Throat-clear

A throat-clear is a sound made at the back of the throat.[1]

The throat-clear is articulated as a single-syllable exclamation, written onomatopoeiacally as "hem";[2] or it may be articulated as a double-syllable sound, written as "ahem", which is expressed by inhaling slightly and then exhaling more forcibly.

Paralanguage

The deliberately executed throat-clear is a nonverbal, paralingual form of metacommunication.[3] A loud, exaggerated throat-clearing noise may sometimes be used to get attention.

Upper respiratory

The throat-clear may be articulated consciously or unconsciously as a symptom of a number of laryngopharyngeal (upper respiratory tract) ailments.[4]

Voice
See also: Post-nasal drip

Continual throat-clearing is a symptom of chronically dry vocal cords, caused by insufficiently produced amounts of mucus due to inadequate amounts of water and by excessive amounts of caffeine and alcohol.

References
  1. "CLEAR YOUR THROAT | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org.
  2. Nänny, Max; Fischer, Olga (1999). Form Miming Meaning: Iconicity in Language and Literature. John Benjamins Publishing. ISBN 9789027221797. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  3. "ahem". Onomatopoeia List. August 10, 2013.
  4. "Throat Clearing - Symptoms, Causes, Treatments". www.healthgrades.com. June 26, 2014.
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