French vowel and semi-vowel
The letter Y, though uncommon, can be a vowel or semi-vowel in French.
- In front of a consonant or on its own as an adverbial pronoun, Y is a vowel and is pronounced like the French I. Phonetic symbol: [i]
- In front of a vowel, it’s a semi-vowel and is pronounced like the English Y. This occurs mainly in words borrowed from other languages. Phonetic symbol: [j]
| the letter y | ||
| y | there | |
| Yves | (first name) | |
| les yeux | eyes | |
| le yaourt | yogurt | |
Y can also be a nasal vowel, as in sympa (nice) – see nasal I.
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