vowel : Idioms & Phrases


Close vowel

  • (Pron.), a vowel which is pronounced with a diminished aperture of the lips, or with contraction of the cavity of the mouth.
Webster 1913

murmur vowel

  • noun a schwa that is incidental to the pronunciation of a consonant
    murmur.
WordNet

Natural vowel

  • the vowel sound heard in urn, furl, sir, her, etc.; so called as being uttered in the easiest open position of the mouth organs. See Neutral vowel, under Neutral and Guide to Pronunciation, § 17.
Webster 1913

Neutral vowel

  • the vowel element having an obscure and indefinite quality, such as is commonly taken by the vowel in many unaccented syllables. It is regarded by some as identical with the &ucr; in up, and is called also the natural vowel, as unformed by art and effort. See Guide to Pronunciation, § 17.
Webster 1913

Open vowelconsonant

  • . See Open, a., 9.
Webster 1913

stem vowel

  • noun a vowel that ends a stem and precedes an inflection
    stem vowel.
WordNet

thematic vowel

  • noun a vowel that ends a stem and precedes an inflection
    stem vowel.
WordNet

Vowel point

  • noun a mark placed below or near a consonant (as in Hebrew or Arabic) to indicate the spoken vowel
WordNet
  • . See under Point, n.
Webster 1913

vowel rhyme

  • noun the repetition of similar vowels in the stressed syllables of successive words
    assonance.
WordNet

vowel sound

  • noun a speech sound made with the vocal tract open
    vowel.
WordNet

vowel system

  • noun the system of vowels used in a particular language
    vocalism.
WordNet