During a cycle of vocal fold vibration, which part of the vocal fold comes together first?

• A. Superior part
• B. Inferior part
• C. Anterior edge
• D. Posterior edge

Answer: (B)

The part that comes together first is the inferior (bottom) portion. In normal vocal fold vibration, closure starts at the lower margins because the folds are driven medially from below by the muscles and subglottal pressure, creating a vertical phase difference where the bottom contacts first. The mucosal wave then travels upward along the fold, leading to closure progressing from bottom to top. The other edges are not the initial contact points because their position relative to the direction of medial compression and the way the tissue ripples during vibration makes them meet after the inferior portion has already begun closing.