Viewed occlusally, the soft palate can be easily distinguished from the hard palate by differences in rigidity, texture, and color. Whereas the hard palate is constant in shape with a firmly attached, heavily keratinized epithelium that is pink in color, often with a bluish-grey tint, the soft palate moves freely and has a loosely attached, nonkeratinized epithelium that is darker red with a yellowish tint and almost translucent. The boundary (8) between the hard and soft palates is abrupt.

Shortly posterior and medial to the maxillary tuberosity, a small bulge (9) can often be seen and always distinctly felt. This prominence is the pterygoid hamulus. Behind the hamulus is the palatopharyngeal arch (10), the continuation of the soft palate as it divides into two pillars around the niche containing the palatine tonsil (11). The anterior pillar (12), which terminates on the lateral part of the base of the tongue, is the palatoglossus muscle.

The posterior pillar (13), the palatopharyngeal muscle, continues downward on the lateral wall of the pharynx and gradually flattens out. When the palatoglossus (14) and the palatopharyngeal (15) muscles contract, they depress the soft palate. Working in close coordination, they give it its rapid, sphincter-like motion that helps swallow food.

The uvula (16), a weak, unpaired muscle, shortens when contracted, facilitating the passage of food. At rest, it helps form the barrier between the oral and nasal passages.

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