vocal

See also: vocâl

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ-der.

Proto-Indo-European *wṓkʷs

Proto-Italic *wōks

Latin vōx

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin vōcālisbor.

Middle English vocal

English vocal

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): /ˈvəʊ.kəl/

  • Audio (Received Pronunciation):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈvoʊ.kəl/
• Rhymes: -əʊkəl

Adjective

vocal (comparative more vocal, superlative most vocal)

1. Of, pertaining to, or resembling the human voice or speech.

   vocal problems

   1. (anatomy) Used in the production of speech sounds.

      vocal apparatus

   2. (music) Relating to, composed or arranged for, or sung by the human voice.
   3. (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

   4. (phonetics) Synonym of vocalic.
2. Uttered or modulated by the voice; expressed in words.

   Synonyms: oral, audible

   Antonyms: inaudible, quiet, silent, voiceless

   vocal melody, vocal prayer, vocal worship

   1. Expressing opinions or feelings freely, loudly, or insistently.

      Synonyms: outspoken, loud, audible

      Antonyms: inaudible, quiet, silent

      The protesters were very vocal in their message to the mayor.

      • 2025 February 19, Paul Clifton, “I am absolutely committed to reforming the railway”, in RAIL, number 1029, page 41:

        Hendy has come out as something of an evangelist for discontinuous electrification. For Waterloo-Exeter, this could make real sense on a route where the high capital cost of wiring or third rail all the way to Devon would be prohibitive. But what about his vocal support for it on East West Rail, which is effectively a brand new line?

   2. Having or exercising the power of producing voice, speech, or sound.

      Synonym: spoken

      • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost:

        To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade,
        Made vocal by my song.

      • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XIX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 32:

        The tide flows down, the wave again
        ⁠Is vocal in its wooded walls:
        ⁠My deeper anguish also falls,
        And I can speak a little then.

   3. Synonym of expressive.
   4. Full of voices.

      Synonym: resounding

Derived terms

• audiovocal
• bivocal
• cricovocal
• monovocal
• nonvocal
• polyvocal
• semivocal
• subvocal
• unvocal
• vocal blackface
• vocal cord, vocal chord
• vocal fold
• vocal fremitus
• vocal fry
• vocalism
• vocalist
• vocality
• vocalize, vocalise
• vocally
• vocal minority
• vocal music
• vocalness
• vocal sac
• vocal tract
• vocal tube

Translations

of or pertaining to the voice or speech

• Albanian: vokal (sq) m
• Arabic: صَوْتِيّ (ṣawtiyy)
• Armenian: վոկալ (hy) (vokal)
• Azerbaijani: vokal
• Belarusian: вака́льны (be) (vakálʹny), галасавы́ (halasavý)
• Bengali: কণ্ঠ্য (bn) (konṭṭho)
• Bulgarian: вока́лен (vokálen), гласов (glasov)
• Catalan: vocal (ca)
• Czech: hlasový (cs), vokální (cs)
• Dutch: vocal (nl) m
• Esperanto: vokalo
• Finnish: laulu (fi)
• French: vocal (fr)
• Galician: vocal (gl)
• Georgian: ვოკალური (voḳaluri), სახმო (saxmo)
• German: stimmhaft (de), stimmlich
• Greek: φωνητικός (el) (fonitikós)

  Ancient Greek: φθεγκτικός (phthenktikós)

• Hindi: स्वर (hi) (svar)
• Hungarian: vokál
• Indonesian: vokal (id), lisan (id)
• Irish: gutha
• Italian: vocale (it)
• Kannada: ಉಚ್ಚಾರದ (kn) (uccārada)
• Kazakh: вокалды (vokaldy), вокалдық (vokaldyq)
• Latvian: vokāls, balss (lv) f (genitive)
• Macedonian: гла́совен (glásoven)
• Malay: vokal
• Maltese: vokali m
• Norwegian: vokal (no) m
• Polish: głosowy (pl), wokalny (pl)
• Portuguese: vocal (pt), vocálico (pt) m
• Russian: вока́льный (ru) (vokálʹnyj), голосово́й (ru) (golosovój)
• Slovak: vokálny (sk) m, hlasový
• Slovene: vokal (sl) m
• Spanish: vocal (es)
• Swahili: mwimbaji (sw)
• Swedish: vokal (sv)
• Tagalog: ukol sa tinig, pantinig
• Turkish: vokal (tr)
• Turkmen: vokal
• Ukrainian: вока́льний (vokálʹnyj), голосови́й (holosovýj)
• Urdu: آواز دار f (āvāz dār)
• Uzbek: vokal (uz)
• Vietnamese: nói to tiếng

characterized by voice or tone produced in the larynx

• Finnish: vokaali (fi)
• Georgian: ვოკალური (voḳaluri)
• Hungarian: magánhangzói (hu)
• Indonesian: vokal (id)
• Korean: 보컬 부분 (bokeol bubun)
• Macedonian: гла́сен (glásen)
• Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} vokale f
• Portuguese: vocálico (pt)
• Russian: гла́сный (ru) (glásnyj)
• Slovak: ^{(please verify)} hlasový f
• Slovene: ^{(please verify)} vokalne n
• Swedish: vokal (sv)
• Vietnamese: nói lớn tiếng

vocalic — see vocalic

uttered or modulated by the voice

• Albanian: vokal (sq) m
• Bengali: গেয় (bn) (geẏo)
• Bulgarian: вокален (vokalen)
• Catalan: vocal (ca)
• Dutch: stem (nl) f
• Finnish: laulu (fi)
• Galician: vocal (gl)
• Georgian: ვოკალური (voḳaluri)
• German: mündlich (de)
• Japanese: 有言の (yūgen no)
• Kannada: ಧ್ವನಿ (kn) (dhvani)
• Macedonian: во́кален (vókalen)
• Portuguese: vocal (pt)
• Russian: вока́льный (ru) (vokálʹnyj)
• Spanish: vocal (es)
• Swedish: vokal (sv)
• Tagalog: maabla
• Welsh: llafar (cy)

expressing opinions or feelings freely — see also vociferous

• Finnish: äänekäs (fi)
• Georgian: ხმამაღალი (xmamaɣali), ხმაურიანი (xmauriani), ხმიანი (xmiani), მყვირალა (mq̇virala)
• German: lautstark (de), laut (de)
• Hebrew: קוֹלָנִי (he) m (qolaní)
• Japanese: 有言の (yūgen no), 物言う (ja) (monoiu)
• Macedonian: гла́сен (glásen), зву́чен (zvúčen)
• Russian: гро́мкий (ru) (grómkij), зву́чный (ru) (zvúčnyj), шу́мный (ru) (šúmnyj) (noisy), крикли́вый (ru) (kriklívyj) (clamorous)
• Vietnamese: nói lớn tiếng

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} stem-
• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} voĉa
• French: ^{(please verify)} vocal (fr)
• Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} vocal
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} vocale (it) f
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} ヴォーカル (vōkaru), ^{(please verify)} ボーカル (ja) (bōkaru)

Noun

vocal (plural vocals)

1. (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

2. (music) A part of a piece of music that is sung.

   Synonym: song

   Hyponyms: backup vocals, lead vocals

   • 1975, Billboard, volume 87, number 24, page 50:

     Best cuts: "The Evil Dude," "Kung Fu, Too!" "Mama Love," "New Orleans" (with a punchy vocal by Teresa Brewer).

   1. (acting) A musical performance involving singing.
3. (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

• vocable
• vocabulary
• vocalist
• vocalization
• vocalize
• vocation
• voice

See also

• voice
• vowel

References

• “vocal”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “vocal”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Asturian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vōcālis.

Noun

vocal f (plural vocales)

1. (grammar) A vowel.

Related terms

• voz

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vōcālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [buˈkal]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [voˈkal]

• Audio (Catalonia):

  (file)

• Homophones: bocal, bucal (Central)
• Rhymes: -al

Adjective

vocal m or f (masculine and feminine plural vocals)

1. vocal

Derived terms

• corda vocal
• vocalisme
• vocalista
• vocalitzar
• vocalment

Related terms

• veu

Noun

vocal f (plural vocals)

1. 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.
• “vocal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

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)

1. vocal, related to the voice

Derived terms

• corde vocale
• langue vocale
• messagerie vocale
• reconnaissance vocale
• vocable
• vocalement
• vocalique
• vocalisation
• vocalise
• vocaliser
• vocalisme
• voice
• voix
• voyelle

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)

1. (slang) voice message
   • T'inquiètes, je t'envoies un vocal pour t'expliquer.

     Don't worry, I'm gonna send you a voice message to explain it to you.

Further reading

• "vocal", Dictionnaire des francophones [1]

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vōcālis.

Adjective

vocal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular vocale)

1. 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

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /voˈkaw/ [voˈkaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /vuˈkal/ [vuˈkaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /vuˈkal/ [vuˈkaɫ]
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /buˈkal/ [buˈkaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /vuˈka.li/

• Homophones: bocal (Porto), bucal (Porto)
• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: vo‧cal

Adjective

vocal m or f (plural vocais)

1. vocal (of or relating to the voice or speech)
2. vocal (uttered or modulated by the voice)

Derived terms

• vocalmente

Noun

vocal m or f by sense (plural vocais)

1. 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)

1. vocal

Declension

Declension of vocal

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	vocal		vocală		vocali	vocale
	definite	vocalul		vocala		vocalii	vocalele
genitive- dative	indefinite	vocal		vocale		vocali	vocale
	definite	vocalului		vocalei		vocalilor	vocalelor

Spanish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin vōcālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /boˈkal/ [boˈkal]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: vo‧cal

Noun

vocal f (plural vocales)

1. vowel

Noun

vocal m or f by sense (plural vocales)

1. voter, member with vote rights

Descendants

• → Cebuano: bokal

Adjective

vocal m or f (masculine and feminine plural vocales)

1. by means of the voice
2. related to the voice
3. using the voice

Derived terms

• cuerdas vocales
• vocalmente

Related terms

• voz

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