Vocalization

The word vocalization can refer to several different things:

In animals, vocalization is a means of communication generated in many cases by their primitive versions of vocal cords. See: animal communication.
In birds, it may be achieved by whistling but can communicate a number of things including danger.
It is also used to describe the noises made via the blowhole of mammalian sea creatures such as whales and porpoises.
In humans, it is a special means of communication called speech.
In languages with consonantal alphabets (sometimes inaccurately termed abjads), vocalization refers to the process of adding vowel markers (Arabic tashkil, Hebrew niqqud). See also: Arabic alphabet, Tiberian vocalization, Syriac alphabet.
In phonology it can refer to the replacement of a consonant sound with a vowel sound, e.g. Template:IPA for milk in many accents of English (see L-vocalization) or Template:IPA for hier in German.