Y in Spanish

Love how Iker Casillas speaks Spanish, but hate to undergo the apparently cumbersome procedure of learning to pronounce correct Spanish letters and words? Gear yourself up! It doesn’t require a lot of effort; just the right guidance. If you find the letter y in Spanish a bit hard to pronounce, then believe me you are not alone as many other aspiring Spanish speakers go up against this somewhat frustrating challenge. Not to mention, this is the reason why they also inaccurately pronounce correctly words in Spanish.

There is a great mystery shrouding the use of letters such as y, ll and the replacement of y by e in Spanish language. It is important to learn how to use these letters in order to make sure Spanish words are pronounced with the right accent. Otherwise, you will find yourself saying things you don’t mean and that can be quite embarrassing, no?

 

🎯 What is the letter y in Spanish?

The y is the twenty-sixth letter of the Spanish alphabet. Their names are ye or i griega (check the video to listen the pronunciation).

In Spanish it usually represents a consonant phoneme:

• It is pronounced as a vowel when the previous word ends in a vowel, and the next word begins with a vowel

E.g.: Mis camisetas son esta y aquella

• It is pronounced as a vowel when it is between consonants

E.g.: Ellos son hombres y mujeres

• It is semivocal or semiconsonant when it forms a diphthong with the preceding vowel (yo y tu) or with the next vowel (familiares y amigos)
  

 

 

📌 It might interest you: «Learn from the best: Best 10 pieces of advice from Polyglot Steve Kaufman (speaks 16 languages)»

💬 how to say y in Spanish?

Let’s first try to understand how to say y in spanish properly.

The letter y is both the consonant and the vowel. However, the pronunciation of the letter y also varies greatly from region to region. Its pronunciation can vary: it can be pronounced like «j» or «zh» depending on the region and the speaker (hear the differences on the video)

More often, ‘y’ is pronounced like a softer version of the «j«. It’s just like the ‘j’ sound that you make in jungle is being made in words like yegua (mare).

➕ how do you say and in Spanish

In Spanish, y is the copulative conjunction that unites words or clauses in affirmative concept; To avoid cacophonous alliterations, the letter y changes to e before words that begin with i (José e Isabel) or hi (aguja e hilo).

 👂 how to pronounce ll in Spanish

ll is yet another sound that has kept the speakers and learners of the Spanish language intrigued as to how one can pronounce it. There are two different rules to pronounce it as ll is pronounced like a y if it is written at the beginning of a word. It can also be pronounced like a j in other scenarios (like regional dialects and so).

 

📌 It might interest you: «How to get a Spanish Tutor (almost) for free»

 

⚔️ y vs e in Spanish

There is a simple rule for this. Sometimes y is replaced by e in Spanish. This change is brought about when the next word starts with i such as Fernando e Isabel.

Make sure you spend more time watching Spanish channels. Listen to Spanish podcasts, audio recordings and any audio or video content you can find. This will help you get a firm grip over words with the letter y.