Main Entry: vow·el
Pronunciation: 'vau(-&)l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French vouel, from Latin vocalis —more at VOCALIC
Date: 14th century
1 : one of a class of speech sounds in the articulation of which the oral part of the breath channel is not blocked and is not constricted enough to cause audible friction; broadly : the one most prominent sound in a syllable
2 : a letter or other symbol representing a vowel — usually used in English of a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y


Main Entry: great vowel shift
Function: noun
Usage: often cap G&V&S
Date: 1909
: a change in pronunciation of the long vowels of Middle English that began in the 15th century and continued into the 16th century in which the high vowels were diphthongized and the other vowels were raised