Mouth vs. Lip — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 4, 2024
The mouth is the opening in the face used for consuming food and articulating speech, while the lips are the soft, movable parts forming the edges of the mouth opening.
Difference Between Mouth and Lip
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
The mouth serves as the entry point to the digestive tract and plays a key role in the articulation of speech, encompassing not just the opening but also the interior features, including the teeth, tongue, and gums. Lips, on the other hand, are the external fleshy structures that encircle the mouth opening, providing sensitivity and control, which are crucial for speech, expression, and the initial process of consumption.
Lips act as a barrier protecting the mouth's interior and play a pivotal role in facial expressions and non-verbal communication. They are highly innervated and vascular, contributing to their sensitivity and distinctive red color. The mouth, equipped with various anatomical components, facilitates multiple functions including eating, breathing, and speaking, demonstrating its complexity beyond being merely an opening.
The health and condition of the lips can affect the functionality of the mouth, as issues such as dryness, chapping, or lesions can interfere with eating, speaking, and even facial expressions. Conversely, conditions within the mouth, like dental or gum diseases, can indirectly impact the appearance and comfort of the lips through pain or swelling.
Both the mouth and lips are susceptible to health issues, from common conditions like cold sores and canker sores to more serious diseases such as oral cancer. Regular care, including dental hygiene and lip protection, is essential for maintaining the health and function of both.
Despite their interdependence, the distinct roles and physiological features of the mouth and lips underline the complexity of the human body's anatomy and its capacity for a wide range of functions, from the basic to the highly expressive.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
The opening in the face for consuming food, breathing, and speaking.
The soft, movable outer edges of the mouth opening.
Components
Includes lips, teeth, gums, tongue, and palate.
Composed of outer, fleshy, movable part surrounding the mouth.
Functions
Eating, breathing, speaking, and tasting.
Sensation, expression, and forming words.
Sensitivity
Sensitive due to nerves in the tongue and gums.
Highly sensitive due to a high concentration of nerve endings.
Health Issues
Dental problems, oral infections, cancer.
Chapping, cold sores, lesions.
Compare with Definitions
Mouth
The opening through which food enters the body.
He filled his mouth with water to quench his thirst.
Lip
The fleshy part forming the edge of the mouth.
She wore red lipstick to highlight her lips.
Mouth
A vital component in verbal communication.
Words flowed smoothly from her mouth during the debate.
Lip
Prone to dryness and chapping, especially in winter.
He used balm to soothe his chapped lips.
Mouth
Plays a key role in the digestive system.
The digestion process begins in the mouth with saliva.
Lip
Sensitive to touch, temperature, and texture.
His lips felt the cold breeze immediately.
Mouth
A facial cavity used for eating, speaking, and breathing.
The chef savored the flavors with his mouth.
Lip
Involved in speech and facial expressions.
Her lips curved into a smile.
Mouth
Subject to various health issues like gum disease.
Regular brushing helps maintain mouth health.
Lip
Used for kissing and other forms of affection.
They sealed their vows with a kiss on the lips.
Mouth
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, buccal cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on the outside by the lips and inside by the pharynx and containing in higher vertebrates the tongue and teeth.
Lip
Lips are a visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech.
Mouth
The body opening through which an animal takes in food.
Lip
Either of two fleshy structures that surround the opening of the mouth in humans and other mammals.
Mouth
The cavity lying at the upper end of the digestive tract, bounded on the outside by the lips and inside by the oropharynx and containing in humans and certain other vertebrates the tongue, gums, and teeth.
Lip
In humans, the smooth brownish to reddish border of the lip.
Mouth
This cavity regarded as the source of sounds and speech.
Lip
(Anatomy) A labium.
Mouth
The opening to any cavity or canal in an organ or a bodily part.
Lip
The margin of flesh around a wound.
Mouth
The part of the lips visible on the human face.
Lip
Either of the margins of the aperture of a gastropod shell.
Mouth
A pout, grimace, or similar expression:made a mouth when the teacher turned away.
Lip
A rim, as of a vessel, bell, or crater.
Mouth
A person viewed as a consumer of food:has three mouths to feed at home.
Lip
(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.
Mouth
A spokesperson; a mouthpiece:acts as the mouth of the organization.
