When y Says Long e

Read the y at the end of longer words like happy and puppy.

The letter y can be a vowel. In a short word like 'my', it says long i. But in a word with two parts, or syllables, a y at the end usually says long e. Listen: 'hap-py', 'pup-py', 'ba-by', 'fun-ny', 'can-dy'. Each one ends with /ee/.

So here is the rule. Clap the word. One clap, like 'cry', means long i. Two claps, like 'puppy', means long e. Read: 'My funny puppy is happy. ' 'My' is one clap, so long i. The others are two claps, so long e.

• 1y can be a vowel.
• 2One-syllable word: y says long i.
• 3Two-syllable word: y usually says long e.