| Muscle | Innervation | Action |
| Cricothyroid | External branch of superior laryngeal | Elongates, thins, and lowers the vocal fold |
| Posterior cricoarytenoid | Recurrent laryngeal | Sole abductor of the larynx; elevates, elongates, and thins the vocal fold |
| Lateral cricoarytenoid | Recurrent laryngeal | Elongates, thins, and adducts the vocal fold |
| Interarytenoid | Recurrent laryngeal and branches of the superior laryngeal | Adducts the vocal fold |
| Aryepiglottic | Recurrent laryngeal | Adducts the vocal fold and aryepiglottic fold |
| Thyroarytenoid | Recurrent laryngeal | Adducts the vocal fold |
| Vocalis (part of the thyroarytenoid) | Recurrent laryngeal | Adducts and thickens the vocal fold |
