Soft tissues located at the roof of your mouth; when lifted, covers passage to nasal cavity and therefore prevents nasal sounds.

Soft tissues located at the roof of your mouth; when lifted, covers passage to nasal cavity and therefore prevents nasal sounds.

• A. Soft Palate
• B. Hard Palate
• C. Larynx
• D. Pharynx

Answer: (A)

The soft palate, or velum, is the movable tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth. When it rises, it closes off the passage to the nasal cavity (the nasopharynx), directing air through the mouth and preventing nasal sounds. This velopharyngeal closure is essential for producing oral sounds; if the soft palate doesn’t seal properly, air escapes through the nose and nasalization occurs. The hard palate is the fixed bony front part of the roof, so it can’t seal off the nasal cavity; the larynx and pharynx are located lower in the throat and aren’t the structures responsible for blocking nasal airflow at the roof of the mouth.

The soft palate, or velum, is the movable tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth. When it rises, it closes off the passage to the nasal cavity (the nasopharynx), directing air through the mouth and preventing nasal sounds. This velopharyngeal closure is essential for producing oral sounds; if the soft palate doesn’t seal properly, air escapes through the nose and nasalization occurs. The hard palate is the fixed bony front part of the roof, so it can’t seal off the nasal cavity; the larynx and pharynx are located lower in the throat and aren’t the structures responsible for blocking nasal airflow at the roof of the mouth.