Lips vs. Tongue — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 3, 2024
Lips are visible muscular structures forming the mouth's exterior, crucial for speech and facial expressions, while the tongue, a flexible muscle inside the mouth, is essential for taste, speech, and swallowing.
Difference Between Lips and Tongue
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Lips form the outer boundary of the mouth and play a pivotal role in speech articulation, helping to produce sounds like "p" and "b." On the other hand, the tongue is located within the mouth and is primarily responsible for taste and manipulating food for chewing and swallowing.
Structurally, lips are composed of skin, muscle, and mucous membranes, and are highly sensitive to touch, which aids in determining food texture and temperature. Whereas, the tongue is a strong, flexible muscle covered in moist, pink tissue called mucosa, studded with taste buds that detect sweet, sour, salty, and bitter flavors.
In terms of speech, lips help control air flow out of the mouth, playing a critical role in verbal communication. The tongue, however, is more directly involved in forming consonants and vowels, adjusting its position to articulate precise sounds.
The lips also serve an important aesthetic function, contributing significantly to facial expressions and attractiveness. Conversely, the tongue's visibility is usually limited to eating or speaking activities, though it can be used expressively in some cultures, like sticking out the tongue as a sign of disrespect or playfulness.
Additionally, lips are prone to various conditions like chapping and cold sores due to their external exposure. In contrast, the tongue can suffer from medical issues such as geographic tongue or tongue tie, affecting its mobility and function.
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Comparison Chart
Function
Articulation, facial expressions.
Taste, speech articulation, swallowing.
Structure
Outer muscular and skin layers.
Flexible muscular organ.
Sensory Role
Tactile responses, temperature.
Taste perceptions.
Speech Contribution
Controls airflow, sound production.
Positions itself to form sounds.
Health Concerns
Chapping, cold sores.
Geographic tongue, tongue tie.
Compare with Definitions
Lips
The fleshy outer borders of the mouth in humans.
She painted her lips red.
Tongue
The flexible muscle in the mouth of most vertebrates.
The cat's tongue felt rough.
Lips
A structure serving as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech.
His lips moved silently as he read.
Tongue
The primary organ of taste, capable of detecting sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavors.
Ice cream melted on her tongue, sweet and cold.
Lips
The edge of a hollow container or an opening.
The cup's lip was chipped.
Tongue
An organ in the mouth used for speech in many animals.
His quick tongue twisted around the tricky pronunciations.
Lips
Muscular but soft and movable parts of the mouth.
He bit his lip in concentration.
Tongue
In certain expressions, a source of expression or rudeness.
He stuck out his tongue at his sister playfully.
Lips
Sensitive to touch, helping to assess food texture.
Her lips detected the smooth, warm soup.
Tongue
A means of manipulating food for chewing and swallowing.
He used his tongue to push the food between his teeth.
Lips
Either of two fleshy structures that surround the opening of the mouth in humans and other mammals.
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical vertebrate. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste.
Lips
In humans, the smooth brownish to reddish border of the lip.
Tongue
The fleshy muscular organ in the mouth of a mammal, used for tasting, licking, swallowing, and (in humans) articulating speech.
Lips
(Anatomy) A labium.
Tongue
Used in reference to a person's style or manner of speaking
He was a redoubtable debater with a caustic tongue
Lips
The margin of flesh around a wound.
Tongue
A strip of leather or fabric under the laces in a shoe, attached only at the front end.
Lips
Either of the margins of the aperture of a gastropod shell.
Tongue
The free-swinging metal piece inside a bell which is made to strike the bell to produce the sound.
Lips
A rim, as of a vessel, bell, or crater.
Tongue
A long, low promontory of land.
Lips
(Botany) One of the two divisions of a bilabiate corolla or calyx, as in the snapdragon, or the modified median petal of an orchid flower.
Tongue
A projecting strip on a wooden board fitting into a groove on another.
Lips
The tip of a pouring spout, as on a pitcher.
Tongue
The vibrating reed of a musical instrument or organ pipe.
Lips
(Slang) Insolent talk.
Tongue
A jet of flame
A tongue of flame flashed from the gun
Lips
To touch the lips to.
Tongue
Sound (a note) distinctly on a wind instrument by interrupting the air flow with the tongue
Eugene has worked out the correct tonguing
Lips
To kiss.
