Throat-clear

A throat-clear is a sound made at the back of the throat[1] by tightly constricting the laryngopharyngeal tissues and vibrating the palatoglossal arch and the vocal folds while exhaling through the nose;[2] this may be done with the mouth slightly opened or completely closed.

The throat-clear is articulated as a single-syllable exclamation, written onomatopoeiacally as "hem";[3] or it may be articulated as a double-syllable sound, written as "ahem",[4] which is expressed by inhaling slightly and then exhaling more forcibly.

Paralanguage

The deliberately executed throat-clear is a nonverbal, paralingual form of metacommunication.[5] A loud, exaggerated throat-clearing noise may sometimes be used to get attention.

Upper respiratory

The throat-clear may be articulated consciously or unconsciously[6] as a symptom of a number of laryngopharyngeal (upper respiratory tract) ailments.[7]

Voice
See also: Post-nasal drip

Continual throat-clearing is a symptom of chronically dry vocal cords, caused by insufficiently produced amounts of mucus due to inadequate amounts of water and by excessive amounts of caffeine and alcohol.[8]

References
  1. "CLEAR YOUR THROAT | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org.
  2. "Throat anatomy". Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  3. Nänny, Max; Fischer, Olga (1999). Form Miming Meaning: Iconicity in Language and Literature. John Benjamins Publishing. ISBN 9789027221797. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  4. "Written Sound - Onomatopoeia dictionary". m.writtensound.com.
  5. "ahem". Onomatopoeia List. August 10, 2013.
  6. "Definition of unconsciously | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com.
  7. "Throat Clearing - Symptoms, Causes, Treatments". www.healthgrades.com. June 26, 2014.
  8. "Throat Spray Clearner". Retrieved 2017-01-08.
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