BiologyCoachOnlineBlog

Your hyoid bone is a small U-shaped bone in your neck--between your mandible (or lower jaw bone) and larynx (or Adam's apple)--that does not articulate with (is not connected to) any other bone in your body. The hyoid bone is suspended in your neck by ligaments and it is positioned such that it provides attachment for muscles of the floor of the mouth, the tongue, the larynx, the pharynx, and the epiglottis. The hyoid bone is important in speech, swallowing, and breathing. In fact it is your hyoid bone that helps maintain an open airway while you sleep.