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Y is a vowel when not pronounced as I?
I was taught in school that the letter Y was only considered a vowel when it was pronounced as "y", i.e. long i sound, in the word, and that "rhythm" is the only English word with no vowel. I've since been told that is untrue and that Y is a vowel except when pronounced like in "yard", while others maintain that what I was originally taught is true. Which is it?
2 Answers
- ?Lv 78 years agoFavorite Answer
I suspect that what you were taught in school is wrong. All English words contain at least one vowel, or letters that are used as vowels. So, whether Y is a vowel in the word "rhythm" or is merely used as a vowel is immaterial. For all intents and purposes, it is a vowel in that word.
- quatt47Lv 78 years ago
There are only five vowels a,e,i,o and u. Y is a consonant despite it's sound, based on the Latin alphabet. However in spoken English the letter y is often pronounced as 'i' hence the confusion.
