Vowel Movement Trivia Quiz

Answer: Colours

A was replaced by U and E was replaced by I. The original word was 'scarlet' which is a shade of red, and, therefore, a colour.

It appears in the titles of at least three books, 'A Study in Scarlet' by Arthur Conan-Doyle, 'The Scarlet Letter' by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' by Baroness Orczy. Miss Scarlet is one of the suspects in the murder mystery game known as Cluedo or Clue. When used as a name, the word usually has a second T at the end, as in Scarlett O'Hara, from the book and film, 'Gone With the Wind'.

Answer: Colours

O was replaced by A, I was replaced by O, and E was replaced by I. The original word was 'olive', which is used to describe a shade of green, and, therefore, a colour.

Olive is described as a dark yellowish shade of green, and takes its name from the unripe fruit of the olive tree. Olive is used as both a place name and a given name. There are a number of communities named Olive in the United States. Perhaps one of the best known 'people' called Olive is Popeye's girlfriend - Olive Oyl. Olive also appears in the names of several greenish colored birds such as the olive woodpecker and the olive ibis.

Answer: Colours

A was replaced by U, U was replaced by E, and E was replaced by I. The original word was 'azure', which is a shade of blue, and, therefore, a colour.

Azure is the term used in heraldry for blue. It is often used poetically to describe the sea, the sky, or someone's eyes. During the twentieth century a famous tourist attraction on the island of Gozo, part of the Maltese archipelago, was known as the Azure Window. It was a limestone arch formed from a collapsed cave on the coast, and, presumably, took its name from the sea visible through the arch. However severe storms in 2017 resulted in the collapse of the arch.

Answer: Colours

A was replaced by U, U was replaced by E, and E was replaced by I. The original word was 'mauve', which is used to describe a shade between blue and red, and, therefore, a colour.

The word takes its name from the French word for a mallow flower, which is native to Europe, Asia and Africa, and has petals of pink, lilac, purple or white. The name was first used after William Henry Perkins discovered a synthetic dye of that colour in the 1850s. It is sometimes described as a pale violet. The word is also used as a name; Anton Mauve was a nineteenth century Dutch artist.

Answer: Fauna

U was replaced by E, and I was replaced by O. The original word was 'puffin', which is a bird, and, therefore, belongs in the group of fauna.

Puffins are sea birds which live in the northern hemisphere; there are three species. All are black and white birds with orange or yellow beaks. They feed on fish caught from the sea, and they nest on cliffs, or in burrows in the soil or crevices among rocks on the shore. The Atlantic puffin, not very surprisingly, inhabits the northern Atlantic coasts. Both the tufted puffin and the crested puffin can be found on the northern Pacific coasts of Russia, Canada and the United States.

Answer: Fauna

I was replaced by O, U was replaced by E, and A was replaced by U. The original word was 'iguana', which is a lizard, and, therefore, belongs in the group of fauna.

Iguanas are large lizards which are native to the tropical regions of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. The two species are the Lesser Antillean iguana, which is found in the Lesser Antilles, and the more widespread green iguana. They feed on a variety of plants, and can be very hard to see, since they are coloured to blend into their surroundings, helping to keep them safe from predators.

Answer: Fauna

I was replaced by O, and A was replaced by U. The original word was 'cicada', which is an insect, and, therefore, belongs in the group of fauna.

Cicadas are insects which are found in most parts of the world. They are known for the males' song, which they use to attract mates. After mating, the female will lay the eggs in a slit which she has cut in the bark of a twig. After hatching, the nymphs drop to the ground and live most of their lives, maybe several years, in underground burrows, only emerging when they are mature enough to become adults ready for mating. As adults they have a lifespan of about two months.

Answer: Fauna

E was replaced by A, and A was replaced by U. The original word was 'elephant', which is a mammal, and, therefore, belongs in the group of fauna.

There are now three main types of elephant which are recognised - the Asian elephant, the African bush elephant, and the African forest elephant. The Asian elephants are distinguished by having smaller ears, although there are also differences in their trunks, and body and head shapes, too. Asian elephants can be found in the Indian sub-continent and further east into Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia. African forest elephants are mainly found in western Africa from the Congos and along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea towards Sierra Leone. African bush elephants are more widespread, being found in various parts of southern and eastern Africa, and also as far north as Chad and Mali.

Answer: Furniture

I was replaced by U, E was replaced by O, O was replaced by I, and A was replaced by E. The original word was 'sideboard', which is a piece of furniture.

