Vowels and consonants
The two kinds of sound in every word, the letters that spell them, and why y can be either.
The answer
A vowel is a sound made with your mouth open and nothing blocking the air, spelt with a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y; a consonant is a sound made by blocking the air with your lips, tongue or teeth.
Examples
cat, dog, sun
The marked letters are vowel letters spelling vowel sounds.
bed, fish, top
The marked letters spell consonant sounds.
yes, happy
Y is a consonant in yes but spells a vowel sound in happy.
a rock, an open box
The Year 3 example: a before a consonant sound, an before a vowel sound.
How to spot it
- The vowel letters are a, e, i, o and u, and y can spell a vowel sound too (happy, fly).
- Every other letter is a consonant letter.
- Listen to the sound, not just the letter: hour starts with a vowel sound, because the h is silent.
The common mistake
Mixing up the letter and the sound.
Uniform starts with the vowel letter u but a y sound, so it is a uniform, not an uniform. Year 3 learns both words: vowel and vowel letter.
When it is taught
- First met
- Year 3
- On the pupil word list
- Year 3, as “consonant”
Year 3 names consonant, consonant letter, vowel and vowel letter, and uses them to choose a or an (a rock, an open box).
Try a question
How many vowel letters are in the word elephant?
Show the answer
Answer: Three: e, e and a.
The vowel letters are a, e, i, o and u. Elephant has e, e and a; the other letters are consonants.
Related terms
More grammar terms
Questions parents ask
Is y a vowel or a consonant?
Both. At the start of a word (yes, yellow) it is a consonant. In words such as happy, fly and gym it spells a vowel sound.
What is the difference between a vowel and a vowel letter?
A vowel is a sound; a vowel letter is how you write it. Year 3 learns both terms so children can talk about sounds and spellings separately.
Why do vowels matter for spelling?
Many spelling rules depend on them: doubling the last letter after a short vowel (run, running) and choosing a or an.
Grammar turns up in 11+ English too
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