# Vowels -- in order, used just once

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vowels-in-order-used-just-once/129836>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 27, 2002, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vowels-in-order-used-just-once/129836 "2002-09-27T05:00:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mooney252](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@Mooney252](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooney252)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vowels-in-order-used-just-once/129836/1 "2002-09-27T05:00:57Z")

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An English teacher at the local high school alleged that there are two words with the vowels (a, e, i, o, u) used in order. We quickly noted that both ‘facetious’ and ‘abstemious’ fit the bill.

The question for the group is:  
– are there others?  
– what about the ‘a-e-i-o-u-and sometimes y’? Obviously ‘facetiously’ and ‘abstemiously’ might fit; but what about others?

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vowels-in-order-used-just-once/129836/2 "2002-09-27T05:14:28Z")

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Well, you have to cheat a little, but [the Master will grudgingly accept _abstentiously_](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_251.html). (It is at the bottom, after he has dealt with the -gry problem.)

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vowels-in-order-used-just-once/129836/3 "2002-09-27T05:18:56Z")

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Subcontinental has them in reverse order.

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vowels-in-order-used-just-once/129836/4 "2002-09-29T06:24:42Z")

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From [Fun With Words](http://www.rinkworks.com/words/) at Rinkworks:

> [@](#):
>
> Caesious, eight letters long, is the shortest word in the English language that contains all five main vowels in alphabetical order. Nine letter words with this property are acheilous, acheirous, aerobious, arsenious, arterious, autecious, facetious, and parecious.
> 
> Suoidea, seven letters long, is the shortest word in the English language that contains all five main vowels in reverse alphabetical order. Other words with this property are scarce; they include the ten letter words duoliteral and unoriental, the fourteen letter word subcontinental, and the fifteen letter word uncomplimentary.