You already know the basic conjunctions y ("and") and o ("or"). But Spanish likes its sentences to flow smoothly. To prevent an awkward pause or a "hiccup" in speech, these conjunctions change their spelling when the next word starts with the same vowel sound.
Changing 'y' to 'e'
When "and" comes directly before a word that starts with an ee sound (spelled with an i- or hi-), y changes to e.
For example, if you are describing someone as young and independent, saying "joven y independiente" forces you to say two ee sounds in a row. Instead, use e:
| My brother is young and independent. | Mi hermano es joven e independiente. |
| The actor is famous and impatient. | El actor es famoso e impaciente. |
If the following word does not start with an ee sound, y stays exactly the same:
| My grandfather is old and proud. | Mi abuelo es viejo y orgulloso. |
Changing 'o' to 'u'
Similarly, when "or" comes directly before a word starting with an oh sound (spelled with an o- or ho-), o changes to u.
| Are you happy or proud? | ¿Estás feliz u orgulloso? |
| Is the doctor negative or optimistic? | ¿El doctor es negativo u optimista? |
Remember that the letter h is always silent in Spanish! Because a word like honesto starts with an oh sound, the rule still applies:
| Is the lawyer fake or honest? | ¿El abogado es falso u honesto? |