Which statement best describes voiced sounds?

• A. Sounds produced with vibration of the vocal cords
• B. Sounds produced without vibration of the vocal cords
• C. Sounds produced with no vibration and no vocal cord involvement
• D. Sounds produced with lip rounding

Answer: (A)

Voiced sounds are produced with vibration of the vocal cords. When air from the lungs passes through the larynx, the vocal cords come together and vibrate, adding voice to the sound. You can often feel this vibration by placing a hand on your throat while saying sounds like “zoo” or any vowel. This vocal cord vibration gives voiced sounds their characteristic buzz and pitch. Lip rounding is an articulation detail that can occur with both voiced and voiceless sounds, so it doesn’t define whether a sound is voiced. In contrast, sounds made without vocal cord vibration are voiceless, like the “s” in “see” or the “t” in “tip.”