The g in Spanish can one of the more difficult letters to pronounce, at least for those who hope to be precise. The same is true for the j, whose sound it sometimes uses. Show Beginning Spanish students can think of g has having two sounds, although those who want to be exact will find that the g has three common sounds and a pair of rare situations where it is pronounced very softly if at all. The Quick and Easy Approach to Pronouncing the GThe way many English speakers learning Spanish start out is by thinking of Spanish as having two sounds, depending on the letter that follows:
Note the differences in these phonetic transcriptions. The first three have the hard "g" sound, while the final two have the "h" sound:
You should have no difficulty being understood if you follow these pronunciations. However, if you hope to sound more like a native speaker, you should follow the next section. A More Precise Approach to Pronouncing the GThink of the g as have three main sounds:
A Pair of ExceptionsThese three pronunciation take care of nearly all situations. However, there are two significant exceptions:
Pronouncing the JThe j sound is what is known as a voiceless velar fricative, which means that it is formed by forcing air through the slightly constricted back part of the mouth. It's kind of a scraping or raspy sound. If you've learned German, you may know it as the ch sound of Kirche. You may hear it sometimes in English in the word "loch" when given a Scottish accent or as the initial sound of "Hanukkah" when an attempt is made to pronounce it as if it were in Hebrew. One way you might think of the sound is as an extended "k." Instead of sounding out the "k" in an explosive fashion, try lengthening the sound. The sound of the j varies with region. In some areas, the j sounds almost like a soft "k," and in some places it sounds very close to the "h" sound in words such as "hot" or "hero." If you give the j the sound of the English "h," as many English-speaking Spanish students do, you will be understood, but keep in mind that is only approximate. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicagoYour Citation Erichsen, Gerald. "Pronouncing the Spanish G and J." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/pronouncing-the-spanish-g-and-j-3079543. Erichsen, Gerald. (2020, August 27). Pronouncing the Spanish G and J. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/pronouncing-the-spanish-g-and-j-3079543 Erichsen, Gerald. "Pronouncing the Spanish G and J." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/pronouncing-the-spanish-g-and-j-3079543 (accessed February 16, 2022). copy citation |