Usage of j, y and g.

Question

Hola,

Estoy confundida, about the basic usage of j, y and g.
And also about the way they pronounce ella es/ el es thats because according to Paralee Whitmire, she pronounce it seperately which sounds like eg: ella es delgada (eya es delgada) but in the practise part it sounds more like eg: elle es delgada (hejes) or el es (eles).
Por favor, let me know.

Sorry, my spanish is not good enough. Will try to improve.

Muchas gracias.

Answer 1

You can say the double L two ways: like a y sound or a j sound. I have noticed most Latin Americans say it with the j pronunciation, and therefore I do too.

So, it depends how you want your accent to sound and where you might be visiting, etc.

Here is an example:

http://forvo.com/word/ella/

Answer 2

Hola,

Estoy confundida, about the basic usage of j, y and g.

And also about the way they pronounce ella es/ el es thats because according to Paralee Whitmire, she pronounce it seperately which sounds like eg: ella es delgada (eya es delgada) but in the practise part it sounds more like eg: elle es delgada (hejes) or el es (eles).

Por favor, let me know.

Sorry, my spanish is not good enough. Will try to improve.

Muchas gracias.

Hi hemela
Please read our rules before posting again. I have changed your title for something more relevant. I have also changed your post to the appropriate forum, Vocabulary and Grammar.

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Answer 3

Hola:

Estoy confundida, about the basic usage of j, y and g.

And also about the way they pronounce ella es/ el es thats because according to Paralee Whitmire, she pronounce it seperately which sounds like eg: ella es delgada (eya es delgada) but in the practise part it sounds more like eg: elle es delgada (hejes) or el es (eles).

When the g appears before "e" or "i" ("ge"/"gi"), it sounds exactly like the j. There are two ways of pronouncing this sound depending on the region: one of the sounds is quite different from any English sound, like when some people clear their throats in the morning very noisily, and the other sound is similar to an English h, but with the upper part of the tongue moved forward.

When the g is not followed by "e" or "i", its sound is much softer, but it is pronounced in two different ways: after a pause or 'n', it sounds like in "gospel", but in all other cases, it is pronounced similarly, but the tongue should not touch the soft palate. This last sound does not exist in English either.

Examples:

1) Hard 'j' sound ('g' before 'e' or 'i'):

Jorge, jamón, geranio, giba,...

2) "Normal" soft 'g' sound (after pause or 'n'):

inglés, gato, un gato, goma, gladiador, gramófono,...

3) "Softest" 'g' sound

el gato, la goma, el gladiador, mago,...

Go here (http://www.acapela-group.com/text-to-speech-interactive-demo.html), choose "Spanish Antonio" (not María!), and you'll be able to hear them.