vowel

[ vou-uh l ]

/ ˈvaʊ əl /

noun

Phonetics.

(in English articulation) a speech sound produced without occluding, diverting, or obstructing the flow of air from the lungs (opposed to consonant).
(in a syllable) the sound of greatest sonority, as i in grill.Compare consonant(def 1b).
(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).

a letter representing or usually representing a vowel, as, in English, a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes w and y.

adjective

of or relating to a vowel.

Words nearby vowel

vouchsafe, vouge, voussoir, vouvray, vow, vowel, vowel gradation, vowel harmony, vowel mutation, vowel point, vowel rhyme

Origin of vowel

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

OTHER WORDS FROM vowel

vow·el·less, adjectivevow·el·like, adjectivevow·el·y, vow·el·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for vowels

The sound of ea is either made up of the sounds of both the vowels, or like that of one of them.
Elements of Gaelic Grammar|Alexander Stewart
Remember your consonants are of as great value as your vowels.
What Every Singer Should Know|Millie Ryan
Note that the union of vowels in separate words is called synalepha, while the union of vowels within a word is called syneresis.
Modern Spanish Lyrics|Various
The whole time of trial is in the recitation of the vowels and also in the recitation of the figures.
Matisse Picasso and Gertrude Stein|Gertrude Stein

The proper use of the lips will aid greatly in focusing the vowels.
Resonance in Singing and Speaking|Thomas Fillebrown

British Dictionary definitions for vowels

vowel

/ (ˈvaʊəl) /

noun

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

a letter or character representing a vowel

Derived forms of vowel

vowel-less, adjectivevowel-like, adjective

Word Origin for vowel

C14: from Old French vouel, from Latin vocālis littera a vowel, from vocālis sonorous, from vox a voice

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for vowels

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.)