LoginThe Letter Y
In this lesson, you will learn about all the sounds of the letter Y. It is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the English alphabet.
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/:
bod
pon
happ
Sound 2: /ɪ/
The letter 'y' also sounds /ɪ/ mainly in the middle of words, so it is a vowel:
m
cr
p
m
Sound 3: /aɪ/
'y' as a vowel sounds /aɪ/:
sk
Jul
c
t
Sound 4: /j/
The letter 'y' sounds /j/ before vowels, so 'y' is a consonant here:
can
be
The Letter Y: Multigraphs
ye
'ye' is typically pronounced as /aɪ/ only when it appears at the end of a word:
d
b
r
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/:
mon
k
jers
2. 'ey' can also produce /eɪ/:
th
pr
surv
ay
'ay' makes the sound /eɪ/ when it appears at the end of a word:
d
pl
st
uy
'uy' produces the sound /aɪ/ at the end of a word:
g
b
oy
'oy' creates the sound /ɔɪ/ at the end of a word:
pl
c
b
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
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