In some languages, like Welsh, the letter W represents the vowel sound / ʊ/, like cwm (a kind of valley).

The letter W can be used as a consonant sound at the beginning of in the words when, where, wet. In these words the vowel has the sound of / aʊ/. The letter W can sometimes be the second part of a vowel sound as in words like such as cow, bow, or how. Y is a consonant about 2.5% of the time, and a vowel about 97.5% of the time. It can also be a consonant sound called a glide as in the beginning of these words: yellow, yacht, yam, yesterday. In words like only, quickly, and folly, Y represents the vowel sound /i/. In words like myth and synchronize, Y represents the vowel sound /ɪ/. In the words cry, sky, fly, my and why, letter Y represents the vowel sound / aɪ/. It is said that Y is 'sometimes' a vowel, because the letter Y represents both vowel and consonant sounds. All English words are written with vowel letters in them.

The sounds of American English are written with letters in the English alphabet, as either vowels or consonants. In English there are five vowel letters in the alphabet. In English it is important to know that there is a difference between a vowel sound and a in the. A vowel is a particular kind of speech sound made by changing the shape of the upper vocal tract, or the area in the mouth above the tongue.

What makes a vowel a vowel