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Unit 1: The basic 'Building Bricks' of the English language
Page 4 of 16

Unit 1: The basic 'Building Bricks' of the English language

Unit StartPage 1: An introduction to vowels and consonantsCourse Test: An introduction to vowels and consonantsPage 3: An introduction to vowels and consonantsCourse Test: Y: When is it a vowel? When is it a consonant?Page 5: Y: When is it a vowel? When is it a consonant?Page 6: Ways of spelling consonant and vowel soundsCourse Test: Long and short vowel soundsPage 8: Long and short vowel soundsCourse Test: An introduction to syllablesPage 10: An introduction to syllablesCourse Test: Introduction to prefixes and suffixesPage 12: Introduction to prefixes and suffixesCourse Test: SuffixesPage 14: SuffixesCourse Test: Spelling terms testPage 16: Spelling terms testUnit End

Page 4 of 16

Y: When is it a vowel?

A vowel is a sound that we can make without closing any part of the mouth or throat. To produce a consonant sound, we have to block the air flow from our mouths. Try saying consonants without closing your mouth!
Good luck!

Sometimes the letter y makes a vowel sound.

Say each group of words aloud and listen to the sound made by the letter y.
Y word consonant sound y word vowel sound y word vowel sound

In these words the letter y makes a consonant sound.

In both these sets the sound of the letter y is a vowel sound.
yellow
yak
yoghurt
yo-yo.		 sky
cry
fly
shy
July 		twenty
baby
happy
family


Read the following words and decide if the letter y has a vowel sound or a consonant sound.

Select consonant or vowel:
you consonant
vowel
sorry consonant
vowel
dry consonant
vowel
beyond consonant
vowel
silly consonant
vowel
dynamite consonant
vowel

X
X ⬊ ⬉
Please turn your screen to landscape to play this game.
X

The Spellzone interactive course is intended to be used online and may not be printed.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for our students!  I'm sure Spellzone will be invaluable in helping them to improve their spellings and therefore improve the quality of their writing in all subject areas!"

Teacher, High School, UK