Definition of "vowel" in English

noun

1. (phonetics) A sound produced by the vocal cords with relatively little restriction of the oral cavity, forming the prominent sound of a syllable.

   • In Welsh, the w usually represents a vowel.

2. (orthography) A letter or diacritic representing the sound of a vowel; in English, the vowels are a, e, i, o, u, w (rarely), y (sometimes).

   • Facetiously is spelled with all six vowels in alphabetical order.

verb

1. (linguistics) To add vowel points to a consonantal script (e.g. niqqud in Hebrew or harakat in Arabic).