Didn't we all grow up with the vowel learning verse, "A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y and W"?
I heard it through the grapevine that now children are taught that the vowels are: A,E,I,O and U. We all know every word in the English language is supposed to contain at least one vowel. So, I'm wondering how the teachers are explaining words like: THY, MY, SLY, SHY, BY, CRY, FLY, HYMN and GYM.
As for the W vowel, the only words I know are Welsh in derivation and aren't exactly mainstream words: CWM (a drinking cup) and CRWTH (a stringed instrument). "W", as a diphthong vowel (meaning it combines with another vowel to form a sound), is common in our language in words such as BROWN, COW, DOWN and WOW.
The only complication that arises is that the game of Scrabble considers certain sounds as words: PFFT, PSST, SHH, TSK and BRR as acceptable "words" containing no vowels. So the question remains, who are you going to believe? ...that fifty-year-old grammarian who whacked the back of your knuckles until you memorized every grammar rule in the book or Milton Bradley? Personally, I'm sticking with Mrs. Horn.
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