English spellings/Catalogs/Retro Y

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list
Common misspellings

This page lists pronunciations of English words that end in Y. The list is in retroalphabetical order, that is, alphabetically beginning with the final letter of the word (in this case Y) and continuing backwards through it.

The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z. Click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title for a pronunciation key.^[e]

---

after a consonant, mostly -ỳ

bây

decây

as a suffix, may be pronounced -dỳ in days of the week such as Mònday, but normally: dây

bïrthday

hóliday

Frîday

wêekday

wörkday

Mònday

Súnday

todây

yésterday

Sáturday

doom doômsday = Book Domesday

Wédnesday

Tûesday

Thürsday

Mâyday

hèyday

elf fèy = person Fây

gây

hây

clây

delây

noun rêlay

again relây

ínlây

-ly Fínlay

plây

downplây

overplây

displây

sled slèigh = kill slây

*Îla Îslay

verb mây = month Mây

dismây

Múrry = Múrray

sây

*Línzy Líndsey = Líndsay

daresây

hêarsay

stây

cf. place names in -aî: *Páragwŷ Páraguaŷ

*Yûrəgwŷ Ûruguaŷ

lock kêy = harbour quaỳ

*Tor-kêe Torquaỳ

*Neŵkêe Neŵquaỳ

weight wèigh = how wây

awày

verb is two words: breâkaway

Kéllaway

verb is two words: rúnaway

verb is two words: gétaway

Gålway

Hólloway

Nǒrway

dǒorway

álleyway

cricket, farewell bŷe = 2 bî- = preposition bŷ

bâby

cábbie and words in -ábby rhyme with Gáby

lúllabŷ

abbot ábbey = persons Àbbey = Ábby

shábby

flábby

tábby

lóbby

Dígby

rúgby

Dólby

Fénby

Lâzenby

lâybŷ

sight sêe = -sỳ = -cỳ

Mâcy

râcy

*thê-ócracy, unvoiced th, cf. hypócrisy: theócracy

cf. hypócrisy: demócracy

*byurócracy bureaucracy

pîracy

conspíracy

áccuracy

AmE prîvacy, BrE prívacy

cf. verb próphesŷ: noun próphecỳ

nŏrmalcy

ascéndancy

fáncy

chāncy

sýcophancy

nécrománcy

person Náncy

France Nàncy

prégnancy

discrépancy

téndency

âgency

emërgency

ürgency

-shəncy effíciency

cúrrency

constítuency

insôlvency

héady

réady

alréady

stéady

shâdy

lâdy

golf cáddie = tea cáddy

Dáddy

éddy

bódy rhymes with Nóddy

trágedy

cómedy

përfidy

súbsidy

Ándy

Nŏrmandy

Bürgundy

bódy

embódy

thrénody

párody

Pícardy

unstressed = -ỳ: -êy

stressed and most monosyllables = -ây: -èy

persons Àbbêy = Ábbỳ = abbot ábbêy

obèy

person Fây = whimsy fèy

Hárringây = Háringèy

thèy

BrE wây = whèy

kêy

cf. lúcky, tácky: láckêy

hóckey

dónkêy

jóckêy

dónkêy

mònkêy

türkêy = Türkêy

lèy

Blèy

Bô Díddley

Dúdley

állêy

válley

fólly rhymes with trólley

vólley

-zly = -slêy

Léslie = Lésley

Présley

Wésley

Îsley

Dísley

Môsley

kídney

Australia Sýdney = Sídney

Háckney

cóckney

Hóckney

móckney

chímney

Rómney

phôney

hòney

mòney

cf. etërnity: attörney

...rhymes with jöurney

Åubrêy

cart drây = nest, cart drèy

Jéffrêy

grây = Grây = grèy = Grèy

AmE all meanings stŏry = BrE floor stŏrey

God prây = eat prèy

ósprêy or ósprèy

Rámsay = Rámsey

-zy Jërsêy

ódyssey

cf. invèigh, final syllable rhymes: convèy

Hàrvêy

purvèy

noun sürvèy

verb survèy

pûtrefŷ

íffy

jíffy

stúffy

vílifŷ

símplifŷ

mágnifŷ

vérifŷ

pétrifŷ

líquifŷ

goôfy

dódgy

pódgy

-jy strátegy

fóggy

éffigy

-njỳ -ngy

-jy mângy

-jy, cf. boat dínghy, shabby díngy

-ləjỳ -logy

jêó- geólogy

bî- biólogy

sôsh- sociólogy

ophthalmólogy

entomólogy

etymólogy

-jy astrólogỳ

àrgy-bàrgy

-jy léthargy

-jy állergy

-jy énergy

-jy sýnergy

-jy líturgy

hard or silent g: *díng-gy or díng-y dínghy

*dôwy dôughy

jó-, jêó- geógraphy

k- choreógraphy

stenógraphy

topógraphy

typógraphy

cf. catástrophê, apóstrophê: trôphy

átrophy

dýstrophy

minimal pair but not as appears: thŷ (possessive of thou) has voiced th, thîgh (of leg), unvoiced, but same vowel sound: leg thîgh and your thŷ