Lip
The tip of a pouring spout, as on a pitcher.
Mouth
Utterance; voice:gave mouth to her doubts.
Lip
(Slang) Insolent talk.
Mouth
A tendency to talk excessively or unwisely:is known mainly for his mouth.
Lip
To touch the lips to.
Mouth
Impudent or vulgar talk:Watch your mouth.
Lip
To utter.
Mouth
The part of a stream or river that empties into a larger body of water.
Lip
To lap or splash against.
Mouth
The entrance to a harbor, canyon, valley, or cave.
Lip
(Sports) To hit a golf ball so that it touches the edge of (the hole) without dropping in.
Mouth
The opening through which a container is filled or emptied.
Lip
(countable) Either of the two fleshy protrusions around the opening of the mouth.
Mouth
The muzzle of a gun.
Lip
(countable) A part of the body that resembles a lip, such as the edge of a wound or the labia.
Mouth
The opening between the jaws of a vise or other holding or gripping tool.
Lip
The projecting rim of an open container; a short open spout.
Mouth
An opening in the pipe of an organ.
Lip
Backtalk; verbal impertinence.
Don’t give me any lip!
Mouth
The opening in the mouthpiece of a flute across which the player blows.
Lip
The edge of a high spot of land.
Mouth
To declare in a pompous manner; declaim:mouthing his opinions of the candidates.
Lip
The sharp cutting edge on the end of an auger.
Mouth
To utter without conviction or understanding:mouthing empty compliments.
Lip
(botany) One of the two opposite divisions of a labiate corolla.
Mouth
To form soundlessly:I mouthed the words as the others sang.
Lip
(botany) The distinctive petal of the Orchis family.
Mouth
To take in or touch with the mouth:Small children tend to mouth their toys.
Lip
(zoology) One of the edges of the aperture of a univalve shell.
Mouth
To orate affectedly; declaim.
Lip
Embouchure: the condition or strength of a wind instrumentalist's lips.
Mouth
To grimace.
Lip
(of something inanimate) To touch lightly.
Mouth
(anatomy) The opening of a creature through which food is ingested.
"Open your mouth and say 'aah'," directed the doctor.
Lip
To wash against a surface, lap.
Mouth
The end of a river out of which water flows into a sea or other large body of water.
The mouth of the river is a good place to go birdwatching in spring and autumn.
Lip
(intransitive) To rise or flow up to or over the edge of something.
Mouth
An outlet, aperture or orifice.
The mouth of a cave
Lip
(transitive) To form the rim, edge or margin of something.
Mouth
(slang) A loud or overly talkative person.
My kid sister is a real mouth; she never shuts up.
Lip
(transitive) To utter verbally.
Mouth
(saddlery) The crosspiece of a bridle bit, which enters the mouth of an animal.
Lip
(transitive) To simulate speech by moving the lips without making any sound; to mouth.
Mouth
(obsolete) A principal speaker; one who utters the common opinion; a mouthpiece.
Lip
(sports) To make a golf ball hit the lip of the cup, without dropping in.
Mouth
(obsolete) Speech; language; testimony.
Lip
To change the sound of (a musical note played on a wind instrument) by moving or tensing the lips.
Mouth
(obsolete) A wry face; a grimace; a mow.
Lip
One of the two fleshy folds which surround the orifice of the mouth in man and many other animals. In man the lips are organs of speech essential to certain articulations. Hence, by a figure they denote the mouth, or all the organs of speech, and sometimes speech itself.
Thine own lips testify against thee.
Mouth
(transitive) To speak; to utter.
He mouthed his opinions on the subject at the meeting.
Lip
An edge of an opening; a thin projecting part of anything; a kind of short open spout; as, the lip of a vessel.
Mouth
(transitive) To make the actions of speech, without producing sound.
The prompter mouthed the words to the actor, who had forgotten them.
Lip
The sharp cutting edge on the end of an auger.
Mouth
To form with the mouth.
Lip
One of the two opposite divisions of a labiate corolla.
Mouth
(ambitransitive) To utter with a voice that is overly loud or swelling.
Lip
One of the edges of the aperture of a univalve shell.
Mouth
To exit at a mouth (such as a river mouth)
Lip
Impudent or abusive talk; as, don't give me any of your lip.
