On HY and HW

LotR AppE

HY has the same relation to y as HW to w, and represents a sound like that often heard in English hew, huge; h in Quenya eht, iht had the same sound.

PE19/75 (ii)

khy became first [χy] with voiceless y and marked fronting of the [χ]. The result already in PQ was initially and medially a strong voiceless y [ꜧ], here transcribed hy, similar to, but more frictional than the initial sound in English huge.

In Vanyarin this sound became [š] as English sh, and those among the Noldor who adopted the V. rhotacism (see above) also imitated this feature of Vanyarin. It did not, however, become a feature of Noldorin TQ.

PE22/65 (5)

hy is an audibly spirantal voiceless y, that is approximately [ç] as ch in German ich.

LotR AppE

HW is a voiceless w, as in English white (in northern pronunciation).

PE19/75 (2.ii)

khw became first [χw] with unvoiced w. Parallel to the development of khy this became in PQ a spirantal voiceless w [ƕ]. It was more tense with closer lip-aperture and more friction than the voiceless wh of English. This combination was in CE rare medially, but not uncommon initially. It is here transcribed hw.

In later Vanyarin pronunciation hw became f, but remained distinct from f in Noldorin and in the Exilic TQ.

PE22/65 (5)

hw is similarly and audibly spirantal voiceless w, that is [ƕ] as in English wh in white (in certain varieties of pronunciation).