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A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) programme was used to study dysphagia, a swallowing disorder, and demonstrated that the rheological properties of a liquid affect the pharyngeal transport of a food bolus. A fully coupled, Newton-Raphson solution algorithm was used in conjunction with the Backward–Euler scheme. Concomitant axial and radial movement of the fluid bolus was assumed, and the force exerted by the base of the tongue was assumed to be linear. Boundary conditions were based on data published in the clinical literature. The properties of three fluid types were modelled: water (ρ = 1000 kg m⁻³, η = 0.001 Pa s), 250% w/v barium sulfate mixture (ρ = 1800 kg m⁻³, η = 0.150 Pa s), and and starch-thickened beverage (power law parameters K = 2.0 Pa sⁿ, n = 0.7). Results show that when the base of the tongue pushes against the throat with the same amount of force, water is transported through …