A sideboard is a piece of furniture which is usually found in a dining room. It generally has cupboards and drawers for storing cutlery, and possibly glasses and crockery, too. The top can be used for placing dishes of food for diners to help themselves from. The name comes from the two words 'side' and 'board', referring to a board placed at the side of the room; it was first used in medieval times.

Answer: Furniture

A was replaced by E, O was replaced by I, and E was replaced by O. The original word was 'wardrobe', which is a piece of furniture.

A wardrobe is generally found in a bedroom. It takes the form of a tall cupboard, with a hanging rail and, sometimes, drawers and shelves, for storing clothes. A walk-in wardrobe is a small room used for storing clothes. The word is also used to refer to a person's collection of clothes, or to all the clothes that actors might wear in a theatre. The word comes from the Old French 'garderobe' meaning to keep a dress.

Answer: Furniture

A was replaced by E, and I was replaced by U. The original word was 'chair', which is a piece of furniture.

A chair is a piece of furniture for sitting on. It differs from a stool in that it will have a back support as well as a seat; it may also have armrests. Traditionally a chair would have been made from wood, and that material is still used for many chairs, although plastic and metal may also be used nowadays. A simple plain wooden chair is often used with a dining table. More complex chairs with adjustable height controls, the ability to swivel, and casters on the feet for ease of moving it around are often used for working at a desk. Some chairs are upholstered with luxurious cushions for more comfortable leisure seating; often they are accompanied by a matching piece of furniture with seats for two or more people, which are known as a settee or a sofa. The word comes from the Old French 'chaiere', meaning a bishop's throne, and is derived from the Latin 'cathedra', meaning a seat.

Answer: Furniture

O was replaced by I, A was replaced by E, and E was replaced by O. The original word was 'bookcase', which is a piece of furniture.

A bookcase is a piece of furniture with a number of shelves for storing books. Most have open shelves, but some may have glass doors. They may be short or tall, and wide or narrow. For people with only a few books, a short narrow one will suffice, maybe with ornaments and knick-knacks to help fill the space. For other people who have several thousand books, several bookcases which are both tall and wide are probably still insufficient, and the books may be double stacked, or lie in piles nearby hoping for more shelf space. The word comes from the two words book and case, meaning a case for books.

Answer: European seas

A was replaced by O, and I was replaced by E. The original word was 'Adriatic', which is the name of a European sea.

The Adriatic Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea. It lies between Italy in the west and the Balkan peninsula in the east. The sea is about 800km long from Venice in the north-west to the Strait of Otranto between the heel of Italy and Albania in the south-east. The biggest towns on the coast are Bari and Venice in Italy, and Split in Croatia. However there are numerous smaller settlements, many of which have been used as fishing ports. The area is also popular with tourists, who are attracted by the warm climate and sandy beaches both onshore and on the offshore islands.

Answer: European seas

A was replaced by O, and I was replaced by E. The original word was 'Baltic', which is the name of a European sea.

The Baltic Sea is in northern Europe. It is regarded as an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, and lies east of Denmark. Both the Gulf of Bothnia, to the west of Finland, and the Gulf of Finland, lying to the south of the country are considered to be part of the Baltic Sea. The other countries with coasts along the sea are Sweden in the west, and Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to the south and east. St. Petersburg, in Russia, lies at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland. Because of its northerly location, parts of the sea freeze regularly every winter.

Answer: European seas

A was replaced by O, and E was replaced by U. The original word was 'Aegean', which is the name of a European sea.

The Aegean Sea is another arm of the Mediterranean Sea. It lies between Greece in the west and Turkey in the east. The Black Sea can be reached through the straits of the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosphorus in the north-east. Most of the Greek Islands are found in the Aegean Sea. The Sporades, Cyclades, Saronic Islands, and also the island of Euboea lie in the west close to the Greek shore. The Dodecanese and the Aegean islands are further east close to the coast of Turkey. Crete lies south of the Aegean Sea.

Answer: European seas

E was replaced by I. The original word was 'Irish', which is the name of a European sea.

The Irish Sea lies between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It can be accessed from the Atlantic Ocean by St George's Channel in the south, between Wexford in south-eastern Ireland and Fishguard in south-west Wales. Entrance from the north is by the North Channel between Belfast in Northern Ireland and Stranraer in south-western Scotland. There are two main islands in the Irish Sea; Anglesey lies just off the north-western coast of Wales, and the Isle of Man about 100km further north. Although it lies nearly as far north as the Baltic Sea, the Irish Sea is warmed by the Gulf Stream from the Atlantic Ocean, and is not prone to freezing in the winter months.