Tongue
Lick or caress with the tongue
The other horse tongued every part of the colt's mane
Lips
To utter.
Tongue
The fleshy, movable, muscular organ, attached in most vertebrates to the floor of the mouth, that is the principal organ of taste, an aid in chewing and swallowing, and, in humans, an important organ of speech.
Lips
To lap or splash against.
Tongue
An analogous organ or part in invertebrate animals, as in certain insects or mollusks.
Lips
(Sports) To hit a golf ball so that it touches the edge of (the hole) without dropping in.
Tongue
The tongue of an animal, such as a cow, used as food.
Lips
Plural of lip
Tongue
A spoken language or dialect.
Lips
(MLE) To kiss (passionately), to smooch.
Tongue
Speech; talk
If there is goodness in your heart, it will come to your tongue.
Tongue
The act or power of speaking
She had no tongue to answer.
Tongue
Tongues Speech or vocal sounds produced in a state of religious ecstasy.
Tongue
Style or quality of utterance
Her sharp tongue.
Tongue
The bark or baying of a hunting dog that sees game
The dog gave tongue when the fox came through the hedge.
Tongue
The vibrating end of a reed in a wind instrument.
Tongue
A flame.
Tongue
The flap of material under the laces or buckles of a shoe.
Tongue
A spit of land; a promontory.
Tongue
A bell clapper.
Tongue
The harnessing pole attached to the front axle of a horse-drawn vehicle.
Tongue
A protruding strip along the edge of a board that fits into a matching groove on the edge of another board.
Tongue
(Music) To separate or articulate (notes played on a brass or wind instrument) by shutting off the stream of air with the tongue.
Tongue
To touch or lick with the tongue.
Tongue
To give (someone) a French-kiss.
Tongue
To provide (a board) with a tongue.
Tongue
To join by means of a tongue and groove.
Tongue
(Archaic) To scold.
Tongue
(Music) To articulate notes on a brass or wind instrument.
Tongue
To project
A spit of land tonguing into the bay.
Tongue
The flexible muscular organ in the mouth that is used to move food around, for tasting and that is moved into various positions to modify the flow of air from the lungs in order to produce different sounds in speech.
Tongue
This organ, as taken from animals used for food (especially cows).
Cold tongue with mustard
Tongue
Any similar organ, such as the lingual ribbon, or odontophore, of a mollusk; the proboscis of a moth or butterfly; or the lingua of an insect.
Tongue
(metonym) A language.
He was speaking in his native tongue.
Tongue
(obsolete) Speakers of a language, collectively.
Tongue
(obsolete) Voice the distinctive sound of a person's speech; accent distinctive manner of pronouncing a language.
Tongue
Manner of speaking, often habitually.
Tongue
(metonym) A person speaking in a specified manner (most often plural).
Tongue
The power of articulate utterance; speech generally.
Tongue
(obsolete) Discourse; fluency of speech or expression.
Tongue
Discourse; fluency of speech or expression.
Tongue
(obsolete) Honourable discourse; eulogy.
Tongue
Glossolalia.
Tongue
In a shoe, the flap of material that goes between the laces and the foot (so called because it resembles a tongue in the mouth).
Tongue
Any large or long physical protrusion on an automotive or machine part or any other part that fits into a long groove on another part.
Tongue
A projection, or slender appendage or fixture.
The tongue of a buckle, or of a balance
Tongue
A long, narrow strip of land, projecting from the mainland into a sea or lake.
Tongue
The pole of a vehicle; especially, the pole of an ox cart, to the end of which the oxen are yoked.
Tongue
The clapper of a bell.
Tongue
(figuratively) An individual point of flame from a fire.
Tongue
A small sole (type of fish).
Tongue
(nautical) A short piece of rope spliced into the upper part of standing backstays, etc.; also, the upper main piece of a mast composed of several pieces.
Tongue
(music) A reed.
Tongue
(geology) A division of formation; A layer or member of a formation that pinches out in one direction.
Tongue
On a wind instrument, to articulate a note by starting the air with a tap of the tongue, as though by speaking a 'd' or 't' sound (alveolar plosive).
Playing wind instruments involves tonguing on the reed or mouthpiece.
Tongue
To protrude in relatively long, narrow sections.
A soil horizon that tongues into clay
Tongue
To join by means of a tongue and groove.
To tongue boards together
Tongue
To talk; to prate.
Tongue
To speak; to utter.
