Hyoid bone anatomy

The hyoid is a "horseshoe"-shaped bone that serves as a structural anchor in the mid-neck. It is a place of convergence of multiple small neck muscles that permit the pharyngeal phase of swallowing. Structures in the neck are often located in relation to the hyoid (i.e. suprahyoid neck; infrahyoid neck). The hyoid bone is located above the thyroid cartilage, anterior to the trachea at the C2/C3 level. The hyoid consists of three parts: a body two superior genu two inferior genu Attachments…

Your hyoid bone is in the front of your neck. It supports your tongue and plays a key role in speaking and swallowing. It’s the only “floating” bone in your body.

One bone other animals don't have is the foundation of speech.

Hyoid bone function is to a great extent related to its location and articulations. Learn more about this horseshoe-shaped neck bone.

The 3D model of the human hyoid bone

Hyoid bone, U-shaped bone situated at the root of the tongue in the front of the neck and between the lower jaw and the largest cartilage of the larynx, or voice box. The primary function of the hyoid bone is to serve as an attachment structure for the tongue.

This is Page 45 of a photographic atlas I created as a laboratory study resource for my BIOL 121 Anatomy and Physiology I students on the bones and bony landmarks of the axial skeleton. Credits: All photography, text, and labels by Rob Swatski, Assistant Professor of Biology, Harrisburg Area Community College - York Campus, York, PA. Email: rjswatsk@hacc.edu This work bears an Attribution-Noncommercial Share Alike Creative Commons 3.0 license. All other diagrams and illustrations used in…