vowel

[vou-uhl]

noun

1. Phonetics.

   1. (in English articulation) a speech sound produced without occluding, diverting, or obstructing the flow of air from the lungs (consonant ).

   2. (in a syllable) the sound of greatest sonority, as i in grill.

   3. (in linguistic function) a concept empirically determined as a phonological element in structural contrast with consonant, as the (ē) of be (bē), we (wē), and yeast (yēst).

2. a letter representing or usually representing a vowel, as, in English, a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes w and y.

adjective

1. of or relating to a vowel.

vowel

/ ˈvaʊəl /

noun

1. phonetics a voiced speech sound whose articulation is characterized by the absence of friction-causing obstruction in the vocal tract, allowing the breath stream free passage. The timbre of a vowel is chiefly determined by the position of the tongue and the lips

2. a letter or character representing a vowel

Other Word Forms

• vowel-less adjective
• vowel-like adjective
• vowelless adjective
• vowellike adjective
• vowely adverb
• vowelly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of vowel¹

1275–1325; Middle English < Old French vowel < Latin vōcālis vocal

Word History and Origins

Origin of vowel¹

C14: from Old French vouel, from Latin vocālis littera a vowel, from vocālis sonorous, from vox a voice

Example Sentences

Her delivery tends toward the soft and musical, and that she is wearing her own accent, which, to a Californian’s ear, plays charming variations on vowels, is all to the good.

From Los Angeles Times

But the kids, with the exception of some open vowels here and there, sounded like pretty generic young Americans.

From Los Angeles Times

“I also make audio files on Dropbox for each of them where I teach them their parts, such as how to get the notes and make the vowels.”

From Los Angeles Times

Investment firm Abrdn will add the vowels back into its name after dropping them in a rebrand that was widely mocked.

From BBC

I mean, this is us lining up sine waves, “Minority Report”-style, and seeing where a vowel or a syllable is sort of falling out of place and giving the actor’s accent away.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• articulate 
• choral 
• operatic 
• verbal