Words that don't have any vowel sounds in them.

Knurper   Monday, September 13, 2004, 19:07 GMT
Are there any words that don't have any vowel sounds in them at all.

They're are some words without consonant sounds in them, ''ah'', ''awe'', ''owe'', ''oh'', ''eh'', ''uh'', ''a'', ''I'', ''eye'', ''aye''.

Are there any words that don't have any vowel sounds in them?
Dulcinea del Toboso   Tuesday, September 14, 2004, 01:51 GMT
Hmmmm.... maybe "tsk", but should it be considered a word?
Mxsmanic   Tuesday, September 14, 2004, 02:31 GMT
Pretty much all words contain vowel sounds, since it's extremely difficult to produce any useful speech sounds without vibration of the vocal folds (which define vowel sounds). Vowels are not always represented in the written language, but they are there, nevertheless. The range of sounds that can be produced without vocal-fold vibration is too limited to support any real-world spoken language.

It's easy to have words with no consonants, although it does restrict the flexibility of a spoken language somewhat.

Most languages have a dozen or so distinct vowel sounds, plus a larger number of consonants. Put them all together and you have quite a range of possibilities. In English, there are typically just over a dozen vowels, plus another two dozen consonants or so. I can't think of any real words (words with meaning) in English that do not contain nominal vowels, offhand.
Damian   Tuesday, September 14, 2004, 15:10 GMT
Grrrrrrr!!! ....... when angry? (or if you're a dog)
Mi5 Mick   Tuesday, September 14, 2004, 15:11 GMT
MMmm... Hmmm... Hrmph! Shhhh!
Mi5 Mick   Tuesday, September 14, 2004, 15:13 GMT
But they're not spelt with so many Ms or Hs according to dictionaries.
Easterner   Tuesday, September 14, 2004, 15:28 GMT
Is this topic restricted to English? Actually there are a few words in Serbo-Croatian without any vowels, all with a rhotic "r". Here are some of them:

vrh ("peak")
rt ("cape")
smrt ("death")
krv ("blood")
crv ("worm")
Grk ("Greek")

This "r" is pronounced as a short but strong "rrr" sound. Variants of these words are present in other Slavic languages as well, but there they have a vowel inserted, and therefore sound much softer (compare Russian "smyert" oder "vyerh").
Easterner   Tuesday, September 14, 2004, 15:40 GMT
See you later! (sound of ignition) RRRRMPH!!! ;-)
Jim   Wednesday, September 15, 2004, 01:32 GMT
This topic returns after two years. How about "psst"? Is it a word? One thing for sure is that you can pronounce "psst" without vibration of the vocal chords. Notice how this, along with "tsk", is a useful speech sound. Though, whilst on that topic, I have to add that Mxsmanic's "definition" of a vowel is not correct. Put your fingers on your throat an say "psst" then try "bzzd". Notice something? Voiced consonants would fit Mxsmanic's defintion of a vowel. The true phonetic distinction between vowel and consonant is drawn along the lines of vocal tract obstruction. If your vocal tract is relatively clear and open, it's a vowel.
Mr. Psst   Wednesday, September 15, 2004, 01:53 GMT
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=psst

''psst'' is a word according to dictionary.com. So, I guess ''psst'' is an English word that has no vowel sounds.

''psst'' [pst].
Jim   Wednesday, September 15, 2004, 02:26 GMT
Does dictionary.com state that it is a word? Having an entry in a dictionary doesn't make something a word.
Mr. Psst   Wednesday, September 15, 2004, 02:33 GMT
It calls it an interjection. Aren't interjections words.

If something is listed in the dictionary then it's a word or otherwise it's a name.

''psst'' is definitely not a name so it's a word.

Jim, ''bwart'', ''pwik'', ''pwink'', ''bzzd'', ''auquerd'', ''hwink'', ''shchoopid'',''ib'', and ''ibble'' etc. aren't words because they're not listed in the dictionary. But, ''psst'' is because it does have an entry.

In no dictionary on the internet or anywhere that I know of, will ''bwart'', ''pwik'', ''pwink'', ''bzzd'', ''auquerd'', ''hwink'', ''shchoopid'',''ib'', and ''ibble'' have an entry but ''psst'' does in a lot of them.


I'd say that ''psst'' is a word.
Mi5 Mick   Wednesday, September 15, 2004, 02:44 GMT
pff!
Damian   Wednesday, September 15, 2004, 20:29 GMT
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Mxsmanic   Thursday, September 16, 2004, 03:56 GMT
Vowel sounds are sounds produced by the vocal folds and selectively modulated by the vocal tract. Consonants are restrictions or obstructions of the vocal tract that produce acoustic features that may be modifications of vowel sounds, sounds independent of vowels, or some combination of both.

There is overlap in the definitions of vowels and consonants, but in most cases they are distinct enough for the classifications to be useful.