Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

vocalize

/ˈvoʊ.kə.laɪz/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.06 in modern English

Syllables: vo-cal-ize
IPA: /ˈvoʊ.kə.laɪz/

22

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To express with the voice, to utter.

verb

To produce noises or calls from the throat.

verb

To sing without using words.

verb

To turn a consonant into a vowel.

verb

To make a sound voiced rather than voiceless.

Dated

verb

To add vowel points to a consonantal script (e.g. niqqud in Hebrew)

Example Sentences

"Following the modern spirit, the real poems of the present, ever solidifying and expanding into the future, must vocalize the vastness and splendor and reality with which scientism has invested man and the universe,[…]"
"We could hear the monkeys vocalizing, though we could not see them."
"In Hong Kong English, /l/ may be vocalized at the end of a syllable."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ-der. Proto-Indo-European *wṓkʷs Proto-Italic *wōks Latin vōx Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin vōcālisbor. Middle English vocal English vocal Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English vocalize From vocal + -ize.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈvoʊ.kə.laɪz/

Usage

Dated

Inflected Forms

vocalizes (present, singular) vocalizing (participle, present) vocalized (participle, past) vocalized (past) vocalise (alternative)

Derived Forms

devocalize misvocalize subvocalize vocalization vocalizer

Synonyms

outspeak vocalise phonate voice sound articulate enunciate vowelize vowelise

Rhymes With

localize

Questions

How do you pronounce vocalize?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈvoʊ.kə.laɪz/.
What does vocalize mean?: To express with the voice, to utter.
Where does vocalize come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ-der. Proto-Indo-European *wṓkʷs Proto-Italic *wōks Latin vōx Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin vōcālisbor. Middle English vocal English vocal Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English vocalize From vocal + -ize.

How to pronounce vocalize

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “vocalize”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈvoʊ.kə.laɪz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “vocalize”.
Repeat and practice — Say “vocalize” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.