversteps a phonation threshold. This threshold represents the sub-glottal pressure required to start vocal fold vibration. Then the produced sound is pitched and its frequency correspond to that of the vocal fold vibration.</p>
<p><strong>A single collision of vocal fold</strong> would correspond to a sudden release of air, as it happens for the plosive or stop consonants, but at a particular <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_of_articulation" rel="nofollow noreferrer">place of articulation</a>, the vocal folds. The sound related to such a single vocal fold pulse would be phonetically classified as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glottal_stop" rel="nofollow noreferrer">glottal stop</a>.</p>
<p>It can be seen as being similar to a very very soft cough. <strong>You can hear and see a glottal stop <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&amp;t=85&amp;v=KFZZI7HCp2M" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a></strong> which also shows that the vocal folds are not independent from the rest of the pharynx. I think if we were able to control our pharynx as you suggest to produce a single burst of the vocal fold without moving the rest of the pharynx, probably it would sound the same as a glottal stop but far less loud.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-09T14:39:25.323Z
2024-04-10T10:16:58.763Z
2024-04-10T10:16:58.763Z
Noil
<p>If it were possible to only exhale enough air to cause a single collision, would that be audible?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-14T06:33:30.633Z
why should inceased exhaling air generate collision (collapsing) vocal folds?  Or is it the question if human vocal folds can generate pulses similar to phonic lips on toothed whales?
WMXZ
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-29T07:08:05.303Z
I suppose I am misunderstanding what is happening. I thought that when we speak we make the noise by using air to collide our vocal folds. The noise of our voice is made by colliding our vocal folds, right? If they were to collide(however they collide) just once then would the noise of that be audible?
thejuggler
<physiology>
Would a single collision of human vocal folds cause an audible sound?
# Would a single collision of human vocal folds cause an audible sound?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-02-13)

If it were possible to only exhale enough air to cause a single collision, would that be audible?

**Tags:** physiology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: why should inceased exhaling air generate collision (collapsing) vocal folds?  Or is it the question if human vocal folds can generate pulses similar to phonic lips on toothed whales?  
> **username_0**: I suppose I am misunderstanding what is happening. I thought that when we speak we make the noise by using air to collide our vocal folds. The noise of our voice is made by colliding our vocal folds, right? If they were to collide(however they collide) just once then would the noise of that be audible?  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-04-09. Score: 1

**Background.** Aspiration or breath noise, or whispering in the extreme case, is produced from the vocal folds when they get closer to each other but far enough to not vibrate. If the vocal folds get even closer, additional voice sound is produced when the air flow of the lungs oversteps a phonation threshold. This threshold represents the sub-glottal pressure required to start vocal fold vibration. Then the produced sound is pitched and its frequency correspond to that of the vocal fold vibration.

**A single collision of vocal fold** would correspond to a sudden release of air, as it happens for the plosive or stop consonants, but at a particular [place of articulation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_of_articulation), the vocal folds. The sound related to such a single vocal fold pulse would be phonetically classified as a [glottal stop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glottal_stop).

It can be seen as being similar to a very very soft cough. **You can hear and see a glottal stop [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&t=85&v=KFZZI7HCp2M)** which also shows that the vocal folds are not independent from the rest of the pharynx. I think if we were able to control our pharynx as you suggest to produce a single burst of the vocal fold without moving the rest of the pharynx, probably it would sound the same as a glottal stop but far less loud.


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