What is glottis?

The glottis is like a little door inside your throat that you can open and close to make sounds.

Imagine you have a toy car that you can push forward or pull back. When you push it forward, the car moves, this is like when your glottis opens. When you pull it back, the car stops, this is like when your glottis closes.

Your voice comes from air moving through your throat. When your glottis is open, air can pass through freely, and that helps make sound. When it's closed, no air gets through, which makes a pause or a stop in the sound.

Think of your glottis like the gate at the entrance to a playground. When it’s open, kids can run in and out, this is like speaking. When it’s closed, it's quiet time, like when you're holding your breath or making certain sounds, such as "ah" or "uh."

Your glottis works with other parts of your throat to help you talk, sing, and even yawn!