Letter Y
Y is a letter that is sometimes a vowel. It says yuh, as in Yellow.
The yellow yo-yo went up and down.
Words that start with Y
Tap a picture to hear the word.
How to write Y
Slide down to the middle on the left, slide down to the middle on the right so they meet, then draw a straight line down. Y is a tree with two branches.
Shape in short: Short V at top meeting a straight vertical stem extending to the baseline.
Practise tracingFind every Y and y
Tap the letters that match. Careful, some look alike!
Find 4 letters to win.
Watch out!
Y and V look alike. Y has a stem, V does not.
Fun fact
Y can be a consonant (yes) or work like a vowel (my, happy).
Quick quiz
Secret codes for Y
For big kids who love puzzles.
Teaching the letter Y
Objective: children can name Y and y, say its sound (yuh, as in Yellow), form it correctly and spot it in words.
- Say it: show the letter, say its sound clearly and have children copy you. Use the sound, not the name, to start.
- Hear it: say the words yo-yo, yellow, yacht, yawn. Children clap when they hear the sound at the start.
- See it: point out the capital and small partner, Yy.
- Write it: model the strokes in the air, then on paper. Slide down to the middle on the left, slide down to the middle on the right so they meet, then draw a straight line down. Y is a tree with two branches.
- Use it: read the sentence together: "The yellow yo-yo went up and down."
Common mix-ups
Y and V look alike. Y has a stem, V does not.
Support and stretch
- Support: use sand or a finger on the table before pencil.
- Stretch: ask for a new word that begins with Y in it, or spot Y in a sentence.
Curriculum links (best guesses, please check)
- UK: Letters and Sounds, Phase 3. EYFS Literacy: word reading and writing.
- US: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.1.D (name upper and lowercase letters) and RF.K.3.A (letter-sound correspondence).
Phonics order varies between schools and schemes. Match it to yours.
Helping at home with Y
Your child is learning to recognise Y and y, hear the sound yuh, as in Yellow, and write the letter. Little and often works best: 5 to 10 minutes is plenty.
Say it the way school does
Teachers use pure sounds, so try not to add "uh" on the end. Say yuh, as in Yellow as short and crisp as you can.
Five easy ideas
- Go on a letter hunt: spot Y on cereal boxes, signs and books.
- Write Y in a tray of rice, sand or shaving foam.
- Make it with play dough or draw it huge with chalk outside.
- Find things that start with Y in the name: yo-yo, yellow, yacht, yawn.
- Read "The yellow yo-yo went up and down." together and let your child point to the Y.
If your child mixes up letters that look alike, that is very normal at this age. Y and V look alike. Y has a stem, V does not.
Questions about the letter Y
What sound does the letter Y make?
The letter Y makes the sound yuh, as in Yellow. Try saying it with a friend, then find three things in the room that start with that sound.
How do you write the letter Y?
Slide down to the middle on the left, slide down to the middle on the right so they meet, then draw a straight line down. Y is a tree with two branches.
What words start with Y?
Some easy words that start with Y are yo-yo, yellow, yacht, yawn. The yellow yo-yo went up and down.
Is Y a vowel or a consonant?
Y is usually a consonant, but in some words it works like a vowel, such as "my" and "happy".