"y" as in yes
/j/as in “yes”
How to make it
- Raise the middle of your tongue towards the hard roof of your mouth, as for "ee".
- Turn your voice on and glide quickly into the next vowel.
Common mistake
Pressing too hard, so it becomes "j" ("Jale" for "Yale", "jet" for "yet"), or dropping it before "ee" ("east" for "yeast").
In words
Listen at normal speed or slowly, then say it yourself.
- yes
- yellow
- beyond
Don't confuse with
Listen and choose the word you hear.
US and UK
British English
/j/
American English
/j/
The y-sound in "tune"
After t, d and n, British speakers often add a y-sound (tune, new, duty); Americans usually do not.
| American | British | |
|---|---|---|
| tune | /tuːn/ | /tjuːn/ |
| new | /nuː/ | /njuː/ |
| duty | /ˈduːt̬i/ | /ˈdjuːti/ |