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This is in the spirit of the What is a Word/Phrase™ series started by JLee with a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.

If a word conforms to a special rule, I call it a Touch Word™.

Use the following examples below to find the rule.

$$\begin{array}{|c|c|} \hline \textbf{Touch Words™}&\textbf{Not Touch Words™}\\ \hline \text{DECOMPOSE}&\text{DECAY}\\ \hline \text{ENEMY}&\text{LINE}\\ \hline \text{EXPEDIENCY}&\text{QUEUE}\\ \hline \text{ESCAPE}&\text{EIGHTY}\\ \hline \text{DEVIOUS}&\text{TEDIOUS}\\ \hline \text{IVY}&\text{EXCELLENCY}\\ \hline \text{FOURSCORE}&\text{UNKNOWN}\\ \hline \text{BORING}&\text{TRICKY}\\ \hline \text{EFFICIENCY}&\text{TEENAGER}\\ \hline \text{FUGITIVE}&\text{EXTRA}\\ \hline \end{array} $$

And, if you want to analyze, here is a CSV version:

Touch Words™,Not Touch Words™
DECOMPOSE,DECAY
ENEMY,LINE
EXPEDIENCY,QUEUE
ESCAPE,EIGHTY
DEVIOUS,TEDIOUS
IVY,EXCELLENCY
FOURSCORE,UNKNOWN
BORING,TRICKY
EFFICIENCY,TEENAGER
FUGITIVE,EXTRA

But don't use it.

Thanks to Engineer Toast and GentlePurpleRain for posting all the words I needed here and there.

Community
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Puck
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1 Answers1

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I think I got this one right

While pronouncing(correctly) the word, if your lips 'touch' or if your lip 'touch' your teeth, then it is a touch word

Tejasva Dhyani
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  • Damn I'm too slow today Q.Q, I was thinking about the same, just checking it while writing the answer. Nice! – Yandrakus Sep 07 '16 at 10:45
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    @Yandrakus twice ninja'd today lol – lois6b Sep 07 '16 at 10:46
  • @lois6b release all ninjas! – Yandrakus Sep 07 '16 at 10:46
  • At least in my case, "Tricky" and "Ivy" would be in the same column by this analysis. – abligh Sep 07 '16 at 12:29
  • @abligh Yeah... Being not a native English speaker I might have mispronounced things, sorry. It might also depends where you come from... – Puck Sep 07 '16 at 12:37
  • That's why I mentioned correct pronunciation according to the dictionary. In Ivy, lower lip touches your teeth on letter 'v' – Tejasva Dhyani Sep 07 '16 at 12:37
  • @Puck , TejasavaDhyani the problem is not the 'v', but the 'r'. At least for most British English speakers (who don't roll their 'r's), an 'r' is pronounced with the top teeth touching the bottom lip, similar to a 'v', but with less breath and quicker. But yes, depends where you are from. The above would work for (e.g.) a native French speaker who would have more attractive 'r' sounds than us Brits. – abligh Sep 07 '16 at 12:55
  • @abligh I am not British but We folow UK english and further I've studied phonetics also. Maybe thats why I was able to figure that out correctly. And I think UK english is more clearer ref : http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/tricky – Tejasva Dhyani Sep 07 '16 at 13:33
  • Yet with a little ventroloquism it doesn't work! – Reuben Mallaby Sep 07 '16 at 14:54
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    @abligh TIL. As an American, I pronounce 'r' without rolling it but also without touching my teeth to my lip. – DLosc Sep 07 '16 at 16:07