Vowel Movement

Posted on February 5, 2008 - Filed Under Got Me Thinking, Tangents, Vent

I read in a book of trivia that the lowest number, when spelled out, that uses every vowel is

one thousand twenty-five

But I have to take issue with that. One thousand five is lower and uses ALL the vowels.

Unless…

they were considering “Y” a vowel. But the last time I checked, “Y” is technically a consonant and only acts like a vowel at times. I don’t think it is behaving as a vowel in the word twenty so I stand by my first conclusion.

Yeah, I know. Sometimes I think too much and take some things too seriously. Or maybe I just like to be right once in a while.

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Comments

18 Responses to “Vowel Movement”

Hay on February 5th, 2008 2:07 am

Bwahahaha, yes I think they are including Y, I guess a sometimes vowel is as good as an always vowel to them.
You make me laugh Teeni! xxxx

I don’t like sometimes vowels. They’re like fair weather friends. LOL. I make me laugh sometimes too, Hay!
Mike Goad (5 comments.) on February 5th, 2008 3:04 am

y knot?

(back to bed… gotta get up for work in 3 1.2 hours.)

Because Y said so! LOL. Have a good day, Mike! Good to see you!
Hannah (382 comments.) on February 5th, 2008 5:35 am

I guess they must be including “Y” or else “why” would they choose that number?!
But I agree … “Y” is not a vowel!!

Thank you - I don’t know what they were thinking!
Penny Southwell (46 comments.) on February 5th, 2008 9:12 am

And why not? According to my husband “why do you always have to be right?!”.

LOL. I don’t ALWAYS have to be right but I like to be right once in a while. It makes me feel important. And because I know I’m right about this I feel much smarter than say, an ant.
yourgrace2001ca on February 5th, 2008 10:45 am

You are a veritable wikpedia of information.

Unfortunately it’s a wikipedia of useless trivia. LOL
Beth Ellen (222 comments.) on February 5th, 2008 11:09 am

“sometimes” Y is a vowel and “sometimes” W….Have no idea where I learned that.

If you think too deeply you’re going to starting making up vowels…

Oooh - that’s a good idea. My first one would look like this ^> but it would be silent. My second would look like this <^ and it would be extremely loud. Now I just have to decide how it will be pronounced. LOL
Paige Stanton (77 comments.) on February 5th, 2008 11:33 am

Were you thinking about this in the bathroom?

Oooh - good question, but no - I was actually trying to have fun with the title of my post “vowel movement,” and thought the appropriate place for that was the bathroom. LOL. What do you think? (I imagine you were wondering why my meez was in the bathroom?)
Calamity (121 comments.) on February 5th, 2008 11:39 am

LOL You are funny, Teeni. LOL I think you are right, and since I am always right, you cant be wrong!
LOL. Awesome comment, Calamity! Thank you!
Red (143 comments.) on February 5th, 2008 2:29 pm

hah, thought the title said somethin’ else .. you sneaky girl.
Yes, I think they’re using the Y even though it is a “sometimes kinda vowel”. I would say you’re right, but only sometimes!
LOL. Good one, there Ms. Red.
TGH on February 5th, 2008 2:49 pm

This will be obscure, but there is actually a vowel movement song. The band is the Evens (featuring Ian Mackaye) and it was from the D.C. area Public Access kids show Pancake Mountain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s_yyVo1Q38

Leave it to you, honey. Sorry everyone, I don’t know where he comes up with this stuff!
snapdragons on February 5th, 2008 4:19 pm

Linguistically, if you want to count Y as a vowel, you have to count W also… so the trivia people are wrong either way round.

Good point - thanks Kat!
kaylee on February 5th, 2008 5:34 pm

INteresting the stuff that they write about in books LOL!Btw you have way too much time on your hands Woman
kaylee (485 comments.) on February 5th, 2008 5:36 pm

and I must say its a good thig that I read that title over and the whole post because I was staring at that title for a good 5 minutes thinking it said “bowel movement”.

Gotcha! LOL
Talina (114 comments.) on February 5th, 2008 11:38 pm

Wow, I had to think about that a bit… You are correct and Y isn’t a real vowel…

The title of you post made me think it was another poop related post ;-o

LOL. Not this time, anyway.
ariell (58 comments.) on February 6th, 2008 6:41 pm

i consider Y to be a vowel usually only in certain Russian names where there are no vowels or very few for such a long name. personal preference though. don’t think you will find that in a grammar book.

I have to agree with you.
Sterling Camden (41 comments.) on February 6th, 2008 9:37 pm

How about in a name like “Clyde”? If Y isn’t a vowel, then the only vowel is a silent one.

I don’t get ‘W’ as a vowel, though. To me it always has that “wuh” sound, even at the end of a word like “low”. It certainly is used as a vowel in Welsh, but we all know the Welsh aren’t English.

Oh, I know that Y can act as a vowel, I just think that technically the lowest number that uses all the vowels is one thousand five. I don’t think Y should be included in that. And yeah - the whole W as a vowel concept was new to me. Maybe I’m too old and it wasn’t taught until after my time? Or I went to a bad school. That could be too.
romi41 (40 comments.) on February 6th, 2008 11:33 pm

But you’re totally right; “t” in itself says “tee” in twenty, so you don’t need the “y”!!!

Haha, I don’t know how twisted that logic is, but I’m stickin to it!
I like your thinking, Romi!
kate smudges (32 comments.) on February 7th, 2008 11:55 pm

Good argument there!

LOL. I know I spend too much time fretting over these things but sometimes they do just stick in the craw. Thanks, Kate!