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.
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.