write a word that has a ratio of vowels to consonants. I know that this ratio is 5/21. but i'm not understanding how to approach this question. Please help.

Question

directrix · Answer

Is this information given in the problem: >> I know that this ratio is 5/21. 

@emilydianehaley 

Is it possible that  you could post this question exactly as it appears in your book?

directrix · Answer

Here are some samples:

Write a word that has each ratio of vowels to consonants.
 a) 2 :5 highway
 b) 1 :4  right
 c) 4 :6  scientific

anonymous · Answer

a 21-letter word is quite rare, sesquipedalian is only 15
antidisestablishmentarianism is 28.

Having only 5 vowels out of 21 is unusual.

directrix · Answer

If the ratio of vowels to consonants is 5/21, then I'm thinking that the word has a minimum of 26 letters. Assumption: 5 represents five distinct vowels and 21 represents twenty-one distinct consonants.

anonymous · Answer

Yes 5/21 would mean 5 vowels out of a total of 26 letters, not 21. I was wrong. I think consonants are consonants whether repeats or not, so I doubt they must be distinct.

directrix · Answer

I think that the OP did not post the complete question. I could be wrong about that.

How many vowels and consonants are in the American alphabet?

There are 5 vowels and 21 consonants. The vowels are: a,e,i,o,u and the remaining letters are consonants.  There may be some confusion about the 5:21.

anonymous · Answer

Interesting point about the alphabet. however, I think the shortest word that could have that exact ratio is 26 letters of which 5 are vowels. Next shortest would seem to be 10/42 or 52 letters long!