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
Altman’s tech origin story is founding a social-media app with a fashionably missing vowel; AMD CEO Lisa Su’s involves loose wires and, later, the world’s top prize in microelectronics.
—
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
The moment a machine takes over the vowels, the performance stops being yours.
—Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
The singer’s vowels were deep and clear with no hint of strain.
—Gaar Adams
october 3, Literary Hub, 3 Oct. 2025
Coco Gauff is Fruit Salad Queen and was gifted a massive fruit basket in a video ahead of the tournament; Kateřina Siniaková is Instant Noodles(ová) because of her hair; Yuliia Starodubtseva is Alphabet Lady because of her many letters and vowels.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vowel
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Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2025
The moment a machine takes over the vowels, the performance stops being yours.
—Remy Blumenfeld, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
The singer’s vowels were deep and clear with no hint of strain.
—Gaar Adams
october 3, Literary Hub, 3 Oct. 2025
Coco Gauff is Fruit Salad Queen and was gifted a massive fruit basket in a video ahead of the tournament; Kateřina Siniaková is Instant Noodles(ová) because of her hair; Yuliia Starodubtseva is Alphabet Lady because of her many letters and vowels.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vowel
Video
The Schwa
The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.
Cite this Entry
“Vowel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vowel. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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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