# 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: /ˈvəʊ.kəl/
** Audio (Received Pronunciation):(file)
* (General American) IPA: /ˈvoʊ.kəl/
* Rhymes: -əʊkəl

### Adjective

vocal (comparative more vocal, superlative most vocal)
* Of, pertaining to, or resembling the human voice or speech.
    vocal problems
** (anatomy) Used in the production of speech sounds.
    vocal apparatus
** (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
    vocal melody, vocal prayer, vocal worship
** 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?
** 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], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XIX, 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.
** Synonym of expressive.
** 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

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

* 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)
* (grammar) A vowel.

#### Related terms

* voz

## Catalan
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vōcālis.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central) [buˈkal]
* IPA: (Balearic, Valencia) [voˈkal]
* Audio:(file)
* Homophones: bocal, bucal (Central)
* Rhymes: -al

### Adjective

vocal m or f (masculine and feminine plural vocals)
* vocal

#### Derived terms

* corda vocal
* vocalista
* vocalitzar
* vocalment

#### Related terms

* veu

### Noun

vocal f (plural vocals)
* vowel

#### Derived terms

* vocàlic

### Further reading

* “vocal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “vocal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “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: /vɔ.kal/
* Homophones: vocale, vocales

#### Adjective

vocal (feminine vocale, masculine plural vocaux, feminine plural vocales)
* 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: /vɔ.kal/

#### Noun

vocal m (plural vocaux)
* (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

## 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

* (Brazil) IPA: /voˈkaw/ [voˈkaʊ̯]
* (Portugal) IPA: /vuˈkal/ [vuˈkaɫ]
* (Portugal) IPA: /vuˈkal/ [vuˈkaɫ]
** (Northern Portugal) IPA: /buˈkal/ [buˈkaɫ]
** (Southern Portugal) IPA: /vuˈka.li/
* 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

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French vocal, from Latin vocalis.

### Adjective

vocal m or n (feminine singular vocală, masculine plural vocali, feminine and neuter plural vocale)
* vocal

#### Declension
## Spanish
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vōcālis.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /boˈkal/ [boˈkal]
* Audio (Colombia):(file)
* Rhymes: -al
* Syllabification: vo‧cal

### Noun

vocal f (plural vocales)
* vowel

### 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

* cuerdas vocales
* vocalmente

#### Related terms

* voz

### Further reading

* “vocal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

### Anagrams

* clavo