A common discussion in numerology is if the letter Y is used as a vowel or as a consonant. And as we humans are, we do not always agree.
Some think it is always a vowel, while others say it’s a consonant and others say it depends. It depends on the pronunciation.
Our calculators approximate vowel and consonant sounds using spelling-based rules, based on Y’s position and neighboring letters. They do not recognize every pronunciation or name-specific exception. The rules below draw on the discussion by Hans Decoz in this article. Check the letters shown in your result when comparing calculations.
Quoting his rules for your convenience:
- If the Y is the first letter of a name and it is followed by a consonant, it is vowel. (Yvonne, Ylsa, Yvette)
- If the Y is the last letter of a name and it comes after a consonant, it is vowel. (Barry, Tommy, Jimmy, etc.)
- If the Y is the first letter of a name and it is followed by another vowel, it is a consonant. (Yolanda, Yammy)
- If the Y is the last letter of a name and it comes after a vowel, it is a consonant. (Mulrooney, Mickey)
- If the Y is found between two consonants, it’s a vowel (Kyle, Tyson)
- If the Y is found between two vowels, it’s a consonant (Eyarta)
- If the Y is found between a consonant and a vowel, the default should be a vowel, but there are exceptions***
- If the Y is found between a vowel and a consonant, the default should be a consonant, but there are exceptions***
