The sound heard after reflection from a rigid obstacle is called an echo. To hear the cho of a sound distinctly, the reflecting surface in air should be at a minimum distance of 17 m from the listener.
If the distance is less than 17 m, the reflected sound will reach the ears before the original sound dies out. In such a case, the original sound mixes up with the reflected sound. Due to repeated reflections at the reflecting surface, the sound gets prolonged. This effect is known as reverberation.