View source for Y

{{Short description|Twenty-fifth letter of the Latin alphabet}}
{{hatnote group|
{{About|the letter of the Latin alphabet}}
{{distinguish|text=the Greek letters [[Υ]] or [[γ]], or the Cyrillic letters [[Ү]] or [[У]]}}
}}
{{pp-semi|small=yes}}
{{pp-move|small=yes}}
{{Infobox grapheme
|name = Y
|letter = Y y
|script=[[Latin script]]
|type=[[Alphabet]]
|typedesc=ic and [[logographic]]
|language=[[Latin ]]language
|phonemes={{flex list
|{{IPAblink|i}}
|{{IPAblink|iː}}
|{{IPAblink|y}}
|{{IPAblink|ɪ}}
|{{IPAblink|ʏ}}
|{{IPAblink|ɨ}}
|{{IPAblink|ɯ}}
|{{IPAblink|ɘ}}
|{{IPAblink|ə}}
|{{IPAblink|ɛː}}
|{{IPAblink|aː}}
|{{IPA|[ɛi]}}
|{{IPA|[æi]}}
|{{IPA|[aɪ]}}
|{{IPA|[ɑɪ]}}
|{{IPA|[ɒɪ]}}
|{{IPA|[ʌɪ]}}
|{{IPA|[əɪ]}}
|{{IPAblink|j}}
|{{IPAblink|ɥ}}
|{{IPAblink|ʝ}}
|{{IPAblink|ɟ͡ʝ}}
|{{IPAblink|d͡z}}
|{{IPAblink|ʔ}}
}}
|unicode=U+0059, U+0079
|alphanumber=25
|number=
|fam1=<hiero>T3</hiero>
|fam2=[[File:Proto-semiticW-01.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Waw]]
|fam3=[[File:PhoenicianW-01.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px]]
|fam4=[[Image:Phoenician waw.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Waw]]
|fam5=[[Image:Early Aramaic character - vav.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Waw]]
|fam6=[[Upsilon|Υ υ]]
|fam7=
|usageperiod= 54 CE to present
|children={{flex list|[[Welsh orthography|Ỿ]]|[[¥]]|[[Ꮙ]]|[[Ꮍ]]|[[Ꭹ]]}}
|sisters={{flex list|[[U]]|[[V]]|[[W]]|[[F]]|[[Ѵ]]|[[У]]|[[Ў]]|[[Ұ]]|[[Ү]]|[[Waw (letter)|<span>ו</span> <span>|</span> <span>و</span>
<span>|</span> <span>ܘ</span>]]|[[וּ]]|[[וֹ]]|[[ࠅ]]|[[𐎆]]|[[𐡅]]|[[ወ]]|[[ય]]|[[य]]|[[য়]]}}
|equivalents=
|associates=[[List of Latin-script digraphs#Y|y(x)]], [[Ly (digraph)|ly]], [[Ny (digraph)|ny]]
|direction=Left-to-right
|image=File:Latin_letter_Y.svg
|imageclass=skin-invert-image
}}
{{Latin letter info|y}}

'''Y''' ([[Letter case|minuscule]]: '''y''') is the twenty-fifth and penultimate [[Letter (alphabet)|letter]] of the [[Latin alphabet]], used in the [[English alphabet|modern English alphabet]], the alphabets of other western European languages, and others worldwide. According to some authorities, it is the sixth (or seventh if including [[W]]) [[vowel#Written vowels|vowel letter]] of the English alphabet.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Truth About 'Y': It's Mostly a Vowel |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/why-y-is-sometimes-a-vowel-usage |publisher=Merriam-Webster |access-date=14 July 2020 |archive-date=14 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714185532/https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/why-y-is-sometimes-a-vowel-usage |url-status=live }}</ref> Its name in English is [[English alphabet#Letter names|''wye'']]<ref>Also spelled ''wy'', and the plural is ''wyes''.</ref> (pronounced {{IPAc-en|'|w|aɪ|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Y.wav}}), plural ''wyes''.<ref>"Y", ''Oxford English Dictionary,'' 2nd edition (1989); ''Merriam-Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged'' (1993); "wy", ''op. cit''.</ref>

In [[English orthography|the English writing system]], it mostly represents a [[vowel]] and seldom a [[consonant]], and in other [[Orthography|orthographies]] it may represent a vowel or a consonant.

==Name==
In Latin, Y was named ''I graeca'' ("Greek I"), since the classical Greek sound {{IPA|/y/}}, similar to modern German ''ü'' or French ''u'', was not a native sound for Latin speakers, and the letter was initially only used to spell foreign words. This history has led to the standard modern names of the letter in Romance languages – ''i grego'' in Galician, ''i grega'' in Catalan, ''i grec'' in French and Romanian, and ''i greca'' in Italian – all meaning "Greek I". The names ''igrek'' in Polish and ''{{lang|vi|i gờ-rét}}'' in Vietnamese are both phonetic borrowings of the French name. In Dutch, the letter is either only found in loanwords, or is practically equivalent to the digraph [[IJ (digraph)|IJ]]. Hence, both ''Griekse ij'' and ''i-grec'' are used, as well as ''ypsilon''. In Spanish, Y is also called ''i griega''; however, in the twentieth century, the shorter name ''ye'' was proposed and was officially recognized as its name in 2010 by the [[Real Academia Española]], although its original name is still accepted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rae.es/rae/gestores/gespub000018.nsf/(voAnexos)/arch8100821B76809110C12571B80038BA4A/$File/CuestionesparaelFAQdeconsultas.htm#novOrto2|title=Propuesta de un solo nombre para cada una de las letras del abecedario|year=2010|editor=Real Academia Española|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230134236/http://www.rae.es/rae/gestores/gespub000018.nsf/(voAnexos)/arch8100821B76809110C12571B80038BA4A/$File/CuestionesparaelFAQdeconsultas.htm#novOrto2|archive-date=2010-12-30}}</ref>

