A method and arrangement for the measurement of the speed of sound in a gas suitable for the determination of gas characteristics, especially the composition of the gas, the temperature and/or the humidity of the gas, and a speed of sound based gas sensor arrangement adapted to measure that gas characteristics comprising sound sending means and sound receiving means and signal processing means. A sound sender is used as sound sending means and a first sound receiver and a second sound receiver as sound receiving means, all three of them being arranged such that the travel distance of the sound provided by the sender to the first receiver is different from the travel distance of the sound provided by the sender to the second receiver. Further the arrangement comprises the signal processing means connected with the sender and the receivers which operate the sender and determine gas characteristics, especially the composition of the gas, the temperature and/or the humidity of the gas, from the different signals
