Zombie Science: What do zombies say?

Zombies traditionally are not able to speak.  Scientifically speaking several parts of the brain are required for speech:  Broca's Area, Wernicke's Area, and the angular gyrus.  In addition to speak, you need to have air movement with the lungs and the ability to move your tongue, jaws, and vocal cords.  With all of the brain and body damage they have sustained, there isn't much evidence that zombies can do these things.

"Killer Zombies of the Weld" painting by Elizabeth Barsham / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

I think one of the most horrifying aspects of zombie movies and zombie television shows is that a person loses their mental faculties and that they may have thoughts while they are a zombie with little ability to express them.  In The Walking Dead, it's heartbreaking to see a look in a zombie's eyes.  Do they know what they are doing?  Can they see the horror and pain they cause?  Do they want to be released from their condition?

In my short stories, "Dog Walk of the Apocalypse" and "Zombie Cage", I experiment with how the zombie contagion takes over a person's mind and with the traditional conventions about whether a zombie can speak.  However, if a person is infected with the Zombie disease, I don't think they can say much or have any vocal abilities for long.  If you want to find out what zombies have to say, i invite you to check one of my stories out.