So note the subject: How many English words are *possible*!
So I've performed some calculations, given simple criteria. If you count words following a pattern of vowel-consonant-vowel and consonant-vowel-consonant, here's what I got:
The formula breaks down at 1 letter, but that should be 26.
2 Letters: 210
3 Letters: 2730
4 Letters: 2315250
5 Letters: 30098250
The formula (v = number of vowels, c = number of consonants):
v^(length-1) * c^(length-1-length%2) + v^(length-1-length%2) * c^(length-1)
where % means the remainder of length / 2 (length mod 2, I think, in typical notation?)
Essentially it comes from this:
(5 * 21 * 5) + (21 * 5 * 21) = 5^2 * 21 + 21^2*5 for a 3 letter word.
Can anyone tell me if these are correct? I'd also be curious to know if anyone else has taken a shot at more complicated calculations, such as including various diphthongs or diacritics or whatever they're called and more intricate patterns.
Happy math (or maths for my non-American friends)!
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