timbre

n. The timbre of a sound refers to the sound's tonal quality. A clarinet and a piano playing the same note – a signal that will have the same fundamental frequency – are perceived as having the same tone yet as sounding very different. Likewise, two different speakers producing the same vowel at approximately the same pitch are also perceived as different speakers, as their timbre may be describable as being nasal, breathy, hoarse, tremulous, and so on. Timbre is a property of sounds judged subjectively and linked to multiple dimensions, which are generally described by examining the distribution of spectral energies (sourced in the fundamental frequency and the resulting harmonics of the signal). In speech, timbre or vocal quality is related to the configuration of the vocal tract, the anatomy of the larynx, and the speaker's vocal habits; these characteristics are sometimes related to a particular culture or social register. – EMF