Which muscle is primarily responsible for raising pitch?

The cricothyroid muscle plays a crucial role in raising the pitch of the voice by altering the tension and length of the vocal folds. When the cricothyroid muscle contracts, it tilts the thyroid cartilage forward and downward relative to the cricoid cartilage. This action elongates and tightens the vocal folds, which increases their vibratory frequency, leading to a higher pitch.

The ability to control pitch is fundamental in speech as well as in singing, and the cricothyroid muscle is particularly critical for this function. In contrast, the thyroarytenoid muscle primarily acts to shorten and relax the vocal folds, thereby lowering pitch. The lateral cricoarytenoid and posterior cricoarytenoid muscles are primarily involved in the adduction and abduction of the vocal folds, respectively, rather than directly influencing pitch. Thus, the cricothyroid muscle is recognized as the primary orchestrator of pitch elevation in phonation.