"Non multum differt hic sonus (w) ab Anglorum _oo_; Gallorum _ou_, Germanorum _u_ pingui, rapidissime pronunciatis; adeoque a quibusdam pro vocali fuit habita, _cum tamen revera consona sit_, quanquam ipsi vocali admodum sit affinis."----Wallis. "It is indeed on the celerity of utterance, that all the difference, in many cases, between consonants and vowels depends; as in _w_ and _y_, in English; which, being discharged quickly, perform the office of consonants, in giving form only to the succeeding vowel; but when protracted or drawled out, acquire a tone and become the vocal _oo_ and _ee_."----Kenrick, Rhet. Gram. p. 4. Perry has adopted this opinion and contends warmly that _w_ is a consonant. If _w_ is a vowel, says he, then _wool_, _wolf_, will be pronounced _oo-ool_, _oo-olf_, or _ool_, _olf_. I am sensible that in the beginning of words, _w_ has not precisely the power of _oo_; but it is not clear from this fact that it has the properties of a consonant. Place a vowel before _w_, as, _ow_, and there is no compression of the lips or other parts of the mouth, to obstruct the sound, as there is produced by _b_ or _m_, in _eb_ and _em_. In opposition to the authorities mentioned, Sheridan ranks _w_ among the vowels, and supposes it to form dipthongs with the other vowels, as in _well_, _will_, &c. It appears to me to be a letter rather of an ambiguous nature, of which we have others in the language. [J], page 88. It has been remarked that by old authors _y_ was often used for _g_; _yeve_ for _give_; _foryete_ for _forget_.---- Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1884. I have observed that some foreigners pronounce _year_, in the same manner nearly as they do _ear_; and _yeast_ is commonly pronounced _east_. This pronunciation would easily lead a man into the supposition that _y_ is merely _ee_ short. But the pronunciation is vicious. I observe also that Mr. Sheridan says, "_ye_ has the sound of _e_ long in _ye_; of _a_ long in _yea_; of _e_ long in _year_, _yean_; and of _e_ short in _yearn_, _yell_, &c." This confirms my opinion, and is a proof that he does not pronounce _y_ at all. If _y_ has the sound of _e_ in _year_, then _e_ has _no_ sound, or there are in the word, _two_ sounds of _e_, which no person will undertake to assert. The dispute however is easily settled. I have learnt by attending to the conversation of well bred Englishmen, that they do not pronounce _y_ at all in _year_ and many other words. They say _ear_, _e_, for _year_, _ye_; and the sound of _e_, they erroneously suppose to be that of _y_. In America, _y_ has in these words, the consonant sound it has in _young_; and the English pronunciation must in this instance be faulty. [K], page 103.