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

Despite years of industry leaders vocalizing a need for greater diversity in executive suites and decision-making roles, and the chronic inequity remaining a punchline for award show jokes, the climate has changed.

From Los Angeles Times

The opening is an awakening, with group vocalized rhythms, but that is something only a tabla player can really pull off.

From Los Angeles Times

“I was really just asking people to be who they were, and somehow out of the breath we started vocalizing and doing experiments with how everyone sang and where we sounded good together.”

From Los Angeles Times

Hundreds of billions of dollars were wiped from public markets after prominent CEOs and analysts started publicly vocalizing concerns about an AI bubble.

From Barron's

I wouldn’t pay to hear her read the proverbial phone book, but I might shell out to hear her sing it, while cracking jokes in between vocalizing.

From The Wall Street Journal