Brain Teasers
No Vowels
Name a five-letter word with no vowels in it.
Hint
Assume y is not a vowel.Answer
There are lots of possible answers:NYMPH, WRYLY, SYNCS, SHYLY, SLYLY, MYTHS, HYMNS, GYPSY or MYRRH
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add an S and you have a 6 letter word
Nymphs
Nymphs
a,e,i,o,u an sometimes y
well this saying goes when there is only an y in the word so technically y is a vowel
well this saying goes when there is only an y in the word so technically y is a vowel
in the English language y is considered a vowel
the letter Y has never been considered a vowel. look in the Oxford English Dictionary under "Vowels".
Y is not a vowel
Y is not considered a vowel in the English language, just in the American adaptation of it. other 5+ vowel free words:- rhythm, hymns. Any more out there?
Yeah. Syzygy. The only word with 3 Ys.
tryst
cysts
SHY NYMPH, SHYLY, SPRYLY, TRYST BY MY CRYPT.
Sep 29, 2003
For fussy people with 'Y' . Here you are a word without any vowel: brrr. Don't think I am kidding, it is in Dictionary,!
hmm is in there too!
My first reaction was: "Oh, that's easy! Rythym! Of course, I'm an idiot...
Both Y and W act as vowels in the English language. But I think that's too pedantic for this teaser. The major problem with the teaser is that there is more than one answer: nymph, tryst, pygmy, etc.
crwth
The complete OED defines "vowel":
1. a. A sound produced by the vibrations of the vocal cords; a letter or character representing such a sound (as a, e, i, etc.).
[And adds quote:]'A vowel may be defined as voice (voiced breath) modified by some definite configuration of the super-glottal passages, but without audible friction (which would make it into a consonant)' (Sweet Primer of Phonetics, ed. 2, §32).
Y, in the words given, represents a vowel in this strict sense. In SHYLY for example the first Y represents the sound "I" and the second represents the sound "i" or "ee". All normal English words contain vowels.
However, words mean what we agree they mean. We usually refer to A, E, I, O, and U as the vowels in the alphabet, and this is a brainteaser, not an exercise in linguistics! So I think the answer is fine taking the puzzle in the sense it is intended.
1. a. A sound produced by the vibrations of the vocal cords; a letter or character representing such a sound (as a, e, i, etc.).
[And adds quote:]'A vowel may be defined as voice (voiced breath) modified by some definite configuration of the super-glottal passages, but without audible friction (which would make it into a consonant)' (Sweet Primer of Phonetics, ed. 2, §32).
Y, in the words given, represents a vowel in this strict sense. In SHYLY for example the first Y represents the sound "I" and the second represents the sound "i" or "ee". All normal English words contain vowels.
However, words mean what we agree they mean. We usually refer to A, E, I, O, and U as the vowels in the alphabet, and this is a brainteaser, not an exercise in linguistics! So I think the answer is fine taking the puzzle in the sense it is intended.
The complete OED defines "vowel":
1. a. A sound produced by the vibrations of the vocal cords; a letter or character representing such a sound (as a, e, i, etc.).
[And adds quote:]'A vowel may be defined as voice (voiced breath) modified by some definite configuration of the super-glottal passages, but without audible friction (which would make it into a consonant)' (Sweet Primer of Phonetics, ed. 2, §32).
Y, in the words given, represents a vowel in this strict sense. In SHYLY for example the first Y represents the sound "I" and the second represents the sound "i" or "ee". All normal English words contain vowels.
However, words mean what we agree they mean. We usually refer to A, E, I, O, and U as the vowels in the alphabet, and this is a brainteaser, not an exercise in linguistics! So I think the answer is fine taking the puzzle in the sense it is intended.
1. a. A sound produced by the vibrations of the vocal cords; a letter or character representing such a sound (as a, e, i, etc.).
[And adds quote:]'A vowel may be defined as voice (voiced breath) modified by some definite configuration of the super-glottal passages, but without audible friction (which would make it into a consonant)' (Sweet Primer of Phonetics, ed. 2, §32).
Y, in the words given, represents a vowel in this strict sense. In SHYLY for example the first Y represents the sound "I" and the second represents the sound "i" or "ee". All normal English words contain vowels.
However, words mean what we agree they mean. We usually refer to A, E, I, O, and U as the vowels in the alphabet, and this is a brainteaser, not an exercise in linguistics! So I think the answer is fine taking the puzzle in the sense it is intended.
Fun and entertaining teaser. Took a few minutes and I came up with "SHYLY" .
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