What is in a drawing of the speech organs?

A drawing of speech organs may include the tongue, lips, teeth, uvula, alveolar ridge, velum, glottis and hard palate. Using these organs in different combinations contributes to the different sounds made by humans while speaking.

The organs used in human speech are classified as either passive or active articulators. Passive articulators do not move during the production of a sound, while active articulators do. Based on the different types of sounds the tongue produces, a drawing of speech organs may differentiate between different segments of the tongue. Detailed drawings of the larynx may include the hyoid bone, the thyroid cartilage and the cricoid cartilage.