What is the name of the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach?

The tube that connects the mouth to the stomach is called the esophagus.

The esophagus is a muscular passage in the digestive system. In humans, it carries swallowed food and liquid from the throat to the stomach, passing behind the windpipe and through the chest before entering the abdomen. Its walls use coordinated waves of muscular contraction, called peristalsis, to move a swallowed bolus even when a person is not upright.

At the top, the esophagus follows the pharynx, which serves as a shared passage for food and air. At the bottom, the lower esophageal sphincter helps control entry into the stomach and normally limits the backflow of acidic contents. When this barrier works poorly, stomach acid can reflux upward and cause heartburn or injury known as esophagitis.

A common mix-up is confusing the esophagus with the trachea. The esophagus carries food; the trachea carries air toward the lungs. The bronchus is a branch of the airway inside the chest, while the pharynx is the throat region above the esophagus. The word “esophagus” comes from Greek roots associated with carrying food.