vowel

noun vow·el \ ˈvau̇(-ə)l \

|Updated on: 16 Jul 2018

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

See vowel defined for English-language learners

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Recent Examples of vowel from the Web

For example, Markle’s vowels might still sound American, but the lilt of the sentence might be less so.

— cari romm, The Cut, "Linguists Explain Meghan Markle’s Apparent New British Accent," 10 July 2018
What: Campers receive classical repertoire instruction twice a day, particularly on breathing techniques, vowel formation, choral tone, sight singing, intonation and music theory.

— mónica marie zorilla, Philly.com, "45 affordable summer camps for kids," 5 June 2018
Previous research has found that baby talk and dog talk are slightly different—for example, dog talk doesn't have vowel exaggeration.

— National Geographic, "Do Dogs Really Prefer Baby Talk? You Might Be Surprised.," 31 May 2018
Twenty-first century country music doesn't have quite the same reverence for the old warble -- the acute bending of a single vowel into multiple notes and syllables.

— andrew dansby, Houston Chronicle, "Corsicana creates a Lefty Frizzell festival," 23 May 2018
The first two formants, F1 and F2, are instrumental in being able to tell the different vowels apart.

— fidel martinez, latimes.com, "Yanny or Laurel? Why people hear different words," 16 May 2018
People who hear laurel are hearing a syllabic l in the second syllable, which has some similarities to the vowel sound at the end of yanny.

— rachel gutman, The Atlantic, "A Linguist Explains Why 'Laurel' Sounds Like 'Yanny'," 15 May 2018
And a vowel followed by two consonants added a final 30 milliseconds.

— catherine matacic, Science | AAAS, "If you listen closely, the drumbeats of Amazonian tribes sound like human speech," 24 Apr. 2018
The airline worker in turn says there are too many vowels in his name, and compares him to a mob piece.

— pamela mcclintock, The Hollywood Reporter, "Studio Drama, Big Risks and Cher: What Mattered at CinemaCon This Year," 27 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vowel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of vowel

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

VOWEL Defined for English Language Learners

vowel

noun

: a speech sound made with your mouth open and your tongue in the middle of your mouth not touching your teeth, lips, etc.
: a letter (such as a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y in English) that represents a vowel