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

Jamie Lloyd’s Sunset revival cut out the original’s vowels, the sets, and a lot of the costumes from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s lumbering musical, then added a bunch of screens and a ferocious Nicole Scherzinger. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 4 June 2025

Download the New York Times Games app for access to leaderboards for Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee and the Mini. Need a Hint? Give me a consonant Give me a vowel Open the comments section for more hints, scores and conversation from the Wordle community. —New York Times Games, New York Times, 30 May 2025

Photo of the day: Spelling is e-m-o-t-i-o-n-a-l There were highs and lows, vowels and consonants Tuesday in the second round of the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland. —Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 29 May 2025

The Clue: This Wordle has more consonants than vowels. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 4 June 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