vocalise

V4O1C3A1L1I1S1E1
/ˈvəʊkəlaɪz//vəʊkəˈliːz/

noun

A vocal exercise performed by singing one or more vowels without actually forming any words.

Similar
vocalizevowelizevowelisearticulateenunciatevoicesoundphonate
OriginEnglish vocal ← Middle English vocal ← Latin vōcālis →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

vocalise1

verbvocalise (third-person singular simple present vocalises, present participle vocalising, simple past and past participle vocalised)

present singular third person vocalises · participle present vocalising · participle past vocalised · past vocalised

  1. UKnonstandardNon-Oxford British English standard spelling of vocalize.

vocalise2

nounvocalise (plural vocalises)

plural vocalises

  1. A vocal exercise performed by singing one or more vowels without actually forming any words.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbsing (each note a scale or in a melody) with the same vowel

Similar
vocalize
Broader
sing

verbpronounce as a vowel

Similar
vocalizevowelizevowelise
Broader
pronouncearticulateenounce

verbexpress or state clearly

Similar
articulateenunciatevocalize
Broader
statesaytell

verbutter with vibrating vocal chords

Similar
voicesoundvocalize
Broader
pronouncearticulateenounce

verbutter speech sounds

Similar
vocalizephonate
Broader
talkspeakutter
Also see
articulateenunciatephonatesoundvocalizevoicevowelize

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

vocalise · verb

  1. Proto-Indo-European*wekʷ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*wṓkʷs
  3. Proto-Italic*wōks
  4. Latinvōx
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  7. Latinvōcālis
  8. Middle Englishvocal
  9. Englishvocal
  10. Englishvocalise

From vocal + -ise.

Full word history & related roots →

vocalise · noun

  1. French-
  2. French-
  3. Englishvocalise

Borrowed from French.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

vocalise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vocalise

MLA

“vocalise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vocalise. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vocalise,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vocalise.

Source: vocalise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.