The Tongue: Hero, Not Hindrance

Welcome to The Voice Science Podcast, where we explore the art and science of vocal training—one question at a time.

Today’s episode dives into one of the most misunderstood—and overlooked—muscles in your singing toolkit: the tongue. From vowel shaping to laryngeal position to vocal color, the tongue plays a much bigger role than most singers realize. Timothy Wilds takes us on a deep dive into its anatomy, function, and the common traps singers fall into when it comes to tongue positioning.

Let’s get into it.

 

When was the last time you paused and thought, “The human body is amazing.” For the most part, we go through our days and take the functioning of our bodies for granted. The exception lies with those who ask their bodies to do extraordinary things. Olympic athletes, for example, must attend to bodily wellness to perform at their best. To the list, I’d like to add performing artists, namely singers.

 

So, when a singer takes stock of all the parts that comprise this whole-body instrument, what do they prize the most? You may be thinking, “What kind of question is that?” What value is there in sorting through the vocal anatomy and picking a favorite? 

 

On today’s episode of The Voice Science Podcast, let’s learn about and find new appreciation for a much-overlooked member: the tongue.

 

Let’s start with some general facts. The tongue is the ultimate multi-tasker. It plays a significant role in two life-sustaining functions: respiratory tract protection and swallowing. Secondarily, when it comes to speaking and singing, the tongue is essential for vowel and consonant production.

 

The average adult-sized tongue is about three inches long and two inches wide. It weighs anywhere between 2.5 to 3.5 ounces. In utero, it is two separate units, or buds. In time, they fuse together with the front, or anterior buds, contributing two-thirds, and the back, or posterior bud, the final third. Eight muscles comprise the tongue, four intrinsic, or internal, and four extrinsic, connected to bone. The intrinsic muscles reside in the front portion and the four extrinsic in the back portion. The tongue’s origin as two buds gradually fusing together is what  allows for its amazing independence of movement. The tongue is able to move backwards and forwards simultaneously, thrust and retract, curl the sides, lift the tip, even turn it on its sides. The front two-thirds lives in the oral cavity. The back one-third resides in the oropharynx, the part of the pharynx behind the oral cavity. It is considered one of the strongest muscles in the body due to its versatility, flexibility, and near-constant activity. The tongue can be strengthened with exercise. 

 

What is the shape of your tongue? Imagine peeling a clementine or mandarin orange. Hold a segment, which is a wedge shape, between your thumb and middle finger, the narrow edge touching your thumb and the wider, outer edge your middle finger. Like the orange segment, your tongue has a natural curve to it. When a physician asks you to stick out your tongue and say “ah,” your tongue curls down as it exits the oral cavity. Holding the orange segment again between your fingers, lightly rock your hand back and forth, side to side. This is your tongue’s natural movement.

 

The tongue is divided into four areas. In the anterior region is the tip, which generally lives behind your lower teeth when not articulating a consonant. Next in order, moving posteriorly, is the blade, stretching from the tip to the dorsum, which is the highest point or the hump in the tongue. From the dorsum, the tongue slopes back and down where we reach the fourth and final area, the base or root. Adjacent to the root is the epiglottis, a critical member in the act of swallowing. When consuming food or liquid, the epiglottis folds down to cover the trachea.

 

The tongue sits above the hyoid bone. The hyoid bone is one of only two free-floating bones in the human body. Four of the eight muscles of the tongue either originate at or insert into the hyoid bone. To help visualize this, think back to holding the orange segment. Focus on the end of the segment closest to your purlicue–yes, that’s the name of the curve between your thumb and index finger! Now imagine this end as the root of your tongue structurally attached to the hyoid bone, providing a stable base for all tongue movements.

 

The hyoid bone is the top-most portion of the larynx. Membranes and ligaments attached to the hyoid bone suspend the thyroid cartilage, and by extension, the whole of the larynx.

 

Due to the level of interconnectedness between the tongue, hyoid bone, and larynx, notice what happens when you draw the center of your tongue downward, as if it is trying to hide behind your lower teeth. It will feel like your tongue has turned into a trough or a taco shell. Beside feeling awkward, observe what happens to your laryngeal position: it lowers or depresses, rather dramatically.

 

The reason the taco-shell tongue feels so unnatural is because it is a stark contrast to the tongue’s neutral, resting position. To remember this position, sit quietly with your mouth shut and map the location of your tongue in the oral cavity. Notice that the lateral edges of your tongue, or the sides, are meeting the space between your upper and lower molars. An equally valuable way of mapping your tongue is after deglutition, or swallowing. To draw a bolus (a mass of food and/or liquid) back towards the pharynx, the tongue lifts creating a strong seal against the hard palate. The suction created in the process delivers the bolus to the esophagus. Afterwards, the tongue returns to its resting position.

 

I recently listened to a video lecture by the American speech language pathologist and voice science researcher Kerrie Obert, entitled “The tongue is not the enemy.” It is her conviction that voice trainers are too quick to diagnose students with tongue tension. She reminds the listener that medical science uses the term “tension” specifically for the condition of a muscle stuck in a state of contraction. Based on that definition, I can confidently say that I’ve never encountered a student with tongue tension. On the contrary, I have had numerous students exhibiting tongue habituation, that is, holding the tongue in particular positions in the mouth in the assumption that it will be of some benefit. In my experience, the most common form of habituation presents itself as a bunching up or cupping the tongue in the center of the mouth. But it can manifest itself as a flat, even flaccid tongue, or a strongly retracted tongue. Keep in mind that not all students are aware of what the tongue is doing. Based on my observations, I have come to the conclusion that these habituations are a kind of substitutionary support mechanism for the voice. Instead of engaging the body in voice-stabilizing acts, that is anchoring or supporting, at a distance from the vocal mechanism, they seat the action in the tongue.

