The larynx is the voice box — it sits at the top of the airway and holds the vocal cords. The trachea is the windpipe directly below it, a tube carrying air down toward the lungs. Air passes through the larynx first, then the trachea.
The core difference
Two consecutive parts of the same airway, with different jobs.
- larynx — the voice box; houses the vocal cords; produces sound and protects the airway when swallowing.
- trachea — the windpipe; a reinforced tube conducting air to the bronchi and lungs.
What each does
The larynx is not just for voice — its other job is closing off the airway when you swallow, which is why speaking and swallowing at once causes trouble. The trachea is a conduit, held open by rings of cartilage so it cannot collapse.
The words
Both are Greek: larynx for the upper windpipe, tracheia meaning rough, from tracheia arteria, the rough artery — named for the ridged cartilage you can feel through the skin.
This page explains the words. It is not medical guidance.
