Ablaut is a linguistic phenomenon that involves the systematic alteration of vowel sounds within a word to convey different grammatical forms or meanings. This change often occurs in related words, such as in the English verbs "sing," "sang," and "sung," where the vowel shifts indicate different tenses. Ablaut is particularly prominent in the Germanic languages, where it plays a crucial role in verb conjugation and noun formation. It can also be found in other language families, contributing to the richness and complexity of word formation and inflection across various languages.