What word (which doesn't contain the letter y) only has one vowel even though it has nine letters?

(In reply to re(4): a solution by Benjamin J. Ladd)

There is a distinction to be made between the number of letters a word has, and the number of distinct letters it has.

(a) If we count all letters, strengths has 9 letters (1 vowel) and excellent has 9 letters (3 vowels).

(b) If we count distinct letters, strengths has  6 distinct letters (1 vowel) and excellent has 6 distinct letters (1 vowel). 

So strengths passes test (a) as an answer to the puzzle, but excellent fails both (a) (too many vowels) and (b) (not enough letters). Strengths can be accepted as a viable answer to this puzzle, but excellent cannot.   

 

Posted by Penny on 2004-04-07 18:26:06