An absent pitchSourced
A missing low component can still shape what you hear
A set of overtones can produce the perception of a fundamental pitch even when that frequency is absent from the sound. This is called the missing fundamental. The low-frequency component has not magically appeared; the effect concerns perceived pitch.
What sounds present need not match every frequency in the signal.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Missing fundamental · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-05