103 /j/ “yes” /j/ Phrases 1 yellow yo-yo 2 yummy yoghurt1 3 Kenyan yams 4 European Union
1/’jɒgət/, US pronunciation is /’joʊgɚt/. It is also spelled yogurt. 2/ju’bɪkwɪtəs/ 3/juːkə’leɪli/
5 usually ubiquitous2 6 the unicyclist yawned 7 yearned for a ukulele3 8 yearly yield
/j/ Sentences 1
2 3 4 5 6
“Yes”, he yelled, “I saw a UFO yesterday.” Yolanda practises a unique type of yoga in Ukraine. Yet you must be younger because you look youthful. Yes, the yacht is yours for a thousand euros if you want it. The Kenyan workers in York were united in using the unisex uniforms. Sonya went to Yale University in the United States to become a lawyer.
Notes:
1. Words with /j/ in the middle can also be pronounced with /i/. For example: the pronunciation of Italian can be pronounced /ɪ’taljən/ with two syllables, or /ɪ’taliən/ with three syllables. Both are correct, but /iə/ is more common in slow, careful speech. Similar words include: union, million, civilian
2. /juː/ rather than /uː/ appears after /t/, /d/, and /n/ in Standard British English. Compareː tube /tjuːb/, due /djuː/, new /njuː/, but Standard American /tuːb/, /duː/, /nuː/. The addition of /j/ only occurs when there is no letter ‘o’ in the spelling – so too is never /tjuː/ and always /tuː/. The consonant clusters /tj/ and /dj/ are changing to /ʧ/ and /ʤ/ in British English to produce tube /ʧuːb/ and due /ʤuː/.
