Y is the twenty-sixth letter and the twenty-first consonant of the Spanish alphabet. It is an average-frequency letter in Spanish.
¿Cuándo te sacan el yeso?
When does the cast come off?La infusión conocida como mate se hace con yerba.
The infusion known as maté is made with yerba maté.
The letter Y may appear in initial, middle, or final position in the word:
- Words starting with Y: yacaré (cayman), yerno (son-in-law), yacer (to lie).
- Words with Y in them: ayuda (help), ayer (yesterday), mayo (May).
- Words ending in Y: rey (king), ley (law), muy (very).
Pronunciation tip: The Spanish letter Y may have two different pronunciations:
- Consonant sound. It is pronounced /sh/, much like the initial sound in “show”, when it appears in initial position in a word or syllable:
yugo, ensayo, joya - Vowel sound. It is pronounced /j/, much like the initial sound in “year”, when it appears in word final position, or as a stand-alone word used as a conjunction (meaning “and”):
hoy, buey, y
Important: In many Spanish-speaking countries, the letter Y has the same pronunciation as the digraph ll:
Fun fact: The Spanish letter Y has two possible names: ye (wye) or i griega (literally meaning “Greek i").
Spanish nouns that start with Y
| yate yacht | yacaré cayman | yarda yard |
| yema yolk | Yago Iago | yuan yuan |
| yogur yogurt | yarará rattlesnake | Yucatán Yucatán |
| yoyó yo-yo | yegua mare | yute jute |
| yugo yoke | York York | Yemen Yemen |
| yerba yerba maté | Yakarta Jakarta | yapa bonus |
| yeso plaster | yerno son-in-law | yudo judo |
| yodo iodine | yunta yoke | yuyal scrubland |
| yacimiento deposit, site | yoga yoga | yeti yeti |
| yunque anvil | yelmo helmet | Yolanda Yolanda |
Voy a clases de yoga los miércoles y viernes.
I go to yoga classes on Wednesdays and Fridays.La península de Yucatán se encuentra en México.
The Yucatán Peninsula is situated in Mexico.En esta zona pantanosa habitan muchos yacarés.
This swampy area is home to many caymans.El yuan es la moneda de China y el yen es la de Japón.
The yuan is the currency of China, and the yen is that of Japan.
- See also: Spanish nouns
Spanish adjectives that start with Y
| yacente recumbent | yemení Yemeni | yucateco Yucatec (Indigenous people of the Yucatán Peninsula) |
| yermo barren | yerto stiff | yihadista jihadist |
| yerbatero pertaining yerba maté | yodado iodized | yibutiano Djiboutian (of/from Djibouti) |
| yugoslavo Yugoslavian | yuxtapuesto juxtaposed | yeclano (of/from Yecla) |
El abuelo de mi mejor amigo era yugoslavo.
My best friend's grandfather was Yugoslavian.Las partes yuxtapuestas de este collage quedan fabulosas.
The juxtaposed parts of this collage look fabulous.Este terreno quedó yermo tras el ataque enemigo.
This land became barren after the enemy attack.El ataque yihadista provocó cien muertos.
The jihadist attack caused a hundred deaths.
- See also: Spanish adjectives
Spanish verbs that start with Y
| yacer to lie | yuxtaponer juxtapose | yodar to apply iodine |
| yermar to leave barren | yugular to nip in the bud | yodurar to apply iodide |
El cuerpo del soldado yacía yerto en el campo de combate.
The soldier’s stiff body lay on the battlefield.Si se yuxtapone esta imagen con esta otra, ¿qué ves?
If you juxtapose this image with this other one, what do you see?
- See also: Spanish verbs
Spanish words with Y in them
| playa beach | leyenda legend | creyente believer |
| arroyo stream | Uruguay Uruguay | rayar to scratch |
| mayúscula capital letter | apoyo support | onomatopeya onomatopoeia |
| payaso clown | inyección injection, shot | desayuno breakfast |
| mayor older | cayo cay | boya buoy |
| ensayo rehearsal | papaya papaya | proyección projection, screening |
| mayordomo butler | ayuntamiento town hall | coyuntura circumstances |
| joyero jeweler | desmayarse to faint | plebeyo plebeian |
| subrayar to underline | zarigüeya opossum | ayudante assistant |
| influyente influential | trayectoria career | neoyorquino of/from New York |
La trayectoria de este escritor es impresionante.
This writer’s career is impressive.Algunas frutas típicas de Brasil son la papaya, el mango y la guayaba.
Some typical fruits from Brazil are papaya, mango, andesguava.Se rayó la pantalla de mi Iphone.
The screen of my iPhone got scratched.Este verano visitaremos las playas de Uruguay.
This summer we will visit the beaches of Uruguay.
- See also: Spanish words
Spanish words with Y according to pronunciation
Important: Few words with Y in initial or middle position are pronounced /j/. These are words that retain an archaic spelling, are loanwords, or acronyms: Ollantaytambo, Yves, Conacyt.
More everyday Spanish words with Y in them
Some more everyday Spanish words with Y in them include:
tuyo
yours
suyo
his, hers
cuyo
whose
¡Ay!
Ouch!
¡Ey!
Hey!
¡Uy!
Ugh!
¡Vaya!
Wow!
¡Vaya! En verdad no lo esperaba.
Wow! I really didn’t expect that.
¿Este libro es tuyo o de tu hermana?
Is this book yours or your sister’s?
¡Ey, Juan! ¿Por qué no te unes a nosotros?
Hey, Juan! Why don’t you join us?
La pintura, cuyo marco está bañado en oro, pertenece a la colección del museo.
The painting, whose frame is gold-plated, belongs to the museum's collection.
You may also like:
Practice: Spanish words with Y
References
- Wordreference.com, “yarará,” accessed November 29, 2024, https://www.wordreference.com/
- Oxford Spanish Dictionary, 3rd edition on CD-ROM, Oxford University Press.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary, accessed November 29, 2024, under “yerba,” https://www.merriam-webster.com/
- Real Academia Española, Portal Lingüístico, Dudas rápidas, under “¿Cuál es el nombre de la letra «y»?,” accessed November 29, 2024, https://www.rae.es/
- Enciclopedia del Lenguaje, “Palabras con Y,” by Carla Giani. Last updated October 25, 2024, https://lenguaje.com/
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