How many intrinsic laryngeal muscles are there?

The correct understanding is that there are five intrinsic laryngeal muscles. These muscles play crucial roles in controlling the tension and position of the vocal folds, thereby influencing voice production and airway protection. The intrinsic muscles include the lateral cricoarytenoid, posterior cricoarytenoid, cricothyroid, thyroarytenoid, and arytenoideus.

Each of these muscles contributes to actions such as adduction (bringing the vocal folds together), abduction (moving them apart), and adjusting the tension of the vocal folds, which is essential for phonation and modulation of pitch. Understanding the functions and interactions of these muscles is vital for studying the anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing, particularly in the context of voice disorders and speech production.