The original Greek name, υ ψιλόν (''[[upsilon]]''), has also been adapted into several modern languages. For example, it is called ''Ypsilon'' in German, ''ypsilon'' in Dutch, and ''{{lang|is|ufsilon}} i'' in Icelandic. Both names are used in Italian, ''ipsilon'' or ''i greca''; likewise in Portuguese, ''ípsilon'' or ''i grego''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.omniglot.com/writing/portuguese.htm|title=Portuguese (Português)|website=Omniglot|access-date=May 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909165840/http://www.omniglot.com/writing/portuguese.htm|archive-date=September 9, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> In Czech, it is called both ''ypsilon'', as well as ''tvrdé Y'' ("hard Y") to distinguish it from ''měkké I'' ("soft I"), even though modern Czech makes no phonetic difference between the two vowels by themselves. In Faroese, the letter is simply called ''seinna i'' ("later i") because of its later place in the alphabet. France has a commune called [[Y, Somme|Y]], pronounced {{IPA|/i/|audio=LL-Q150 (fra)-Jules78120-i.wav}}, whose inhabitants go by the demonym ''upsilonienne''/''upsilonien'' in feminine and masculine form respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-23 |title=Bienvenue à Y, le village au nom le plus court de France |url=https://www.tf1info.fr/societe/video-insolite-bienvenue-a-y-le-village-au-nom-le-plus-court-de-france-2170878.html |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=TF1 INFO |language=fr}}</ref>

==History==
{| class="wikitable skin-invert-image" style="text-align: center;"
|- 
! [[Proto-Sinaitic script|Proto-Sinaitic]]
! [[Phoenician alphabet|Phoenician]]<br />[[Waw (letter)|waw]]
! [[Western Greek alphabet|Western Greek]]<br />[[Upsilon]]
! [[Latin]]<br />Y
|-
| [[File:Proto-semiticW-01.png|40px]]
| [[File:PhoenicianW-01.svg|frameless|40x40px]]
| [[File:Greek_Upsilon_normal.svg|40px]]
| [[File:Capitalis monumentalis Y.SVG|x30px|Latin Y]]
|}
The oldest direct ancestor of the letter Y was the [[Semitic alphabets|Semitic]] letter ''[[waw (letter)|waw]]'' (pronounced as {{IPA|[w]}}), from which also come [[F]], [[U]], [[V]], and [[W]]. See [[F]] for details. The Greek and Latin alphabets developed from the [[Phoenician alphabet|Phoenician]] form of this early alphabet.

The form of the modern letter Y is derived from the Greek letter [[upsilon]]. It dates back to the Latin of the first century BC, when upsilon was introduced a second time, this time with its "foot" to distinguish it. It was used to transcribe loanwords from the [[Attic Greek|Attic]] dialect of Greek, which had the non-Latin vowel sound {{IPA|/y/}} (as found in modern French ''cru'' (raw) or German ''grün'' (green)) in words that had been pronounced with {{IPA|/u/}} in earlier Greek.

Because {{IPA|[y]}} was not a native sound of Latin, Latin speakers had trouble pronouncing it, and it was usually pronounced {{IPA|/i/}}.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} Some Latin words of [[Italic languages|Italic]] origin also came to be spelled with 'y': Latin ''silva'' ('forest') was commonly spelled ''sylva'', in analogy with the Greek cognate and synonym ''[[wikt:ὕλη|ὕλη]]''.<ref>[[Oxford English Dictionary]] Second edition, 1989; online version June 2011, ''s.v.'' 'sylva'</ref>

===English===
{{refimprove section|date=March 2024}}
{| class="wikitable skin-invert-image" style="text-align:center"
|+Summary of the sources of [[Modern English]] "Y"
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Phoenician alphabet|Phoenician]]!! rowspan="2" | [[Greek alphabet|Greek]]!! rowspan="2" | Latin !! colspan="3" | &nbsp;English (''approximate'' times of changes)
|-
! [[Old English|Old]]!! [[Middle English|Middle]]!! [[Modern English|Modern]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[File:Phoenician waw.svg|75px]] || rowspan="2" | [[File:Upsilon uc lc.svg|100px]] || V → ||U → || V/U/VV/UU → ||V/U/W
|-
| Y → || '''Y (vowel {{IPA|/y/}})''' → || '''Y (vowel {{IPA|/i/}})''' → || '''Y (vowels)'''
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[File:Phoenician gimel.svg|75px]] || rowspan="3" |[[File:Gamma uc lc.svg|100px]] || colspan="4" | C →
|-
| rowspan="2" | G → || rowspan="2" |'''Ᵹ (consonantal {{IPA|/ɡ/}}, {{IPA|/j/}} or {{IPA|/ɣ/}}''') → || rowspan="2" |'''Ȝ''' '''(consonantal {{IPA|/ɡ/}}, {{IPA|/j/}} or {{IPA|/ɣ/}}''') →
|G/GH
|-
|'''Y (consonant)'''
|-
|}

