# What are vocal cords?

The vocal cords is called the vocal cords (vocal folds). Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as two folds of mucous membrane stretched across the larynx.

## What it means

- Two folds of mucous membrane stretched across the larynx.
- Vibrate as air passes between them to produce sound.
- Their tension and separation are adjusted by small laryngeal muscles.

## Action steps

1. Inside the larynx.
2. Attached in front to the thyroid cartilage and behind to the arytenoid cartilages.
3. The space between them is called the rima glottidis.

## Sources

- [Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918)](https://www.bartleby.com/107/)

---
Canonical: https://bestanatomyanswers.com/answers/what-are-vocal-cords
Author: Best Anatomy Answers — https://bestanatomyanswers.com
Publisher: Best Anatomy Answers
Published: 2026-07-18T00:00:00+00:00
Modified: 2026-07-18T00:00:00+00:00
Last verified: 2026-07-18
License: Citation License 1.0 — https://bestexpertanswers.com/license
© Adolicious LLC