Yes, we can breathe while talking. According to research, healthy adults actually do breathe while speaking.
How Breathing Works During Speech
Instead of pausing speech to take breaths exclusively, our bodies have adapted a way to integrate breathing into the act of speaking. The following points explain this in more detail:
- Simultaneous Inhalation: A study has shown that "healthy adults simultaneously breathe in through the nose and mouth when they speak."
- Efficient Inspiration: This simultaneous nasal and oral breathing is an efficient way to take quick inspirations during speaking.
- Benefits of Nasal Breathing: The pattern may also preserve some of the benefits associated with nasal breathing, such as filtering and humidifying the air.
Breathing Strategies During Conversation
While the study mentioned focuses on inhalation during speech, exhalation is obviously also a key component of talking. Here's how breathing and speaking are coordinated:
- Inspiration: Brief and often combined through both nose and mouth.
- Speech Production: Exhaled air is carefully controlled and modulated by the vocal cords, tongue, and mouth to produce speech.
- Pauses for Breath: We naturally pause at the end of phrases or sentences to take deeper breaths, replenishing our air supply.
