Voted Best Answer
Jul 25, 2014 - 09:35 PM
It's sort of regional, but sometimes I'll hear the same singer use "yo" in one song and "jo" in another, so I don't think there are any firm rules. Personally, when I say a word that starts with double-L like "llaves" (keys), it's a J sound, but when the double-L is in the middle of the word, like "mantequilla" (butter), it's a Y sound. I've tried forcing it one way or another, but it comes off as obviously forced, so I just go with whatever feels right.
One of my favorite resources is Forvo, where you can hear words in many languages pronounced by readers from many countries. For example: http://es.forvo.com/word/cerveza/ . Even among the speakers from Spain, you can hear a little variation.
One of my favorite resources is Forvo, where you can hear words in many languages pronounced by readers from many countries. For example: http://es.forvo.com/word/cerveza/ . Even among the speakers from Spain, you can hear a little variation.