Vocalize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈvoʊ.kə.laɪz/

Definitions

1. To articulate or express sounds through the voice while conveying emotions or thoughts in spoken or sung form
2. To emit sound through vocal cords in order to communicate ideas or feelings effectively, whether in song or speech
3. To produce a sound or series of sounds by using one's voice ; to communicate or reveal ideas and emotions through spoken words

Etymology: The verb "vocalize" is a plain English formation: it combines "vocal," meaning relating to the voice, with the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make into, or treat in the manner of." To make sense of "vocal," you have to go back to Latin "vōx," meaning voice or sound, which goes back through a long chain of ancestors all tied to the idea of speaking and calling out. Latin built "vōcālis" from it, meaning full of voice or sonorous, and that adjective passed into English as "vocal." The suffix has a longer and more roundabout past. It began in ancient Greek as "-izein," used to form verbs from nouns, and Latin later adopted it as "-izāre." It reached English through Old French "-iser," then Middle English "-isen," and finally the modern spelling "-ize." English speakers built new verbs with it freely, so "vocal" plus "-ize" was a natural combination, producing a verb meaning to give voice to something, to make it audible or spoken.

Synonyms: speak, articulate, enunciate, pronounce, express

Antonyms: silence, mumble, whisper, hush, muffle