The size and shape of the vocal tract, which includes the pharyngeal, oral, and nasal cavities, determines resonance, which is the modification of sound that occurs from the vocal folds.
The transfer of sound from the vocal folds (the source) through the vocal tract (the filter) is what causes speech *resonance* . Based on the size and/or shape of the supralaryngeal cavities, the pharynx, and the oral and nasal cavities, the vocal tract selectively enhances harmonics of the source (voicing).
Based on the intended speech sound, normal resonance is achieved by achieving an appropriate balance of oral and nasal sound energy. Reverberation differs for vowels, voiced oral consonants, and nasal consonants as well as across dialects and vernaculars. The English language's majority of vowels and vocalic consonants are primarily produced orally, meaning with the velopharyngeal port closed or nearly closed. *Normal resonance* is perceived along a continuum and has a range of acceptability.
The speech signal contains either too much or too little energy from the mouth, nose, or both. They can result from underlying or practical (e.g., neurogenic) causes. Different etiologies necessitate different treatment plans, so speech-language pathologists (SLPs) use differential diagnosis to determine whether problems are caused by structural and/or functional factors or by mislearning. Verbalization blunders due to mislearning might be confused as a reverberation issue.
Nasal airflow distortions or errors should not be confused with *resonance disorders.* Nasal wind current mistakes are connected with enunciation when there is an improper departure or arrival of air through the nasal cavity during creation of strain consonants — consonants that are delivered by explosions of streamed air (i.e.,/p, b, t, d, k, g, f, v, s, z, ʃ, t͡ʃ, θ, d͡ʒ, ʒ, ð/)
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