Sometimes, the letter y is a consonant, and other times it is a vowel. The rule for telling the two apart is simple: The letter y is a consonant when it is the first letter of a syllable that has more than one letter. If y is anywhere else in the syllable, it is a vowel.

Examples of Y as a Consonant

• yes
• yam
• yell
• yellow
• yogurt

Examples of Y as a Vowel

• gym
• my
• cycle
• baby
• hairy
• sky