formant

noun

for·​mant ˈfȯr-mənt 

-ˌmant

: a characteristic component of the quality of a speech sound

specifically : any of several resonance bands held to determine the phonetic quality of a vowel

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

So that means that when the pitch of the recording is shifted, the formants remain unaffected. —Rachel Gutman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2018

The first two formants, F1 and F2, are instrumental in being able to tell the different vowels apart. —Fidel Martinez, latimes.com, 16 May 2018

In the old playoff formant, the No. 7 seed would have been the Calgary Flames, who trail the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 in their first round series. —Chad Graff, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above