Just for fun because I never write recursive methods.

list_parse.rb

DEFAULT_TIMES_TO_RUN = 1

def build_msg(types_data:{words: [], numbers: []})
  msg = "these are the words: #{types_data[:words]}, these are the numbers: #{types_data[:numbers]}"
  if types_data[:other] and types_data[:other].class.eql(Array) and types_data[:other].length > 0
    msg += ", these are the other elements: #{types_data[:other]}"
  end
  msg
end

def abort_or_exit?(user_entry)
  !(user_entry =~ /^abort$/ix).nil? || (user_entry =~ /^exit$/ix).nil?
end

def list_types(list:, types: {words: [], numbers: []})
  return puts build_msg(types_data: types) if list.length == 0

  if list[0] =~ /\d/
    types[:numbers] << list[0].to_i
  elsif list[0] =~ /\w/
    types[:words] << list[0]
  else
    if types[:other].nil?
      types[:other] = []
    end
    types[:other] << list[0]
  end
  list_types(list: (list = list[1..-1]), types: types)
end

def user_greet
  puts "Hello, this script will parse any list by class type."
  puts "To get started, enter the number of lists you'd like to examine... \n"
end

def user_prompt_list
  puts "Next, please enter list of characters delineated by ',''"
  puts "Note, you may terminate this program at any time by entering 'ABORT' or 'EXIT'"
end

def get_times_to_run
  user_entry = gets.chomp
  
  if user_entry.to_s.length == 0 
    raise ArgumentError, "Error: did not specify number of times to run script!"
  elsif (user_entry =~ /\d/).nil?
    raise ArgumentError, "Error: unrecognized argument! #{user_entry}."
  end
  user_entry.to_i
end

def parse_list!(run_count:, times_to_run:)
  begin 
    user_prompt_list
    until run_count == times_to_run
      puts "\n\n enter list..."
      list = gets.chomp.to_s.delete(' ').split(",")

      if list.length < 1
        raise ArgumentError, 'Error: Argument is not a list'
      elsif list.length == 1
        abort("ABORTED") if abort_or_exit?(list[0])
      elsif times_to_run >= 100_000
        raise ArgumentError, 'Error: Are you insane?'
      end

      list_types(list: list)
      run_count +=1
    end
  end
end

def run!
  user_greet
  parse_list!(run_count: 0, times_to_run: get_times_to_run)

  "DONE!"
end
run!