The Sneaky Consonant Hiding in Y

The sound at the start of young is not a vowel but a stealthy consonant. While it looks like a vowel, your tongue actually creates a narrow gap to produce this specific airflow.

Most people assume Y is a vowel, but linguists classify this sound as a voiced palatal approximant. You make it by raising the middle of your tongue toward the roof of your mouth without touching it, which creates a unique friction-free sound. It acts as a bridge between vowels and consonants in many languages. Interestingly, this sound is technically the closest consonant relative to the long e vowel.