The following words share an interesting quality. Can you determine what it is?

PENCIL
TENNIS
VERGE
WHISK
WHY
YOU

HINT:
It has to do with the sound of the words.

Answer:

Each word is phonetically (if somewhat imperfectly) the beginning syllable or syllables of one of the United States:

PENCIL - PENNSYLVANIA
TENNIS - TENNESSEE
VERGE - VIRGINIA
WHISK - WISCONSIN
WHY - WYOMING
YOU - UTAH

Credit: GAMES Magazine - Feb. 2008
Raymond D. Love
IN THE BEGINNING