2006-09-22 23:15:40 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
From the song A.E, A.E.I.O.U...Oooo. And sometimes Y!
2006-09-22 23:21:03 · update #1
Is the letter Y a vowel or a consonant?
Yes, the letter Y is a vowel or a consonant! In terms of sound, a vowel is 'a speech sound which is produced by comparatively open configuration of the vocal tract, with vibration of the vocal cords but without audible friction...', while a consonant is 'a basic speech sound in which the breath is at least partly obstructed' (definitions from the New Oxford Dictionary of English, 1998). The letter Y can be used to represent different sounds in different words, and can therefore fit either definition. In myth or hymn it is clearly a vowel, and also in words such as my, where it stands for a diphthong (a combination of two vowel sounds). On the other hand, in a word like beyond there is an obstacle to the breath which can be heard between two vowels, and the same sound begins words like young and yes. (This consonant sound, like that of the letter W, is sometimes called a 'semivowel' because it is made in a similar way to a vowel, but functions in contrast to vowels when used in words.) Whether the letter Y is a vowel or a consonant is therefore rather an arbitrary decision. The letter is probably more often used as a vowel, but in this role is often interchangeable with the letter I. However, the consonant sound is not consistently represented in English spelling by any other letter, and perhaps for this reason Y tends traditionally to be counted among the consonants.
2006-09-22 23:23:05 · answer #1 · answered by thumberlina 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It isn't Y that knows but U that knows when to use it!
Want to be even more confused? The letter 'H' can also sometimes be a vowel rather than a consonant, too!
You cannot have a word (as far as I know) that doesn't include both vowels and consonants - therefore, words such as 'sky' make the 'Y' a vowel as neither 'S' or 'K' can be because of the way they are sounded when we speak.
In spoken or written English we cannot end one word with a vowel sound and then start the next word off with a vowel sound, can we? For example - A house makes 'H' a consonant - but what about 'A hysterectomy?' The correct term would then be 'An hysterectomy.' The difference could have something to do with the fact that the second letter in one is a firm vowel and the second letter in the other is a 'floating' vowel.
Look at the word 'Why' - it has no proper vowels but has two 'floating' ones! And Wy does it have an 'H' in it at all? Letter 'H' is actually pronounced 'aitch' with no 'h!'
Getting too complicated? It is all a matter of practise!
2006-09-23 07:08:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thumberlina's answer is an excellent and detailed answer to your question. However, you need to keep two answers in your head to answer your question 1. It has a combined answer when querying the speech use of the letter 'y' (as very well demonstrated by Thumberlina). However 2. in written terms, it is a consonant in terms of writing the letter. This is where your confusion comes from, as others have already point out there are only five, written, vowels.
2006-09-23 06:33:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Y is what is known as a half vowel. It can take the sound of a vowel when it is found at the end of a word such as puppy. There it is making an "ee" sound.
In other instances it is a consonant.
2006-09-23 08:13:54 · answer #4 · answered by Christine H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Originally, Y was a vowel letter in Greek, representing [u] and later on, front rounded [y], becoming [i] in Modern Greek. It has the sound value [y] in German, in Finnish and the Scandinavian languages, where it can never be a consonant. In contrast, in the Latin transcription of Nenets (Nyenec) the letter "y" palatalizes the preceding consonant. The letter Y nicely shows how letters change their function. In Afrikaans, Y denotes the diphthong [EI], probably as a result of mixing lower case i and y or may derive from the IJ ligature. In Dutch, Y appears only in loanwords and names and is usually pronounced [i]. It is often left out of the Dutch alphabet and replaced with the "letter IJ". Italian, too, has Y only in very few loanwords.
2006-09-23 06:18:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
It's a semi-vowel. If placed before a vowel (e.g. in the words 'yesterday' or 'you'), it has the same properties as a consonant because the pronunciation in phonetics is, e.g. /ju:/.
However, if placed before a consonant or at the end of a word (i.e. 'Lycidas' or 'day'), it becomes pronounced as a vowel. So it has attributes of both.
2006-09-23 07:06:09 · answer #6 · answered by so_it_goes_2512 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No rule can apply for all kinds of situations. There are always exceptions. Y is considered a vowel in 'fly' but not in 'many'.
2006-09-23 06:27:23 · answer #7 · answered by alldienow9000 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Y, is actually a consonant, but it can be considered a vowel in certain words.
2006-09-23 08:21:29 · answer #8 · answered by tombraider 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello! Y is not a vowel off course but some people say its a vowel and i dont know why they say that?
2006-09-23 07:17:31 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's not a vowel in the English language.
2006-09-23 06:24:25 · answer #10 · answered by gerbiltamer 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