How it works
This tonsils diagram shows the throat cut down the middle, with the four kinds of tonsil in place: pharyngeal, tubal, palatine and lingual. A second view looks into the open mouth and inside one palatine tonsil.
Read the full guide
A ring round the throat
The pharyngeal tonsil sits on the nasopharynx's roof. A tubal tonsil lies behind each auditory tube opening. The palatine tonsils are on the side walls of the oropharynx and the lingual tonsil is on the back of the tongue. Together they are called Waldeyer’s ring.
Between two arches
From the front, each palatine tonsil sits between the palatoglossal arch and the palatopharyngeal arch. Cut through, it shows crypts, lymphoid nodules and a capsule on its deep side.
- The tubal and palatine tonsils come in pairs, one on each side. The drawing cut down the middle shows one of each.
- The pharyngeal tonsil is called the adenoid, or adenoids.
Questions and answers
What are the four types of tonsils?
The pharyngeal tonsil, the two tubal tonsils, the two palatine tonsils and the lingual tonsil. They form a ring of lymphoid tissue round the openings of the nose and mouth into the throat.
Where are the tonsils located?
The pharyngeal and tubal tonsils are in the nasopharynx, behind the nose. The palatine tonsils are on the side walls of the oropharynx, between two folds called arches. The lingual tonsil is on the back third of the tongue.
Which tonsils can you see when you open your mouth?
The palatine tonsils, one on each side at the back of the mouth, between the front and back arches. The pharyngeal and tubal tonsils are hidden above the soft palate.
Is this the answer key for “label the following different tonsils”?
No. That wording comes from a publisher’s labeling activity. This page is our own drawing of the same four tonsils, to study or quiz yourself on.