Free y as a vowel worksheets

Y is the only letter in English that works as a consonant and as a vowel, and it has four jobs. It is a consonant at the start of a word (yes, yellow, yard). It says long i at the end of a one-syllable word (my, fly, shy, sky). It says long e at the end of a word with two or more syllables (happy, candy, baby). And it says short i inside a syllable (gym, myth, crystal). These eight worksheets keep the four jobs separate and give the child a test that actually works: look at where the y sits, then count the syllables. Every sheet has its answer key on page 2.

What's in this set

1. The four jobs of y. A chart of all four jobs with examples, then eight words to label (yellow, sky, happy, myth, yarn, dry, penny, gym). The first is done as a worked example. Answer key.
2. Y says long i. Twelve one-syllable words to finish with a y and copy (my, by, fly, shy, cry, dry, try, sky, why, spy, fry, sly), then six sentences to complete. Answer key.
3. Y says long e. Twelve two-syllable words (happy, puppy, baby, candy, funny, penny, city, lady, pony, windy, lucky, story): split each into its two syllables, count them and copy the word. Answer key.
4. Sort: long i or long e? Sixteen words from a bank into two columns by syllable count, eight each: my, fly, shy, cry, sky, try, why, dry against happy, candy, baby, funny, penny, city, lucky, pony. Answer key.
5. Consonant or vowel y? Sixteen words to label, seven consonant (yes, yard, you, year, yawn, young, yellow) and nine vowel, with the cover-the-y test: if what is left has no vowel, the y is the vowel. Answer key.
6. Y says short i. The smallest group, ten words (gym, myth, crystal, system, symbol, mystery, gymnastics, lyrics, typical, Egypt), six sentences to complete and a line to write two of your own. Answer key.
7. Change y to i. Ten words that take -es or -ed after the y becomes an i (baby, candy, city, puppy, story, carry, hurry, cry, dry, copy) and three vowel-plus-y words that do not change (play, enjoy, stay). Answer key.
8. Y check: 20 items. Name the job of the y in ten words, add the ending to six, fill four sentences, with a note on July, reply and deny. Answer key.

Frequently asked questions

When is y a vowel?

Whenever it is not at the start of a word or syllable. If the y is anywhere else, it is making a vowel sound: long i in my, long e in happy, short i in gym. A quick check is to cover the y and see whether any vowel letter is left; if none is, the y was the vowel.

Why does y say long i in my but long e in happy?

Syllable count. In a one-syllable word the final y takes the long i sound; in a word of two or more syllables the final y is in an unstressed syllable and takes the long e sound. The exceptions are words where the stress falls on the last syllable: July, reply, deny and supply all say long i.

When do you change y to i?

When the letter before the y is a consonant and you are adding -es, -ed, -er or -est: baby becomes babies, carry becomes carried, happy becomes happier. If the letter before the y is a vowel, as in play, enjoy and stay, change nothing. Never change the y before -ing.

What grade is y as a vowel taught in?

First grade introduces the long i and long e jobs, second grade covers the change-y-to-i rule, and third grade meets the short i group, so this set is labeled grades 1 to 3.

More phonics practice

Y as a vowel comes after the basic vowel sounds, so start with the CVC words worksheets and the word families worksheets if short vowels are still shaky. Two letters making one sound are covered on the digraphs worksheets, and the full sequence on the phonics worksheets. For the unstressed vowel that y often becomes in longer words, see the schwa sound worksheets.