Pronunciation: /ˈvaʊəl/

Definitions of vowel

noun a speech sound that is produced by comparatively open configuration of the vocal tract

Example Sentences

A1 A vowel is a, e, i, o, u.

A2 In English, 'y' can sometimes be considered a vowel.

B1 The word 'apple' has three vowels in it.

B2 Understanding the concept of vowels is essential for learning to read and write.

C1 Linguists study the phonetics of vowels in different languages.

C2 The vowel sounds in Spanish are different from those in English.

adjective relating to or being a vowel

Example Sentences

A1 A vowel sound is produced when the mouth is open and the tongue is not touching anything.

A2 In English, the letters A, E, I, O, and U are considered vowel letters.

B1 The word 'apple' has two vowel sounds in it.

B2 When speaking, it is important to enunciate each vowel sound clearly.

C1 Linguists study the phonetics of vowel sounds in different languages.

C2 A singer's ability to hit the right vowel sounds can greatly impact their performance.

Examples of vowel in a Sentence

formal In English, there are five vowels: a, e, i, o, and u.

informal I always struggle with remembering which letters are vowels.

slang Bro, do you even know your vowels?

figurative She sang with such a pure vowel sound that it brought tears to my eyes.

Grammatical Forms of vowel

past tense

vowelled

plural

vowels

comparative

more vowel

superlative

most vowel

present tense

vowel

future tense

will vowel

perfect tense

have voweled

continuous tense

vowelling

singular

vowel

positive degree

vowel

infinitive

to vowel

gerund

vowelling

participle

vowelled

Origin and Evolution of vowel

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The word 'vowel' originated from the Latin word 'vocalis', meaning 'vocal'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the term 'vowel' has retained its original meaning of a speech sound produced with minimal constriction in the vocal tract, but its usage has expanded to include the written representation of such sounds in alphabets and writing systems.