====Vowel====
The letter Y was used to represent the sound {{IPA|/y/}} in [[Old English]], so Latin {{angbr|u}}, {{angbr|y}} and {{angbr|i}} were all used to represent distinct vowel sounds. But, by the time of [[Middle English]], {{IPA|/y/}} had lost its [[roundedness]] and became identical to {{angbr|i}} ({{IPA|/iː/}} and {{IPA|/ɪ/}}). Therefore, many words that originally had {{angbr|i}} were spelled with {{angbr|y}}, and vice versa.

In Modern English, {{angbr|y}} can represent the same vowel sounds as the letter {{angbr|i}}. The use of {{angbr|y}} to represent a vowel is more restricted in Modern English than it was in Middle and early Modern English. It occurs mainly in the following three environments: [[Greek words in English#The written form of Greek words in English|for upsilon in Greek loan-words]] (''s'''y'''stem'': Greek σ'''ύ'''στημα), at the end of a word (''rye, city''; compare ''cities'', where S is final), and in place of I before the ending ''-ing'' (''dy-ing'', ''ty-ing'').

====Consonant====
As a consonant in English, {{angbr|y}} normally represents a [[palatal approximant]], {{IPA|/j/}} ('''''y'''ear'', '''''y'''ore''). In this usage, the letter Y has replaced the [[Middle English]] letter ''[[yogh]]'' (Ȝȝ), which developed from the letter [[G]], ultimately from Semitic ''[[gimel]]''. Yogh could also represent other sounds, such as {{IPA|/ɣ/}}, which came to be written ''[[gh (digraph)|gh]]'' in Middle English.

====Confusion in writing with the letter ''thorn''====
When printing was introduced to Great Britain, [[William Caxton|Caxton]] and other English printers used Y in place of Þ ([[thorn (letter)|thorn]]: Modern English ''th''), which did not exist in continental [[typeface]]s. From this convention comes the spelling of ''the'' as ''ye'' in the mock archaism ''[[Ye olde|Ye Olde Shoppe]]''. But, in spite of the spelling, pronunciation was the same as for modern ''the'' (stressed {{IPA|/ðiː/}}, unstressed {{IPA|/ðə/}}). Pronouncing the article ''ye'' as ''yee'' ({{IPA|/jiː/}}) is purely a modern [[spelling pronunciation]].<ref>{{Citation
  | contribution = Ye
  | year = 1996
  | title = The New Fowler's Modern English Usage
  | editor-last = Burchfield
  | editor-first = R.W.
  | edition = 3rd
  | pages = 860
  | place = Oxford
  | publisher = Clarendon Press
  }}
</ref>

===Other languages===
In some of the [[Nordic languages]], {{angbr|y}} is used to represent the sound {{IPA|/y/}}. The distinction between {{IPA|/y/}} and {{IPA|/i/}} has been lost in [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] and [[Faroese language|Faroese]], making the distinction purely orthographic and historical. A similar merger of {{IPA|/y/}} into {{IPA|/i/}} happened in Greek around the beginning of the 2nd millennium, making the distinction between iota (Ι, ι) and upsilon (Υ, υ) purely a matter of historical spelling there as well. The distinction is retained in [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], and [[Swedish language|Swedish]].

In the [[West Slavic languages]], {{angbr|y}} was adopted as a sign for the close central unrounded vowel {{IPA|/ɨ/}}; later, {{IPA|/ɨ/}} merged with {{IPA|/i/}} in Czech and Slovak, whereas Polish retains it with the pronunciation {{IPA|[ɘ]}}. Similarly, in [[Middle Welsh]], {{angbr|y}} came to be used to designate the vowels {{IPA|/ɨ/}} and {{IPA|/ɘ/}} in a way predictable from the position  of the vowel in the word. Since then, {{IPA|/ɨ/}} has merged with {{IPA|/i/}} in Southern Welsh dialects, but {{IPA|/ɘ/}} is retained.

