vowel
VOW-uhl
Vowel (noun) means a speech sound made with an open vocal tract, without blocking the airflow — the core sound of a syllable. Example: “English has far more vowel sounds than it has vowel letters.”
noun
1
A speech sound made with an open vocal tract, without blocking the airflow — the core sound of a syllable.
"English has far more vowel sounds than it has vowel letters."
"She practiced pronouncing the long vowel in "beat" versus the short one in "bit.""
2
A letter representing a vowel sound — in English, a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y.
"The word "rhythm" is unusual because it has no standard vowel letters."
How to use vowel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA, e, i, o, u (and sometimes y) — the open, unobstructed speech sounds and the letters that represent them.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
long vowel
short vowel
vowel sound
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Word forms
- Plural
- vowels
- Third person singular
- vowels
- Past tense
- voweled, vowelled
Fill the gap
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English has far more _____ sounds than it has vowel letters.
Etymology
From Old French vouel (compare modern French voyelle), from Latin vocalis, "voiced" — a doublet of vocal.
Synonyms
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vowel sound
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for vowel
See all rhymes for vowel →Frequently asked questions
What does “vowel” mean?
The word “vowel” means a speech sound made with an open vocal tract, without blocking the airflow — the core sound of a syllable. In plain terms, a, e, i, o, u (and sometimes y) — the open, unobstructed speech sounds and the letters that represent them.
How do you pronounce “vowel”?
“Vowel” is pronounced VOW-uhl (/ˈvaʊ.əl/ in IPA).
How do you use “vowel” in a sentence?
Here is “vowel” used in a sentence: “English has far more vowel sounds than it has vowel letters.”
What part of speech is “vowel”?
“Vowel” is a noun.
Where does the word “vowel” come from?
The word “vowel” comes from Latin. From Old French vouel (compare modern French voyelle), from Latin vocalis, "voiced" — a doublet of vocal.
Is “vowel” a common word?
“Vowel” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “vowel” have?
“Vowel” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a speech sound made with an open vocal tract, without blocking the airflow — the core sound of a syllable.
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