The pharynx is the tunnel-shaped passage at the back of your mouth and nose that connects to both your windpipe and your esophagus. When you swallow food, it travels through your pharynx on its way to your stomach. When you breathe, air passes through your pharynx heading toward your lungs.

Think of your pharynx as a busy intersection where two important pathways cross. That's why your body has such a careful system for making sure food goes down the right tube. When you swallow, a small flap called the epiglottis covers your windpipe so food doesn't accidentally go into your lungs. You've probably felt what happens when this system makes a mistake: you cough and sputter as your body works to clear the wrong pathway.

The pharynx is also where your voice gets some of its resonance, which is why your voice sounds different when you have a sore throat. Doctors sometimes call a sore throat pharyngitis, meaning inflammation of the pharynx.