noun
- a resonant frequency of the human vocal tract that helps determine the quality of a vowel sound
Usage: phonetics; linguistics
Examples
- The first formant determines whether a vowel sounds high or low.
- Speech recognition software analyzes formant frequencies to identify vowel sounds.
- Linguists use formant analysis to study dialect differences.
- The formant structure of /i/ differs significantly from that of /a/.
- Computer-generated speech requires accurate formant synthesis.
- Formant frequencies vary between male and female speakers.