==Use in writing systems==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|+ Pronunciation of {{angbr|y}} by language
! Orthography
! Phonemes
|-
! [[Afrikaans alphabet|Afrikaans]]
| {{IPA|/əi/}}
|-
! [[Albanian orthography|Albanian]]
| {{IPAslink|y}}
|-
! [[Alemannic German|Alemannic]]
| {{IPAslink|iː}}
|-
! [[Azerbaijani alphabet|Azerbaijani]]
| {{IPAslink|j}}
|-
! [[Chamorro alphabet|Chamorro]]
| {{IPAslink|d͡z}}
|-
! {{nwr|[[Standard Chinese]]}} ([[pinyin]])
| {{IPAslink|j}}
|-
! [[Cornish orthography|Cornish]]
| {{IPAslink|i}}, {{IPAslink|ɪ}}, {{IPAslink|j}}
|-
! [[Czech orthography|Czech]]
| {{IPAslink|i}}
|-
! [[Danish orthography|Danish]]
| {{IPAslink|y}}, {{IPAslink|ʏ}}
|-
! [[Dutch orthography|Dutch]]
| {{IPA|/ɛi/}}, {{IPAslink|i}}, {{IPAslink|ɪ}}, {{IPAslink|j}}
|-
! [[English orthography|English]]
| {{IPAslink|ɪ}}, {{IPA|/aɪ/}}, {{IPAslink|i}}, {{IPAslink|ə}}, {{IPAslink|ɜː}}, {{IPA|/aɪə/}}, {{IPAslink|j}}
|-
! [[Faroese orthography|Faroese]]
| {{IPAslink|i}}
|-
! [[Finnish orthography|Finnish]]
| {{IPAslink|y}}
|-
! [[German orthography|German]]
| {{IPAslink|y}}, {{IPAslink|ʏ}}, {{IPAslink|j}}
|-
! [[Guarani alphabet|Guarani]]
| {{IPAslink|ɨ}}
|-
! [[Icelandic orthography|Icelandic]]
| {{IPAslink|ɪ}}
|-
![[Indonesian language|Indonesian]]
| {{IPAslink|j}}
|-
! [[Khasi language|Khasi]]
| {{IPAslink|ɨ}}, {{IPAslink|ʔ}}
|-
! [[Lithuanian orthography|Lithuanian]]
| {{IPAslink|iː}}
|-
! [[Malagasy alphabet|Malagasy]]
| {{IPAslink|i}}
|-
! [[Manx orthography|Manx]]
| {{IPAslink|ə}}
|-
! [[Norwegian orthography|Norwegian]]
| {{IPAslink|y}}, {{IPAslink|ʏ}}
|-
! [[Polish orthography|Polish]]
| {{IPAslink|ɨ}}
|-
! [[Slovak orthography|Slovak]]
| {{IPAslink|i}}
|-
! [[Spanish orthography|Spanish]]
| {{IPAslink|ʝ}}
|-
! [[Swedish orthography|Swedish]]
| {{IPAslink|y}}, {{IPAslink|ʏ}}, {{IPAslink|j}}
|-
! [[Turkish alphabet|Turkish]]
| {{IPAslink|j}}
|-
! [[Turkmen orthography|Turkmen]]
| {{IPAslink|ɯ}}
|-
! [[Uzbek alphabet|Uzbek]]
| {{IPAslink|j}}
|-
! [[Vietnamese orthography|Vietnamese]]
| {{IPAslink|i}}
|-
! [[Welsh orthography|Welsh]]
| {{IPAslink|ɨ̞}} or {{IPAslink|ɪ}}, {{IPAslink|ɨː}} or {{IPAslink|iː}}, {{IPAslink|ə}}, {{IPAslink|ə}} or {{IPAslink|əː}}
|}   

===English===
As {{IPAc-en|j}}:
* at the beginning of a word, as in ''yes''
* at the beginning of a syllable before a vowel, as in ''beyond'', ''lawyer'', ''canyon''
As {{IPAc-en|aɪ}}:
* under stress in an open syllable, as in ''my'', ''type'', ''rye'', ''lying'', ''pyre'', ''tyre'', ''typhoon''
* in a stressed open syllable, as in ''hyphen'', ''cycle'', ''cylon''
* in a pretonic open syllable, as in ''hypothesis'', ''psychologist''
* word-finally after a consonant in some words, such as ''ally'', ''unify''
As {{IPAc-en|i}}:
* without stress at the end of multi-syllable word, as in ''happy'', ''baby'', ''lucky'', ''accuracy''
* used as a part of the [[digraph (orthography)|digraph]] {{angbr|ey}} at the end of some words, as in ''money'', ''key'', ''valley''
As non-syllabic {{IPA|[ɪ̯]}} (part of the [[diphthong]]s {{IPAc-en|eɪ}}, {{IPAc-en|ɔɪ}}):
* after vowels at the end of words, as in ''play'', ''grey'', ''boy''
As {{IPAc-en|ɪ}}:
* in a closed syllable without stress and with stress as in ''myth'', ''system'', ''gymnastics''
* in a closed syllable under stress as in ''typical'', ''lyric''
* in an open syllable without stress as in ''physique'', ''oxygen''
Other:
* combining with {{angbr|r}} as {{IPAc-en|ɜːr}} under stress (like {{angbr|i}} in ''bird''), as in ''myrtle'', ''myrrh''
* as {{IPAc-en|ə}} ([[schwa]]) in words like ''martyr''

In [[English language|English]] [[morphology (linguistics)|morphology]], ''-y'' is an [[adjective|adjectival]] suffix.

Y is the [[Letter frequency|ninth least frequently used letter]] in the English language (after [[P]], [[B]], [[V]], [[K]], [[J]], [[X]], [[Q]], and [[Z]]), with a frequency of about 2% in words.

