Formant Frequencies

Formant frequencies are the resonant frequencies of the vocal tract that shape the sounds we produce when speaking or singing. When we create speech sounds, our mouth and throat act like a filter, emphasizing certain frequencies and suppressing others. These emphasized frequencies, known as formants, differentiate vowel sounds; for example, the vowel in "ee" has different formants than the vowel in "oo." By understanding formant frequencies, researchers can analyze speech patterns, improve voice recognition technology, and learn about human communication. Essentially, they are key contributors to how we perceive spoken language and vocal sounds.