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SPY and SKY are examples of words without any true vowel in it.
(I am referring to A, E, I, O, U as vowels.)

Question: What is longest English word that has no vowel in it. (Please post its meaning as well)

(Note: No googling allowed, at least give it a try with your knowledge)

Please do not downvote anymore... I just tried to create a puzzle.

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    $\begingroup$ According to Oxford and dictionary.com, y is a vowel in these contexts. $\endgroup$
    – Ian MacDonald
    Apr 14, 2015 at 14:34
  • $\begingroup$ @ Ian MacDonald vowel sound is allowed but no vowel letter allowed $\endgroup$
    – user2408578
    Apr 14, 2015 at 14:35
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    $\begingroup$ The word "vowel" and "consonant" are specifically related to the sound. There is no such thing as a "vowel sound" that is not also a "vowel letter". Go read it yourself on dictionary.com. $\endgroup$
    – Ian MacDonald
    Apr 14, 2015 at 14:39
  • $\begingroup$ Yep for that sake i have edited my question..:P $\endgroup$
    – user2408578
    Apr 14, 2015 at 14:43
  • $\begingroup$ This puzzle reminded me of "SHY GYPSY SLYLY SPRYLY TRYST BY MY CRYPT" from the 7th Guest. $\endgroup$
    – Josh
    Apr 14, 2015 at 16:38

10 Answers 10

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Depending on what you mean by vowels, the max length can be 7 or 12

If you consider (w,y) vowels, I have one of 7 letters!

Tsktsks

Which is the 3rd person of this verb:

[Tsktsk]

Meaning:

To make a tsktsk sound of disapproval.

This contains no vowel nor sounds like vowels (y,w)!
This is present in Wikipedia here and dictionary.reference here

If you also accept the sounds y and w, then the answer is

twyndyllyngs

which has 12 letters!!! Confirmed here

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  • $\begingroup$ Correct.... but see @GentlePurpleRain answer as well.Actually that is what was in my mind. $\endgroup$
    – user2408578
    Apr 14, 2015 at 14:59
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    $\begingroup$ @user2408578 I guess you accepted his answer too early, because I've just found a 12 letters word! $\endgroup$
    – leoll2
    Apr 14, 2015 at 15:06
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    $\begingroup$ @user2408578 Have you considered the possibility of "what was in your mind" not being the correct answer to the puzzle you posted? $\endgroup$
    – Daniel Daranas
    Apr 14, 2015 at 15:42
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    $\begingroup$ Twyndyllyngs is the answer that Guinness World Records accepted. $\endgroup$
    – user88
    Apr 14, 2015 at 19:36
  • $\begingroup$ yes tomorrow may be another word would come up with more than this letter....:P.So for now i have accepted this answer.Previous rolled back $\endgroup$
    – user2408578
    Apr 15, 2015 at 6:09
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Going just by memory, I would say:

syzygy (when 3 astronomical objects are in a line)

I remember that from a previous puzzle here.

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  • $\begingroup$ the word that i know has same number of characters as yours so may be if that wont came up ill accept this as answer.Also please provide meaning as well if possible. $\endgroup$
    – user2408578
    Apr 14, 2015 at 14:49
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    $\begingroup$ This is the one I first thought of (but forgot how to spell exactly) :) lol $\endgroup$
    – Ditto
    Apr 14, 2015 at 15:54
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The first thing I thought of was

Rhythms

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  • $\begingroup$ Nice 7-letter word! $\endgroup$
    – Ian MacDonald
    Apr 14, 2015 at 14:59
  • $\begingroup$ That's what is i was looking for....Great :) $\endgroup$
    – user2408578
    Apr 14, 2015 at 15:00
  • $\begingroup$ Rhythm / Rhythms $\endgroup$
    – user2408578
    Apr 14, 2015 at 15:01
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    $\begingroup$ What's wrong with twyndyllyng? $\endgroup$
    – leoll2
    Apr 14, 2015 at 15:06
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    $\begingroup$ @leoll2 Gesundheit $\endgroup$
    – Ben
    Apr 14, 2015 at 15:23
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crwth

That would work if you're going with the "A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y" definition. Though you'd probably call "w" a vowel in this context.

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  • $\begingroup$ Need to post meaning as well for others.+1 for serious attempt.And vowel sound is allowed but letter not allowed $\endgroup$
    – user2408578
    Apr 14, 2015 at 14:38
  • $\begingroup$ The word is a link to the Wikipedia article. $\endgroup$
    – Paul Rowe
    Apr 14, 2015 at 14:40
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I was always taught that

nth

was the only/longest word without vowels (w and y included) but i did not think about leoll2's answer

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I can at least tie pacoverflow's answer, with:

crypts, which loosely can be defined as "cellars or underground vaults".

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NYMPHS , GLYPHS

Most of the words need Y, I guess, as it makes up for a good substitute to vowels.

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I can think of a 7 letter word

nymphly

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The regexp dictionary says the full list of vowel-less words (by their definition of a 'word') is:

-'s -cy -fy -gyny -phyll -ry -st -ty -yl 24-7 3-D b bb by by- c cd chrys- cry crypt crypt- cycl- Cymry cyst cyst- cyt- d dj dry dys- f fly flyby fry ft-c ft-lb g glyc- glyph gym gyn- gyp Gypsy h hydr- hymn hyp- hypn- j k l lymph lymph- lynch lynx lys- m my my- myc- myrrh myth myx- n nth nymph p pfft phyll- phys- ply pry psst psych psych- py- Pygmy pyr- pyx q r rhythm s scry shy sky sly spry spy sty styl- Styx sylph sym- syn- sync synch synth syzygy t thy try tryst tsk tyyn v w why wry wynn x xyl- y z

This doesn't include plurals - if you pluralise the nouns then rhythms wins out over syzygy.

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There is even a rock band without a vowel:

Lynyrd Skynyrd

It does not appear in the Oxford Online Dictionary, but it is recognised by many people. The origin of the name is (From Wikipedia)

After Leonard Skinner, a gym teacher at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida who was notorious for strictly enforcing the school's policy against boys having long hair.

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