From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
English orthography typically represents vowel sounds with the five conventional vowel letters ⟨a, e, i, o, u⟩, as well as ⟨y⟩, which may also be a consonant depending on context. However, outside of abbreviations, there are a handful of words in English that do not have vowels, either because the vowel sounds are not written with vowel letters or because the words themselves are pronounced without vowel sounds.
Words without written vowels[edit]
There are very few lexical words (that is, not counting interjections) without vowel letters. The longest such lexical word is tsktsks,[1] pronounced /ˌtɪskˈtɪsks/. The mathematical expression nth /ˈɛnθ/, as in delighted to the nth degree, is in fairly common usage.[2] Another mathematical term without vowel letters is ln, the natural logarithm. A more obscure example is rng /ˈrʌŋ/, derived from ring by deleting the letter ⟨i⟩.
Vowelless proper names from other languages, such as the surname Ng, may retain their original spelling, even if they are pronounced with vowels.
In the Middle English period, there were no standard spellings, but ⟨w⟩ was sometimes used to represent either a vowel or a consonant sound in the same way that Modern English does with ⟨y⟩, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries. This vocalic ⟨w⟩ generally represented /uː/,[3][4] as in wss («use»).[5] However at that time the form ⟨w⟩ was still sometimes used to represent a digraph ⟨uu⟩ (see W), not as a separate letter. This practice exists in modern Welsh orthography so that words borrowed from Welsh may use ⟨w⟩ this way, such as:
- The crwth[6] (pronounced /ˈkrʊθ/ or /ˈkruːθ/, also spelled cruth in English) is a Welsh musical instrument similar to the violin)[7]
- He intricately rhymes, to the music of crwth and pibgorn.[8] in the Welsh alphabet W is a vowel so this word should not be counted.
- cwtch (a hiding place or cubby hole) is also from Welsh (albeit a recent word influenced by English, and used almost exclusively in the variant of English spoken in Wales, not in standard English), and crwth and cwtch are the longest English dictionary words without ⟨a, e, i, o, u, y⟩ according to Collins Dictionary.[9] in the Welsh alphabet W is a vowel so this word should not be counted.
- A cwm[10] (pronounced /ˈkuːm/) is used in English in a technical geographical or mountaineering context to mean a deep hollow in a mountainous area, usually with steep edges on some sides, like a corrie or cirque, such as the Western Cwm of Mount Everest. It is also sometimes used, by way of more recent borrowing from Welsh, in a more general sense of a valley. The spellings coombe, combe, coomb, and comb come from the Old English cumb,[11] which appears either to be a much earlier borrowing from a predecessor of modern Welsh, or to have an even earlier origin, given that there was an ancient Greek word κὑμβη (kumbē) meaning a hollow vessel.[12] In English literature, one can find the spellings combe (as in Ilfracombe and Castle Combe), coomb (as in J. R. R. Tolkien) or comb (as in Alfred, Lord Tennyson).
There are also numerous vowelless interjections and onomatopoeia found more or less frequently, including brr (brrr is occasionally accepted[clarification needed]), bzzt, grrr, hm, hmm, mm, mmm, mhmm, sksksksk,[13][14] pfft, pht, phpht,[7] psst, sh, shh, zzz.
