Y (letter): Difference between revisions

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==Use in English==
==Use in English==
{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}}
{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}}
'''y''' is another version of '''i''' - but used very differently (though in exactly the same way in '''dŷe''' ''colour'' = '''dîe''' ''dead'': the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English spellings]]).
'''y''' is another version of '''i''' - but used very differently (though in exactly the same way in '''dŷe''' ''colour'' = '''dîe''' ''dead''). Unlike '''i''', it can also be a consonant (also called a semi-consonant), and as such it often begins words.  The sound is that of the end of the '''i''' sound in such words as '''flîer, skìêr, viôla, piáno''': '''yés, yoúng, yoû, yéllow, beyónd, yôlk''' ''egg'' (= '''yôke''' ''ox''), '''yógurt'''/'''yóghurt'''/'''yóghourt'''.


Unlike '''i''', it can also be a consonant (also called a semi consonant), and as such it often begins words.  The sound is that of the end of the '''i''' sound in such words as '''flîer, skìêr, viôla, piáno''': '''yés, yoúng, yoû, yéllow, beyónd, yôlk''' ''egg'' (= '''yôke''' ''ox''), '''yóghurt'''.
{{:English spellings/Accents}}


But it is at its most frequent as a vowel at the end of words.  Here it is often pronounced like the word '''Î''' at the end of monosyllables: '''whŷ, flŷ, guŷ, stŷ, prŷ, crŷ, trŷ, buŷ''', and in the middle: '''stŷle, mŷre, bŷte''' ''computer'' (= '''bîte''' ''eat'').  '''Hŷde''' (as in '[[Hyde Park]]' or ''[[Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'') sounds exactly like '''hîde''', as it does in - and often at the end of - words of two syllables: '''Julŷ, relŷ, denŷ, pŷlon, nŷlon, pŷthon, sŷphon, decrŷ, supplŷ, applŷ''', and in words of more than one syllable: '''beaûtifŷ, dèifŷ, crûcifŷ, mágnifŷ, páralŷse, ánalŷse''' (both [[American English|AmE]] -'''yze'''), and stressed in '''hŷacinth, dŷnamite, Dionŷsus, papŷrus'''.
But it is at its most frequent as a vowel at the end of words.  Here it is often pronounced like the word '''Î''' at the end of monosyllables: '''whŷ, flŷ, guŷ, stŷ, prŷ, crŷ, trŷ, buŷ''', and in the middle: '''stŷle, mŷre, bŷte''' ''computer'' (= '''bîte''' ''eat'').  '''Hŷde''' (as in '''[[Hyde Park|Hŷde Pàrk]]''' or '''''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde|Dr Jékyll and Mr Hŷde]]''''') sounds like '''hîde''', as it does in (and often at the end of) words of two syllables: '''Julŷ, relŷ, denŷ, pŷlon, nŷlon, pŷthon, sŷphon, decrŷ, supplŷ, applŷ''', and in words of more than one syllable: '''beaûtifŷ, dèifŷ, crûcifŷ, mágnifŷ''', [[British English|BrE]] '''páralŷse, ánalŷse''' (in [[American English|AmE]], both  -'''yze'''), and stressed in '''hŷacinth, dŷnamite, Dionŷsus, papŷrus'''.


The two verbs '''lîe''' ''untrue'' (regular, principal parts: '''lîe, lîed, lîed''') and '''lîe''' ''relax'' (irregular: '''lîe, lây, lâin''') both have '''lŷing''' as their -'''ing''' form.
The two verbs '''lîe''' ''untrue'' (regular, principal parts: '''lîe, lîed, lîed''') and '''lîe''' ''relax'' (irregular: '''lîe, lây, lâin''') both have '''lŷing''' as their -'''ing''' form.


