Vocal means to do with the voice, or loud in stating opinions. Vocal cords, a vocal critic, vocally opposed.
The second sense is often faintly critical — a vocal minority means a small group being heard more than their numbers warrant. As a noun, the vocals are the sung part of a recording. The Latin vox means a voice, and vowel is the same word.
1adjectivevoiceTo do with the voice.
“Too much shouting at the match damaged his vocal cords.”
2adjectivevocalLoud in stating opinions.
“Local residents have been vocal in their opposition to the new airport.”
vocal is a quality of voice.
Latin vocalis means speaking or sounding, from vox, a voice. Vowel is the same word by another road.
Latin
vōcālis
Middle English
vocal
English, today
vocal
From Middle English vocal, from Latin vōcālis. Late Middle English vocal, borrowed from Latin vōcālis (“uttering a voice, sounding, speaking”), from vōx + -ālis. a doublet of vowel and vocalis. Compare Old French vocal.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA