The question is a riddle playing with English semantics rather than a literal query about counting letters. It highlights the words 'four,' 'sometimes,' 'always,' and 'never' to mislead into thinking about variable quantities, when they actually refer to the number of letters in those exact words.
The puzzle presented in the question cleverly plays with the concept of word descriptions rather than the words themselves. The terms “four,” “sometimes,” “always,” and “never” are not referring to variable quantities but are actually the very subjects being described. “What” has four letters in it, the word “sometimes” indeed has nine letters, “always” is comprised of six letters, and “never” contains five letters. This riddle-like question falls within the realm of English language and word play.
An Step-by-step explanation to the student would involve pointing out that such questions are designed to challenge the perception of language and illuminate the nuanced differences between the literal and figurative meanings of words. These sort of riddles are common in English and serve as a lighthearted way to explore language in unexpected ways.
So, the question is not about counting letters or vowels but understanding the playful nature of English semantics, where words can be used to describe themselves in a misleadingly straightforward manner.