Tongue
To chide; to scold.
Tongue
An organ situated in the floor of the mouth of most vertebrates and connected with the hyoid arch.
To make his English sweet upon his tongue.
Tongue
The power of articulate utterance; speech.
Parrots imitating human tongue.
Tongue
Discourse; fluency of speech or expression.
Much tongue and much judgment seldom go together.
Tongue
Honorable discourse; eulogy.
She was born noble; let that title find her a private grave, but neither tongue nor honor.
Tongue
A language; the whole sum of words used by a particular nation; as, the English tongue.
Whose tongue thou shalt not understand.
To speak all tongues.
Tongue
Speech; words or declarations only; - opposed to thoughts or actions.
My little children, let us love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Tongue
A people having a distinct language.
A will gather all nations and tongues.
Tongue
The lingual ribbon, or odontophore, of a mollusk.
Tongue
Any small sole.
Tongue
That which is considered as resembing an animal's tongue, in position or form.
Tongue
A projection, or slender appendage or fixture; as, the tongue of a buckle, or of a balance.
Tongue
A projection on the side, as of a board, which fits into a groove.
Tongue
A point, or long, narrow strip of land, projecting from the mainland into a sea or a lake.
Tongue
The pole of a vehicle; especially, the pole of an ox cart, to the end of which the oxen are yoked.
Tongue
The clapper of a bell.
Tongue
A short piece of rope spliced into the upper part of standing backstays, etc.; also. the upper main piece of a mast composed of several pieces.
Tongue
To speak; to utter.
Tongue
To chide; to scold.
How might she tongue me.
Tongue
To modulate or modify with the tongue, as notes, in playing the flute and some other wind instruments.
Tongue
To join means of a tongue and grove; as, to tongue boards together.
Tongue
To talk; to prate.
Tongue
To use the tongue in forming the notes, as in playing the flute and some other wind instruments.
Tongue
A mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
Tongue
A human written or spoken language used by a community; opposed to e.g. a computer language
Tongue
Any long thin projection that is transient;
Tongues of flame licked at the walls
Rifles exploded quick knives of fire into the dark
Tongue
A manner of speaking;
He spoke with a thick tongue
She has a glib tongue
Tongue
A narrow strip of land that juts out into the sea
Tongue
The tongue of certain animals used as meat
Tongue
The flap of material under the laces of a shoe or boot
Tongue
Metal striker that hangs inside a bell and makes a sound by hitting the side
Tongue
Articulate by tonguing, as when playing wind instruments
Tongue
Lick or explore with the tongue
Common Curiosities
How do the lips and tongue contribute to speech?
Lips help shape sounds and manage airflow; the tongue positions itself to articulate different sounds.
Can the tongue detect all flavors?
Yes, the tongue has taste buds that respond to sweet, sour, salty, and bitter tastes.
Are the lips or tongue more sensitive to touch?
Lips are more sensitive to touch, helping in detecting food texture and temperature.
What are the primary functions of the lips and tongue?
Lips are crucial for speech and controlling food intake, while the tongue is essential for tasting and manipulating food.
What are common issues that affect the lips?
Chapping and cold sores are frequent problems due to their external exposure.
How do the lips affect facial expressions?
Lips are integral to expressions such as smiling or frowning, affecting emotional communication.
Is the tongue always visible during speech?
No, the tongue typically remains within the mouth, except for certain sounds or when intentionally shown.
What conditions can affect the tongue’s function?
Conditions like geographic tongue or tongue tie can impair movement and taste function.
Do both lips and tongue have muscles?
Yes, both contain muscles; lips have outer muscular layers, while the tongue itself is a muscle.
How do the lips and tongue interact during eating?
Lips hold food inside while the tongue moves it around for chewing.
Can damage to the lips or tongue affect speech?
Yes, injuries or conditions affecting either can impair normal speech abilities.
What treatments are available for lip and tongue disorders?
Treatments range from moisturizing balms and ointments to surgical corrections, depending on the condition.
How do cultural perceptions of the lips and tongue differ?
Cultural views vary; lips often symbolize beauty, while tongue exposure can be rude or playful depending on the context.
What role does the tongue play in digestion?
It helps in manipulating food for effective chewing and swallowing.
How do health professionals assess problems with the lips or tongue?
Visual examination and tests can assess conditions like cold sores or geographic tongue.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
