Which statement about velopharyngeal closure and nasal airflow best aligns with the material presented in the context of a nasal airflow assessment?

• A. Nasal airflow is independent of velopharyngeal closure
• B. Varying nasal airflow is unrelated to speech sound production
• C. Closing the nostrils will not affect nasal airflow during speech
• D. Inadequate velopharyngeal closure is associated with excessive nasality

Answer: (D)

How velopharyngeal closure controls nasal airflow during speech is being tested. The velum and pharyngeal walls form a seal that prevents air from entering the nasal cavity when producing most oral sounds. If that closure is not adequate, air escapes through the nose, leading to excessive nasality (hypernasality) and nasal emission, which is something a nasal airflow assessment is designed to detect. That’s why the statement linking inadequate velopharyngeal closure with excessive nasality best fits what’s measured. The other ideas aren’t consistent with how nasal airflow reflects speech production: nasal airflow depends on the velopharyngeal mechanism, nasal airflow changes with the type of sound produced, and simply closing the nostrils wouldn’t capture the function of the velopharyngeal valve or explain nasality observed during speech.