[Grammar] Q, X, and Y

[elenah]

Hi everyone,
Could you please tell me if I am right in thinking that the letters 'Q', 'X' are unvoiced consonant letters and the letter 'Y' is a voiced consonant letter ?
Thank you in advance

 

[Tdol]

All three letters are generally referred to, unhelpfully, as consonants.

Mind you, I am currently learning a language that happily tells me /æm/ is a diphthong, so it's not confined to English. :up:

 

[bubbha]

Q is only pronounced /kw/ when followed by a U, which it is almost all of the time. The exceptions are words borrowed from other languages, primarily Arabic, or brand names like Qantas.

X is usually pronounced /ks/, but in some cases it is /gz/ or /z/.

Y is usually pronounced as the consonant /j/ or the vowels /i/ or /I/.

 

[Raymott]

And even with a 'u', queue is pronounced 'kyu'; quay is pronounced as 'key'.