Which term describes the characteristics of sound that aid in distinguishing between different speech sounds?

The term that describes the characteristics of sound aiding in distinguishing between different speech sounds is formant frequencies. Formants are specific resonant frequencies of the vocal tract that shape the acoustical properties of speech sounds, particularly vowels. Each vowel has unique formant patterns, allowing listeners to differentiate between them even when produced with the same pitch and loudness.

For example, the first two formants (F1 and F2) are crucial in defining the quality of vowel sounds. The frequency and relative spacing of these formants change for different vowels, which means that analyzing these frequencies helps in identifying and distinguishing various speech sounds. Thus, formant frequencies play a critical role in speech perception and production.

Other aspects like amplitude, waveform, and fundamental frequency provide valuable information about sound characteristics but do not specifically aid in distinguishing between different speech sounds the way formant frequencies do. Amplitude relates to loudness, waveform refers to the shape of the sound wave, and fundamental frequency pertains to the pitch of the voice, but none of these specifically encapsulate the distinct properties that enable differentiation among speech sounds.