The pharynx is the part of the digestive system of many animals immediately behind the mouth and in front of the esophagus. In mammals, it is where the digestive tract and the respiratory tract cross, commonly called the "throat" (which term may also include the larynx) The pharynx attaches to the larynx, which is the first element of the airways. The human pharynx is bent at a sharper angle than other mammal pharynges, enabling us to produce a wider variety of sounds, but also putting us in danger of choking.

The human pharynx is divided into three sections: the nasopharynx, lying behind the nasal cavity; the oropharynx, behind the oral cavity; and the laryngopharynx, posterior to the larynx.

See also larynx, adenoid, tonsil, Eustachian tube, uvula, hyoid.