On either side of the laryngeal orifice in humans is a recess, termed the pyriform sinus (also piriform recess, piriform sinus, piriform fossa, or smuggler's fossa), which is bounded medially by the aryepiglottic fold, laterally by the thyroid cartilage and thyrohyoid membrane. The fossae are involved in speech. The term "pyriform," which means "pear-shaped," is also sometimes spelled "piriform". The term smuggler's fossa comes from its use for smuggling of small items.