The use of Y or E for And
Can someone explain to me the difference between using Y or E for And.
Example sentence from a magazine article.
"Modere el envio de mensajes electronicos e intantaneos en la oficina".
I would have used Y.
1 Answer
Hi. Your confusion is understandable. Here's the rule:
Two of the most common conjunctions in Spanish — y (meaning "and") and o (meaning "or") — can change spelling and pronunciation based on the word that follows.
Both changes help keep the conjunction from blending into the following word. Y becomes e when it precedes a word that begins with the i sound, while o becomes u when it precedes a word that begins with the o sound. Typically, then, the y becomes e when it precedes most words that begin with i- or hi-, and o becomes u preceding words starting with o- or ho-. Y does not change before words, such as hierba, that begin with the y sound, regardless of spelling.
