any vocal organ that takes part in the production of a speech sound. Such organs are of two types: those that can move, such as the tongue, lips, etc (active articulators), and those that remain fixed, such as the teeth, the hard palate, etc (passive articulators)
articulator in American English
(ɑrˈtɪkjuˌleɪtər; ɑrˈtɪkjəˌleɪtər)
noun
1.
a person or thing that articulates
2. Phonetics
any organ in the mouth or throat whose movement produces speech sounds, as the tongue, uvula, or teeth