c4countdown

What is the shortest word you can make using all the vowels in alphabetical order.
I don't know the answer.

I do! FACETIOUS, and if you want to count the Y as a vowel as well, FACETIOUSLY!

Sorry if I spoiled this for everyone.

Edit: and in French it's APERIODIQUE although that uses some extra vowels (more than 5), but it does fit your question.

As for non-alphabetical order, EULOGIA and SEQUOIA are about as short as you can get I think. French has OISEAU which is pretty much unbeatable.

Sorry if I spoiled this for everyone.

Nope, I actually had heard the answer before but forgot it.

On a related theme, what is the longest English word in which all the letters are in alphabetical order? I know there are lots of 6s (BIOPSY is the one I always remember for some reason), but are there any that are longer? And no, I don't know the answer.

Phil Reynolds wrote:On a related theme, what is the longest English word in which all the letters are in alphabetical order? I know there are lots of 6s (BIOPSY is the one I always remember for some reason), but are there any that are longer? And no, I don't know the answer.

Not in the ODE, but check out Aegilops (does have a valid ODE-anagram though).

Phil Reynolds wrote:On a related theme, what is the longest English word in which all the letters are in alphabetical order? I know there are lots of 6s (BIOPSY is the one I always remember for some reason), but are there any that are longer? And no, I don't know the answer.

BEEFILY and BILLOWY.

Charlie Reams wrote:

Phil Reynolds wrote:On a related theme, what is the longest English word in which all the letters are in alphabetical order? I know there are lots of 6s (BIOPSY is the one I always remember for some reason), but are there any that are longer? And no, I don't know the answer.

BEEFILY and BILLOWY.

Also if you were to focus on reverse alphabetical order as well, you can have SPONGED for 7.

Martin Gardner wrote:I do! FACETIOUS, and if you want to count the Y as a vowel as well, FACETIOUSLY!

Sorry if I spoiled this for everyone.

It's not a spoiler at all, as there's an 8 in Chambers. I have heard this before so I won't reveal all just yet.

ABSTEMIOUS and ABSTEMIOUSLY too.

CAESIOUS, though not in ODE2r, I think.

Joseph Bolas wrote:

Charlie Reams wrote:

Phil Reynolds wrote:On a related theme, what is the longest English word in which all the letters are in alphabetical order? I know there are lots of 6s (BIOPSY is the one I always remember for some reason), but are there any that are longer? And no, I don't know the answer.

BEEFILY and BILLOWY.

Also if you were to focus on reverse alphabetical order as well, you can have SPONGED for 7.

IIRC, the longest word with regards to reverse alphabetical order is SPOONFEED. If you outlaw repeated letters, that's a different kettle of fish...

Neil Zussman wrote:If you outlaw repeated letters, that's a different kettle of fish...

Surely ... a difernt kl o sh?

Has anyone ever played the game... on my island the inhabitants have feet and knees but no legs?

I may regret this Clare, but do explain...

David O'Donnell wrote:

Neil Zussman wrote:If you outlaw repeated letters, that's a different kettle of fish...

Surely ... a difernt kl o sh?

Very good. Without repeated letters most of David O'Donnell disappears... And Countdw would be a lot more difficult too.

Clare Sudbery wrote:Has anyone ever played the game... on my island the inhabitants have feet and knees but no legs?

I always knew Manchester was a strange place (not that I wish to offend any Mancunians, of course).

Neil Zussman wrote: I always knew Manchester was a strange place (not that I wish to offend any Mancunians, of course).

As John Shuttleworth sang, "You're like Manchester, you've got Strangeways"

From ancient Greek, you can have Eunoia.

ETA: Wikipedia has subsequently told me that it is Modern Greek for mind.

Also:

Iouea is a genus of Cretaceous fossil sponges.

Martin Gardner wrote:I do! FACETIOUS, and if you want to count the Y as a vowel as well, FACETIOUSLY!

Going by a previous post of mine in another thread, there is a total of 54 9-letter Countdown words that contain A, E, I, O and U, and as well as FACETIOUS, there is actually another 9-letter word to contain the vowels in order.

Joseph Bolas wrote:

Martin Gardner wrote:I do! FACETIOUS, and if you want to count the Y as a vowel as well, FACETIOUSLY!

Going by a previous post of mine in another thread, there is a total of 54 9-letter Countdown words that contain A, E, I, O and U, and as well as FACETIOUS, there is actually another 9-letter word to contain the vowels in order.

I mentioned ABSTEMIOUS further up the page.

Ian Volante wrote:

Joseph Bolas wrote:

Martin Gardner wrote:I do! FACETIOUS, and if you want to count the Y as a vowel as well, FACETIOUSLY!

Going by a previous post of mine in another thread, there is a total of 54 9-letter Countdown words that contain A, E, I, O and U, and as well as FACETIOUS, there is actually another 9-letter word to contain the vowels in order.

I mentioned ABSTEMIOUS further up the page.

I saw that post, but ABSTEMIOUS is 10-letters long

Joseph Bolas wrote:

Ian Volante wrote:

Joseph Bolas wrote:
Going by a previous post of mine in another thread, there is a total of 54 9-letter Countdown words that contain A, E, I, O and U, and as well as FACETIOUS, there is actually another 9-letter word to contain the vowels in order.

I mentioned ABSTEMIOUS further up the page.

I saw that post, but ABSTEMIOUS is 10-letters long

Not if you say it with your mouth shut

Ian Volante wrote:

Joseph Bolas wrote:

Ian Volante wrote:I mentioned ABSTEMIOUS further up the page.

I saw that post, but ABSTEMIOUS is 10-letters long

Not if you say it with your mouth shut

The word that I was on about was ARSENIOUS