Alphabetical list of words without vowels A, E, I, O, U[edit]
B
Brr
Brrr
By(s)
Byrl(s)
Bzzt
C
Ch
Chynd
Cly
Crwth(s)
Cry
Crypt(s)
Cwm(s)
Cyst(s)
D
Dry(ly)(s)
F
Fly
Flyby
Fry
Fy
Fyrd(s)
G
Ghyll(s)
Glycyl(s)
Glyph(s)
Grrl
Grrr
Gyp
Gyppy
Gyp(s)
Gypsy
H
Hm
Hmm
Hwyl(s)
Hymn(s)
Hyp(s)
J
Jynx
K
Ky
L
Lym(s)
Lymph(s)
Lynch
Lyncx
M
Mhmm
Mm
Mmm
My
Myrrh(s)
Myth
N
Nth
Ny(s)
Nymph(ly)(s)
P
Pfft
Ph(s)
Phpht
Pht
Ply
Pry(s)
Psst
Psych
Pygmy
Pyx
R
Rhy
Rhythm(s)
Rng
Rynd(s)
S
Scry
Sh
Shh
Shrthnd
Shy(ly)
Sknch
Sksksksk
Sky
Skyr
Sly(ly)
Spry(ly)
Spy
Sty
Stymy
Swy
Sylph(s)
Syn
Sync(s)
Synch(s)
Synd(s)
T
Thy
Thymy
Try
Tryp(s)
Tryst(s)
Tsk(s)
Tsktsk(s)
Twp
Tyg(s)
Typp(s)
V
Vly
W
Wyn(s)
Wynn
Why(s)
Wry (ly)
Wss
Wych
Wyn
Wynd(s)
Wynn(s)
X
Xlnt
Xylyl(s)
Xyst(s)
Y
Ympt
Z
Zzz
Alphabetical list of words without vowels A, E, I, O, U, and Y.[edit]
B
Brr
Brrr
Bzzt
C
Ch
Crwth(s)
Cwm(s)
Cwtch
G
Grrl
Grrr
H
Hm
Hmm
M
Mhmm
Mm
Mmm
N
Nth
P
Pfft
Ph(s)
Phpht
Pht
Psst
R
Rng
S
Sh
Shh
Sknch
Sksksksk
T
Tsk(s)
Tsktsk(s)
Twp
W
Wss
X
Xlnt
Z
Zzz
Words without vowel sounds[edit]
Weak forms of function words may be realized without vowel sounds, as in I can go [aɪ kŋ̍ ˈɡoʊ] and I must sell [aɪ ms̩ ˈsɛl].[15] Some of these forms are reflected in orthography as contractions, such as ‘s, ‘ll, ‘d, and n’t.
See also[edit]
- Wiktionary:List of words that comprise a single sound
- Disemvoweling – Removal of vowels from a text
- Words without vowels in other languages
References[edit]
- ^ «How to beat everyone at board games this Christmas». Yorkshire Post. Johnston Press Plc. December 21, 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
- ^ «Are there any English words that have no vowels?». Dictionary.com Word FAQs. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ «Y, n.». OED Online. September 2012. Oxford University Press. 4 October 2012.
- ^ «W, n.». OED Online. September 2012. Oxford University Press. 4 October 2012.
- ^ Rogers, Bruce (1999). You Can Say That Again!: A Fun Approach to Sounding Better When You Open Your Mouth to Speak. Dumdum. p. 104. ISBN 9780888822086.
- ^ Alan Peterson (December 27, 1986). «Why The Silly Season Can Be A Bit Short On Fun». Saturday Review. The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 24. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
- ^ a b Charlie Fidelman (May 28, 1992). «War Of The Words». News. Montreal Gazette. p. G8.
Others memorize words without vowels: «crwth» for example, which means an ancient string instrument. Another is «phpht», defined as an interjection.
- ^ Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood, 1954
- ^ «The Longest Word in the Collins English Dictionary». Collins Dictionary website. 4 April 2012.
- ^ Viva Sarah Press (February 15, 1999). «At Scrabble club, politics get no score: Jerusalem group, founded by ex-Montrealer, unites Israelis from across the spectrum». News. Montreal Gazette. p. A18.
- ^ Chambers Dictionary
- ^ Liddell & Scott
- ^ Vendetti, Tyler (October 20, 2020). The Illustrated Compendium of Essential Modern Slang: Including Cray, Lit, Basic, and More. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781951511029 – via Google Books.
- ^ Strapagiel, Lauren. «Like Most Slang, ‘Sksksksk’ Originated In Black And LGBTQ Communities». BuzzFeed News.
- ^ Ladefoged, Peter; Johnson, Keith (2010). A Course in Phonetics (6th ed.). Wadsworth. p. 109. ISBN 978-1-42823126-9.
The Spruce / Margot Cavin
The famous Scrabble word game was introduced in 1948. Although many of us have dabbled in this strategy game with some type of struggle, even the best wordsmiths, vocabulary aficionados, and Scrabble players get stuck with a challenging rack full of consonants. Whether you’re playing the classic Scrabble board game or the multi-player word game Words with Friends, use these letter combinations to add to your word game.
