Vow"el , a. Of or pertaining to a vowel; vocal.
Vow"el (?), n. [F. voyelle, or an OF. form without y, L. vocalis (sc. littera), from vocalis sounding,
from vox, vocis,
a voice, sound. See Vocal.]
(Phon.) A
vocal, or sometimes a whispered, sound modified by resonance in the oral passage, the peculiar resonance in each case
giving to each several vowel its distinctive character
or quality as a sound of speech; -- distinguished from a consonant in that the latter, whether made with or
without vocality,
derives its character in every case
from some kind of obstructive action by the mouth
organs. Also, a letter or character which represents
such a sound. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 5, 146-149.
&fist; In the English language, the written vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes w and y. The
spoken vowels are much more numerous.
Close vowel. See under Close, a. -- Vowel point. See under Point, n.
Hear it pronounced