The vocal folds vibrate via pressure changes from curved airflow, not the Bernoulli effect

Evidence

The vibration of the vocal folds during speech or singing is commonly described with reference to the Bernoulli effect (including in the fourth edition of this book and by many other authors). It turns out that this is not appropriate as a physical explanation of vocal fold vibration, lift on aircraft wings or drive from a yacht’s sail. A more relevant explanation relates to pressure changes as air curves around obstacles, and this is described in Section 4.3.7 in the context of the vibrating lips of a brass player, since the explanation is exactly the same as for the vibration of the vocal folds (and brass instruments appear earliest in this book!). … A consequence of the way the vocal folds vibrate with the pressure variation as air curves around the vocal folds is that the folds are accelerated together to close far more rapidly than they open. … An acoustic pressure pulse is generated at each instant when the vocal folds snap together, rather like a hand clap. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1325

Categorization

• XREF: Corrects the common explanation of Bernoulli lift used in elementary physics; connects to how airflow curvature drives sail and wing dynamics. — connects to: Lip and vocal fold vibration is driven by Bernoulli pressure reduction from airflow — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1240; Lip oscillation sustains continuously while airflow and adduction persist — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1242; Pressure dynamics make vocal folds close faster than they open — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1326
• DEFINE: Clarifies the actual mechanism behind vocal fold vibration and brass player lip vibration.
• CANDY: Bernoulli effect as commonly taught is actually not the mechanism for wing lift or vocal folds — a good conversation opener.