Vowel

Vowel, vow′el, n. a sound or tone produced by the unimpeded passage of the breath, when modified by the glottis into voice, through the tube of the mouth, which is made to assume different shapes by altering the form and position of the tongue and the lips—the letters a, e, i, o, u are called vowels, as being able to be sounded by themselves, with a continuous passage of the breath; but there are thirteen simple vowel sounds in English.—adj. vocal: pertaining to a vowel.—vs.t. Vow′el, Vow′elise, to insert vowel signs in words written primarily with consonants only.—ns. Vow′elism, the use of vowels; Vow′elist, one given to vowelism.—adjs. Vow′elled, furnished with vowels; Vow′elless, without vowels; Vow′elly, full of vowels.—Vowel points, marks inserted in consonantal word to indicate vowels. [Fr. voyelle—L. vocalis—vox, vocis, the voice.]