Standard Lemma guide

vocable

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈvəʊkəbl̩/
  • US: /ˈvoʊkəbl̩/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Able to be uttered.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • a vocable marker

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A word or utterance, especially with reference to its form rather than its meaning.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A syllable or sound without specific meaning, used together with or in place of actual words in a song.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a word that is spoken aloud

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spoken word

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: word

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wekw-der. Proto-Indo-European *wokw-der. Latin vocō Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English vocable From Latin vocō + -able.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wekw-der. Proto-Indo-European *wokw-der. Latin voc(ā) Proto-Indo-European *-dhlomder. Latin -bulum Latin vocābulumder. Middle French vocablebor. ▲ Latin vocābulumbor. Middle English vocable English vocable From Middle English vocable, from Middle French vocable and its etymon, Latin vocābulum, from vocō (“to call”).

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: произносим (proiznosim) — able to be uttered
  • Bulgarian: дума (duma) — linguistics: word or utterance
  • Finnish: sane — linguistics: word or utterance
  • Finnish: vokaabeli — linguistics: word or utterance
  • Finnish: äännähdys — linguistics: word or utterance
  • Georgian: სიტყვა (siṭq̇va) — linguistics: word or utterance
  • German: Vokabel — linguistics: word or utterance
  • Portuguese: vocábulo — linguistics: word or utterance
  • Spanish: vocablo — linguistics: word or utterance
  • Finnish: lallatus — music: syllable or sound without specific meaning
  • Finnish: vokaabeli — music: syllable or sound without specific meaning