More than 120 Scrabble words can be spelled without a vowel. However, the bad news is that the vast majority of these words require you to have the letter «Y» (or two). Go over every legal Scrabble word without any vowels, divided into those that use the letter «Y» and those that do not.
How to Become a Better Scrabble Player
You might also want to test your skills by learning more about Scrabble’s legal two-letter words and words with a «Q» but no «U.» Up your game as well by reviewing various Scrabble word lists and gaining new knowledge on strategies and simple ways to improve your Scrabble play overall. While many of us would love to memorize the entire dictionary, it’s not a realistic possibility. Discover tips like planning long word plays in advance, checking what letters have already been played, and words like «iodine» that are rich with vowels.
Words included in these lists are legal according to the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th Edition. They may not be legal if you use a different dictionary. The word list used in tournament games in the United States is known as the Official Tournament and Club Word List, created by the National Scrabble Association.
The Spruce / Margot Cavin
Scrabble Words With No Vowels and No «Y»
Whether it’s snowing outside (brr) or you’re just bored and don’t know what to do (hmm), use these words in Scrabble that don’t have any vowels and don’t use the letter «Y.» Notice how many of these words are short and a form of onomatopoeia.
- BRR
- BRRR
- CRWTH
- CRWTHS
- CWM
- CWMS
- HM
- HMM
- MM
- NTH
- PFFT
- PHPHT
- PHT
- PSST
- SH
- SHH
- TSK
- TSKS
- TSKTSK
- TSKTSKS
Scrabble Words With No Vowels That Use «Y»
Perhaps you have the letter «Y» or two on hand. Try using short-lettered words like «By,» «Cry,» and «Dry.» If that doesn’t do the trick, consider longer words like «Glyph,» «Psych,» and «Rhythm.»
- BY
- BYRL
- BYRLS
- BYS
- CRY
- CRYPT
- CRYPTS
- CYST
- CYSTS
- DRY
- DRYLY
- DRYS
- FLY
- FLYBY
- FLYBYS
- FLYSCH
- FRY
- GHYLL
- GHYLLS
- GLYCYL
- GLYCYLS
- GLYPH
- GLYPHS
- GYM
- GYMS
- GYP
- GYPS
- GYPSY
- HYMN
- HYMNS
- HYP
- HYPS
- LYMPH
- LYMPHS
- LYNCH
- LYNX
- MY
- MYRRH
- MYRRHS
- MYTH
- MYTHS
- MYTHY
- NYMPH
- NYMPHS
- PLY
- PRY
- PSYCH
- PSYCHS
- PYGMY
- PYX
- RHYTHM
- RHYTHMS
- RYND
- RYNDS
- SCRY
- SHY
- SHYLY
- SKY
- SLY
- SLYLY
- SPRY
- SPRYLY
- SPY
- STY
- STYMY
- SYLPH
- SYLPHS
- SYLPHY
- SYN
- SYNC
- SYNCH
- SYNCHS
- SYNCS
- SYNTH
- SYNTHS
- SYPH
- SYPHS
- SYZYGY
- THY
- THYMY
- TRY
- TRYST
- TRYSTS
- TYPP
- TYPPS
- TYPY
- WHY
- WHYS
- WRY
- WRYLY
- WYCH
- WYN
- WYND
- WYNDS
- WYNN
- WYNNS
- WYNS
- XYLYL
- XYLYLS
- XYST
- XYSTS
The Spruce / Margot Cavin
One of the best ways to discover letters present in the Wordle answer through your first attempt is to use a word with the most vowels. But what if there are none – what should be your next guess? Here’s a list of 5 letter words with no vowels (that is, A, E, I, O, U) that will help you get to the Wordle solution in the fewest possible tries.
5 Letter Words with No Vowels A E I O U (Wordle Clue)
There are quite a few words with no vowels, many of which may be tough to recall while playing the game. Don’t worry, keep this list handy and use it as a clue to get today’s Wordle answer or for any other word game. If you are specifically looking for words with no vowels but a Y – they’re all here.
