formant

 
Pronunciation: /ˈfɔːm(ə)nt/

noun

Phonetics
  • any of the three characteristic pitch constituents of a vowel. In a high front vowel such as /iː/ the formants are bunched closely together, whereas in a low back vowel such as /aː/ they are further apart.

Origin:

early 20th century: coined in German from Latin formant- 'forming', from the verb formare