A special word dealt with words that contain all the five vowels (as well as the half vowel “y”) in alphabetical order.

(i) Find the respective shortest and longest English words that contains all the five vowels (but excluding the half vowel "y") in reverse alphabetical order.

(ii) What are the respective solutions to (i) if the half vowel "y" is included in the list?

(iii) What are the respective solutions to (i) if the half vowel "y" can appear anywhere in between two regular vowels?

Note: Plurals, proper nouns, acronyms and abbreviations are not allowed. Also, hyphenated words like A-bomb, X-rays are not permissible.

The following excludes words where each of the five vowels that appears more than once in a word is not in reverse alphabetical order with respect to the other four vowels:
(i) duoliteral & subcontinental
(ii) [no special word found]
(iii) subhyoidean

The following two words contain the semi-vowel "y", yet the semi-vowel does neither appear in a reverse alphabetical position with respect to the other vowels nor 'between' two 'regular' vowels {a,e,i,o,u}. Rather the semi-vowel appears at the end of each word: uncomplimentary & unnoticeably

The following are words used in Zoological/Botanical classifications - hence are considered proper nouns and therefore are not permissible -- but otherwise would be solutions: Muroidea, Muscoidea & Pulmonifera

Posted by Dej Mar on 2012-06-12 15:52:55