The Letter Y

Watch videos

Start exercises

Show worksheets

Ask teachers

Content The Letter Y

Introduction to the Letter Y
Understanding the Letter Y – Definition and Sounds
Writing the Letter Y – How to?
The Letter Y – Example Words and Sentences
- Words with the Letter Y
The Letter Y – Summary
The Letter Y – Frequently Asked Questions

Rating

Be the first to give a rating!

You must be logged in to be able to give a rating.

Wow, thank you!
Please rate us on Google too! We look forward to it!

Go to Google

The authors

Team Digital

Basics on the topic The Letter Y

Introduction to the Letter Y

Today's exploration delves into a unique and versatile letter in our language—the letter y. It plays a crucial role in a variety of important words. Whether you are crafting a narrative or expanding your vocabulary, mastering the letter y is essential for developing proficient reading and writing skills.

Understanding the Letter Y – Definition and Sounds

The letter y is the 25th letter in the English alphabet, characterised by its distinct and often versatile sound, which can phonetically resemble /y/ (as in yes) or act as a vowel sound like /igh/ (fly) or /ee/ (baby).

The letter y is a consonant. The phonetic presence of the letter y is prominent in words such as yellow, yes and yum.

What sound does the letter y make?

Can you name a word that begins with the letter y?

How do you use your mouth to make the letter y sound?

Writing the Letter Y – How to?

Writing the letter Y is simple and involves a few easy steps. To write the capital Y, start at the top left, draw a diagonal line down to the middle, then draw another diagonal line from the top right to meet the first line in the middle and finally draw a straight line down from the meeting point. For the lower case y, start in the middle, draw a small ‘u’ shape and then draw a line down curling round to the left, extending below the line. To write a pre-cursive letter y, follow the steps below.

Step	Instruction
1	Start on the black line
2	Whoosh to the top.
3	Come back down the line and curve under.
4	Come straight back down under the line and make a curve.
5	Loop round and cross over the line.

The Letter Y – Example Words and Sentences

The letter y is versatile and useful, appearing in various positions within words. For instance, Yara yelled yesterday about yellow yarn. In this sentence, the letter y is used at the start of several words, showcasing its unique sound and versatility.

Words with the Letter Y

The letter y, while less common than some letters, is found in a variety of interesting words. Let's look at a list of words that feature this letter prominently:

Begin With	Contain	End With
yellow	canyon	happy
yoghurt	rhythm	day
young	system	toy
yard	beyond	boy

The Letter Y – Summary

Key Learnings from this Text:

The letter y is known for its distinct consonant sound, phonetically represented as /y/ . It can also make vowel sounds, represented as /igh/ or /ee/.
It is the 25th letter in the English alphabet.
Writing the capital letter Y involves drawing a combination of diagonal and straight lines. Forming the lower case y involves curved lines.
The letter y can appear at the beginning, middle or end of words.

Continue to explore the fascinating world of letters with our interactive lessons and printable activities. The letter y is just one integral part of your linguistic journey!

The Letter Y – Frequently Asked Questions

What is the sound of the letter y?

How do you write the letter y?

Can you provide an example of a word that starts with the letter y?

Do you know any items that start with the letter y?

Is it important to learn about the letter y in reception?

What are some ways to practise writing the letter y?

Are there printable worksheets for practising the letter y?

What kind of interactive activities can aid in learning the letter y?

How do designers incorporate the letter y in their work?

What are some creative projects for children that involve the letter y?

Transcript The Letter Y

Let’s join Dee and Kala in the phonics garden and learn all about /y/. This is the letter Y, it makes the /y/ sound. This is a capital /Y/ and this is a lower case /y/. They both make the /y/ sound like in yawn, yellow and yoga! Let's practise the /y/ sound with Kala! "/Y/, /y/!" Can you spy anything in the garden that begins with /y/? "There's a yo-yo, that starts with /y/!" Is there anything else in the garden that starts with /y/? "There's some yoghurt, that also begins with /y/!" Uh-oh! /Y/ is hiding with the other letters! Can you help find /y/ in the alphabet? Point to the letter when you find it! Did you also point here? You did some great work in the phonics garden! Today we learnt all about /y/, we listened to and made the /y/ sound! We found words that begin with /y/ and found it in the alphabet! Interested in a challenge? Watch this video again and see if you can find the yarn, the yak and the yacht in the garden! Comment below when you find them! If you want to learn more, check out the next sound!

The Letter Y exercise

Would you like to apply the knowledge you’ve learnt? You can review and practice it with the tasks for the video The Letter Y.

Which one is the correct letter?

Hints

Listen carefully to the sound, play it again and think about what you can hear.

I like to eat _______.

Look again at the picture above. What sound does this word start with?

Solution

The correct letter is y. This makes the /y/ sound.
What sound does the letter make?

Hints

The word yes starts with the sound.

Listen to all four sounds again. Which one is the same as the beginning of the word you?

Solution

The correct sound is /y/.
Find the objects that begin with y.
Hints

There are 5 things that start with y to highlight.

Listen to this word. Can you find it in the picture?

Listen carefully to the names of the objects.

Solution
The five things that begin with y are:
- yoga
- yacht
- yeti
- yellow
- yoyo
What is the word?
Hints

What other sounds can you hear?

Here we can see the words with pictures. Use this to help you find the matching pairs above.

Solution
The words are:
1. yum
2. yuck
3. yes
4. yell
Help Kala find the objects that begin with y.

Hints

A yak is like a cow. A yolk is the middle of an egg.

Listen to the sound. Which words begin with this sound?

Say all of the items out loud. In which ones do you hear the /y/ sound at the beginning?

There are two correct choices.

Solution

Yak and yolk start with /y/.
Can you put the words in the correct group?

Hints

Listen carefully to this word. Do you hear y at the beginning?

Think carefully about the first sound that you hear, is it y or a different sound?

There are 2 words that begin with y and 4 words that do not.

Solution

Year and yolk have y at the beginning.
Sun, pan, car and pear do not.