The hyoid bone is a small horseshoe-shaped bone located in the front of your neck. It sits between the chin and the thyroid cartilage and is instrumental in the function of swallowing and tongue movements.

The little talked about hyoid bone is a unique part of the humanskeletonfor a number of reasons.

First, it’s mobile. This means that other than its attachment site to thethyroidcartilage (which is part ofthe larynxand discussed below) it floats.

Second, it has an unusual shape that resembles a horseshoe.

From breathing to eating, the hyoid bone plays a role in a number of key functions that keep you alive.

Anatomy of the Hyoid

Although it is small, the hyoid bone is only rarelyfractured. This is due to its location, which generally protects the bone from all but direct trauma.

The hyoid bone provides a place of attachment for several anterior (front) neck muscles. The muscles that attach onto the hyoid bone include, but are not limited to, the:

These and other anterior neck muscles play a role in swallowing and may be affected in cases ofneck injuriesor misalignment.

The hyoid bone is located above the Adam’s apple (in men) and below the tonsils and the epiglottis.

While not technically a part of the larynx, at the top, the two structures are very close. The hyoid provides an attachment site for muscles that control movements of the larynx.

Function

Since the hyoid functions as an attachment point for the larynx, it’s involved in any function that the larynx is involved in.

The larynx is the area above your windpipe, aka trachea, that helps protect you from choking on foreign objects. Perhaps the most well-known example of this is when food “goes down the wrong pipe.”

Another thing the larynx does is produce sound; singers and speakers often refer to the larynx as the voice box. The larynx is also responsible for coughing, which is part of the choking protection mechanism function mentioned above.

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The larynx has a few other purposes, as well, including playing a role in ventilation and functioning as a sensory organ.

A second function of the hyoid bone is to provide a foundation or base from which the tongue can move.

Finally, the hyoid bone is involved in respiration it plays a role in keeping the airway open. That important not only for breathing but for sleep and sleeping disorders, such assleep apnea.

Rehabilitation

The hyoid bone is small, and it functions as an attachment point for many muscles involved in swallowing, jaw movements, and respiration.

Swallowing function may be impaired due to problems such as stroke, neck injuries, or jaw and neck cancers. If that occurs, working with a specialist like a speech pathologist may be useful.

Your speech therapist may perform specific exercises to help you swallow better, and these may involve getting familiar with your hyoid bone. Exercises for swallowing function may include:

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Your therapist may also teach you how to mobilize your hyoid bone and to stretch or strengthen the muscles that surround it.

Frequently Asked Questions

The hyoid bone helps with producing sound, coughing, moving the tongue, breathing, maintaining head posture, and avoiding choking.Since the hyoid bone is an attachment point of the larynx, its functions include anything to do with the larynx.

The hyoid bone is unique due to its placement in the body. Unlike other bones, it is not directly attached to any surrounding bones, only muscles. The hyoid bone is attached to more than four muscles, including the sternohyoid, mylohyoid, omohyoid, and digastric muscles.

4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Al Julaih GH, Menezes RG.Anatomy, head and neck, hyoid bone. StatPearls.Zhang Z.Mechanics of human voice production and control.J Acoust Soc Am. 2016;140(4):2614. doi:10.1121/1.4964509Pauloski BR.Rehabilitation of dysphagia following head and neck cancer.Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2008;19(4):889-928, x. doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2008.05.010Ramchand T, Choudhry OJ, Shukla PA, Tomovic S, Kuperan AB, Eloy JA.Management of hyoid bone fractures: a systematic review.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2012 Aug;147(2):204-8. doi:10.1177/0194599812451409Additional ReadingMessina G.The tongue, mandible, hyoid system.Eur J Transl Myol. 2017;27(1):6363. Published 2017 Mar 24. doi:10.4081/ejtm.2017.6363Moore, K., Dalley, A. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Fifth. Edition. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Baltimore.Porr J, Laframboise M, Kazemi M.Traumatic hyoid bone fracture - a case report and review of the literature.J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2012;56(4):269-274.

4 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Al Julaih GH, Menezes RG.Anatomy, head and neck, hyoid bone. StatPearls.Zhang Z.Mechanics of human voice production and control.J Acoust Soc Am. 2016;140(4):2614. doi:10.1121/1.4964509Pauloski BR.Rehabilitation of dysphagia following head and neck cancer.Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2008;19(4):889-928, x. doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2008.05.010Ramchand T, Choudhry OJ, Shukla PA, Tomovic S, Kuperan AB, Eloy JA.Management of hyoid bone fractures: a systematic review.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2012 Aug;147(2):204-8. doi:10.1177/0194599812451409Additional ReadingMessina G.The tongue, mandible, hyoid system.Eur J Transl Myol. 2017;27(1):6363. Published 2017 Mar 24. doi:10.4081/ejtm.2017.6363Moore, K., Dalley, A. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Fifth. Edition. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Baltimore.Porr J, Laframboise M, Kazemi M.Traumatic hyoid bone fracture - a case report and review of the literature.J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2012;56(4):269-274.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Al Julaih GH, Menezes RG.Anatomy, head and neck, hyoid bone. StatPearls.Zhang Z.Mechanics of human voice production and control.J Acoust Soc Am. 2016;140(4):2614. doi:10.1121/1.4964509Pauloski BR.Rehabilitation of dysphagia following head and neck cancer.Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2008;19(4):889-928, x. doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2008.05.010Ramchand T, Choudhry OJ, Shukla PA, Tomovic S, Kuperan AB, Eloy JA.Management of hyoid bone fractures: a systematic review.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2012 Aug;147(2):204-8. doi:10.1177/0194599812451409

Al Julaih GH, Menezes RG.Anatomy, head and neck, hyoid bone. StatPearls.

Zhang Z.Mechanics of human voice production and control.J Acoust Soc Am. 2016;140(4):2614. doi:10.1121/1.4964509

Pauloski BR.Rehabilitation of dysphagia following head and neck cancer.Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2008;19(4):889-928, x. doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2008.05.010

Ramchand T, Choudhry OJ, Shukla PA, Tomovic S, Kuperan AB, Eloy JA.Management of hyoid bone fractures: a systematic review.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2012 Aug;147(2):204-8. doi:10.1177/0194599812451409

Messina G.The tongue, mandible, hyoid system.Eur J Transl Myol. 2017;27(1):6363. Published 2017 Mar 24. doi:10.4081/ejtm.2017.6363Moore, K., Dalley, A. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Fifth. Edition. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Baltimore.Porr J, Laframboise M, Kazemi M.Traumatic hyoid bone fracture - a case report and review of the literature.J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2012;56(4):269-274.

Messina G.The tongue, mandible, hyoid system.Eur J Transl Myol. 2017;27(1):6363. Published 2017 Mar 24. doi:10.4081/ejtm.2017.6363

Moore, K., Dalley, A. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Fifth. Edition. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Baltimore.

Porr J, Laframboise M, Kazemi M.Traumatic hyoid bone fracture - a case report and review of the literature.J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2012;56(4):269-274.

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