Vowel

Pronunciation

• enPR: vouʹəl, IPA: /ˈvaÊŠÉ™l/
• US also enPR: voul, IPA: /vaÊŠl/
• Rhymes: -aÊŠÉ™l, -aÊŠl

Origin

From Old French vouel (French: voyelle), from Latin vōcālis ("voiced").

Full definition of vowel

Noun

1. (phonetics) A sound produced by the vocal cords with relatively little restriction of the oral cavity, forming the prominent sound of a syllable.
2. A letter representing the sound of vowel; in English, the vowels are a, e, i, o and u, and sometimes y.

Antonyms

• (sound) consonant
• (letter) consonant

Related terms

• semivowel
• consonant
• liquid

Anagrams

• wolve