When do є, ю, and я start with y?

Read the vowel in context, and remember that ї keeps its y sound.

At the beginning: ye, yu, ya

At the start of a word, after a vowel, or after an apostrophe, є, ю, я represent a y sound plus a vowel. Here y means the consonant in yes. Я by itself means I and is read ya.

ya · I

After a consonant: softness + a vowel

After a consonant without an apostrophe, є, ю, я normally mark softness followed by e, u, a. In ля, make a soft l followed by a. Do not insert a separate y between them.

ля

soft l + a

Ї keeps both sounds

Ї represents y + i (ee). It is not just a decorated і. Compare ї with і, and є with е.

yi · y followed by ee