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Consonant
Y
The Y sound, represented by /j/ in IPA, is a voiced palatal approximant. It's like a very quick /iː/ (ee) sound that glides into the following vowel.
Phonetic
yVoicing
VoicedPlace of Articulation
PalatalManner of Articulation
ApproximantMouth Position
Start with your tongue high and near the front of your mouth, almost touching the hard palate (similar to the /iː/ sound). The sides of your tongue should touch the upper side teeth. Keep your lips relaxed or slightly spread. Quickly move your tongue away from the palate as you voice the sound, gliding into the next vowel. Your vocal cords vibrate.
How to Make This Sound
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Example Words
yesMain Example
/jes/yellow
/ˈjeloʊ/you
/juː/beyond
/bɪˈjɑːnd/million
/ˈmɪljən/Pronunciation Practice
6 words
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Quick Practice
3-5 essential words
Full Practice
All 6 words
Minimal Pairs
Listen and compare similar sounds
y
yes
/jes/Compare with
Y
Jess
/dʒes/y
yacht
/jɑːt/Compare with
Y
lot
/lɑːt/y
use (noun)
/juːs/Compare with
U
juice
/dʒuːs/y
yet
/jet/Compare with
Y
wet
/wet/Tongue Twister
Practice: Consonant
“Young Yolanda yielded yellow yarn yesterday.”
Practice this tongue twister to improve your pronunciation