Meaning & use
vocalize
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To put a thought, feeling or opinion into spoken words so that others can hear it.
Grammar: Takes an object: she vocalized her doubts, not she vocalized about her doubts.
Patterns
- vocalize something
- vocalize something to someone
Many students struggle to vocalize their confusion in front of the class.
He never vocalized his disappointment, but his face showed it.
The therapist encourages patients to vocalize what they are feeling.
verbintransitive
To make sounds with the voice, such as humming, singing or animal calls, without necessarily forming words.
Grammar: Takes no object: the baby began to vocalize.
The baby started to vocalize happily when her father came into the room.
Whales vocalize across great distances to find one another.
The choir director asked everyone to vocalize on a single note to warm up.
verbtransitivetechnical
In phonetics, to change a consonant into a vowel or vowel-like sound, as happens to the l in some accents.
Grammar: Takes an object and is mostly found in linguistics: the speaker vocalizes the final consonant.
Patterns
- vocalize something
In some dialects, speakers vocalize the final l in a word like milk.
Linguists say that Cockney speakers vocalize the l at the end of a word like bottle.
The textbook explains how languages vocalize certain consonants over time.
Word forms
| third person singular | vocalizes |
|---|---|
| past tense | vocalized |
| past participle | vocalized |
| -ing form | vocalizing |
Common combinations
- vocalize concerns
- Employees should feel safe enough to vocalize concerns.
- vocalize an opinion
- She hesitated to vocalize an opinion in front of the board.
- vocalize frustration
- The toddler vocalized her frustration with loud cries.
- vocalize feelings
- Some people find it hard to vocalize their feelings.
- begin to vocalize
- Infants begin to vocalize at about two months.
- vocalize loudly
- The parrots vocalize loudly at dawn.
Synonyms and how they differ
- voice
- Voice is shorter and more common in this meaning, as in voice a concern, while vocalize can also describe making sounds.
- articulate
- Articulate stresses saying something clearly and precisely, whereas vocalize only requires that it be spoken aloud.
- verbalize
- Verbalize is about turning an idea into words, spoken or written, so it does not need sound the way vocalize does.
- utter
- Utter is more formal and often suggests a sudden sound or word, while vocalize suggests a deliberate act.
Opposites
Word family
- vocal adjective
- relating to the voice, or speaking out openly
- vocalization noun
- a sound or utterance made with the voice
- vocalist noun
- a singer, especially in a band
- vocally adverb
- in a way that uses the voice
Commonly confused: vocalize or verbalize?
vocalize vs verbalize
Verbalize means to express something in words, spoken or written. Vocalize needs your voice, and it can also mean making wordless sounds.
Practice
Encouraging children to ___ their feelings helps them handle conflicts calmly.
Choose one answer.
Vocalize means to say feelings out loud, which helps with conflict. Suppress, hide and avoid all describe keeping feelings in, which does the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vocalize”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.