 

There are a host of problems that can result from habituating the tongue. Firstly, a tongue that is not free to move will sacrifice vowel production. Why? Because the geometry, or shape, of your tongue defines the vowel. How does that happen? To illustrate this, we will use the whisper technique. Before we do, remember that the oral cavity, like any chamber, has a resonating frequency. Now, whisper the vowels [i e a o u], making sure you are not adducting the true vocal folds, or phonating. Do you hear the vowel sounds? Most likely you do but you still may be confused as to how it’s happening if you aren’t actually phonating. Here’s how. The air movement is interacting with the topography of the tongue. As it flows over the peaks and valleys of the tongue, certain harmonics are emphasized or amplified. Areas of heightened harmonic intensity are called formants. The location of these formants define what we perceive as vowel sounds. In fact, every vowel sound has a unique signature, a one-of-a-kind pattern of formants. Since each vowel requires that the tongue achieve a particular shape, you can see how tongue habituation can play havoc with vowel production.

 

Tongue habituation can also muddy consonant articulation. Seventeen of the twenty-four  consonant sounds in the English language require engagement of either the tongue’s tip, blade, and/or dorsum. One of two ways phoneticians classify consonants is by the place of articulation, or where in the oral cavity the sound is made. Dental consonants, the voiced and unvoiced “th” sound, and the six alveolar consonants [t d s z n l] require the tip of the tongue. The velar consonants [k g] are impossible without the use of the dorsum of the tongue. Clearly, for efficient consonant production, the tongue must be free of any habituation. 

 

There is no question that the tongue’s role in vowel and consonant production is paramount, but there is another aspect of singing impacted by the tongue placement in the oral cavity. It has to do with brightness and darkness in the vocal sound. The general rule is this: a forward and high tongue will engender a brighter quality, whereas the converse will yield a darker quality. Knowing this is invaluable for any singer who dabbles in multiple voice qualities and needs the tools and skill to tailor their vocal timbre to the story of the song.

 

Before moving to some suggestions for correcting tongue habituation, let’s take a moment for some clarification. The information I’ve shared so far in this podcast is founded upon two choice presuppositions. First is the notion that any approach to singing should not contradict the body’s natural function. Take the focus of this episode as an example. How does the tongue behave apart from singing? It is important to learn from these observations and let them find agreement when singing. To illustrate, imagine a student exhibiting tongue habituation when singing. Are they doing likewise when speaking? In my experience, few, if any, are doing so. Determining why it appears in one mode and not the other is a project unto itself. What is clear is that the habituation is not absolutely necessary or it would also be occurring during speech.

 

The other presupposition in play is unapologetically biased. I am a card-carrying member of the high, forward tongue club. For the students I have the privilege of assisting, none of which are professional singers, I believe this to be the overall best approach. Let it be said that not all voice trainers agree with me. Often, alternative tongue positioning is highly focused on producing a specific voice quality. For example, the compressed tongue used by some operatic singers. As mentioned earlier, tongue positioning is a major player when it comes to creating brighter and darker timbre in the sound. To some degree, I would suggest that the ability to play with color by manipulating the tongue is an intermediate skill. That is why I encourage my students to embrace a general high, forward tongue approach as a default setting.

 

So, enough information and opinion, let’s get practical. If you are or someone you know deals with tongue habituation that prohibits a forward-living tip of the tongue, let me suggest the following exercises:

 

Begin by using a mirror. Nothing is more instructive and potentially corrective than watching your tongue in action. Start with some tongue mobility exercises. Celebrate all the directions your tongue can move. Thrust it. Retract it. Curl it. Turn it on its side.

 

Next, sing the vowels [i] and [e] with the tip in contact with the back of your lower front teeth or in the general vicinity. This is where the tip of your tongue should return after any consonant articulation and while sustaining a vowel sound. If you are having trouble maintaining the tip in this forward position, sing with the tip a little further forward, actually resting on your lower lip. Should your tongue continue to be resistant, sing with the tip even a little further forward, hanging it over the lower lip. Be patient with yourself through this process. A singer’s vocal production habits are embedded in muscle memory, which is a blessing and a curse. Sometimes we need to replace one habit with another and that will take time and perseverance.

 

If you are or someone you know deals with tongue habituation of the flat, flaccid, or retracted tongue variety, let me suggest the following exercises:

 

As suggested earlier, use a mirror and do some tongue mobility exercises. Next, to infuse some height in the tongue, sing the syllables [gi] and [ge], [ki] and [ke]. By using the velar consonants [g] and [k], we are activating the dorsum of the tongue. If you like, take a phrase from a song and sing it on these syllables.

 

I hope today’s episode has helped you realize just how amazing the tongue really is. The next time you take it for granted, remember just how much it does for you. Particularly, as it relates to singing, let it be free of any constraints. It is perfectly designed to do exactly what you need. Happy singing!

 

Thanks for listening to The Voice Science Podcast. If this episode helped you see the tongue in a new light—or made you rethink your own technique—share it with a fellow singer or teacher. And if you’re looking for step-by-step training that puts the science into practice, check out VoSci Academy. You’ll find guided lessons, exercises, and a growing library of resources to help you train with clarity and intention.

Visit VoiceScience.org to learn more—and as always, keep singing smart.