How to Use Vowels When Singing

Why Vowels Matter So Much

Think about the difference between saying a word and singing it. When you talk, consonants do a lot of the work. They mark where a word starts and stops. But try holding a “d” or a “t” for four beats. You can’t. Most consonants simply don’t sustain.

So what you actually hold is the vowel.

Sing the word “day” on a long note and almost all of that note is the vowel sound. The same goes for “me”, “go” and “you”. Your mouth, tongue and jaw decide which vowel comes out, and tiny adjustments can make it ring clearly.

Different vowels naturally need different shapes. Your tongue may move forwards or backwards, your jaw may open more or less, and your lips may spread and round. These changes affect the way your voice sounds as you sing. You don’t need to force the shape. Find a position that feels comfortable and lets the vowel stay clear.

This becomes particularly important as you move through different pitches. A vowel that feels easy on a lower note may need a small adjustment as you sing higher. The vowel should still sound like the same vowel, rather than changing into something else because the pitch has changed.

The Five Vowel Sounds to Practice

English has five main vowel letters: A, E, I, O and U, but these letters can represent many different sounds. For this exercise, we’re going to use five simple vowel sounds that are useful for singers to practice. Say them out loud as you read:

• Ah as in “car”
• Ee as in “see”
• Eh as in “bed”
• Oh as in “so”
• Oo as in “blue”

Try them one after another and watch what happens. Your jaw drops and lifts. Your tongue shifts. Your lips round and spread. Noticing those movements is half the job.

A quick warning. Some vowels aren’t really one sound at all. The vowel in “say” for example glides from one sound to another as you say it. Teachers call these diphthongs. On a short note, that’s no problem. On a long one, though, you’ll want to stay on the first part of the sound for as long as you can and only slide into the second at the very end. Move too early and the note wobbles.

Keeping the Vowel Steady on a Long Note

When you’re holding a note, aim to keep the vowel steady for as long as you can.

Say you’re singing a long “Ah”. Let it stay an “Ah”. Don’t let your mouth drift into a different shape halfway through, and don’t squeeze the sound as you run out of steam. Keep your jaw loose and relaxed.

This doesn’t mean keeping your mouth completely frozen. Your voice still needs small, natural adjustments as you sing, particularly when you move into a different part of your range. What matters is that the vowel still sounds like the vowel you started with.

The same idea applies when the pitch moves. Whether you’re going up or down, the vowel should still sound like the same vowel. It’s easy to let it slip when the notes get higher, so keep an ear out for that.

A Simple Exercise to Try

Here’s an easy way to practice. You’ll sing the same short pattern over and over, changing only the vowel each time.

The pattern climbs from C to G and then comes back down to C, finishing on the note where you started. Begin with “Ah”. When that feels comfortable, sing it again with the “Ee” vowel. Then “Eh”, then “Oh”, then “Oo”.

As you go, listen carefully. Is the vowel clear? Is it the same on the low notes and the high ones? Try not to let it change just because the pitch did.

The audio example below follows the written exercise above. It starts with a single C played on the piano to give you your starting pitch, followed by a four-beat count-in on the hi-hat. The exercise then begins, with the melody played on the piano. Sing along using the vowel you’re practicing.

As you do the exercise, notice how each vowel feels different in your mouth. You may find that “Ah” feels quite different from “Ee” or “Oo” in your mouth. That’s normal. Don’t try to make all the vowels feel identical. Each one has its own shape.

Taking It Into a Real Song

Once the individual vowels feel familiar, bring the idea into a song you’re learning.

Pick a short phrase. Look at the words on the long notes and work out which vowel you’re holding on each one. Then sing the phrase slowly, keeping those vowels clear.

Here’s a trick I like. Sing the melody on a single vowel first, with no words at all. That lets you focus on the pitch and the vowel shape without juggling every consonant at the same time. When you put the words back in, keep your consonants crisp, but let the vowel carry the held part of the note.

This is particularly useful when a word has several sounds close together. Work out which part of the word is actually being sustained, then make sure that vowel stays clear. The consonants still matter because they tell the listener what the word is, but they don’t need to be forced into the sustained part of the note.

Singing Clearly

Good vowel technique doesn’t mean making every vowel sound the same. Each one needs its own mouth and tongue position, and that’s exactly the point. What you’re learning is how those differences work, so you can make each sound clearly while staying comfortable.

A little regular practice goes a long way. You’ll start to notice how you shape words when you sing, and before long it begins to happen on its own in your songs.

If you’d like some guidance along the way, you can find out more about our Sutherland Shire singing lessons at Do Re Mi Studios.