The short sound is identical to '''í'''.  It tends to occur after '''s''', '''c''' and '''cr''': '''sýrup, sýstem, sýnagogue, sýndicate, sýnthesis, sýntax, sýmptom, sýmbol''' ''sign'' = '''cýmbal''' ''drum'', '''cýgnet, cýst, cýstic, crýpt, crýptic, crýstal'''. It is worth noting that '''sy'''- is always '''sý'''- with the exceptions of '''Sŷracûse''' and '''sŷphon''' – which can also be spelt '''sîphon'''.
The short sound is identical to the short '''í'''.  It tends to occur after certain letters: '''sýrup, sýstem, sýnagogue, sýndicate, sýnthesis, sýntax, sýmptom, sýmbol''' ''sign'' = '''cýmbal''' ''drum'', '''cýgnet, cýst, cýstic, crýpt, crýptic, crýstal, gým, glýph'''. '''sy'''- is always '''sý'''- with the exceptions of '''Sŷracûse''' and '''sŷphon''' – which can also be spelt '''sîphon'''.


Double letters after '''y''' are very rare: '''sýllable, Lýttelton''', and, with a different vowel sound, '''mÿrrh'''.
Double letters after '''y''' are very rare: '''sýllable, sýllabus, Lýttelton''', and, with a different vowel sound, '''mÿrrh'''.


The prefix '''dýs'''- ''bad'' is easily confused with the much more common prefix, '''dís'''- ''negative'', which sounds exactly the same: '''dýsentery, dysléxic, dysfúnction''', cf. '''distâste, disallòw, disfâvour, disdâin, dislîke'''.
The prefix '''dýs'''- ''bad'' is easily confused with the much more common prefix, '''dís'''- ''negative'', which sounds exactly the same: '''dýsentery, dysléxic, dysfúnction''', cf. '''distâste, disallòw, disfâvour, disdâin, dislîke'''.


The grave accent sound (corresponding to the '''ì''' of '''Christìne''') is actually the most common use of '''y''' as a vowel: at the end of words of more than one syllable, it is an unstressed and short '''ê''': '''fúnnỳ, síllỳ, jéllỳ, anỳ, manỳ''' (*énnỳ, *ménnỳ), '''loônỳ, fíddlỳ, fídgetỳ, scrúffỳ, púffỳ, dóttỳ, héadỳ, réadỳ, stéadỳ, Bíllỳ, knóttỳ, íffỳ, jíffỳ, wòrrỳ, sórrỳ, dóllỳ, jóllỳ, súnnỳ''', and also after '''ê''' itself in '''mònêy, hònêy, phônêy, balônêy, mâtêy, hóckêy'''.  
The grave accent sound (corresponding to the '''ì''' of '''Christìne''') is actually the most common use of '''y''' as a vowel: at the end of words of more than one syllable, it is an unstressed and short '''ê''': '''fúnnỳ, síllỳ, jéllỳ, anỳ, manỳ''' (*énnỳ, *ménnỳ), '''loônỳ, fíddlỳ, fídgetỳ, scrúffỳ, púffỳ, dóttỳ, héadỳ, réadỳ, stéadỳ, Bíllỳ, knóttỳ, íffỳ, jíffỳ, wòrrỳ, sórrỳ, dóllỳ, jóllỳ, súnnỳ''', and also after '''ê''' itself in '''mònêy, hònêy, phônêy, balônêy, mâtêy, hóckêy'''. (When final and stressed this sound is spelt '''êe''': '''referêe, employêe, trustêe, degrêe'''.)
When final and stressed this sound is spelt '''êe''': '''referêe, employêe, trustêe, degrêe'''.


