vocal

== English == === Etymology === Late Middle English vocal, borrowed from Latin vōcālis (“uttering a voice, sounding, speaking”), from vōx (“a voice, sound, tone”) +‎ -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). Doublet of vowel and vocalis. Compare Old French vocal. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈvəʊ̯.kəl/, [ˈvəʊ̯.kl̩] (General American) IPA(key): /ˈvoʊ̯.kəl/, /ˈvɔʊ̯.kəl/, [ˈvoʊ̯.kl̩], [ˈvɔʊ̯.kl̩] (Australian) IPA(key): /ˈvəʉ̯.kəl/, [ˈvəʉ̯.kl̩] Rhymes: -əʊkəl Hyphenation: vo‧cal === Adjective === vocal (comparative more vocal, superlative most vocal) Of, pertaining to, or resembling the human voice or speech. (anatomy) Used in the production of speech sounds. (music) Relating to, composed or arranged for, or sung by the human voice. (phonetics) Consisting of, or characterized by, voice, or tone produced in the larynx, which may be modified, either by resonance, as in the case of the vowels, or by obstructive action, as in certain consonants, such as v, l, etc., or by both, as in the nasals m, n, ng. Synonyms: sonant, intonated, voiced (phonetics) Synonym of vocalic. Uttered or modulated by the voice; expressed in words. Synonyms: oral, audible Antonyms: inaudible, quiet, silent, voiceless Expressing opinions or feelings freely, loudly, or insistently. Synonyms: outspoken, loud, audible Antonyms: inaudible, quiet, silent Having or exercising the power of producing voice, speech, or sound. Synonym: spoken Synonym of expressive. Full of voices. Synonym: resounding ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === vocal (plural vocals) (phonetics) A vocal sound; specifically, a purely vocal element of speech, unmodified except by resonance; a vowel or a diphthong; a tonic element; a tonic. Coordinate terms: subvocal, nonvocal (music) A part of a piece of music that is sung. Synonym: song Hyponyms: backup vocals, lead vocals (acting) A musical performance involving singing. (Catholicism) A man in the Roman Catholic Church who has a right to vote in certain elections. ==== Derived terms ==== gang vocal off vocal vocalic vocalese === Related terms === === See also === voice vowel === References === “vocal”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022. “vocal”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. == Asturian == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin vōcālis. === Noun === vocal f (plural vocales) (grammar) A vowel. ==== Related terms ==== voz == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin vōcālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern, Central) [buˈkal] IPA(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [voˈkal] IPA(key): (Northwestern) [boˈkal] Homophones: bocal, bucal (Central) Rhymes: -al === Adjective === vocal m or f (masculine and feminine plural vocals) vocal ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== veu === Noun === vocal f (plural vocals) vowel ==== Derived terms ==== vocàlic === Further reading === “vocal”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “vocal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “vocal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “vocal”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == French == === Etymology 1 === Inherited from Old French vocal, borrowed from Latin vōcālis. Doublet of voyelle. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /vɔ.kal/ Homophones: vocale, vocales ==== Adjective ==== vocal (feminine vocale, masculine plural vocaux, feminine plural vocales) (relational) voice, vocal corde vocale ― (please add an English translation of this usage example) langue vocale ― (please add an English translation of this usage example) messagerie vocale ― (please add an English translation of this usage example) reconnaissance vocale ― (please add an English translation of this usage example) ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → Turkish: vokal ==== Further reading ==== “vocal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 === Etymology 2 === Ellipsis of message vocal. Compare Italian vocale. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /vɔ.kal/ ==== Noun ==== vocal m (plural vocaux) (slang) voice message T'inquiète, je t'envoies un vocal pour t'expliquer. ― Don't worry, I'm gonna send you a voice message to explain it to you. == Old French == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin vōcālis. === Adjective === vocal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular vocale) vocal (relating to a voice or voices) ==== Descendants ==== French: vocal → Middle English: vocal English: vocal == Portuguese == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin vōcālis. Doublet of vogal. By surface analysis, voz +‎ -al. === Pronunciation === Homophones: bocal (Porto), bucal (Porto) Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw Hyphenation: vo‧cal === Adjective === vocal m or f (plural vocais) vocal (of or relating to the voice or speech) vocal (uttered or modulated by the voice) ==== Derived terms ==== vocalmente === Noun === vocal m or f by sense (plural vocais) vocalist (singer in a band) Synonym: vocalista ==== Related terms ==== vogal voz === Further reading === “vocal”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “vocal”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Borrowed from French vocal, from Latin vocalis. === Adjective === vocal m or n (feminine singular vocală, masculine plural vocali, feminine/neuter plural vocale) vocal ==== Declension ==== == Spanish == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin vōcālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /boˈkal/ [boˈkal] Rhymes: -al Syllabification: vo‧cal === Noun === vocal f (plural vocales) vowel ==== Derived terms ==== === Noun === vocal m or f by sense (plural vocales) voter, member with vote rights ==== Descendants ==== → Cebuano: bokal === Adjective === vocal m or f (masculine and feminine plural vocales) by means of the voice related to the voice using the voice ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === See also === Appendix:Spanish nouns that have different meanings depending on their gender === Further reading === “vocal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 === Anagrams === clavo