How can a word have no vowels?
Vowels are sounds as well as letters. Almost every English word needs a vowel sound to be spoken, but that sound doesn't have to be written with A, E, I, O or U.
- Y steps in. In words like gym, myth, fly and rhythm, the letter Y makes the vowel sound. That's why most words on this list contain a Y.
- W can do it too. A couple of words borrowed from Welsh use W as a vowel: cwm (a bowl-shaped valley on a mountainside) and crwth (an old stringed instrument).
- Some words are sounds. Hmm, shh, brr, psst and tsk are written versions of noises we make. They don't need a vowel because they barely use one when spoken.
- One comes from math. Nth, as in "to the nth degree", started as a letter plus an ending and became a word in its own right.
Words with no vowels at all – not even Y
If you don't count Y as a vowel, the list above is fairly long. If you do, only a small group of words is left. In our dictionary it includes:
brr, brrr, crwth, cwm, hm, hmm, mm, nth, pfft, phpht, pht, psst, sh, shh and tsk, plus a few plural and doubled forms such as cwms and tsktsk.
These are mostly sound words, so whether they count in a game depends on the game's word list. They're great for trivia questions, though.
Longest words without vowels
Most words without vowels are short, but a few stretch to seven letters. In our list, the longest include rhythms, glycyls (a chemistry term) and tsktsks. Of these, rhythm and rhythms are the ones you're most likely to use in everyday writing – and the most likely to be misspelled.
Other everyday favorites include crypt, lynx, nymph, glyph, tryst and sylph.
Ways to use this list
Word games
When you're holding nothing but consonants and a Y, these words can save a turn. Check them against the word unscrambler to see what your exact letters make.
Spelling lessons
"Is Y a vowel?" is a great classroom question. Use the common words on this list to show when Y acts as a vowel and when it doesn't (as in yes).
Trivia and quizzes
"Name a word with no vowels" is a fun challenge for any group. Most people think of rhythm; few think of crwth.
Puzzles
Vowel-free words are tough to guess in letter-position puzzles. If you suspect one, the 5-letter word finder can confirm it.
Questions
What is the longest word without vowels?
In our list, the longest have seven letters, including rhythms and glycyls. Rhythms is by far the most common of them.
Is Y a vowel?
Sometimes. Y is a vowel when it makes a vowel sound, as in gym or fly, and a consonant when it starts a syllable, as in yes or beyond.
Are there words with no vowels and no Y?
Yes, a few. Most are sound words like hmm, shh and psst. Cwm and crwth, borrowed from Welsh, use W as a vowel.
Can I use these words in word games?
Many of them, yes. Everyday words like gym, myth and rhythm are accepted almost everywhere; sound words like hmm depend on the game's word list.
Which vowels are counted here?
A, E, I, O and U. Words on this list can still contain Y or W.
Last updated October 2, 2026