List of Five-Letter Words with No Vowels
- CRYPT
- CYSTS
- DRYLY
- FLYBY
- GLYPH
- GYPSY
- LYMPH
- MYTHS
- NYMPH
- PSYCH
- PYGMY
- SHYLY
- SLYLY
- STYMY
- SYLPH
- SYNCH
- SYNCS
- SYNTH
- TRYST
- WRYLY
- MYRRH
- HYMNS
- CRWTH
- PHPHT
- TRYPHS
- WYNNS
- BYRLS
- GRYPT
- THYMY
- RYNDS
- HYPHY
The words that are mentioned towards the end are extremely uncommon and have a low chance of appearing in Wordle. But the others can show up on Wordle so once you find out that A E I O and U aren’t present in the word, look for the other letters that show up in yellow or green. Look them up in the list above and narrow down your next guess.
And if this word list helped you out, make sure to check out our Wordle Guides in our dedicated section. You can also find a whole list of previous Wordle answers ever since it went viral, along with how to play previous puzzles. Plus, here are some tools to help you solve daily puzzles easily.
Page 1: ch, sh, ck, sky, my, BR, Cr, cl, by, fly, try, cry, hm, BB, mm, BS, cp, sty, rhythm, sly, gym, shy, bt, BD, CD, bbs, sync, cc, CF, MVP, dry, why, nth, Bk, Gypsy, cb, THC, bm, cm, PhD, TNT, DVD, bp, std, bg, spy, GPS, bz, LSD, and cyst
| Word | Length | Consonants | Vowels | Syllables | Origin | Favourite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ch | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Old English | |
| Sh | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Ck | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Sky | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Middle English | |
| My | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Middle English | |
| BR | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Cr | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Cl | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| By | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Old English | |
| Fly | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Old English | |
| Try | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Middle English | |
| Cry | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Middle English | |
| Hm | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| BB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | English | |
| Mm | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| BS | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Cp | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Sty | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Middle English | |
| Rhythm | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | Latin | |
| Sly | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Middle English | |
| Gym | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Shy | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Middle English | |
| Bt | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| BD | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| CD | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | English | |
| Bbs | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Sync | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Cc | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| CF | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| MVP | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Dry | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Middle English | |
| Why | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Middle English | |
| Nth | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Bk | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Gypsy | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | Middle English | |
| Cb | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| THC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Bm | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Cm | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| PhD | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| TNT | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| DVD | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | English | |
| Bp | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Std | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Bg | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Spy | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Middle English | |
| GPS | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Bz | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| LSD | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Latin | |
| Cyst | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | Latin |
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Our recent discussions about syllabicity («Readings» below) made me wonder whether it’s possible to have syllables, words, and whole sentences without vowels. That led me to this example from Nuxalk on Omniglot:
Sample
clhp’xwlhtlhplhhskwts’ / xłp̓χʷłtłpłłskʷc̓
IPA transcription
xɬpʼχʷɬtʰɬpʰɬːskʷʰt͡sʼ
Translation
Then he had had in his possession a bunchberry plant.
This is an example of a word with no vowels, something that is quite common in Nuxalk.
Souce: Nater, Hank F. (1984). The Bella Coola Language. Mercury Series; Canadian Ethnology Service (No. 92). Ottawa: National Museums of Canada.
If you want to hear what the above sample sounds like, listen here. The slides following the first one have words, phrases, and sentences meaning:
2. shape; style
3. bent; curved
4. bunchberry
5. he already arrived
6. little boy
7. saliva
8. northeast wind
9. cut with a knife
10. animal fat
11. that’s my animal fat over there
12. seal fat
13. strong
14. go to the shore
15. bent; curved — a synonym of #3
16. then you saw me pass by on a path
Information about the Nuxalk Language (from Omniglot):
Nuxalk [nuχalk] is a Salishan language spoken in Bella Coola in British Colombia in Canada. In 2014 there were 17 Nuxalk speakers, all of whom were elderly. The language is also known as Bella Coola, although Nuxalk is the preferred name, particularly for the Nuxalk Nation government. The name Bella Coola comes from bḷ́xʷlá, which means «stranger» in Heiltsuk, a Wakashan language also spoken in British Colombia.
Links
Wikipedia
Native Languages of the Americas
Ethnologue
Acwsalcta
First Voices
Selected readings
- «Syllables» (2/24/20)
- «English syllable detection» (2/26/20)
[Thanks to Diana Shuheng Zhang]
March 2, 2020 @ 1:58 am
· Filed by Victor Mair under Orthography, Parsing, Phonetics and phonology
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