0
it's both
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Is the letter y in happy a vowel or consonant?
It is a vowel.Sometimes, the letter y is a consonant, and other times it is a vowel. The rule for telling the two apart is simple: The letter y is a consonant when it is the first letter of a syllable that has more than one letter. If y is anywhere else in the syllable, it is a vowel.
Is the y in Tuesday a vowel or consonant?
The letter Y can be regarded as both a vowel and 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'. The letter Y can be used to represent different sounds in different words, and can therefore fit either definition. In myth or hymn it's clearly a vowel, and also in words such asmy, 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 it's 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.
Why is the letter Y very unique in the English Alphabet?
The letter Y is so unique in the English Alphabet because Y is the only semi-vowel, which is the only letter that's a versatile speech sound and can be both a vowel and a consonant. The rest of the letters usually can only be either one of the speech sounds and can't usually be both of them. When we talk about vowels, we say: The vowels are A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y. We added that phrase about the Y thing because Y can sometimes behave like a vowel, but not always. When we talk about speech sounds, we usually say this: 5 vowels, 21 consonants Since Y is a semi-vowel, if include this Y thing, we can say this: 6 vowels, 21 consonants To eliminate the consonant Y point, we can say this: 6 vowels, 20 consonants To show the overlapping point, we can say this: 5 vowels, 1 semi-vowel, 20 consonants To completely eliminate the Y semi-vowel thing, we can say this: 5 vowels, 20 consonants To show the average point with the semi-vowel Y, we can say this: 5.5 vowels, 20.5 consonants This is a discrete data, therefore it's quite unsuitable to use decimals because we can't break the numbers down into decimals by counting them. When you count something, things can come in different sizes. If it's a quantitative data, then it's more quite suitable to use decimals because we can't break the numbers down into decimals when measuring. However, this is just for showing average, so using a decimal in this discrete data is still fine. To answer the question, the letter Y is so unique in the English Alphabet because it's the only semi-vowel, which is the only letter that can be both of the speech sounds.
Which letter of the alphabet is used most often?
N is the most popular letter and is not often used, it's ALWAYS used !!!
What are the two words that use all 5 vowels in the English language?
There are many more than just two. Three examples (often the most cited as "the two" or "the only", by some people) are abstemious, abstentious and facetious. Where the letter Y is considered a vowel, the suffix '-ly-' can be added to any of these, and both order and containment of all vowels is maintained.
Is the letter y in happy a vowel or consonant?
It is a vowel.Sometimes, the letter y is a consonant, and other times it is a vowel. The rule for telling the two apart is simple: The letter y is a consonant when it is the first letter of a syllable that has more than one letter. If y is anywhere else in the syllable, it is a vowel.
Is the y in happy a vowel or consonant?
It is a vowel.Sometimes, the letter y is a consonant, and other times it is a vowel. The rule for telling the two apart is simple: The letter y is a consonant when it is the first letter of a syllable that has more than one letter. If y is anywhere else in the syllable, it is a vowel.
What is an eight letter word meaning nonconformist No consonant or vowel can be used more than once?
bohemian
Is the y in Tuesday a vowel or consonant?
The letter Y can be regarded as both a vowel and 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'. The letter Y can be used to represent different sounds in different words, and can therefore fit either definition. In myth or hymn it's clearly a vowel, and also in words such asmy, 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 it's 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.
Is y in the word geysers a vowel?
Technically yes. It is not pronounced "yuh" as a consonant Y, and the Y as part of the vowel pair EY changes the E sound to an I (eye) sound. A rule, perhaps oversimplified, is that the letter Y is only a consonant when it is the first letter of a syllable that has more than one letter.
What letter is used more than any other in the English language?
The most common vowel is 'e', and the most common consonant is 's'.
Is it a unique or an unique?
The correct article is "a unique." For example:a unique ideaa unique individuala unique houseUsing a or an depends on the sound (consonant or vowel) at the beginning of a word, not the letter, so when a "u" (vowel) word is pronounced as though it begins with a "y" (consonant: yoo nique), it's treated more like the consonant sound of the y.
Are you more likely to spin a vowel or a consonant?
On a letter wheel with all 26 English letters equally represented, you have a greater chance of spinning a consonant. There are 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and the semi-vowel Y, and the remaining 20 letters (except in Welsh) are consonants.
What does ceed the syllable mean?
A syllable is one unit of sound in English. Syllables join consonants and vowels to form words.Syllables can have more than one letter; however, a syllable cannot have more than one sound.Syllables can have more than one consonant and more than one vowel, as well. However, the consonant(s) and vowel(s) that create the syllable cannot make more than one sound.
Why are there Vowel sounds in the alphabet?
Vowel sounds connect and express the more numerous consonant sounds (which are the more specially shaped sounds) to create words. Vowel sounds are the oldest language sounds.
Is the y in funny a vowel?
No, the 'y' in the word away is not a vowel, seeing not only as how the 'a' prior to it is a vowel, but the actual sound it makes when pronounced aloud. 'Y' is more commonly used as a vowel in words like:~Crypt~Fry~Gym~EyeThe letter is used as a consonant--at the beginning of a word most of the time--in words like:~Yellow~Year~YakHope this helps!
What is an example of consanance?
This is a literary device often used in poetry. Its the repetition of the same consonant two or more times in a line. A consonant is a letter that is not a vowel. In music this can also be a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable or notes that sound pleasant to most people when played at the same time.
