Spelling list: y on the end

The long /i/ sound is a vowel sound used in English. You can hear it in words like time, ride, and cry.

The words in this list use the letter y to spell the long /i/ sound. Notice how, in these words, the long /i/ sound falls at the end of the word. While most words that end in a long /i/ sound are spelt with the letter y, there are exceptions like eye and dye.

As there are six different ways to spell the long /i/ sound, it is important to become familiar with those that use the y spelling. Use the spelling activities to learn the long /i/ words in the list.

cry
The baby started to cry when she was hungry. *
dry
I dry my hair with a towel. *
fry
Shall we fry an egg for breakfast? *
fly
I love to fly my kite. *
sly
The sly fox burrowed under the fence.
spy
The spy knew the secret code. *
shy
The boy felt shy on his first day of school. *
why
Why are you crying?
apply
He wanted to apply for a new job.
comply
Schools must comply with health and safety standards.
imply
What's the difference between imply and infer?
supply
We can supply your order next week.
defy
Rob tried to defy his mother's wishes.
deny
She had to deny any involvement in the robbery.
rely
You can rely on Brad to be on time.
reply
I need a reply by the weekend.
identify
I could identify him by his very long hair.
magnify
A microscope uses a lens to magnify a slide so we can examine it closely. *
multiply
The boy struggled to multiply numbers without a calculator.
July
I'm going to Spain in July.