telépathy

sýmpathy

homeópathy

píthy

fróthy

lêaky

tácky

wíki rhymes with trícky

stícky

Rócky = rócky

stócky

cf. jóckey: lúcky

plúcky

gêeky

chêeky

pôky

skŷ

name suffixes -skì = -skỳ

Kandínskỳ

Lewínskỳ

Brónskỳ

Ítaly

âbly

próbably

regréttably

*nóbbly, cf. nôbly: knóbbly

búbbly

fêebly

vísibly

respónsibly

*dúmly dumb dúmbly

crumble crúmbly

nôbly

supërbly

doúbly

cf. bâsically, etc.: públicly

admíttedly

belîe, cf. relŷ: *belŷ

Cícely

nîcely

lîkely

as with 'whôlly, both ls pronounced: sôlely

relŷ

loôsely

définitely *definately

séparately

delíberately

complêtely

*définately définitely

*rúffly roúghly

Sícily

prîmãrily

necessãrily

temporãrily

militãrily

momentãrily

drŷly or drîly

-z- êasily

síckly

quíckly

cf. állêy: állŷ

cf. públicly, which is an exception: económically

tópically

bâsically

mûsically

pedántically

neurótically

illêgally

víscerally

incidéntally

tôtally

êqually

squålly

bélly

jélly

Nélly

mostly female Bíllie = either Bílly

two l’s pronounced: shrílly

sílly

minimal pair: vólley rhymes with fólly

sôlely rhymes with whôlly

two l’s pronounced: whôlly, coôlly, dúlly

fùlly

hôly

cf. hypërbolê: monópoly

replŷ

pánoply

ëarly

dêarly

nêarly

pëarly

underlîe *underly

nŏrtherly, soútherly, êasterly, wésterly

cléverly

fãirly

bürly

vígorously

*nîtely nîghtly

*rîtely rîghtly

*sprîtely sprîghtly

incidéntally *incidéntly

cf. Béntley: AmE evidéntly, BrE évidently

áptly

trûly

lôwly

slôwly

slŷly

cŏyly

drîly or drŷly

sprŷly

Âmy

bígamy

astrónomy

gá- gastrónomy

autónomy

cf. epítomê: hysteréctomy

*énny any

*ménny many

zâny

prógeny

shîny

Plíny

cf. tin tínny: small tîny

scrûtíny

whîny

cálumny

Bénnie = Bénny

Jénnie = Jénny

Kénny

Lénnie = Lénny

Pénny = pénny

Jóhnnie = Jóhnny

Gínny

Dónny

fúnny

súnny

BrE o as schwa, AmE -môny

BrE *higémony (hard or soft g), AmE *héjəmôny (soft g) or *həgémony: hegemony

-nkr- sýnchrony

îrony

pôny

Tôny

pûny

misógyny

bŏy

jŏy

enjŏy

álloy

annŏy

tŏy

AmE *bûêe, BrE = child bŏy: sea bûoy

énvoy

cónvoy

háppy

spŷ

espŷ

AmE, when stressed syllable does not come immediately before it, -ãry or -éry, cf. -ery; BrE a as AmE or as schwa or silent; see also -ory: -ary

(but BrE Cáry Grānt) Cãry

qùandary

bòundary

Gáry

Cálgary

Húngary

chãry

-shəry judíciary

âviary

vocábulary

Mãry

canãry

gránary

paper stâtionery = stop stâtionary

discrétionary

díctionary

see Spelling pronunciation: BrE *lîbry, *lîbəry, though some pronounce both rs; AmE lîbrãry

líterary

nécessary

weak form *sécrətry, strong form *sécrətérry sécretary

heréditary

suppleméntary

documéntary

nôtary

rôtary

vôtary

BrE *Jányəry, AmE *Jányûãry, Jánuary

see Spelling pronunciation: BrE *Fébry, *Fébyəry, AmE *Fébyûãry, though some pronounce both rs: Fébruary

