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
How To Solve Today’s Wordle The Hint: Geometry The Clue: This Wordle begins with a vowel.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
The Clue: Today’s Wordle has far more consonants than vowels.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
And Heggie knows how to set such a rich set of syllables so that they don’t get lost in a whoosh of open vowels.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
Those bookend vowels, her household-name status, the satisfying succinctness of a mononym — Adele is a crossword creator’s dream!
—Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vowel
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Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
The Clue: Today’s Wordle has far more consonants than vowels.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
And Heggie knows how to set such a rich set of syllables so that they don’t get lost in a whoosh of open vowels.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
Those bookend vowels, her household-name status, the satisfying succinctness of a mononym — Adele is a crossword creator’s dream!
—Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 21 Feb. 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 12 Apr. 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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