vowel

American  

[vou-uhl] / ˈvaʊ əl /

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.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a vowel.

vowel British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of vowel

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

Example Sentences

Its opening poem, “Digging,” feels earthbound with its low-pitched vowels: “Between my finger and my thumb / The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“I thought to myself: Wouldn’t it be amazing if there were two words — one in Hindi and one in another language — and they were connected by their vowels?” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

Most New Zealanders have some familiarity with Noelle McCarthy’s voice, whose Munster-inflected vowels have floated through its airwaves for much of the last two decades.

From New York Times

Asked several times about the similarities between the "Oh Why" and "Oh I" hooks, Sheeran repeatedly told the High Court in London: "They're both pentatonic scales and they both use vowels."

From Reuters

“The length of the vowels and the repetition of the consonants in French are quicker.”

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• articulate
• choral
• operatic
• verbal