Muscles of the Head and Neck

Latin	English
Frontalis	Draws back scalp, wrinkles forehead, raises eyebrows
Mentalis	Elevates and protrudes lower lip; used in pouting
Orbicularis oculi	Closes eyelids; used in blinking, winking, and squinting
Orbicularis oris	Closes and protrudes lips; used in whistling and forming many letters during speech; the "kissing muscle"
Risorius	Draws angles of the mouth laterally; draws lips into the grinning expression
Sternocleidomastoid	Contraction of one side: laterally flexes neck, rotates head to opposite side; Contraction of both sides together: flexes neck
Temporalis	Elevates and retracts mandible; assists in side to side movement of mandible
Trapezius	Elevates, depresses, retracts, and rotates the scapula; rotates the arm
Depressor anguli oris	Draws angles of mouth downward and laterally when opening mouth; used in frowning
Zygomaticus major	Draws angles of the mouth upward and outward; major muscle used in smiling and laughing
Auricularis anterior	Moves the ear
Buccinator	Draws angles of the mouth laterally; compresses cheek; used to create sucking action
Masseter	Elevates mandible when chewing and slightly protracts it
Risorius	Draws angles of the mouth laterally; draws lips into the grinning expression
Occipitalis	Draws back scalp, wrinkles forehead
Semispinalis capitis	Extends the head and rotates it to opposite side
Splenius capitis	Extends and hyperextends the head; Contraction of only one side laterally flexes and rotates the head and neck
Splenius capitis	Extends and hyperextends the head; Contraction of only one side laterally flexes and rotates the head and neck
Temporalis	Elevates and retracts mandible; assists in side to side movement of mandible
Trapezius	Elevates, depresses, retracts, and rotates the scapula; rotates the arm
Frontalis	Draws back scalp, wrinkles forehead, raises eyebrows
Masseter	Elevates mandible when chewing and slightly protracts it
Orbicularis oculi	Closes eyelids; used in blinking, winking, and squinting
Orbicularis oris	Closes and protrudes lips; used in whistling and forming many letters during speech; the "kissing muscle"
Depressor anguli oris	Draws angles of mouth downward and laterally when opening mouth; used in frowning
Zygomaticus major	Draws angles of the mouth upward and outward; major muscle used in smiling and laughing
Platysma	Draws down the lower lip and angles of the mouth; tenses skin of the neck; helps depress mandible
Genioglossus	Protracts and depresses tongue
Styloglossus	Retracts and elevates tongue
Stylohyoid	Retracts and elevates the hyoid
Sternocleidomastoid	Contraction of one side: laterally flexes neck, rotates head to opposite side; Contraction of both sides together: flexes neck
Zygomaticus major	Draws angles of the mouth upward and outward; major muscle used in smiling and laughing