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Formant - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

A formant is a resonant frequency band in speech or music that helps distinguish vowel sounds and voice quality. It is essential for acoustic analysis and phonetics.

formant

/ˈfɔrmənt/ /ˈfɔːmənt/

Definition:

A resonant frequency band in speech or music that distinguishes sounds.

Synonyms:

resonance, harmonic, overtone, frequency band

Part of Speech:

noun

Antonyms:

silence, noise (context-dependent)

Common Collocations:

vowel formant, speech formant, acoustic formant, formant frequency, formant structure

Derivatives:

formants, formantic

Usage Tips:

Use "formant" when discussing acoustic properties of speech or musical tones; avoid in general conversation.

Common Phrases:

formant frequencies, formant analysis, second formant shift

Etymology:

From Latin "formare" (to shape), via German "Formant," referring to sound-shaping frequencies.

Examples:

  • 1. The first formant helps distinguish vowel sounds.
  • 2. Singers adjust their vocal tract to control formants.
  • 3. The spectrogram displayed clear formants for each phoneme.
  • 4. Higher formants contribute to the timbre of speech.

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