The tensor veli palatini: tenses (makes firm) the soft palate so that the other muscles attached to the palate can work more effectively, and opens the pharyngotympanic tube when the palate moves during yawning and swallowing as a result of its attachment superiorly to the membranous part of the pharyngotympanic tube.
The tensor veli palatini is innervated by the nerve to the medial pterygoid from the mandibular nerve [V3].