cf. céntury: sánctuary

vãry

ôvary

wãry

crŷ

gímmickry rhymes with mímicry

drŷ

fòundry

tåwdry

mostly e as schwa: can sound like -ry in BrE: -ery

bîndery

cf. mídwîfe: midwífery

-j- menágerie *menágery

búggery

-j- sürgery

físhery

fîery

bâkery

coòkery

sh- chicânery

stop stâtionary = paper stâtionery

conféctionery

míz- mísery

cürsory rhymes with nürsery

cémetery

quêry

véry

brâvery

recòvery

discòvery

quêry

frŷ

bélfry

ángry

húngry

mímicry rhymes with gímmickry

cítizenry

wéaponry

gŏry

Válerie rhymes with cálorie *cálory

Málory

glŏry

compúlsory

nürsery rhymes with cürsory

Tŏry

usually pronounced -trỳ in BrE, ŏ pronounced in AmE: -tory

oblígatory

pürgatory

óratory

AmE láboratŏry, BrE labóratory

satisfáctory

réctory

diréctory

trajéctory

dŏrmitory

repósitory

suppósitory

stŏry

hístory

prŷ

sprŷ

Bárry

person Cárrie = fetch cárry

Hárry

márry

stàrry

earth burỳ = fruit bérry

AmE -bérry, BrE -brêe bláckberry

blûeberry

múlberry

AmE rázb-, BrE ràzb- rāspberry

stråwberry

lórry

sórry

AmE wörry, BrE wòrry

AmE cürry, BrE cúrry

cf. für: fürry

AmE hürry, BrE húrry

trŷ

påltry

gántry

pántry

pléasantry

péasantry

éntry

géntry

séntry

bígotry

áncestry

véstry

sóphistry

ké- chémistry

fruit bérrỳ = earth bury

Âylesbury

*Sålzbry Sålisbury

Sâinsbury

Dûry

jûry

ínjury

pénury

Drûry

cf. sánctuary: céntury

lúxury

wrŷ

awrŷ

mostly = -cỳ: -sỳ

-zêe êasy

-sêe grêasy

-zêe quêasy

like demócracy, thêócracy all -ssy idiosýncrasy

-sêe fántasy

-sêe écstasy

-zêe chêesy

cf. noun próphecỳ -sêe: verb próphesŷ

-sêe héresy

hâzy rhymes with dâisy

demócracy and thêócracy rhyme with hypócrisy

léprosy

-sêe émbassy

-sêe fússy

dízzy rhymes with *bízzy busy

dròwsy rhymes with lòusy

*jélləsêe jéalousy

-zêe Sûzy = Sûsie = Sûzie = Sûsy

pîety

sobrîety

improprîety

-rity entîrety

héfty

shífty

fífty

lófty

nîghtie rhymes with flîghty

*mîty mîghty

*almîty almîghty

*drāfty drāughty

*nåwty nåughty

*dòuty dòughty

dèíty rhymes with lâíty

cíty

tenácity

felícity

can be -zíty: electrícity

elastícity

plastícity

quíddity

stupídity

lâíty rhymes with dèíty

reálity

cf. spécialty: speciálity

mentálity

qùality

eqùality

sexuálity

relîabílity

câ- capabílity

flexibílity

facílity

incredûlity

anonýmity

masculínity

feminínity

cf. attörney: etërnity

ûnity

immûnity

commûnity

singulárity

celébrity

alácrity

temérity

austérity can rhyme with postérity

univërsity

idéntity

iníquity

antíquity

relatívity

festívity

fêalty

cf. speciálity: spécialty

lŏyalty

rŏyalty

crûelty

*sóvrínty sóvereígnty

-ók- or -ókh- Dócherty

-ôw-, -óh- or -ókh- Dôherty

póverty

-plásty

nāsty

dýnasty BrE, AmE dŷnasty

tâsty

silent h: hónesty

feîsty

thïrsty

Kïrsty

fátty

tátty

Bétty

pétty

-ítty pretty

bítty

dótty

snótty

pótty

grótty

pútty

-yoôty -ûty

cf. boôty: cûtie rhymes with beaûty

dûty

goodbye, cricket bŷe = preposition bŷ = money buŷ

Guŷ = guŷ

óbloquy

solíloquy

héavy

nâvy

wâvy

bévy

cf. lévêe, Lêvî: Lêvy

îvy

prívy

ánchovy

scürvy

sávvy

cívvy

skívvy

deŵy

shôwy

wáxy

séxy

fóxy

Róxy

próxy

dâzy

slêazy

hâzy

lâzy

crâzy

whêezy

dízzy