Vowels are sounds made when the tongue does not touch the lips or throat and any other part of the tongue. These sounds are made with the mouth open and the tongue hanging in the middle. There isn’t much airflow when pronouncing vowels.
On the other hand, consonants like b, d, g, p and s are sounds produced by partial or complete cessation of air exhaled from the mouth, such as teeth, tongue, lips, cheeks, etc.
Is “Y” a vowel or a consonant?
The peculiarity of the letter “y” is that, depending on the letter’s position in the syllable or word, it can take on the sound of a vowel or a consonant.
Every syllable in English is supposed to have a vowel; but the word “Andy” has two syllables, “An” and “dy,” and the second syllable has no vowel. This is because the second syllable has a “y” at the end, just like a vowel. In the word “Yucky,” the first “y” is a consonant and the second “y” (the last letter of the second syllable) is a vowel.
“Y” pronunciation rules
- Y is at the end of the word and has only one syllable – The Y rule in Pinyin states that if a word has one syllable and ends in y, the y makes a long i sound. For example, dry, fly, my, by.
- Y at the end of a word and has two syllables – It also states that if a word has two syllables and ends in “y”, the “y” usually makes a long e sound. For example – candy, stuffed animals, and puppies.
- Y in the middle of a word – The ‘y’ letter is also used in the middle of a word and is pronounced with a short i sound. For example – symbolism, mystery, rhythm, gym.
The following words should be read according to the Y rule
- D + r + y = dry
- S + p + y = spy
- P + l + y = number of layers
The words above are all monosyllabic and end in y. Here, the letter y borrows the sound of the long i.
- H + a + pp + y = happy
- S + i + ll + y = stupid
- E + m + p + t +y = empty
The word here has two syllables and ends in y. The letter y has a long e sound.
Now, the following words have y in the middle, so we pronounce y as short i
- M + y + s + t + i + c = mystery
- G + y + m = gym
Exceptions to the above rules
There are always exceptions to rules. Here are some exceptions to the Y rule.
- When the letter y is in the middle of a word but is the first letter of a syllable, it is pronounced /y/. For example – canyon, beyond,
- In several words, if the word has two syllables and ends in y, the letter y is pronounced as a long i instead of a long e. For example – Application, Reply, July.
- There are very few words in which the letter y is in the middle of the word and is pronounced as a long i. For example – Style, Genre, Tower, Tyrant and Rhythm.
Common words with Y rule
- Long my words: fry, cry, cunning, ply, by, shy, try, why, wry, sky.
- Long E: lace, comfortable, neat, pony, empty, many, lady, carry.
- Y in the middle: hymn, myth, crypt, lyric, mystery, pyramid.
Complete the reading preparation exercises in our English Literacy Fundamentals course and gain confidence in your English pronunciation. Each topic is covered in detail with multiple activities and worksheets to reinforce learning.
I hope you found this article useful and thank you for reading!
You might want to read: Summer Coding Courses for Kids, Phonemic Awareness vs. Phonological Awareness, and Why Does High Frequency Mean Shorter Wavelengths in Physics?
