Editing Human voice (section)

==Voice types and the folds (cords) themselves==
{{Main|Vocal folds|Voice types}}
[[File:Gray1204.png|right|401x400px|thumb|A labeled anatomical diagram of the [[vocal folds]] or cords.]]
Adult men and women typically have different sizes of vocal fold; reflecting the male–female differences in larynx size. Adult male voices are usually lower-pitched and have larger folds. The male vocal folds (which would be measured vertically in the opposite diagram), are between 17&nbsp;mm and 25&nbsp;mm in length.<ref>Thurman, Leon & Welch, ed., Graham (2000), Body mind & voice: Foundations of voice education (revised ed.), Collegeville, Minnesota: The Voice Care Network et al., {{ISBN|0-87414-123-0}}</ref> The female vocal folds are between 12.5&nbsp;mm and 17.5&nbsp;mm in length.

The folds are within the [[larynx]]. They are attached at the back (side nearest the spinal cord) to the ''arytenoids cartilages'', and at the front (side under the chin) to the [[thyroid]] cartilage. They have no outer edge as they blend into the side of the [[Vertebrate trachea|breathing tube]] (the illustration is out of date and does not show this well) while their inner edges or "margins" are free to vibrate (the hole). They have a three layer construction of an [[epithelium]], vocal ligament, then muscle ([[vocalis muscle]]), which can shorten and bulge the folds. They are flat triangular bands and are pearly white in color. Above both sides of the vocal cord is the [[vestibular fold]] or ''false vocal cord'', which has a small [[wikt:sac|sac]] between its two folds.

The difference in vocal fold size between men and women means that they have differently pitched voices. There is also [[genetics|genetic]] variation amongst the same sex, with men's and women's [[singing]] voices being categorized into types. For example, among men, there are [[Bass (vocal range)|bass]], [[bass-baritone]], [[baritone]], [[baritenor]], [[tenor]] and [[countertenor]] (ranging from [[scientific pitch notation|E2 to C♯7 and higher]]), and among women, [[contralto]], [[alto]], [[mezzo-soprano]] and [[soprano]] (ranging from F3 to C6 and higher). There are additional categories for [[Opera#Operatic voices|operatic voices]], see [[voice type]]. This is not the only source of difference between male and female voice. Men, generally speaking, have a larger [[vocal tract]], which essentially gives the resultant voice a lower-sounding [[timbre]]. This is mostly independent of the vocal folds themselves.