This one is fascinating gary; I'm busy now but will reply later. despite its
spelling, 'cough' is a quick little word. I think the vowel is what affects
length the most; many lettered words may have a bunch of consontants but if
they are silent ones they dont add to the words length, thru and through do
sound a but diffferent though?
bw
Sally
on 10/12/02 2:46 am, Gary Blankenship at [log in to unmask] wrote:
> Pardon the double post but at lunch Saturday, we were discussing the length
> of single syllable words - haiku poets are that way. Both in terms of
> letters and the length of their sound. An example might be
>
> through
>
> 7 letters and a relatively long sound
>
> eighth
>
> 6 letters and as long?
>
> cough or throw at 5
>
> What is the longest English single syllable word in terms of letters? And
> what is the longest sounding English single syl word?
>
> Like most other things, someone has probably done this and posted it on the
> web, but finding it?
>
> If you word players can help though.
>
> And for fun, what would the best single word haiku be. The general
> consensus among those who think about such things is
>
> tundra
>
> but I like
>
> snowflake
>
> The logic for selection is how the word reacts alone on a sheet of white
> paper.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Gary
>
>
> Dec Byron Sacre at: http://gardawg.homestead.com/gardawg.html... Writer's
> Hood at http://www.writershood.com/... Poets for Peace.... ˇPoemas sí, balas
> no!
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