What Does the Uvula Do?
2. Speech
While some people believe the uvula no longer serves any purpose, they are many others that believe it is very useful indeed. One suspected benefit of the uvula is that it helps us to speak. Indeed, some languages rely on the uvula in order to pronounce a number of sounds.
The uvula tends to be coated in a layer of a certain type of saliva. It is thought that this can help lubricate the mouth to allow for complex speech. In addition, it may help to block the nasal passage enough to prevent our voices from being too nasal. The uvula is absent in other mammals, suggesting it may well have something to do with complex speech.
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