How to pronounce Spanish "LL?"

Guest   Wed Jul 22, 2009 8:31 pm GMT
Well, English LL is not the same than Spanish LL, but it's somewhat similar and at least it's better to pronounce it that way than just like consonantic Y. Correct Spanish LL is like Italian GLI but not geminated.
K. T.   Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:48 pm GMT
"I hate when people compare english LL in million with spanish LL because it's a nonsense!"

I can tell the difference between LL and Y. However, listen a lot, and you'll hear that people are all over the board on this one.

If you want to change this, you'll have to gather all the gringo teachers, and native Spanish speakers and get them to agree. I don't even think I could get five Spanish speakers I know to agree on this.
Harman   Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:53 am GMT
Well in a practical way, not academical way ...

I'm native spanish speaker, i'm spaniard, i live in north of spain, and me and all people around me don't distingue between spanish LL spanish Y and spanish Ñ sounds. For me and for all native spanish speaker i know it's the same sound.

That's my day by day experience. So alex use english Y sound or english J sound for spanish LL, Y, ñ sound and that will be ok, in a practical way .

What about different between english sound Y and english sound J? does anybody know it?
Guest   Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:36 am GMT
Inform yourself a bit better, there are people who natively distinguish LL and Y in Spain. They may not be majority, but they still exist despite yeismo, like all mistakes , tends to spread furiously even in traditional non yeista zones. That EVERYBODY pronounce LL like Y in Spain is false ,furthermore there are yeista people who learn to make the distinction in order to work in national broadcasting channels because EFE, RAE and other organizations who have some authority in regulating the language recommend to make the distinction. Yeismo is just like leismo, a widespread mistake that due to recent expansion are now accepted, but leismo and yeismo are not as correct as proper Spanish in which LL is a different sound than Y .
JGreco   Fri Jul 24, 2009 2:22 am GMT
But let's also remember we need to distinguish between European Spanish pronunciation versus American Spanish pronunciation. There is a very significant distinction.
Jaume   Fri Jul 24, 2009 10:05 am GMT
The difference between "y" and "ll" can still be heard in many Spanish regions. It is true that the older generations do it: not only in Northern Spain but in rural Murcia, for instance, quite to the south.

Catalan clearly makes a difference between "y" --we write it "i"- and "ll" and it is considered to be extremely vulgar not to do it in Catalan. This is perhaps the reason why the difference is well kept amongst the young generations of Catalan-speaking territories, even when speaking in Castilian Spanish.
Aldo   Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:37 pm GMT
If you are learning Spanish you must know how to pronounce the word "YO" so "LL" sounds the same to "Y".

Yo soy = I am
LLorar = To cry

Both can sound the same. Argentinian and Uruguayans could pronounce it like "SH".

In English the most similar sound could be the "J" of "JUST". More or less, it's hard to find an equivalence.
Atus   Wed Jul 29, 2009 12:24 am GMT
yes, that's correct.
Evinória   Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:25 am GMT
Se pronuncia semelhantemente ao "J" do idioma Português. Para isso basta acrescentar "D" imaginário à letra "j" = "DJ"

Exemplo: Como te llamas?
Pronúncia em PT BR: Cómô tê Djámas?


Acho que daí advém toda a facilidade dos lusófonos de compreender do idioma castelhano.
Harman   Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:01 pm GMT
And vice versa Evinoria, 2 ways.
Gaúcho   Mon Aug 03, 2009 6:57 pm GMT
Ainda mais.

A evolução mais recente nos paises do Rio de la Plata leva a pronunciar "-ll-", de "g", a "sh". É o mesmo processo que o espanhol conheceu no século XVI e que ensurdeceu o "z" de "casa" e fez pronunciar "cassa",

A gente mais nova de Buenos Aires e Montevideu já não pronuncia "gegar" por "llegar", antes bem "chegar", como em português. E isso aproxima o espanhol de esta zona ao português.
Evinória   Tue Aug 04, 2009 3:22 am GMT
Não acho. Vivi em Uruguaiana - Brasil, durante três anos e nunca percebi esse tipo de coisa. Além disso quando cheguei à Buenos Aires, não captei essa mudança da qual você falou Gaúcho!