An Overview of 'y' as a Vowel

You'll probably remember that when you first introduce children the letter 'y', you teach it as a consonant — that 'y' can represent the /y/ sound at the beginning of words, as in yoyo, yam, and yuck.

The letter 'y' can also act as a vowel — when you find it at the end of a word (like in baby and cry) or in the middle of a word (like in gym).

Illustrations for the three sounds of 'y' as a vowel.

(Print a copy of the 'y' as a Vowel chart (opens in new window) for your reference.)

The sound that 'y' represents will depend on where the letter is located in the word and the number of syllables.

At the end of a multisyllabic word, 'y' represents /ē/, like in candy.
At the end of a one-syllable word, 'y' represents /ī/, as in my and cry.
In the middle of words, 'y' can represent /ĭ/, like in gym and myth.

Here are two student-friendly chants that can help your students remember the most frequent sounds of 'y' as a vowel:

'y' at the end of a one-syllable word, says /ī/, like cry.

'y' at the end of a two-syllable word, says /ē/, like baby.

This skill explainer will focus on these two ways that 'y' is used as a vowel because they are the most common. There are a few words, like gym and myth, that students might be reading or writing early on, but most other words that use 'y' as a short 'i' vowel will be introduced later because they mostly come from Greek origin, like in system.

Reading consultant Dr. Antonio Fierro of El Paso, Texas, uses the build-a-word teaching strategy to break down the word cry into its three phonemes: /c/, /r/, /ī/. He explains that at the end of a one-syllable word, like cry, that long /ī/ sound is usually represented by the letter 'y'.

Video thumbnail for Build-a-Word: Spelling with 'y' as a Vowel — Produced by Reading Universe, a partnership of WETA, Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book

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Antonio Fierro: Let's use the build-a-word strategy, working with open syllables. The word is cry. "Don't make me cry." What's the word? Cry. Let's see how many phonemes are in the word cry ... /c/, /r/, /ī/ ... /c/, /r/, /ī/. There are three phonemes, so we have three lines ... /c/, /r/, /ī/. Which grapheme represents that first phoneme, that /c/? The 'c'. The second phoneme is /r/, which grapheme? Ah, 'r'. And the last phoneme here in the word "cry" is /ī/, but this is a one-syllable word, and at the end of a one-syllable word that long /ī/ sound is usually represented by the letter 'y'. Let's spell that ... cry ... 'c', 'r', 'y'. Cry.

‘y’ as a Vowel Skill Explainer

When does the letter 'y' act as a vowel?

1. An Overview of 'y' as a Vowel

‘y’ as a Vowel Skill Explainer

When does the letter 'y' act as a vowel?