Vowelize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To modify a sequence of consonants by incorporating vowel sounds to enhance clarity of pronunciation
2. To transform a string of consonants by integrating vowel sounds, thereby improving the ease of vocalization and understanding
3. To insert vowel letters into a set of consonants to make pronunciation possible

Etymology: "Vowelize" is a plain formation: the noun "vowel" with the verb-forming suffix "-ize", which comes from Greek "-izein" through Latin "-izare" and passed into English largely through French and scientific or technical writing. The result is a verb meaning to supply vowels to a string of consonants, the way Hebrew and Arabic are often written with only consonants and readers must add the vowels mentally. The noun "vowel" itself has a longer pedigree, coming from Latin "vocalis", meaning "vocal" or "sounding", from "vox", "voice". So the word's core idea is literally giving voice to letters. The suffix "-ize" was used to turn the noun into an action, so to vowelize is to make a silent text speakable.

Synonyms: vocalize, articulate, enunciate, pronounce, speak