===Other languages===
[[File:Pronouciation_of_Y.png|thumb|Pronunciation of written {{angbr|y}} in European languages (Actual pronunciation may vary)]]

In [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and [[German language|German]], {{angbr|y}} appears only in [[loanword]]s and [[proper name]]s:
* In Dutch, it usually represents {{IPA|/i/}}. It may sometimes be left out of the [[Dutch alphabet]] and replaced with the {{angbr|[[IJ (digraph)|ij]]}} digraph, representing the diphthong {{IPA |[ɛi]}}. In addition, {{angbr|y}} and {{angbr|ÿ}} are occasionally used instead of Dutch {{angbr|IJ}} and {{angbr|ij}}, although this spelling is archaic.
* In [[German orthography]], the pronunciation {{IPA|/yː/}} has taken hold since the 19th century in classical loanwords – for instance in words like ''typisch'' {{IPA|/ˈtyːpɪʃ/}} 'typical', ''Hyäne'', ''Hysterie'', ''mysteriös'', ''Syndrom'', ''System'', and ''Typ''. It is also used for the sound {{IPA|/j/}} in loanwords, such as ''Yacht'' (variation spelling: '''''J'''acht''), ''Yak'', and ''Yeti''. However, ''yo-yo'' is spelled "'''''J'''o-'''J'''o''" in German, and ''yoghurt''/''yogurt''/''yoghourt'' is "'''''J'''oghurt''". The letter {{angbr|y}} is also used in many geographical names, e.g. ''Bayern'' Bavaria, ''Ägypten'' Egypt, ''Libyen'' Libya, ''Paraguay'', ''Syrien'' Syria, ''Uruguay'', and ''Zypern'' Cyprus (but '''''J'''emen'' for ''Yemen'' and '''''J'''ugoslawien'' for ''Yugoslavia''). Especially in German names, the pronunciations {{IPA|/iː/}} or {{IPA|/ɪ/}} occur as well; for instance, in the name ''[[Meyer (surname)|Meyer]]'', where it serves as a variant of {{angbr|i}}, {{Cf.}}''[[Meier (surname)|Meier]]'', another common spelling of the name. In German, the y is preserved in the plural form of some loanwords such as ''Bab'''y'''s'', 'bab'''ie'''s' and ''Part'''y'''s'', 'part'''ie'''s'.

A {{angbr|y}} that derives from the {{angbr|ij}} ligature occurs in the [[Afrikaans language]], a descendant of Dutch, and in [[Alemannic German]] names. In Afrikaans, it denotes the diphthong {{IPA|[əi]}}. In Alemannic German names, it denotes long {{IPA|/iː/}}, for instance in ''[[Schnyder]]'' {{IPA|de-CH|ˈʃniːdər|}} or ''[[Schwyz]]'' {{IPA|de|ʃviːts|}} – the cognate non-Alemannic German names ''[[Schneider (surname)|Schneider]]'' {{IPA|de-CH|ˈʃnaɪdər|}} or ''[[Schweiz]]'' {{IPA|de|ʃvaɪts|}} have the diphthong {{IPA|/aɪ/}} that developed from long {{IPA|/iː/}}.

The letter {{angbr|y}} represents the sounds {{IPA|/y/}} or {{IPA|/ʏ/}} (sometimes long) in [[Old Norse]] and their descendants such as [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], and [[Swedish language|Swedish]] with the exception of [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]]. In Danish and Swedish, its use as a semivowel ({{IPA|/j/}}) is limited to [[loanword]]s, whereas in [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], it appears as a semivowel in native words such as ''høyre'' {{IPA|/²hœʏ̯.rə/}}.

In [[Icelandic orthography|Icelandic writing system]], due to the loss of the Old Norse rounding of the vowel {{IPA|/y/}}, the letters {{angbr|y}} and {{angbr|ý}} are now pronounced identically to the letters {{angbr|i}} and {{angbr|í}}, namely as {{IPA|/ɪ/}} and  {{IPA|/i/}} respectively. The difference in spelling is thus purely etymological. In [[Faroese language|Faroese]], too, the contrast has been lost, and {{angbr|y}} is always pronounced {{IPA|/i/}}, whereas the accented versions {{angbr|ý}} and {{angbr|í}} designate the same diphthong {{IPA|/ʊi/}} (shortened to {{IPA|/u/}} in some environments). In both languages, it can also form part of diphthongs such as {{angbr|ey}} (in both languages), pronounced {{IPA|/ei/}}, and {{angbr|oy}}, pronounced {{IPA|/ɔi/}} (Faroese only).

