vowels


Letters of the alphabet that generally stand for sounds made with an open or partially open mouth: A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y (as in style). (Compare consonants.)

Words Nearby vowels

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

How to use vowels in a sentence

  • The upper-class vowels were unforced, and the confident manner suggested good breeding and an expensive education.

    The Mastermind Behind the U.K.'s Smash | William Underhill | September 18, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Not understanding the 30 seconds of guttural noises and flat vowels, a French-speaking journalist asked Federer to translate.

    Federer Breaks His Silence | Joshua Robinson | September 6, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • She has one long leg in the Top 40 charts and another in the land of twangy vowels.

    Battle of the Blondes | Bryan Curtis | January 28, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • As “t” stands for 1, and o and y are vowels, and have no figure value, the numerical value of Toy must be 1.

    Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
  • In the following words, the vowels have no figure value, hence in translation are never counted.

    Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
  • The manner of pronouncing vowels and consonants became the most profound of mysteries, and often the most terrible.

    A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10) | Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
  • This pronunciation of the nasal vowels in French is, as is well known, an important factor in the famous "accent du Midi."

    Frdric Mistral | Charles Alfred Downer
  • In the final vowels io, we have the same term, with the same meaning which they carry in the Seneca, or old Mingo word Ohio.

    The Indian in his Wigwam | Henry R. Schoolcraft