Which term describes the process of speaking as a form of air movement?

Phonation refers specifically to the process of producing sound through the vocal cords, which occurs when air is pushed from the lungs through the larynx. During phonation, the air movement causes the vocal cords to vibrate, producing sound waves that are then shaped into speech by the articulators (like the tongue, lips, and palate).

In contrast, respiration is a broader term that encompasses the overall process of breathing, involving both inhalation and exhalation of air. Inspiration refers specifically to the act of taking air into the lungs, while expiration refers to the act of expelling air from the lungs. While both inspiration and expiration contribute to breathing and indirectly facilitate phonation by providing the airflow necessary for sound production, they do not specifically describe the act of sound generation itself. Therefore, phonation is the most accurate term to describe the process of speaking as it directly involves the production of sound through managed airflow in the larynx.