In [[French orthography]], {{angbr|y}} is pronounced as {{IPA|[i]}} when a vowel (as in the words ''cycle'', ''y'') and as {{IPA|[j]}} as a consonant (as in ''yeux'', ''voyez''). It alternates orthographically with {{angbr|i}} in the conjugations of some verbs, indicating a {{IPA|[j]}} sound. In most cases when {{angbr|y}} follows a vowel, it modifies the pronunciation of the vowel: {{angbr|ay}} {{IPA|[ɛ]}}, {{angbr|oy}} {{IPA|[wa]}}, {{angbr|uy}} {{IPA|[ɥi]}}. The letter {{angbr|y}} has double function (modifying the vowel as well as being pronounced as {{IPA|[j]}} or {{IPA|[i]}}) in the words ''payer'', ''balayer'', ''moyen'', ''essuyer'', ''pays'', etc., but in some words it has only a single function: {{IPA|[j]}} in ''bayer'', ''mayonnaise'', ''coyote''; modifying the vowel at the end of proper names like ''Chardonnay'' and ''Fourcroy''. In French, {{angbr|y}} can have a [[Diaeresis (diacritic)|diaeresis]] (''tréma'') as in [[Moÿ-de-l'Aisne]].
[[File:Santiago de Parada, Nigrán, YGLESIA DE REFVGIO 1835.jpg|thumb|This church at [[Nigrán]], Spain, is labeled as {{lang|es-ES|YGLESIA DE REFVGIO}}. It would be {{lang|es|iglesia de refugio}} ("[[sanctuary]] church") in modern orthography.|alt=A niche with a white statue of Saint James. Under it, the top of a gate is visible. On it is engraved "YGLESIA DE REFVGIO"]]
In [[Spanish orthography|Spanish]], {{angbr|y}} was used as a word-initial form of {{angbr|i}} that was more visible. (German has used {{angbr|j}} in a similar way.) Hence, {{lang|es|[[yoke and arrows|el yugo y las flechas]]}} was a symbol sharing the initials of [[Isabella I of Castille]] ({{lang|osp|Ysabel}}) and [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]]. This spelling was reformed by the [[Royal Spanish Academy]] and currently is only found in proper names spelled archaically, such as [[Ybarra]] or [[CYII]], the symbol of the {{lang|es-ES|[[Canal de Isabel II]]}}. Appearing alone as a word, the letter {{angbr|y}} is a [[grammatical conjunction]] with the meaning "[[Conjunction (grammar)|and]]" in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and is pronounced {{IPA|/i/}}. As a consonant, {{angbr|y}} represents {{IPAblink|ʝ}} in Spanish. The letter is called {{lang|es-ES|i/y griega}}, literally meaning "Greek I", after the Greek letter [[ypsilon]], or {{lang|es|ye}}.

In [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], {{angbr|y}} (called ''ípsilon'' in [[Brazil]], and either ''ípsilon'' or ''i grego'' in [[Portugal]]) was, together with {{angbr|k}} and {{angbr|w}}, recently reintroduced as the 25th letter, and 19th consonant, of the [[Portuguese alphabet]], in consequence of the [[Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990]]. It is mostly used in loanwords from English, [[Japanese language|Japanese]] and Spanish. Loanwords in general, primarily [[French language|gallicisms]] in both varieties, are more common in [[Brazilian Portuguese]] than in [[European Portuguese]]. It was always common for Brazilians to stylize [[Tupi language|Tupi]]-influenced names of their children with the letter (which is present in most Romanizations of [[Old Tupi]]) e.g. Guaracy, Jandyra, Mayara – though placenames and loanwords derived from indigenous origins had the letter substituted for {{angbr|[[i]]}} over time e.g. ''Nictheroy'' became ''[[Niterói]]''. Usual pronunciations are {{IPAslink|i}}, {{IPAblink|j}}, {{IPAblink|ɪ}} and {{IPAslink|ɯ|ɨ}} (the two latter ones are inexistent in European and Brazilian Portuguese varieties respectively, being both substituted by {{IPAslink|i}} in other dialects). The letters {{angbr|[[i]]}} and {{angbr|y}} are regarded as phonemically not dissimilar, though the first corresponds to a vowel and the latter to a consonant, and both can correspond to a [[semivowel]] depending on its place in a word.

[[Italian language|Italian]], too, has {{angbr|y}} (''ipsilon'') in a small number of loanwords. The letter is also common in some surnames native to the German-speaking province of Bolzano, such as Mayer or Mayr.

In [[Guaraní language|Guaraní]], it represents the vowel {{IPAblink|ɨ}}.

In [[Polish language|Polish]], it represents the vowel {{IPAblink|ɘ}} (or, according to some descriptions, {{IPAblink|ɨ̞}}), which contrasts with {{IPAblink|i}}, e.g. ''my'' (we) and ''mi'' (me). No native Polish word begins with {{angbr|y}}; very few foreign words keep {{angbr|y}} at the beginning, e.g. ''yeti'' (pronounced {{IPA|[ˈjɛtʲi]}}).

In [[Czech language|Czech]] and [[Slovak language|Slovak]], the distinction between the vowels expressed by {{angbr|y}} and {{angbr|i}}, as well as by  {{angbr|ý}} and {{angbr|í}} has been lost (similarly to Icelandic and Faroese), but the consonants ''d, t, n'' (also ''l'' in Slovak) before orthographic (and historical) {{angbr|y}} are not palatalized, whereas they are before {{angbr|i}}. Therefore, {{angbr|y}} is called ''tvrdé y'' (hard y), while {{angbr|i}} is ''měkké i'' (soft i). {{angbr|ý}} can never begin any word, while {{angbr|y}} can never begin a native word. 

In [[Welsh language|Welsh]], it is usually pronounced {{IPAblink|ə}} in non-final syllables and {{IPAblink|ɨ}} or {{IPAblink|i}} (depending on the accent) in final syllables.

