vocality

American  

[voh-kal-i-tee] / voʊˈkæl ɪ ti /

noun

1. the fact of being related to, uttered with, or suggestive of the human voice.

   Telemann’s oboe concertos explore the vocality of the instrument through a number of movements in recitative, arioso, and aria style.

2. use of the voice as an aspect of human cultural and social activity; speech or singing.

   Vocality is one of the greatest gifts in our possession.

3. the fact or quality of having a voice of a unique or particular character; a particular way of speaking or singing.

   The ethereal quality of the film score is reinforced by the angelic vocality of the singer.

4. Sometimes vocalness the fact or quality of being able or inclined to express oneself in words.

   There are a number of ways you can encourage your child’s vocality and help coax the words out.

5. Phonetics.

   1. the fact or quality of being a vowel or like a vowel.

      Determining the vocality of the second element in these Lithuanian diphthongs is key for the question of syllable structure.

   2. (of a consonant) the fact or quality of being voiced, or involving vibration of the vocal cords.

      Every consonant, made with or without vocality, derives its character from obstructive action by the organs of the mouth.

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Other Word Forms

• nonvocality noun
• nonvocalness noun

Etymology

Origin of vocality

vocal ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

The staging of “Momma, Look Sharp” is hauntingly anchored by Smith’s solemn bearing and supple vocality.

From Washington Post • Oct. 6, 2022

I’m hearing the subtlety, the inflection, the vibrato, the cadence, just the rhythm of one’s vocality.

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2020

In ancient Greece, public female vocality often bore associations with prostitution, madness, witchcraft and androgyny.

From Time • Mar. 23, 2016

With the syllable häh exemplify severally the aspirate, guttural, and pectoral qualities, first with insufficient vocality, then with sufficient.

From The Ontario Readers: The High School Reader, 1886 by Ontario. Ministry of Education

The Atonics correspond with the first eleven of the subtonics as given above, from which they differ almost alone in having no vocality.

From The Ontario Readers: The High School Reader, 1886 by Ontario. Ministry of Education