Mouth
(transitive) To pick up or handle with the lips or mouth, but not chew or swallow.
The fish mouthed the lure, but didn't bite.
Lip
To utter; to speak.
Mouth
To take into the mouth; to seize or grind with the mouth or teeth; to chew; to devour.
Lip
To clip; to trim.
Mouth
To form or cleanse with the mouth; to lick, as a bear licks her cub.
Lip
Fleshy folds of tissue as those surrounding the mouth
Mouth
To carry in the mouth.
Lip
An impudent or insolent rejoinder;
Don't give me any of your sass
Mouth
(obsolete) To make mouths at
Lip
The top edge of a vessel
Mouth
To form a mouth or opening in.
Mouth
(sheep husbandry) To examine the teeth of.
Mouth
The opening through which an animal receives food; the aperture between the jaws or between the lips; also, the cavity, containing the tongue and teeth, between the lips and the pharynx; the buccal cavity.
Mouth
An opening affording entrance or exit; orifice; aperture;
Mouth
The crosspiece of a bridle bit, which enters the mouth of an animal.
Mouth
A principal speaker; one who utters the common opinion; a mouthpiece.
Every coffeehouse has some particular statesman belonging to it, who is the mouth of the street where he lives.
Mouth
Cry; voice.
Mouth
Speech; language; testimony.
That in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mouth
A wry face; a grimace; a mow.
Counterfeit sad looks,Make mouths upon me when I turn my back.
The mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
Whose mouths must be stopped.
Mouth
To take into the mouth; to seize or grind with the mouth or teeth; to chew; to devour.
Mouth
To utter with a voice affectedly big or swelling; to speak in a strained or unnaturally sonorous manner; as, mouthing platitudes.
Mouthing out his hollow oes and aes.
Mouth
To form or cleanse with the mouth; to lick, as a bear her cub.
Mouth
To make mouths at.
Mouth
To speak with a full, round, or loud, affected voice; to vociferate; to rant.
I'll bellow out for Rome, and for my country,And mouth at Cæsar, till I shake the senate.
Mouth
To make grimaces, esp. in ridicule or contempt.
Well I know, when I am gone,How she mouths behind my back.
Mouth
The opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge;
He stuffed his mouth with candy
Mouth
The externally visible part of the oral cavity on the face and the system of organs surrounding the opening;
She wiped lipstick from her mouth
Mouth
An opening that resembles a mouth (as of a cave or a gorge);
He rode into the mouth of the canyon
They built a fire at the mouth of the cave
Mouth
The point where a stream issues into a larger body of water;
New York is at the mouth of the Hudson
Mouth
A person conceived as a consumer of food;
He has four mouths to feed
Mouth
A spokesperson (as a lawyer)
Mouth
An impudent or insolent rejoinder;
Don't give me any of your sass
Mouth
The opening of a jar or bottle;
The jar had a wide mouth
Mouth
Express in speech;
She talks a lot of nonsense
This depressed patient does not verbalize
Mouth
Articulate silently; form words with the lips only;
She mouthed a swear word
Mouth
Touch with the mouth
Common Curiosities
What is the primary function of the mouth?
The primary functions include eating, speaking, and breathing.
How do lips contribute to speech?
They help form words by controlling the sounds that come out of the mouth, particularly for letters that require lip movement like "p" and "b."
Why are lips considered sensitive?
Due to their high concentration of nerve endings, making them very responsive to touch, temperature, and pain.
Can the condition of the lips affect mouth health?
Yes, problems like dryness or lesions on the lips can impact overall mouth health and functionality.
Can diseases affect both the mouth and lips simultaneously?
Yes, certain conditions like herpes simplex virus can cause cold sores on the lips and sores in the mouth.
What are common health issues for the mouth?
Including dental cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer.
Is the mouth part of the digestive system?
Yes, it's the entry point and where digestion begins with the mechanical breakdown of food and mixing with saliva.
Do lips have any other functions besides being sensitive?
They play a significant role in facial expressions and non-verbal communication.
What is the best way to protect the health of the mouth and lips?
Regular dental hygiene practices and protecting lips from harsh weather conditions are essential.
How can one maintain healthy lips?
By keeping them moisturized, protected from the sun, and avoiding biting or licking them excessively.
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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
Maham Liaqat
