Epiglottis

The epiglottis is a piece of cartilage sticking out from the front wall of the pharynx, right above the larynx. It doesn't seem to do anything useful. (It might help keep food from going down the wrong way to your lungs, but if so, it doesn't do a very good job.)

A couple of sounds found in a few languages seem to involve the epiglottis. Be glad that English isn't one of them.

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