vowel

noun

vow·​el ˈvau̇(-ə)l 

1

: one of a class of speech sounds in the articulation of which the oral part of the breath channel is not blocked and is not constricted enough to cause audible friction

broadly : the one most prominent sound in a syllable

2

: a letter or other symbol representing a vowel

—usually used in English of a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y

Examples of vowel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Altman’s tech origin story is founding a social-media app with a fashionably missing vowel; AMD CEO Lisa Su’s involves loose wires and, later, the world’s top prize in microelectronics. —Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025

The moment a machine takes over the vowels, the performance stops being yours. —Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025

The singer’s vowels were deep and clear with no hint of strain. —Gaar Adams october 3, Literary Hub, 3 Oct. 2025

Coco Gauff is Fruit Salad Queen and was gifted a massive fruit basket in a video ahead of the tournament; Kateřina Siniaková is Instant Noodles(ová) because of her hair; Yuliia Starodubtseva is Alphabet Lady because of her many letters and vowels. —Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French vowele, from Latin vocalis — more at vocalic

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing vowel

• great vowel shift
• vowel point
• vowel rhyme

Rhymes for vowel

• bowel
• dowel
• howel
• howell
• towel
• avowal
• disavowal

Video

The Schwa

The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.

Kids Definition

vowel

noun

vow·​el ˈvau̇(-ə)l 

1

: a speech sound produced without obstruction or audible friction in the mouth

2

: a letter (as a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y) representing a vowel