During phonation, what position are the vocal folds in?

During phonation, the vocal folds are adducted, which means they come together to close the glottis. This position is essential for phonation because it allows for the build-up of air pressure from the lungs as the person exhales, which then causes the folds to vibrate. These vibrations produce sound.

The adducted state creates a barrier that the exhaled air must push through, generating the necessary vibrations to create speech sounds. This process requires precise control of the laryngeal muscles, which draw the vocal folds together tightly.

Phonation cannot occur effectively if the vocal folds are in other positions, such as being abduction (spread apart), relaxed, or in a neutral position, since these states do not allow for the correct closure needed to facilitate sound production.