# What's Up With the Uvula? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 25, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861 "2005-02-25T13:28:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/1 "2005-02-25T13:28:11Z")
What purpose, if any, does the uvula serve? It just seems to sort of hang around and not do much of anything. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/2 "2005-02-25T13:44:13Z")
Apparently it plays an important role in speech when making guttural sounds. You can also have it pierced apparently :eek: [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uvula) ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/3 "2005-02-25T13:58:00Z")
Aparently they can be [transplanted!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php)! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/4 "2005-02-25T14:04:42Z")
> [@](#): > > It behooves ya, to take care of your Uvula! fron SNL, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/5 "2005-02-25T14:39:39Z")
My mother doesn’t have one. She says it was mistakenly removed when she had her tonsils out. I don’t know about that, all I know is that she doesn’t have one; I looked. She says the only problem she has is fluids going up her nose. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/6 "2005-02-25T15:24:47Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > fron SNL, I believe. “Knock knock.” “Who’s there?” “Babs’s uvula!” “Babs’s uvula who?” “I don’t know, Babs. But I do know this …” ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/7 "2005-02-27T14:15:23Z")
Paging **Uvula Donor**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kezami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@kezami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kezami)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/8 "2005-02-27T21:11:43Z")
Apparently the uvula is actively involved in snoring and you can have it blasted away as a remedy. It is explained [here.](http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/snoring/laup.cfm) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/9 "2005-02-27T21:28:14Z")
> [@kezami](#): > > Apparently the uvula is actively involved in snoring… Yes, uvulopharyngoplasty rocks as a treatment for snoring/apnea, but the procedure does mess with your ability to speak guttural german. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/10 "2005-02-27T21:39:22Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Yes, uvulopharyngoplasty rocks as a treatment for snoring/apnea, but the procedure does mess with your ability to speak guttural german. So, the longstanding rumor that German girls can tie knots in cherry stems with their Uvulas is true? 😃😃😃😃😃😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/11 "2005-02-27T22:57:16Z")
> [@One And Only Wanderers](#): > > Apparently it plays an important role in speech when making guttural sounds. You can also have it pierced apparently :eek: > > [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uvula) Oh, TMI, TMI! Stop it - the horror! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/12 "2005-02-27T23:10:57Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Yes, uvulopharyngoplasty rocks as a treatment for snoring/apnea, but the procedure does mess with your ability to speak guttural german. I had uvulaplasty done last year for sleep apnea and I don’t seem to have any problems or miss it. Then again, I haven’t tried any guttural German. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/13 "2005-02-28T03:46:55Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I had uvulaplasty done last year for sleep apnea and I don’t seem to have any problems or miss it. Then again, I haven’t tried any guttural German. But your High German is unaffected? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-uvula/291861/14 "2005-02-28T04:01:42Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > But your High German is unaffected? I don’t speak German at all, even when high.