words containing double "LL"
how do you really pronounce the double "LL"
e.g. the word Llamo-is read as "YAMO"
but i have heard just a liitle while ago, when i watched the video, if i am not mistaken , the word "pollo" is pronounced as"polyo" or polio"
39 Answers
Mark W said:
The examples I gave were to show that the 'h' in 'hay' kind of sounded like and aspirated 's'. The examples provided by Lazarus were actually much better at showing that there is an 'h' sound in some Spanish dialects.
The problem with phonetics, especially if you are interested in details, is that there is nothing like a "single language" strictly speaking. However, if a whole community understand and recognize a certain accent (standard or not), it is worth learning those traits. Whether they're universal or not goes beyond basic command when it comes to languages.
The examples I gave were to show that the 'h' in 'hay' kind of sounded like and aspirated 's'. The examples provided by Lazarus were actually much better at showing that there is an 'h' sound in some Spanish dialects.
After I read the posts from Hess, Mark, Heidita and Lazarus, my understanding is that Hess, Mark and Heidita were discussing different questions. When Hess and Mark mantioned that they heard "H" sound in Spain, that didn't mean that they heard anyone pronounce letter "H" in Spanish like "H" sound, but they heard people pronouce "S" or "Z" in Spanish like "H" sound. (not very sure if my understanding is correct, but the examples that Mark gave to us mean it.) However, Heidita emphasized that there is no sound with letter "H" in Spanish. Am I correct, Heidita?
Actually it is very interesting topic. My native Spanish speaking friends not from Spain told me when I started learning Spanish that the people from Spain can not pronounce "S" and "Z" like they do or other English speakers do. After Mark gave the examples to us, I remembered it. Do Spanish people pronounce "S" and "Z" like "H" sound?
Please correct me if my made any mistakes.
Thank you,
Marco
Mark W said:
Yes, and how about (mahomeno), más o menos.
I don't need a dictionary Andalusian-Spanish, don't worry: I am Andalusian. 
This phenomenon is actually not connected with the aspirated H in letters with H, and actually, sometimes rather than an aspiration, there is an opening of the vowel instead. But in any case we're digressing a little bit, aren't we'
Yes, and how about (mahomeno), más o menos.
Heidita said:
and no, NO H SOUND! please!
There is no H sound in standard Spanish. However, there some foreign words where the H pronounced, and it is not a J. Ej. Haendel, Hawái.
On the other hand, the mute H was a feature of the Northern Spanish only, and it started to become the norm in the whole peninsula after the second half of the XVI century, but some areas still keep dialectally the aspirated H (even though it is not very hard), like the west of Ansalusia, Extremadura, Salamanca, Canarias, and parts of America. Just listen to anyone from my home city (Sevilla) say "Estoy jarto" (harto) or "Cante jondo" (hondo). But again, this is not standard pronunciation, and it is systematically corrected in schools.
Heidita, I respectfully disagree. There is definitely a very very subtle 'h' sound in the Spanish word 'hay' in some dialects in Spain. I am actually very good at detecting these very subtle sounds. Maybe because you are from Spain, your ear does not pick up on these subtleties (because you are too accustomed to it). My inlaws are from Adalucía and I hear it clearly with them. Every time my wife gets on the phone with them, her Andalusian accent kicks in and I hear it then also.
Now, having said that, I want to emphasize that it is not a regular English 'h' sound. It's more like the aspirated 's' sound you hear from Andalusians in a word like 'esto', which they pronounce [éhto] or the word 'mosca', pronounced [móhka]. But Hess is correct in that the Spanish word 'hay' is not the same (in some dialects) as for example the English word 'i'.
This is not something beginners should worry about. For them, the 'h' is always silent. But for advanced speakers, who like studying pronunciation differences within different dialects, it is very interesting.
Mark W
Hess said:
I know you may think I'm nuts but growing up in Madrid, it was very distinct.I'll bow out now, keeping my nose high in the air.
In Madrid? I am from Madrid, and I can't support that at all.
I am sorry to disappoint you, there is definitely no h sound in Spanish!
There is a very slight l sound, spoken by some people , they say, from Valladolid...for example. I am with Lazarus on this, do not try to imitate, I certainly do not use an L sound.
and no, NO H SOUND! please!
Oh you made my day. I'm sooooo happy someone, anyone, YOU didn't say I was nuts.
Hess, now that you mention it I agree with what you say about the silent 'H' sound. Spending a lot of time in Spain, with Andalusian inlaws, I hear the same thing. There is a subtle 'h' sound in words like 'hay'.
I haven't actually noticed the 'L' sound of the 'LL', but I'll try to pay more attention next time I'm there.
This one drives me crazy!!! I'm stuck up, arrogant, a prima donna when it comes to the LL. In Spain, specifically Castilla, the home, the seat, the cradle of Castellano, it most definately has a delicate L sound followed by the y sound. If it's too heavy, no good. It's a very refined sound.
The silent H also has a very delicate differnce than no H at all. I swear! It's like "Aye" and "Hay" don't sound exactly the same. "Aye" starts with the throat closed and the aspirant vowel is curt or explosive. In "Hay" the throat is open and the word begins with a soft air-flow vowel sound.
I know you may think I'm nuts but growing up in Madrid, it was very distinct.
I'll bow out now, keeping my nose high in the air.
I believe that would be true. Pronouncing it like a 'y' would be understood. After all, if someone from Madrid is talking to someone from Argentina, the Madrileño would pronounce it like a 'y' and would be understood by the Argentinian, who would pronounce it like the 's' in "pleasure".
Having said that, there are all kinds of variations on the pronunciation of 'll' and 'y', even within the same dialect. Example - ¿Quién yo? - this 'y' is often pronounced with a hard sounding 'y' bordering on the English 'ch' or 'j' sound.
There is an interesting example in the book, "Introducción a la linguística hispánica" by José Ignacio Hualde, Antxon Olarrea and Anna María Escobar. It illustrates the difference in the 'll' and 'y' sound in some regions and the lack of a difference in others. Where there is no difference, this sentence becomes somewhat difficult to understand - "El pollo se calló cuando se cayó del poyo." (poyo is a bench made of stone). An Arentinian who would differentiate between the 'll' sound and the 'y' sound would make the sentence much more understandable to a listener. If everything is pronounced like the 'y' sound, it becomes more difficult.
This is an interesting topic. I was told by some Spanish speakers that "ll" is always pronounced like "y". I didn't know that it could be pronounced to other sounds depending on the situations. I guess the reason why these Spanish speakers told me that is because they might think that it's easier for me to pronounce it and I always follow this rule so far. I guess other people would understand me if I always pronounce "ll" like "y". Possible? 
Thank you,
Marco
motley said:
I tried some words with some Mexican friends, most of them were y sounds but with some, a slight j sound.
The J in English is pronounced in more than one way, and often it contains two consonant sounds together: a D and the S in "vision". The sound of ll you are describing is closer to the Y in "yes", but slightly closer (blocking more the airstream) and more tension on the tongue .
