Beszédút

Beszédút is a Hungarian term used in linguistics, speech pathology and anatomy to refer to the system of structures and processes that enable spoken language. It designates the speech tract or articulatory pathway, primarily the anatomical structures involved in producing speech sounds and, in broader use, the neural and physiological processes that plan and execute speech.

Anatomically, the beszédút includes the respiratory system (lungs and diaphragm) that provides driving air; the larynx (voice box) where phonation occurs via the vocal folds; and the supraglottal vocal tract (pharynx, oral cavity, nasal cavities) along with the articulators (tongue, lips, teeth, hard and soft palate) that shape sounds into distinct phonemes. The pathway also encompasses resonant cavities and their dynamic adjustments during speech.

Functionally, the beszédút involves controlling air flow, vocal fold tension and vibration, and the precise movements of articulators to produce intelligible speech. In clinical contexts it is studied in relation to speech disorders such as dysarthria, apraxia of speech, dysphonia and velopharyngeal insufficiency, where dysfunction can occur at respiratory, phonatory or articulatory stages.

In phonetics and phonology, the beszédút is treated as the channel through which phonemes are realized as acoustic signals and ultimately perceived as speech by listeners. The term derives from beszéd (speech) and út (path).