General knowledge

[tollview]

what is the longest word without a vowel in the English dictionary

Thanks in advance

[jane mark 2]

Rhythms ? - any advance?

[Aquagility]

I thought Y was a vowel.

According to entries on Google the vowel letters are A, E, I, O, U, and Y.

[jane mark 2]

Hi, I was always taught there were five vowels, A E I O & U, my education is probably out of date now!!

[grasscarp]

If y is counted as a vowel, longest is cwm.

[dzug]

There aren't any that I can think of.

In rhythms, y is acting as a vowel even if on some definitions it isn't one.

[leylander]

There are five vowels in the English language A-E-I-O-U
it would appear Google is incorrect!!

[jane mark 2]

Just discovered in Oxford English Dictionary the word TWYNDYLLYNGS, so if Y is not a vowel, that will be the longest! How do we determine whether Y is a vowel or not, one site says Y is a vowel and another says there are 5 vowels only!!!

[THECORBYLOON]

There is "tsktsk" similar to the sound made when you tut. If it's uttered more than once then the plural is tsktsks which is seven letters wi no vowels and it's in the dictionary.

[tollview]

Thanks for all assistance - will go with TWYNDYLLYNGS!
When I was at school there were 5 vowels

[Fibonacci]

PSYCHORHYTHMS- it all depends on y?

[jane mark 2]

hi f,

oooooooooooooooooooooooooh

[teddybears]

vowels a.e.i.o.u but y has a duel role because it some times sounds like an i that is why it is class as a vowel but their are only the 5 main vowels, a.e.i.o.u. eg it sounds like a i in the word fly.. but to me only 5 vowels.

[teddybears]

only a.e.i.o.u. main vowels y is sometimes classed as a vowel when it sounds like an i eg fly , but for me it will be just the 5 main ones i have grown up with!

[dzug]

Well I'd say Y is a vowel if it has an I or an E sound. So in rhythms (rhithms) or carry (carri) it's a vowel, or at least acting as one. If it's got a Y sound (as in yes) it's a consonant.

But in some languages the YE would be a single letter, a vowel......

And twyndyllyng is a 15th century spelling when Y was an accepted vowel (he asserts, probably rashly...)

[jane mark 2]

Hoping that if this word is in the Oxford Dictionary, it is acceptable. J.

[tollview]

thanks for all the answers - it's posing to be a difficult one deciding on whether Y is a vowel - I suppose that's why it's included in the quiz!!

[jno]

depends on how you define vowels. If you insist a e i o and u are the only ones then words with a y will be allowable. Personally I think y frequently makes a vowel sound, as does the w in cwm. Tsktsktsktsk.

[Skeletim]

If the s in rhythms is omitted, then there is
another word of equal length without
any vowels - syzygy.