The Vowel y
The letter y is a vowel that sounds between i and u, as in y “water”.
How It Works
Guarani has twelve vowels, and y is one of them. It is a vowel in every word. It never sounds like the y in English yes.
To make the sound, shape your mouth for i. Keep your lips flat and your jaw still. Then pull the middle of your tongue back, toward the place for u. You can also start with round lips for u and spread them without moving your tongue.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| y | water |
| yvy | earth, ground |
| sy | mother |
| kyse | knife |
| aguyje | thank you |
The nasal version of the vowel is ỹ. It is the same sound with air through the nose too. Because y is a vowel, it can sit beside another vowel in one syllable, as in aguyje.
Examples (5)
- y
water
The whole word is the vowel y.
- yvy
earth, ground
Two y vowels with a soft v between them.
- sy
mother
Say s, then the y vowel.
- kyse
knife
Say k, then the y vowel, then se.
- aguyje
thank you
The y vowel comes after u and before je.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The letter y is one of the 33 letters, so the alphabet comes first and this special vowel follows.
Related Patterns
Practice The Vowel y in Bubblegum
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