What is normal resonance?
Resonance is the quality of the voice that results from sound vibrations in the pharynx (throat), oral cavity (mouth) and nasal cavity (nose). The balance of sound vibration in these areas determines the quality of the speech and voice. For normal resonance, the nose and the mouth must be closed off from each other during speech. This occurs when the velum (soft palate) raises and contacts the back wall of the pharynx (throat) during speech. This is called “velopharyngeal closure.” Velopharyngeal closure allows the child to build up air pressure and sound in the mouth in order to produce various speech sounds.
