# vowel

/ˈvaʊəɫ/ (US) · /vˈaʊəl/ (UK) · CEFR A2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/vowel
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a speech sound you make with your mouth open and your throat vibrating. In English writing, the letters a, e, i, o, and u represent these sounds.

For teachers: a speech sound produced by a relatively open configuration of the vocal tract, with the vibration of the vocal cords but without audible friction. In orthography, it refers to a letter representing such a sound.

## Examples

- Every English word must contain at least one vowel.
- The teacher explained that the letter 'y' sometimes acts as a vowel in words like 'sky' or 'fly'.
- Linguists distinguish between monophthongs, which are pure vowel sounds, and diphthongs, where the tongue moves from one vowel position to another within a single syllable.

## Usage notes

- Commonly contrasted with 'consonant'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.