• 18 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Larynx Anatomy Quiz

Name the cartilages of the larynx from the front and back, then the folds inside.

Larynx Anatomy Quiz

Name Date

Tap the laryngeal prominence (Adam's apple)

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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Thyroid cartilage
  2. Hyoid bone
  3. Trachea
  4. Epiglottis
  5. Cricoid cartilage
  6. Laryngeal prominence (Adam's apple)
  7. Thyrohyoid membrane
  8. Cricothyroid ligament
  9. Superior horn of the thyroid cartilage
  10. Inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage
  11. Arytenoid cartilage
  12. Corniculate cartilage
  13. Cuneiform cartilage
  14. Aryepiglottic fold
  15. Vocal fold (true vocal cord)
  16. Vestibular fold (false vocal cord)
  17. Ventricle of the larynx
  18. Vestibule of the larynx

Drawn for this site on 2026-10-05. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: from the larynx down the trachea and bronchi

All 18 parts on the diagram

Show the list

From the front 10

  1. Thyroid cartilage The largest cartilage of the larynx, shaped like a shield. Its two plates join at the front.
  2. Hyoid bone A U-shaped bone above the larynx. The larynx hangs from it by a membrane.
  3. Trachea The windpipe, which carries on down from the larynx. Rings of cartilage hold it open.
  4. Epiglottis A leaf-shaped flap of elastic cartilage. It folds back over the entrance of the larynx during swallowing.
  5. Cricoid cartilage The only cartilage that makes a complete ring round the airway. It is narrow in front and broad behind, like a signet ring.
  6. Laryngeal prominence (Adam's apple) The bump where the two plates of the thyroid cartilage meet. It is the Adam's apple.
  7. Thyrohyoid membrane A sheet from the thyroid cartilage up to the hyoid bone.
  8. Cricothyroid ligament It joins the thyroid cartilage to the cricoid below. Inside, its free upper edge forms the vocal ligament.
  9. Superior horn of the thyroid cartilage The upward spike at the back edge of each plate. A ligament ties it to the hyoid bone.
  10. Inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage The downward spike at the back edge of each plate. It forms a joint with the side of the cricoid.

From behind 4

  1. Arytenoid cartilage A small pyramid on the back of the cricoid. There are two, and a vocal ligament is fixed to each.
  2. Corniculate cartilage A small nodule of cartilage on the tip of each arytenoid.
  3. Cuneiform cartilage A small rod of cartilage inside each aryepiglottic fold. It joins no other cartilage and stiffens the fold.
  4. Aryepiglottic fold A fold of lining from the epiglottis down to the arytenoid. The two folds edge the entrance of the larynx.

Cut in half 4

  1. Vocal fold (true vocal cord) The lower pair of folds. Air passing between them makes the voice, and muscles tighten or slacken them to change its pitch.
  2. Vestibular fold (false vocal cord) The upper pair of folds, just above the vocal folds. They do not move to make sound; they help guard the airway.
  3. Ventricle of the larynx A pocket in the side wall, between the two folds. The vestibular fold is above it and the vocal fold below.
  4. Vestibule of the larynx The upper part of the cavity, above the vestibular folds. It begins at the entrance of the larynx.

How this list was compiled: Every name and detail line was checked on 2026-09-30 against TeachMeAnatomy, The Laryngeal Cartilages, https://teachmeanatomy.info/neck/viscera/larynx/laryngealcartilages/, and The Laryngeal Ligaments and Folds, https://teachmeanatomy.info/neck/viscera/larynx/ligaments-folds/; Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body, 20th edition, 1918 (public domain), the section on the larynx, https://archive.org/details/anatomyofhumanbo00grayrich; and Kenhub, Larynx, https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/larynx. The wording is in our own words. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-05. The proportions and outlines of the three views follow three public domain plates of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, 20th edition, 1918 (Henry Gray, edited by Warren H. Lewis; public domain): fig. 951, The ligaments of the larynx, antero-lateral view (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray951.png), fig. 952, Ligaments of the larynx, posterior view (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray952.png) and fig. 953, Sagittal section of the larynx and upper part of the trachea (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray953.png); fig. 950, The cartilages of the larynx, posterior view, was looked at for the shapes of the cartilages. The front view is turned to face the viewer and the folds of the back view are added; every outline was redrawn by hand as curves, nothing is traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The larynx drawn three times: from the front, from behind, and cut in half down the middle. Eighteen parts to find and name, from the hyoid bone at the top to the trachea below.

Read the full guide

Outside: three big cartilages, three small pairs

From the front, top to bottom: hyoid bone, thyrohyoid membrane, thyroid cartilage, cricothyroid ligament, cricoid cartilage, trachea. The epiglottis rises behind the hyoid. From behind, an arytenoid sits on each side of the cricoid, with a corniculate cartilage on its tip and a cuneiform cartilage in the fold above.

Inside: two pairs of folds

The cut shows two ridges on the side wall. The upper is the vestibular fold and the lower is the vocal fold, with the ventricle between them. The space above both is the vestibule.

  • Thyroid is the shield, cricoid is the ring: the only cartilage that goes all the way round.
  • False above, true below: the vestibular fold sits over the vocal fold.

Questions and answers

What are the nine cartilages of the larynx?

Three single ones, the thyroid, the cricoid and the epiglottis, and three pairs: the arytenoid, corniculate and cuneiform cartilages. The hyoid bone above the larynx is a bone, not one of its cartilages.

What is the difference between true and false vocal cords?

The true vocal cords, or vocal folds, are the lower pair. They move and vibrate to make the voice. The false vocal cords, or vestibular folds, lie just above them and stay still, helping to guard the airway.

What is the Adam's apple?

The laryngeal prominence: the bump at the front of the neck where the two plates of the thyroid cartilage meet. It is usually easier to see in adult men.

Can I use this page to correctly label the features of the larynx?

Yes, for practice. The drawings are our own and not a copy of any textbook figure, so the page is not an answer key: your course figure may show a different view or ask for other names.

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