The Levator Veli Palatini lifts the soft palate (also known as velum) and pulls it slightly backward, closing the nasopharyngeal (velopharyngeal) port. This closes off the nose (nasopharynx), directing sound out through the mouth. This is a preferred condition in classical singing and many styles of contemporary commercial music. The levator veli palatini is both a superior and inferior muscle.
The superior levator veli palatini originates from the inferior surface of the temporal bone, the inferior levator veli palatini originates from the cartilage of Eustachian tube and the sphenoid bone. Both muscles insert into the superior aspect of the palatine aponeurosis.
Inervation: Pharyngeal plexus
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