In the [[Standard Written Form]] of the [[Cornish Language]], it represents the {{IPAblink|ɪ}} and {{IPAblink|ɪː}} of [[Revived Middle Cornish]] and the {{IPAblink|ɪ}} and {{IPAblink|iː}} of [[Revived Late Cornish]]. It can also represent [[Tudor Cornish|Tudor]] and Revived Late Cornish {{IPAblink|ɛ}} and {{IPAblink|eː}} and consequently be replaced in writing with {{angbr|e}}. It is also used in forming a number of [[Standard Written Form#Diphthongs|diphthongs]]. As a consonant it represents {{IPAblink|j}}.

In [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[Karelian language|Karelian]] and [[Albanian language|Albanian]], {{angbr|y}} is always pronounced {{IPAblink|y}}. In Finnish and Karelian, the letter may be doubled to represent a long vowel: {{angbr|yy}} {{IPAblink|yː}}.

In [[Estonian language|Estonian]], {{angbr|y}} is used in foreign proper names and is pronounced as in the source language. It is also unofficially used as a substitute for {{angbr|ü}} and is pronounced the same as in [[Finnish language|Finnish]].

In [[Hungarian orthography]], y is only used in the digraphs "gy", "ly", "ny", "ty", in some surnames (e.g. ''Bátory''), and in foreign words.

In [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], {{angbr|y}} is the 15th letter (following {{angbr|į}} and preceding {{angbr|j}} in the alphabet) and is a vowel. It is called ''the long i'' and is pronounced {{IPA|/iː/}}, like in English ''see''.

When used as a vowel in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]], the letter {{angbr|y}} represents the sound {{IPA|/i/}}; when it is a monophthong, it is functionally equivalent to the Vietnamese letter {{angbr|i}}. There have been efforts to replace all such uses with {{angbr|y}} altogether, but they have been largely unsuccessful. As a consonant, it represents the [[palatal approximant]]. The capital letter {{angbr|Y}} is also used in Vietnamese as a [[given name]].

In [[Aymara language|Aymara]], [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]]/[[Malaysian language|Malaysian]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Quechua languages|Quechua]] and the [[romanization of Japanese]], ⟨y⟩ is always a [[palatal consonant]], denoting {{IPAblink|j}}, as in English.

In [[Malagasy language|Malagasy]], the letter {{angbr|y}} represents the final variation of {{IPA|/ɨ/}}.

In [[Turkmen language|Turkmen]], {{angbr|y}} represents {{IPAblink|ɯ}}.

In [[Washo language|Washo]], lower-case {{angbr|y}} represents a typical wye sound, while upper-case {{angbr|Y}} represents a [[Voicelessness|voiceless]] wye sound, a bit like the consonant in English ''hue''.

===Other systems===
In the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]], {{angbr IPA|y}} corresponds to the [[close front rounded vowel]], and the related character {{angbr IPA|ʏ}} corresponds to the [[near-close near-front rounded vowel]].

==Other uses==
{{main article|Y (disambiguation)}}

* In [[mathematics]], ''y'' is commonly used as the name for a [[dependent variable]]. The modern tradition of using ''x'', ''y'' and ''z'' to represent an [[Unknown (mathematics)|unknown (''incognita'')]] was introduced by [[René Descartes]] in ''[[La Géométrie]]'' (1637).<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_byqAAAAQBAJ&q=unknown&pg=PA380 |title=A History of Mathematical Notations |first=Florian |last=Cajori |publisher=Open Court Publishing |year=1928 |place=Chicago |page=381 |isbn=9780486161167 |access-date=2020-11-22 |archive-date=2021-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413173747/https://books.google.com/books?id=_byqAAAAQBAJ&q=unknown&pg=PA380 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* The [[SI prefix]] for [[Orders of magnitude (numbers)#1024|10<sup>24</sup>]] is [[yotta]], abbreviated by the letter Y.

==Related characters==
[[File:Y-like European letters.svg|class=skin-invert-image|thumb|[[U (Cyrillic)|Cyrillic '''У''']], Latin '''Y''' and [[Upsilon|Greek '''Υ''' and '''ϒ''']] in [[w:GNU FreeFont|FreeSerif]] – one of the few typefaces that distinguish between the Latin and the Greek form]]
[[File:Station Rijssen.jpg|thumb|The Dutch [[IJ (digraph)|digraph IJ]] is sometimes written like a [[U (Cyrillic)|Cyrillic У]].]]
<!-- Please only list characters (symbols in a writing system, but not just convenience code points in Unicode) that are actually related in terms of origin to the letter that is the topic of this article. Characters that merely look subjectively similar need not apply. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Identifying_reliable_sources before adding more. -->

