LoginThe Letter Y
"Y" is the twenty-fifth letter of the English alphabet. It is a semi-vowel.
Semi-vowels are sounds between consonants and vowels that are pronounced with some restriction in the vocal tract.
Uppercase Form | Y |
|---|---|
Lowercase | y |
Name | wye (pronounced /ˈwaɪ/) |
Common Sound(s) | /i/, /ɪ/, /aɪ/, /j/ |
The Letter Y: Sounds
The letter "y" has four sounds:
Sound 1: /i/
"y" as a vowel, at the end of a word, sounds /i/:
body /ˈbɑːdi/
pony /ˈpəʊni/
happy /ˈhæpi/
Sound 3: /aɪ/
"y" as a vowel sounds /aɪ/:
sky /skaɪ/
July /dʒuˈlaɪ/
cycle /ˈsaɪkl/
type /taɪp/
The Letter Y: Multigraphs
"y" can also appear in combination with other letters (mainly vowels). They can create distinct sounds:
ye
"ye" is typically pronounced as /aɪ/ only when it appears at the end of a word:
dye /daɪ/
bye /baɪ/
rye /ɹaɪ/
ey
This combination is pronounced in two ways if it appears at the end of a word:
/i/
/eɪ/
1. most commonly "ey" sounds /i/:
money /ˈmʌni/
key /kiː/
jersey /ˈdʒɝzi/
2. "ey" can also produce /eɪ/:
they /ðeɪ/
prey /pɹeɪ/
survey /ˈsɝˌveɪ/
ay
"ay" makes the sound /eɪ/ when it appears at the end of a word:
day /deɪ/
play /pleɪ/
stay /steɪ/
uy
"uy" produces the sound /aɪ/ at the end of a word:
guy /ɡaɪ/
buy /baɪ/
oy
"oy" creates the sound /ɔɪ/ at the end of a word:
ploy /plɔɪ/
coy /kɔɪ/
boy /bɔɪ/
The Letter Y: Uses
"Y" can be used as:
An adjectival suffix in English morphology
A person, a number, an influence, etc. that is not known or not named, like "I don't know what X is doing for Y."
Comments
(0)
Recommended
