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
Introduction The researchers taught their experimental device to recognize spoken vowels, a common benchmark task for neural networks.
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Quanta Magazine, 20 May 2024
After reported technical glitches on the tour’s opening nights, Saturday’s mix was crisp and full, and the star’s mouth-twisting vowels and spicy wordplay were only occasionally lost in the sonic boom.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for vowel 
Quanta Magazine, 20 May 2024
After reported technical glitches on the tour’s opening nights, Saturday’s mix was crisp and full, and the star’s mouth-twisting vowels and spicy wordplay were only occasionally lost in the sonic boom.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for vowel
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vowel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to vowel
Video
The Schwa
The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.
Dictionary Entries Near vowel
Cite this Entry
“Vowel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vowel. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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