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The word ANEMONE has only seven letters, but four syllables; this gives $1.75$ letters per syllable on average.

Can you find another English word with

  • that is not a proper name

  • that has at least four syllables

  • that has an average number of letters per syllable below $1.75$

(If there are different solutions with the same average then the one with more consonants gets the prize. If $y$ is pronounced as vowel it counts as a vowel. Otherwise I count $y$ as a consonant.)

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  • $\begingroup$ Not quite a duplicate, but some answers are given here. $\endgroup$
    – Julian Rosen
    Oct 19, 2015 at 18:54
  • $\begingroup$ I was all excited about the word aa until I reread the rules and saw the four syllable requirement. So much for a 0.5 score. $\endgroup$
    – Brian J
    Oct 20, 2015 at 14:00
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ I wish that three-syllable words were allowed because I would submit W with a score of $0.\overline{33}$ although it's questionable if that counts as a word. $\endgroup$
    – Engineer Toast
    Oct 20, 2015 at 14:46
  • $\begingroup$ BINGO - 5 syllables, 1 letter per syllable -- b-i-n-g-o $\endgroup$
    – n00b
    Oct 20, 2015 at 19:28
  • $\begingroup$ Areola gives 1.5 as well. $\endgroup$
    – user88
    Oct 24, 2015 at 16:11

12 Answers 12

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A word with 6 letters, 4 syllables (1.5 ratio):

Idiocy

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  • $\begingroup$ I moved some of your text outside of the spoiler to be a little more attractive for reading. $\endgroup$
    – Len
    Oct 20, 2015 at 2:58
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My answer (ratio 1.4):

Oxyopia//Oogonia (5 syllables - 1.4 letters per syllable)
Myopia - nearsightedness(4 syllables - 1.5 letters per syllable)
You'd also have Opiomania (opium addiction) and Oniomania (desire to shop)
(6 syllables, 9 letters, 1.5 ratio)
Oceanic/Ammonia (4 syllables - 1.75 letters per syllable)
Iouea (4 syllables - 1.25 letters per syllable)

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  • $\begingroup$ I removed Oceania, I realised it probably counted as a proper name. I'll admit I was originally confused as to the difference between a proper name and a proper noun . Turns out all proper nouns are proper names. $\endgroup$
    – Spacemonkey
    Oct 19, 2015 at 19:08
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    $\begingroup$ I think your link to the last one is incorrect. $\endgroup$
    – dpwilson
    Oct 19, 2015 at 19:43
  • $\begingroup$ Oops, thanks! But I just realized its a proper noun (and thus proper name ... sad face) $\endgroup$
    – Spacemonkey
    Oct 19, 2015 at 19:49
  • $\begingroup$ Is that a word that is entirely vowels and uses all of them? Ugh. I think I need to lie down. $\endgroup$
    – User1000547
    Oct 20, 2015 at 18:48
  • $\begingroup$ @mikeTheLiar of course not, that would be ridiculous. It doesn't use 'Y' (vowel usage) $\endgroup$
    – Spacemonkey
    Oct 20, 2015 at 20:04
8
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A word with 6 letters and 4 syllables (1.5 letters per syllable):

Aviary

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8
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10 letters, 6 syllables (1.66), not the best, but a fitting entry

Actiniaria (the scientific order of the anemone)

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1
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ I like this just because it fits with the original word. : ) $\endgroup$
    – Spacemonkey
    Oct 21, 2015 at 18:19
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Another 6 letter 4 syllable: (1.5)

Acuity

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A common word with 10 letters and 6 syllables. (1.67 ratio)

aficionado

And just for fun, I believe these are words with the worst ratio: 10 letters with only 1 syllable (10.0 ratio):

strengthed, scraunched

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3
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A word with 6 letters and 4 syllables (ratio of 1.5):

Myopia

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3
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14 letters/8 syllables (ratio 1.75):

utilitarianism
egalitarianism

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WC. 2 letters, 4 syllables, 0.5 ratio. An english word, not a proper noun.

Initialisms are the way to go here, but I can't think of others which have a high proportion of W's and which aren't proper nouns.

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  • $\begingroup$ AC would be 5 syllables $\endgroup$
    – Spacemonkey
    Oct 23, 2015 at 17:46
  • $\begingroup$ @Spacemonkey not as ordinarily pronounced. $\endgroup$
    – Sneftel
    Oct 23, 2015 at 19:32
  • $\begingroup$ Air/Con/di/tion/ing ? $\endgroup$
    – Spacemonkey
    Oct 23, 2015 at 19:41
  • $\begingroup$ @Spacemonkey A/C. Using initialisms is bending the rules, but unpacking them to their original meaning would be going too far. $\endgroup$
    – Sneftel
    Oct 23, 2015 at 19:43
  • $\begingroup$ Ah..... wasn't entirely sure what you meant by initialisms $\endgroup$
    – Spacemonkey
    Oct 23, 2015 at 20:33
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Here is a website that can answer a lot of these questions with a really concise URL syntax: yougowords.com

Note, a lot of them seem to be wrong, such as alien, which has three syllables instead of four.

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1
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Multiple words: 7 Letter 4 syllable.

anatomy idiotic analogy anxiety atypical unusual biology zoology

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-1
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14 letters and 4 syllables (ratio of 1.75):

wordprocessors

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4
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    $\begingroup$ umm thats a 3.5 ratio..... $\endgroup$
    – Spacemonkey
    Oct 20, 2015 at 18:02
  • $\begingroup$ You don't need the s, but that still leaves 3.25. $\endgroup$
    – Mr Lister
    Oct 20, 2015 at 18:13
  • $\begingroup$ Maybe if you dropped the "word" from processors and tried to sell CPU as a word... But that's a big stretch that opens the door to a lot of 1:1 abbreviation/acronym mumbo jumbo. As it is, this just leaves me confused. $\endgroup$
    – raisinghellyer
    Oct 20, 2015 at 19:26
  • $\begingroup$ Yeah, my answer would have been "cm" (four syllables, two letters, score 0.5) but alas. $\endgroup$
    – Mr Lister
    Oct 21, 2015 at 7:58

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