Within the Spanish language, the letter “Y” will be pronounced in two alternative ways, relying on its place in a phrase. When it seems at first of a phrase or after a consonant, it’s pronounced as a consonant, much like the “y” within the English phrase “sure”. Nevertheless, when it seems after a vowel, it’s pronounced as a vowel, much like the “i” within the English phrase “sit”.
This distinction is essential for proper pronunciation in Spanish. For instance, the phrase “yo” (I) is pronounced with a consonant “y” sound, whereas the phrase “hay” (there’s) is pronounced with a vowel “i” sound. The identical is true for different phrases comparable to “ya” (already), “ayer” (yesterday), and “mayo” (Could).
