How this calculator works
Pig Latin is a playful word game rather than a language. For a word that starts with a vowel, the whole word stays in place and takes a way ending. For a word that starts with one or more consonants, that opening consonant cluster moves to the end and ay is added. The letters qu are treated as a unit, so quick becomes ickquay rather than uickqay. Capitalisation is carried over from the original word, and text that is not a letter is left alone, which keeps commas, question marks and line breaks intact.
Formula
For each run of letters: if the first letter is a, e, i, o or u, append way. Otherwise take the leading consonants, extend them by the u when the cluster ends in q, move the cluster to the end and append ay. Capitalise the result when the original word began with a capital.
Worked example
Hello world becomes Ellohay orldway. The h moves behind ello and ay is added, while world loses its w and gains way. This is fun becomes Isthay isway unfay, keeping the capital I because the original word was capitalised.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is quick written ickquay?
The letters q and u are treated as one consonant unit, because English almost always writes them together. Moving only the q would produce a word that is much harder to recognise when spoken.
Does the translator handle y as a vowel?
It follows the common classroom rule and treats y as a consonant, so yellow becomes ellowyay. Some speakers treat a vowel-like y as a vowel, but there is no single agreed standard.
What happens to words with no vowels?
All of the letters are treated as the opening cluster, so the word moves to the end and gains ay. Rhythm becomes rhythmay. The result is consistent, even if it is not easy to say.
Is Pig Latin useful for anything besides play?
It is often used to hide a comment from young children and as a classroom exercise in phonics and syllable structure. It is not a secure cipher, because familiar words remain easy to recognise once they are spoken.