The letters ll/y are used for the the same sound: [ʝ].
In traditional Spanish there are two sounds, [ʎ] for ll and [ʝ] for y. This difference still exists in some areas of Castille and northern Spain, and even in certain areas of South America. But the majority of Spanish speakers only use [ʝ], while [ʎ] is disappearing.
To pronounce this sound correctly, remember:
it’s not pronounced like an [i]: amarilla ~ not amariia,
it’s not pronounced like [l]: pollo ~ not polo,
it’s not pronounced like [l] + [i]: pollo ~ not polio.
In rare exceptions, ll is pronounced like [l]: ballet.
In the Rio Plate region (Uruguay and Argentina), ll/y is pronounced [ʃ] (like the English sh):
Yo me llamo [‘ʃo me’ʃamo].
Listen to and repeat the following sentences:
Yo desayuno sencillo.
* ¡Para grabar tu voz, activa el micrófono! / To record your voice, enable the microphone!
Grabaciones
Ya no llueve en Mallorca y Sevilla.
Grabaciones
Llevo una falda amarilla a María.
Grabaciones
Allí comimos una paella que llevaba pollo y cebolla.
Grabaciones
Ella se llama Liliana y ama la música.
Grabaciones
EL SONIDO [ʧ] (CH) / The [ʧ] (CH) sound
Ch is pronounced with the [ʧ] sound
This sound must be pronounced in a single short burst, like the ch in Charlie, and should not be sustained like [s].
Listen to and repeat the following sentences:
La chaqueta es estrecha y la percha ancha.
Grabaciones
La chica se ducha muchas noches.
Grabaciones
Tengo ocho litros de leche en el coche.
Grabaciones
PALABRAS CON ACENTO EN LA ANTEPENÚLTIMA SÍLABA (O ANTERIORES) / WORDS WHOSE STRESS FALLS ON THE THIRD-TO-LAST SYLLABLE (OR EARLIE)
Words with their stress on the third-to-last syllable (or earlier) always carry an accent mark (tilde).
Some words have an accent mark in their plural form, but not in the singular.
joven jóvenes
orden órdenes
Listen to and repeat the following sentences. Remember to pronounce all the vowels correctly:
Ángela es guapísima y simpática.
Grabaciones
Escribe mi número de teléfono con el bolígrafo.
Grabaciones
La ópera de América tiene músicos jóvenes.
Grabaciones
El frigorífico es cómodo para guardar comida rápida.
Grabaciones
Íñigo es un médico antipático.
Grabaciones
ópera (arte musical) ~ opera (verbo operar)
médico (persona) ~ medico (verbo medicar)
práctico (adjetivo) ~ practico (verbo practicar)
Some words change their meaning according to whether or not they have an accent mark:
