Editor’s note: This article is a re-run as part of our countdown of top stories from the past year.
How often does every letter in the alphabet appear in a sentence?
That’s exactly what makes a “pangram” special. The most well-known such phrase is: “The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.”
Pangrams have been used for years to teach handwriting and typing—and to test typewriters, telegraphs, printers, typefaces and software. Graphic and font designers use pangrams to illustrate their work.
For many pangram enthusiasts, the best pangrams are those with the fewest letters. “Mr. Jock, TV quiz Ph.D., bags few lynx.” is considered a “perfect pangram” because it contains only 26 letters.
Although these are undoubtedly the most difficult pangrams to write, cleverness and clarity should can make a pangram shine, too. Here are some extra creative pangrams (ordered by letter count).
1. The five boxing wizards jump quickly.
2. Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.
3. Go, lazy fat vixen; be shrewd, jump quick.
4. When zombies arrive, quickly fax Judge Pat.
5. Amazingly few discotheques provide jukeboxes.
6. Puzzled women bequeath jerks very exotic gifts.
7. The quick onyx goblin jumps over the lazy dwarf.
8. Brawny gods just flocked up to quiz and vex him.
9. Watch “Jeopardy!”, Alex Trebek’s fun TV quiz game.
10. Six big devils from Japan quickly forgot how to waltz.
11. Five or six big jet planes zoomed quickly by the tower.
12. Jack amazed a few girls by dropping the antique onyx vase.
13. A quick movement of the enemy will jeopardize six gunboats.
14. Jaded zombies acted quaintly but kept driving their oxen forward.
15. No kidding—Lorenzo called off his trip to Mexico City just because they told him the conquistadors were extinct.
And here is my own pangram:
16. Quixotic jugglers repent; wave away fake methods and brazen mishaps.
How about you PR Daily readers? Do you have a pangram of your own to share?
Laura Hale Brockway is an Austin-based writer and editor and a regular contributor to PR Daily. Read more of her posts on writing and word play at impertinentremarks.com.
(Image via)
COMMENT
23 Responses to “16 clever pangrams for word lovers”
James Orr says: Patchwork quilt just muzzles baffled young vixen.
Howard Hong says: yes Beth, I quick solve exotic pangram word puzzles in a jiff
Bruce M Gelman says: NICE!
Roger Sperberg says: Quizzical twins proved my hijack-bug fix!
Fake bugs put in wax jonquils drive him crazy.
Stevie D says: Jackdaws love my big sphinx of quartz.
Andrea says: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” Gosh! So difficult! I think we need to teach these to our kids too! So amazing!”
Kit Boyce says: His quick lynx paw grazed my tuft, by jove!
George Georgeson says: Sphynx of black quartz, judge my vow of sapphire.
Clive Gaunt says: The brown fox-terrior brazenly jumps quickly over the bulldog
Clive Gaunt says: The cheeky brown fox-terrier quite brazenly kept jumping over the sleeping bulldog.
Anonymous says: A pangram written over the queen’s zebra amazed the light-hearted jester
A random person says: I didn’t know that there was such a thing as a “perfect” pangram.
Don't mind me, I do not exist. says: The quickest, brownest fox, a cheeky one, jumped over the laziest dog.
Ziahn Natividad says: Oxyl foxes at a beach delivered pepperoni pizza with tomato ketchup, gasps, and in HAPPINESS, that they wouldn’t judge, and munched on the pizza, questioning theirselves, “How does this pizza with red toppings tastes really good?” and then voxel oxes came to the island where the foxes were.
Ron Hoopes says: Fuzzy brown plaque makes the dog joke toxic. v.
Atharva K says: Very lazy queen was dying to pack the box of jam
Kathy Kult says: “Pangrams” are quite delightful, but sizy ex-jocks take a dim view.
Kathy Kult says: The quick, brown Shih-tzu/Westie yapped like a goofy, vexed, snarky boojum.
Rod says: Fudge jack-in-the-box quiz with sly power move.
Nicholas says: How vexingly quick daft zebras jump.
Anonymous says: what a load of rubbish said the man who can’t sleep!
Alec says: Waltz, bad nymph, for quick jigs vex (28)
Cole bergantino says: oswald oscillated ovally alligator vexen. b. f. h. j. k. m. p. q. u. z.
As an enthusiast deeply immersed in the world of linguistics, wordplay, and language intricacies, I find great joy in exploring the artistry of pangrams. The article you've shared delves into the fascinating realm of these linguistic gems, and I'm eager to share my expertise on the concepts it introduces.
1. Pangrams:
- A pangram is a sentence containing every letter of the alphabet at least once.
- It serves various purposes, such as teaching handwriting and typing, testing typewriters, telegraphs, printers, typefaces, and software.
- Graphic and font designers use pangrams to showcase their work and illustrate the appearance of different letters in a typeface.
2. "The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog":
- This is a well-known pangram, often used for its simplicity and completeness in covering all letters.
3. Perfect Pangram:
- "Mr. Jock, TV quiz Ph.D., bags few lynx." is cited as a "perfect pangram" since it contains all 26 letters of the alphabet.
4. Creative Pangrams (ordered by letter count):
- The article presents a list of creative pangrams with varying letter counts, showcasing the cleverness and clarity involved in crafting these sentences.
5. Reader Contributions:
- Readers of the article share their own pangrams, further highlighting the engagement and interest in this linguistic pursuit.
6. Various Pangrams:
- The article showcases a variety of pangrams, each with its unique charm and linguistic flair.
7. Expert Commentary:
- The comments section includes contributions from individuals presenting their pangrams, demonstrating the widespread enthusiasm for creating and sharing these linguistic constructs.
8. Diversity in Pangram Formulations:
- The provided pangrams exhibit diverse themes, from boxing wizards to zombies and discotheques, showcasing the versatility of language play.
9. Exploration of Letter Combinations:
- The pangrams explore different letter combinations, challenging the creativity of language enthusiasts.
10. Evolution of Pangrams:
- The comments reveal ongoing interest and evolution in creating new pangrams, showcasing the enduring appeal of linguistic challenges.
In conclusion, the world of pangrams is a vibrant and dynamic space where language enthusiasts, typographers, and designers come together to celebrate the beauty and complexity of the alphabet. The diverse array of pangrams presented in the article and its comments section demonstrates the enduring fascination and creativity associated with this linguistic pursuit.
