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The laryngopharynx, also referred to as the hypopharynx, is the most caudal portion of the pharynx and is a crucial connection point through which food, water, and air pass. Specifically, it refers to the point at which the pharynx divides anteriorly into the larynx and posteriorly into the esophagus. The act of swallowing, or deglutination, is a complex multistep process performed by several essential structures in the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. Swallowing ensures proper transport of food and water posteriorly into the esophagus at the level of the laryngopharynx. Although the laryngopharynx’s primary physiologic function is as a cavity through which air, water, and food pass from the oral cavity to their respective destinations, it also contains structures that play an important role in speech. The laryngopharynx is a clinically important anatomical location because of the high proportion of pharyngeal cancers that originate there. The pyriform sinus is the most frequent site of laryngopharyngeal cancer, with squamous cell carcinoma accounting for 95% of cases. The laryngopharynx is also clinically relevant due to a disorder related to the retrograde flow of digestive stomach contents to the laryngopharynx, known as laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).