Why does the "y" in "leyendo" (reading) sound like the english "J"?

Question

Why does the "y" in "leyendo" (reading) sound like the english "J"'

Answer 1

Neil Coffey said:

Exception: if Spanish "y" comes after another sound articulated at the alveolar ridge (notably "n"), then speakers generally do stop the sound, similar to English "j". (e.g. "inYección")

Nice post, Neil.

We would say /iniekzion/ over here.

Answer 2

Aside from dialectal differences, in what's usually perceived of as a fairly "standard" pronunciation, there's a subtle difference between how the "y sound" is pronounced in Spanish and English, and I think that could be what you're hearing as a "j".

In English, the "y" of words like "yes", "yacht" is what you might call a simple "glide". The tongue doesn't generally get close enough to the alveolar ridge to stop the sound or cause frication. But in Spanish, speakers generally fricate the "y" sound. So it's pronounced as a glide, similar to English, but with the tongue slightly closer to the alveolar ridge so that it causes friction. That's not actually the same as an English "j" sound, where the tongue comes into contact so that the sound is momentarily stopped.

Exception: if Spanish "y" comes after another sound articulated at the alveolar ridge (notably "n"), then speakers generally do stop the sound, similar to English "j". (e.g. "inYección")

Answer 3

Heidita wrote:
It would only sound like this if pronounced by an Argentinian.

I disagree. I have heard people from various countries pronounce the Y or LL sound as a J or ZH. This includes Mexico. It often depends on the person, even within a certain country.

Shelly wrote:
So the "y" in "leyendo" sounds like the spanish "i"'

Yes, it does. Y is called I griega because it is an I written in a different way. But if you say leyendo and leiendo quickly, you'll see that there isn't much difference in pronunciation.

Answer 4

Heidita said:

It would only sound like this if pronounced by an Argentinian.We pronounce it:/Leiendo/

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So the "y" in "leyendo" sounds like the spanish "i"'

Answer 5

It would only sound like this if pronounced by an Argentinian (for example).

We pronounce it:

/Leiendo/

Answer 6

So I can say it in any of those ways you just listed'

Yes, you can, but I recommend that you copy the pronunciation used where you live. The Y sound might be the most common, and the easiest for you to imitate exactly.

Answer 7

James Santiago said_
This pronunciation is regional and/or personal. Some people say it like an English J, some like an English Y, and some like a ZH. Just as there are many dialects of English, there are many of Spanish, as well.

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So I can say it in any of those ways you just listed'

Answer 8

This pronunciation is regional and/or personal. Some people say it like an English J, some like an English Y, and some like a ZH. Just as there are many dialects of English, there are many of Spanish, as well.