The act of returning air from the expanded (filled) air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs upwards through the tracheobronchial tree, between the vocal cords, and then out the nose or mouth. Also known as exhalation.
Exhaled air is important for producing voice. In order to produce voice, the vocal cords will close together as exhaled air is moving up between them, causing the cords to vibrate and thereby transducing this air into sound.