Definition

1. Noun:
   • The sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tract: This refers to the physical production of voice or vocal sound.
   • The system of vowels used in a particular language: This is a linguistic term referring to the complete set of vowel sounds and their organization within a specific language.

Examples of Usage

• Referring to vocal sound production:
  • A singer takes good care of his vocalism. (A singer takes good care of his voice.)
  • The study focused on the vocalism of operatic tenors.
• Referring to a vowel system:
  • The vocalism of English differs significantly from the vocalism of Japanese.
  • Linguists analyzed the vocalism of the ancient dialect.

Advanced Usage

• In phonetics and phonology: "Vocalism" is a technical term used to describe and compare the vowel inventories of languages or dialects.
  • The paper details the vocalism of the Romance language family.
• In music and voice studies: It can refer to the art, technique, or quality of singing.
  • Her vocalism was praised for its clarity and emotional range.

Variants and Related Words

• Vocal (adj): Of or relating to the voice.
  • She has strong vocal abilities.
• Vocalize (v): To produce sound with the voice; to utter.
  • The baby began to vocalize.
• Vocalization (n): The act or process of producing vocal sound; a particular vocal sound.
  • The vocalizations of birds are complex.

Synonyms

• Voice (for sound production): The sound produced in a person's larynx.
• Vowel system (for linguistics): The complete set of vowel phonemes in a language.

Related Phrases

(Note: "Vocalism" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verbs or idioms. The related word "vocal" is used instead.) - To be vocal about: To express one's opinions or feelings openly and forcefully. - She was vocal about her concerns. - Vocal cords: The folds of tissue in the larynx that vibrate to produce voice. - He strained his vocal cords.

Related Idioms

(Note: Common idioms use the word "voice" or "vocal" rather than "vocalism".) - To find one's voice: To gain the ability or confidence to express oneself. - After years of practice, she finally found her voice as a writer. - A voice in the wilderness: A person expressing an unpopular opinion or idea. - His warnings were a voice in the wilderness.

Noun

1. the sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tract
   • a singer takes good care of his voice
   • the giraffe cannot make any vocalizations
2. the system of vowels used in a particular language