In the middle of words the '''ỳ''' tends to shorten to '''ý''': '''pólýthene, páchýderm''' (*páckíderm).   
In the middle of words the '''ỳ''' tends to shorten to '''ý''': '''pólýthene, páchýderm''' (*páckíderm).   
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In monosyllables, '''ê''' and '''êe''' are usually used for this sound: '''thrêe, sêe, wê''' ''us'' = '''wêe''' ''small'', '''bê''' ''is'' = '''bêe''' ''insect''.  But not always, and here is the rare stressed '''ỳ''' (usually with another vowel): '''kêỳ''' ''lock'' = '''quaỳ''' ''harbour''.
In monosyllables, '''ê''' and '''êe''' are usually used for this sound: '''thrêe, sêe, wê''' ''us'' = '''wêe''' ''small'', '''bê''' ''is'' = '''bêe''' ''insect''.  But not always, and here is the rare stressed '''ỳ''' (usually with another vowel): '''kêỳ''' ''lock'' = '''quaỳ''' ''harbour''.


And '''ỳ''' can be an alternative to ì or ê in names (often French): '''Lỳse''' (-z), '''Mervỳna, Evelỳna''' and unstressed in '''Yvónne, Yvétte''', plus '''Ỳves''' ''man'' (= '''Êve''' ''woman'') and the French city '''Lỳón''', cf. '''lîon''' ''animal'' = '''Lŷon''' ''person''.
And '''ỳ''' can be an alternative to '''ì''' or '''ê''' in names (often French): '''Lỳse''' (-z), '''Mervỳna, Evelỳna''', '''Rhỳs''' (= '''Rêece''' etc.) and unstressed in '''Yvónne, Yvétte''', plus '''Ỳves''' ''man'' (= '''Êve''' ''woman'') and the French city '''Lỳón''', cf. '''lîon''' ''animal'' = '''Lŷon''' ''person''. It also occurs as the first vowel of '''Mỳanmàr''', a variant pronunciation of the intended *Myánmà/Myànmà, and in '''Palmỳra''', a variant pronunciation of '''Palmŷra'''.


The suffix -'''tỳ''' is unstressed: '''líbertỳ, eqùalitỳ, fratërnitỳ, súbtletỳ, normálity''', as is -'''cỳ''': '''fáncỳ, pólicỳ, délicacỳ, nŏrmalcy''', and similarly '''apóstasỳ'''.
The suffix -'''tỳ''' is unstressed: '''líbertỳ, eqùalitỳ, fratërnitỳ, súbtletỳ, normálity''', as is -'''cỳ''': '''fáncỳ, pólicỳ, délicacỳ, nŏrmalcy''', and similarly '''apóstasỳ'''.


Final '''y''' changes to -'''ie'''- before the suffixes -'''s''' and -'''ed''': '''crŷ, crîes, trŷ, trîed, wòrry, wòrries, fratërnity, fratërnities''' but not where there is another vowel preceding the '''y''': '''destrŏyed, plâyed, prâys, buŷs, óspreys, says''' (*séz) and of course not where there is an apostrophe intervening (for these are grammatically different): '''Dáddy’s, bâby’s, Jácky’d, Julŷ’s'''.
Final '''y''' changes to -'''ie'''- before the suffixes -'''s''' and -'''ed''': '''crŷ, crîes, trŷ, trîed, wòrry, wòrries, fratërnity, fratërnities''' but not where there is another vowel preceding the '''y''': '''destrŏyed, plâyed, prâys, buŷs, óspreys, says''' (*séz) and of course not where there is an apostrophe intervening (for these are grammatically different): '''Dáddy’s, bâby’s, Jácky’d, Julŷ’s'''. Welsh names are also an exception, and have the hissing sound: '''Gládýs''', '''Cárýs''', '''Pòwys''', all -íss.


Final '''ŷ''' changes to '''í''' before other suffixes:  '''mérríment''', BrE '''wòrrísome''', AmE '''wörrísome''', '''undenîable''', '''verifîable'''.
Final '''ŷ''' changes to '''í''' before other suffixes:  '''mérríment''', BrE '''wòrrísome''', AmE '''wörrísome''', '''undenîable''', '''verifîable'''.
In many Welsh names such as '''Plaîd Cymru''' (*Plîde Cúmrì), '''y''' is pronounced as '''ú'''.


