if A E I O and U are vowels and sometimes Y when is Y a vowel and why?

Answer 1

Baby Girl, you have used it in your question! "Why" is a perfect example of y being used as a vowel. In "yellow" it's not but the 'y' in "why" adds the distinctive "i" sound to the word, and you must have a vowel sound to make a word in English.

Answer 2

Any word without a vowel, but with a Y, makes Y the vowel (sometimes).

Examples include: My and fly.

Answer 3

Every word has to have a vowel sound or else it can't be pronounced. Sometimes 'y' is a consonant (yellow, yes, yonder) and sometimes it is a vowel (myth, rhythm, crypt). No one can give a short, simple reason. That's just the way it is.

Answer 4

Y is a vowel when it represents a vowel sound. For example, in "story", the "ee" sound at the end comes from the y. Y as a vowel usually occurs between consonants, but not always; for example, rhythm, fly, Yvette. Y as a consonant usually begins a word or syllable or is between vowels: beyond, yellow, Yankee.

By the way, r and w can also be vowels. R is a vowel in bird and car (the i and a are silent), and w is a vowel in crwth and few (here "e" is a consonant with the same sound as y in yellow, and w is the vowel sound "oo").

Answer 5

Every English word needs a vowel and "y" is sometimes used instead of "i." For instance - lynx .

The English language has evolved over the years and there is no rhyme or reason to some of its rules.

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Answer 6

Because sometimes a word doesn't have A E I O or U in it and Y takes its place.

Answer 7

Y is a vowel in such words as fly, by, cry. They have the i sound.

Answer 8

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y for help.

Good Luck!!!

or you could say "why not?"

Answer 9

Why not?