i y ai ay oi oy
i y ai ay oi oy You can now present the rule: "English words do not end in q u v j or i." This is a very useful rule for adults, but can be postponed to a later age, for infants. Some familiar words of foreign origin do not follow this rule:
I and You are exceptions.
Y can be a consonant or a vowel. The consonant is at the beginning of a syllable and is not that common: yes yesterday yawn yield yo-yo yacht beyond. The long and short vowel y is very common indeed. Some short sound examples are: funny myth mystery happily (There are scores of adverbs ending in ly.) For long sounds try: my sky reply dynamo python defy magnify multiply.
If a word ending in y is lengthened, “Change the y to I and add.” For example: Cry/cries reply/replied hurry/hurried happy/happiness. But “replying” – we do not have two i’s together. This works the same, whether the y is long or short, noun, adjective, verb or adverb. The LETTERS keep to a pattern, a logic, a system. i/y after a-e-(i)-o-u : pay paid they their (i) boy boil Guy guide. There is only one example of ey and one of uy, but they do exist! ai/ay and oi/oy are very common indeed. Look at: pay, paid, then say said. The spelling is regular – it is the pronunciation that is irregular!
ADDITIONAL NOTES
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