vocalize

American  

[voh-kuh-lahyz] / ˈvoʊ kəˌlaɪz /

especially British, vocalise

verb (used with object)

vocalized, vocalizing

1. to make vocal; utter; articulate; sing.

2. to endow with a voice; cause to utter.

3. Phonetics.

   1. to voice.

   2. to change into a vowel (consonantalize ).

4. (of Hebrew, Arabic, and other writing systems that do not usually indicate vowels) to furnish with vowels or vowel points.

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verb (used without object)

vocalized, vocalizing

1. to use the voice, as in speech or song.

2. to sing without uttering words, especially to warm up the voice, practice vowel sounds, etc., before a performance.

3. to sing scales, arpeggios, trills, or the like, usually to a solmization syllable or a vowel sound.

4. Phonetics. to become changed into a vowel.

vocalize British  

/ ˈvəʊkəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to express with or use the voice; articulate (a speech, song, etc)

2. (tr) to make vocal or articulate

3. (tr) phonetics

   1. to articulate (a speech sound) with voice

   2. to change (a consonant) into a vowel

4. another word for vowelize

5. (intr) to sing a melody on a vowel, etc

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Other Word Forms

• misvocalization noun
• nonvocalization noun
• subvocalize verb
• unvocalized adjective
• vocalization noun
• vocalizer noun

Etymology

Origin of vocalize

First recorded in 1660–70; vocal + -ize

Example Sentences

They also vocalize to tell their chicks they are back at the nest with food and, seemingly, to cheer on their babies when they’re learning to fly.

From Salon • Oct. 20, 2024

“So, I went up on my medicine and I see my therapist. I try to see her every Wednesday, and I try to vocalize a lot when I’m feeling overwhelmed.”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 5, 2024

Research has shown that cats meow primarily when in the presence of humans, suggesting that we can’t help but skew the app’s inputs, while some cats rarely vocalize at all.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2023

The summaries don’t necessarily pick up on nonverbal cues or thoughts Arzubi might not want to vocalize.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2023

We miss him terribly and Geak, being so young, is the only one able to vocalize our loneliness, by continuing to ask for Pa. I am afraid for Geak.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung