VOWEL is a speech sound produced with an open vocal tract, or a letter representing such sounds (A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y). In word games, VOWEL is an excellent 5-letter word worth 11 points in Scrabble, featuring two high-value tiles (V and W) and ironically containing only two vowels itself.
Yes. VOWEL is in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools and scores 11 points in Scrabble, 13 in Words With Friends and 11 in Wordfeud (base tile values, no board multipliers). Always check the dictionary your game uses (NWL, Collins or the WWF list) before playing.
| Letter | V | O | W | E | L | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| Words With Friends | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
| Wordfeud | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
Vowel represents the foundation of human speech and written language—those open, resonant sounds that flow freely from our vocal cords, carrying the music of language. Every syllable needs at least one vowel sound to exist. These letters serve as the skeleton key to pronunciation, the bridges between consonants, and the carriers of meaning in virtually every human language. The irony that "vowel" itself contains only two vowels (O and E) while discussing all five has amused linguists and word lovers for generations.
Phonetically, vowels emerge when air flows freely through the vocal tract without significant obstruction from the tongue, teeth, or lips. This contrasts with consonants, where airflow meets resistance. The position of the tongue—high or low, front or back—combined with lip rounding creates the distinct vowel sounds. English features approximately 20 vowel sounds (depending on dialect) represented by just five primary letters, leading to spelling complexities that frustrate learners and native speakers alike.
The Great Vowel Shift, occurring between 1400 and 1700, dramatically altered English pronunciation while spelling remained largely unchanged. This historical linguistic event explains many of English's spelling irregularities. Words like "meat" and "meet," once pronounced differently, converged in sound but retained distinct spellings. This shift moved long vowels upward in the mouth, transforming Middle English into the modern language we recognize today.
"Vowel" derives from Old French "vouel" (modern French "voyelle"), from Latin "vocalis littera" meaning "vocal letter" or "letter that sounds." The Latin root "vox" (voice) connects to "vocare" (to call), emphasizing vowels' role as the voiced, sonorous elements of speech. The term entered Middle English around 1300, replacing the Old English "clypol" (calling or sounding letter). The Indo-European root *wekʷ- (to speak) links vowel to voice, vocal, evoke, and advocate. The concept of letters that could stand alone as syllables distinguished vowels from consonants (literally "sounding together with") in classical grammar.
Anagrams: no other word uses exactly the letters of VOWEL.
Hooks: no front hooks; back VOWELS.
Words inside VOWEL: 19 shorter words can be made from these letters – highest scoring: WOVEVOWLEVOLOVELOWEVOLELEVLOWOWEOWLVOEWOE. See all words from VOWEL.