Larynx comes directly from the Greek larynx which in turn is from larungao, Greek for scream or bellow. The earliest recorded use of the term was by Aristotle in the 4th century BC.

Commonly known as the voice-box, the larynx houses the vocal folds; it is the only component of the respiratory system located entirely within the neck.

"Larynx" is probably the most misread and thus most mispronounced word in anatomy. The correct pronunciation is "lair-rinks", not the oft-heard "lair-niks". I've had the disconcerting experience of being treated by health professionals who said lair-niks, immediately raising the perhaps unfair but easily avoidable question: What else don't they know?

Anterior view of larynx, trachea and bronchial tree
Andreas Vesalius
De Humani Corporis Fabrica, 1543, p.151

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