What is the common name for the pharynx?

The common name for the pharynx is the throat. It is the muscular passage behind the mouth and nasal cavity that connects the upper airways and digestive tract to structures farther down the neck.

The pharynx performs a dual job: it carries air toward the larynx and lungs, and it moves swallowed food toward the esophagus. During swallowing, coordinated muscles and the epiglottis help direct food away from the airway. This shared pathway is why breathing and swallowing must be carefully coordinated.

In humans, the pharynx is conventionally divided into three regions: the nasopharynx behind the nose, the oropharynx behind the mouth, and the laryngopharynx, also called the hypopharynx. These sections differ in their connections and roles, but together they form the anatomical throat.

The pharynx is not the same as the esophagus or windpipe. The esophagus carries food to the stomach, while the trachea, commonly called the windpipe, carries air to the lungs. The nasal cavity is the air-filled space inside the nose; it connects with, but is not identical to, the pharynx.