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
The endless vowels of their surnames—Ruuttu, Saarinen, Ruotsalainen—sail through his mind like a song.
—
Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
With her original, breathy way of speaking, stressing odd syllables and stretching random vowels to the breaking point, her mad fashions and family of wigs, Moira is a sketch character with depth.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
My Australian vowels were not corrected, but I was introduced to fine wine, opera and the royal family.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
No middle name, no hyphen, no extraneous vowels, three syllables played on a drum.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vowel
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Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
With her original, breathy way of speaking, stressing odd syllables and stretching random vowels to the breaking point, her mad fashions and family of wigs, Moira is a sketch character with depth.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
My Australian vowels were not corrected, but I was introduced to fine wine, opera and the royal family.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
No middle name, no hyphen, no extraneous vowels, three syllables played on a drum.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026
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 14 Feb. 2026.
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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