The Consonantal Divide, 5

       We've been talking about the strange characteristics of the consonants "w," "h," and "y."  But put  them all in the same word "why," and they surprise again.

       The phonetic symbol for the first two letters in this word is an upside down “h”.  And why is this?  Because the first part of the sound for these two letters is [h], not [w].  To say “why” properly, you first say [h] (the pant), and then [w], just the opposite order of the letters in the word.  And of course the “y” at the end here is pronounced as a long “i”, as in the personal pronoun “I,” not the “ih” of “yes.”

       You may be tired of traveling this trans-consonantal highway; so tomorrow I'll give you a laugh.