Words without vowels

Question

Hi,  There are some words without vowels. Sky, spy,cry,my,why,shy. All these words have the alphabet 'y'. So can we consider 'y' as sub-vowel? What are oher words without vowels?

Fluffyzzz · Accepted Answer

hmmm, when i grew up I was taught that the vowels are "A E I O U and sometimes Y."  so in those cases 'y' IS the vowel.  anyone else agree?

Mister Micawber · Answer

Yes, the 'y' is used to mark a vowel sound in those words. Also, in such as 'rhythm' and 'system'.

CalifJim · Answer

Vowels are, strictly speaking, sounds, not letters of the alphabet.
The letters of the alphabet used to represent vowel sounds are a, e, i, o, u, w, and y.

The sound of "w" in "water" and of "y" in "yes" are called semi-vowels or glides; however, these glide sounds are not the only sounds which "w" and "y" represent. They can represent full vowels as well, as in "crwth" and "cyst" and "sky".

Furthermore, "w" is associated with "u" and "y" is associated with "i", so that "u" and "i" also represent the glide sounds in "water" and "yes", as in "quite" and "onion". Had history gone a little differently, we might now be spelling these last two as "qwite" and "onyon"!

So the little clause "and sometimes 'y'" is really a misleading little clause. It presupposes that the glide sound in "yes" is to be considered a consonant. Otherwise, the "y" would be considered a vowel the same as "a, e, i, o, u", i.e., always a vowel. And if "y" is not a vowel when a glide, then neither is "i", and there should be another clause saying that "i" is "only sometimes a vowel", it not being so when it represents a glide (as in "onion").

In summary, "i", "u", "y", and "w" are all used to represent both glides (semi-vowels) and full vowels.

By the way, there are a few "words", if we can truly call them that, which have no vowels:
Shhhh!!! Pssst!!! Sssss! Pff! Hmm. Mmm.

Anonymous · Answer

also Myth,Rhythm,Sty(pigs house) and the longest word without a vowel (a,e,i,o,u) is RHYTHMS

Anonymous · Answer

am,try,by,fry

Fivejedjon · Answer

Clive said nearly nine years ago that the sound represented by the letter y can be a vowel.

The language hasn't changed since then

Philip · Answer

I believe this question was settled, as 5jj has said, many years ago.  I see no need to keep the thread going.

Words without vowels

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