===Descendants and related characters in the Latin alphabet===
*Y with [[diacritic]]s: [[Ý|Ý ý]] [[Grave accent|Ỳ ỳ]] [[Circumflex|Ŷ ŷ]] [[Diaeresis (diacritic)|Ÿ ÿ]] [[Tilde|Ỹ ỹ]] [[Dot (diacritic)|Ẏ ẏ Ỵ ỵ]] [[ẙ]] [[Ỷ|Ỷ ỷ]] [[Ȳ|Ȳ ȳ]] [[Y with stroke|Ɏ ɏ]] [[Ƴ|Ƴ ƴ]]
* {{IPA link|ʎ}} and {{IPA link|ʏ}} are used in the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] (IPA)
* [[International Phonetic Alphabet#Superscript IPA|IPA superscript letters]]: 𐞠<ref name="L220252">{{Cite web|title=L2/20-252R: Unicode request for IPA modifier-letters (a), pulmonic|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2020/20252r-mod-ipa-a.pdf|date=2020-11-08|first1=Kirk|last1=Miller|first2=Michael|last2=Ashby}}</ref> 𐞲<ref name="L220252" /> 𐞡<ref name="L220116">{{Cite web|title=L2/20-116R: Expansion of the extIPA and VoQS|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2020/20116r-ext-ipa-voqs-expansion.pdf|date=2020-07-11|first1=Kirk|last1=Miller|first2=Martin|last2=Ball}}</ref><ref name="L221021">{{Cite web|title=L2/21-021: Reference doc numbers for L2/20-266R "Consolidated code chart of proposed phonetic characters" and IPA etc. code point and name changes|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2021/21021-consolidated-ipa.pdf|date=2020-12-07|first=Deborah|last=Anderson}}</ref>
* 𝼆 : Small letter turned y with belt is an [[Extensions to the International Phonetic Alphabet|extension to IPA]] for disordered speech (extIPA)<ref name="L220116" /><ref name="L221021" />
* {{Unichar|AB5A|LATIN SMALL LETTER Y WITH SHORT RIGHT LEG}} is used in the [[Teuthonista]] phonetic transcription system<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2011/11202-n4081-teuthonista.pdf|title=L2/11-202: Revised proposal to encode "Teuthonista" phonetic characters in the UCS|date=2011-06-02|first1=Michael|last1=Everson|first2=Alois|last2=Dicklberger|first3=Karl|last3=Pentzlin|first4=Eveline|last4=Wandl-Vogt|access-date=2018-03-24|archive-date=2017-10-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011012426/http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2011/11202-n4081-teuthonista.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[ʸ]] is used for phonetic transcription
*Ỿ ỿ : Y with loop is used by some Welsh medievalists to indicate the schwa sound of {{angbr|y}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2006/06027-n3027-medieval.pdf|title=L2/06-027: Proposal to add Medievalist characters to the UCS|date=2006-01-30|first1=Michael|last1=Everson|first2=Peter|last2=Baker|first3=António|last3=Emiliano|first4=Florian|last4=Grammel|first5=Odd Einar|last5=Haugen|first6=Diana|last6=Luft|first7=Susana|last7=Pedro|first8=Gerd|last8=Schumacher|first9=Andreas|last9=Stötzner|access-date=2018-03-24|archive-date=2018-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919051622/https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2006/06027-n3027-medieval.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Ancestors and siblings in other alphabets===
*𐤅: [[Phoenician alphabet|Semitic]] letter [[Waw (letter)|Waw]], from which the following symbols originally derive:
**Υ υ : [[Greek alphabet|Greek]] letter [[Upsilon]], from which Y derives
***{{Script|Copt|Ⲩ ⲩ}} : [[Coptic alphabet|Coptic]] letter epsilon/he (not to be confused with the unrelated Greek letter Ε ε called [[epsilon]])
***𐌖 : [[Old Italic script|Old Italic]] U/V, which is the ancestor of modern Latin V and U
***{{Script|Goth|𐍅}} : [[Gothic alphabet|Gothic]] letter {{lang|got|uuinne|italic=no}}/{{lang|got|vinja|italic=no}}, which is transliterated as w
***У у : [[Cyrillic]] letter [[U (Cyrillic)|U]], which derives from Greek upsilon via the digraph omicron-upsilon used to represent the sound /u/
***Ѵ ѵ : [[Cyrillic]] letter [[izhitsa]], which derives from Greek upsilon and represents the sounds /i/ or /v/. This letter is archaic in the modern writing systems of the living [[Slavic languages]], but it is still used in the writing system of the Slavic [[liturgical language]] [[Church Slavonic]].
***Ү ү : Cyrillic letter [[Ue (Cyrillic)|Ue]] (or ''straight U'')
***Ұ ұ : [[Kazakh Short U]]

===Derived signs, symbols and abbreviations===
* ¥ : [[¥|Yen sign]]
* ⓨ : In Japan, ⓨ is a symbol used for [[resale price maintenance]].

{{anchor|Technical notes}}

== Other representations ==
=== Computing <span class="anchor" id="Computing codes"></span> ===
* {{unichar| 0059}}
* {{unichar| 0079}}
* {{unichar| FF39 |nlink=Halfwidth and fullwidth forms}}
* {{unichar| FF59}}

===Other===
{{Letter other reps
|NATO=Yankee
|Morse=–·––
|Character=Y
|Braille=⠽
|fingerspelling=Y
}}
{{clear}}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons-inline}}
*{{Wiktionary-inline|Y}}
*{{Wiktionary-inline|y}}
{{Latin alphabet|Y|}}

[[Category:ISO basic Latin letters]]
[[Category:Vowel letters]]