===The full declension of a noun ending in -'''y'''===
===The full declension of a noun ending in -'''y'''===
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'''àrmies''' = '''àrmy’s''' = '''àrmies’''': all pronounced the same.
'''àrmies''' = '''àrmy’s''' = '''àrmies’''': all pronounced the same.


'''[[Samuel Pepys|Sámuel Pêpys]]''' and '''[[Duncan Sandys|Dúncan Sándys]]''' sported silent '''y'''’s.
The '''y'''s in '''lábyrinth''' *lábrínth and '''Îslay''' *Îlə are silent, as are also those in the names of '''[[Samuel Pepys|Sámuel Pêpys]]''' (= '''pêeps''') and '''[[Duncan Sandys|Dúncan Sándys]]''' (= '''sánds''').
 
'''yy''' is found only in foreign names: '''[[Omar Khayyam|Ômar Khayyám]]''', '''Aŷyub''', '''Tàyyip'''.
 
'''y''' cannot follow '''i''', so *Líbìya is spelt '''Líbya'''.


'''yy''' is found only in foreign names: '''[[Omar Khayyam|Ômar Khayyám]]''', '''Aŷyub'''.
==Scientific uses==


==See also==
*Y: yttrium
*[[Apostrophe]]
*[[Hyphen]]
*[[Spelling pronunciation]]
*[[Letter (alphabet)]]
*[[Alphabet]]
*[[Writing system]]
*[[Orthography]]
*[[Written language]]
*[[Writing]]

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Y, y is a letter of the Latin alphabet. It is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of most variants, being placed after X and before Z, as is the case for instance in the English alphabet. Its English name is [ˈwaɪ], like the name of the River Wye, why pronounced with an English accent (i.e. without the American, Scottish etc. aspiration of wh).

Use in English

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list  
Common misspellings  

y is another version of i - but used very differently (though in exactly the same way in dŷe colour = dîe dead). Unlike i, it can also be a consonant (also called a semi-consonant), and as such it often begins words. The sound is that of the end of the i sound in such words as flîer, skìêr, viôla, piáno: yés, yoúng, yoû, yéllow, beyónd, yôlk egg (= yôke ox), yógurt/yóghurt/yóghourt.

  • The accents show stress and pronunciation (see English spellings): A: sát, mâde, pàrk, cāst (cást/càst), åll, ãir; E: ére, êar, vèin, fërn; I: sít, mîne, skì, bïrd; O: sóng, môde, lòve, wörd, ŏr; OO: moôn, foòt; U: sún, mûse, fùll, pürr; W: neŵ, ẁant; Y: gým, mŷ, keỳ, mÿrrh.

But it is at its most frequent as a vowel at the end of words. Here it is often pronounced like the word Î at the end of monosyllables: whŷ, flŷ, guŷ, stŷ, prŷ, crŷ, trŷ, buŷ, and in the middle: stŷle, mŷre, bŷte computer (= bîte eat). Hŷde (as in Hŷde Pàrk or Dr Jékyll and Mr Hŷde) sounds like hîde, as it does in (and often at the end of) words of two syllables: Julŷ, relŷ, denŷ, pŷlon, nŷlon, pŷthon, sŷphon, decrŷ, supplŷ, applŷ, and in words of more than one syllable: beaûtifŷ, dèifŷ, crûcifŷ, mágnifŷ, BrE páralŷse, ánalŷse (in AmE, both -yze), and stressed in hŷacinth, dŷnamite, Dionŷsus, papŷrus.

The two verbs lîe untrue (regular, principal parts: lîe, lîed, lîed) and lîe relax (irregular: lîe, lây, lâin) both have lŷing as their -ing form.

