vowel

The definition of a vowel is a letter representing a speech sound made with the vocal tract open, specifically the letters A, E, I, O, U.

(noun)

The letter "A" is an example of a vowel.

See vowel in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

any voiced speech sound characterized by generalized friction of the air passing in a continuous stream through the pharynx and opened mouth but with no constriction narrow enough to produce local friction; the sound of the greatest prominence in most syllables
a letter (as a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y) or a character or a symbol representing such a sound

Cf. consonant

Origin: ME vowelle < MFr vouel < L vocalis (littera), vocal (letter), vowel < vox, voice

adjective

of a vowel or vowels

See vowel in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A speech sound, such as (ē) or (ĭ), created by the relatively free passage of breath through the larynx and oral cavity, usually forming the most prominent and central sound of a syllable.
A letter, such as a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y in the English alphabet, that represents a vowel.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English vowelle

Origin: , from Old French vouel

Origin: , from Latin (littera) vōcālis, sounding (letter)

Origin: , from vōx, vōc-, voice; see wek^w- in Indo-European roots

Learn more about vowel

vowel synonyms

vowel in a sentence

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