Yogh

At a word’s start, it could stand for a y-like sound.

Elsewhere, it could correspond to the rough consonant later written gh, including a breathy sound made near the back of the mouth, like the final sound in German ich or Scots loch.

Middle English spellings such as niȝt, wrouȝte, and yȝe correspond to modern English night, wrought, and eye.

How was yogh pronounced?

The word, vowels, and period shape the sound.

After some vowels and before t, yogh could mark the rough sound in German ich; with other vowels, it could be farther back, like the end of Scots loch. Some word-final spellings later corresponded to s, z, or w.

Treat it as a historical spelling clue, not a pronunciation key by itself; read the whole word in its language and period.

How to use yogh in Middle English

Use ȝ when reproducing a historical spelling or deliberately writing in a medieval style. It is not a general replacement for modern gh.

As of 2026, modern editions often replace yogh with modern spellings. When transcribing a source, follow its spelling policy rather than silently normalizing the letter.

In some Older Scots names, printers later used z where yogh had appeared. That helps explain Menzies: its traditional pronunciation is roughly “MING-iss,” while many English speakers read the z and say “MEN-zeez.”