The short sound is identical to the short í. It tends to occur after certain letters: sýrup, sýstem, sýnagogue, sýndicate, sýnthesis, sýntax, sýmptom, sýmbol sign = cýmbal drum, cýgnet, cýst, cýstic, crýpt, crýptic, crýstal, gým, glýph. sy- is always - with the exceptions of Sŷracûse and sŷphon – which can also be spelt sîphon.

Double letters after y are very rare: sýllable, sýllabus, Lýttelton, and, with a different vowel sound, mÿrrh.

The prefix dýs- bad is easily confused with the much more common prefix, dís- negative, which sounds exactly the same: dýsentery, dysléxic, dysfúnction, cf. distâste, disallòw, disfâvour, disdâin, dislîke.

The grave accent sound (corresponding to the ì of Christìne) is actually the most common use of y as a vowel: at the end of words of more than one syllable, it is an unstressed and short ê: fúnnỳ, síllỳ, jéllỳ, anỳ, manỳ (*énnỳ, *ménnỳ), loônỳ, fíddlỳ, fídgetỳ, scrúffỳ, púffỳ, dóttỳ, héadỳ, réadỳ, stéadỳ, Bíllỳ, knóttỳ, íffỳ, jíffỳ, wòrrỳ, sórrỳ, dóllỳ, jóllỳ, súnnỳ, and also after ê itself in mònêy, hònêy, phônêy, balônêy, mâtêy, hóckêy. (When final and stressed this sound is spelt êe: referêe, employêe, trustêe, degrêe.)

In the middle of words the tends to shorten to ý: pólýthene, páchýderm (*páckíderm).

In final position, y completes other long vowels: awây, sây, thèy, destrŏy, buŷ. (Compare: mâil, vèin, cŏin, Ruîslip.)

In monosyllables, ê and êe are usually used for this sound: thrêe, sêe, wê us = wêe small, is = bêe insect. But not always, and here is the rare stressed (usually with another vowel): kêỳ lock = quaỳ harbour.

And can be an alternative to ì or ê in names (often French): Lỳse (-z), Mervỳna, Evelỳna, Rhỳs (= Rêece etc.) and unstressed in Yvónne, Yvétte, plus Ỳves man (= Êve woman) and the French city Lỳón, cf. lîon animal = Lŷon person. It also occurs as the first vowel of Mỳanmàr, a variant pronunciation of the intended *Myánmà/Myànmà, and in Palmỳra, a variant pronunciation of Palmŷra.

The suffix -tỳ is unstressed: líbertỳ, eqùalitỳ, fratërnitỳ, súbtletỳ, normálity, as is -cỳ: fáncỳ, pólicỳ, délicacỳ, nŏrmalcy, and similarly apóstasỳ.

Final y changes to -ie- before the suffixes -s and -ed: crŷ, crîes, trŷ, trîed, wòrry, wòrries, fratërnity, fratërnities but not where there is another vowel preceding the y: destrŏyed, plâyed, prâys, buŷs, óspreys, says (*séz) and of course not where there is an apostrophe intervening (for these are grammatically different): Dáddy’s, bâby’s, Jácky’d, Julŷ’s. Welsh names are also an exception, and have the hissing sound: Gládýs, Cárýs, Pòwys, all -íss.

Final ŷ changes to í before other suffixes: mérríment, BrE wòrrísome, AmE wörrísome, undenîable, verifîable.

In many Welsh names such as Plaîd Cymru (*Plîde Cúmrì), y is pronounced as ú.

The full declension of a noun ending in -y

singular plural
normal àrmy àrmies
possessive àrmy’s àrmies’

àrmies = àrmy’s = àrmies’: all pronounced the same.

The ys in lábyrinth *lábrínth and Îslay *Îlə are silent, as are also those in the names of Sámuel Pêpys (= pêeps) and Dúncan Sándys (= sánds).

yy is found only in foreign names: Ômar Khayyám, Aŷyub, Tàyyip.

y cannot follow i, so *Líbìya is spelt Líbya.

Scientific uses

  • Y: yttrium