Final answer:
The five muscles of the soft palate include the tensor veli palatini, levator veli palatini, musculus uvulae, palatoglossus, and palatopharyngeus, which work in concert to facilitate speech and swallowing by controlling the movement of the soft palate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The five muscles of the soft palate are tensor veli palatini, levator veli palatini, musculus uvulae, palatoglossus, and palatopharyngeus. The tensor veli palatini tenses the soft palate while the levator veli palatini elevates it during swallowing to prevent food from entering the nasal passages. The musculus uvulae, located in the uvula, helps in the elevation of the soft palate.
The palatoglossus muscle is involved in elevating the back of the tongue and lowering the soft palate to close off the oral cavity from the pharynx during swallowing. Lastly, the palatopharyngeus helps in closing off the nasal cavity during swallowing and aids in elevating the soft palate and the pharynx. These muscles work together to facilitate speech and swallowing by manipulating the position of the soft palate.