The double L sound is one of the most common letter combinations in Spanish.
It’s actually not a letter, but what’s known as a diagraph in the linguistics world.
In Spanish, this diagraph is called “elle” or “doble ele”.
But you probably don’t really care too much about all that … what you really need to
know is how to pronounce it, am I right?
In this video, I’m going to spell it out for you loud and clear.
I’m going to show you how to pronounce the double L in Spanish using three different
regional variations.
That’s right, one two-letter combination, with three common pronunciations.
So as an intermediate learner you’ve probably started to pick up on this already.
I bet you’ve thought to yourself: “Is ‘ll’ it really like a Y in English?
I swear it sounds like a J sometimes…”
Or maybe you’ve been to Argentina and thought: “Wait, it’s not a Y or a J!”
So which one is it?
Is it me llamo [as in y sound], or me llamo [as in j sound], or could it be me llamo [as
in sh sound]?
The truth of the matter is that all of these pronunciations are accepted!
It all depends on where you are and who you’re speaking to.
So I’ll sum it up for you.
Double L can be like a Y sound in English.
It can also be like a J sound in English.
And in a few places it can be like an SH sound too.
So let’s go through each of these variations to get the pronunciation right.
Let’s start with the Y sound.
Remember when you took your first Spanish class?
Your teacher probably told you that the double L is the same as the Y in English.
Like Yellow or Yeah.
Of course, your Spanish teacher was right.
The double L is commonly pronounced as a Y.
So instead of the double L, imagine a Y.
As shown here, with the word Yuvia.
Let’s try a few more common double L words:
• Yegar • Se yama
• Poyo • Medeyín
There is another common version that is also accepted throughout many parts of Latin America.
This is when the double L becomes like a J sound in English.
Like Jam or Jeans.
Except that it’s not as strong as it is in English, it’s a bit softer, but with
a longer Jjj sound.
Like Jam, Jeans. J-am, j-eans [with Spanish like pronunciation].
Let’s look at the same words we just saw before.
This time I’ll change the double L to this J sound.
We are going to make that slight J sound now:
• Juvia • Jegar
• Se jama • Pojo
• Medejín
So I bet you’re wondering: in which countries is this pronunciation common?
Well this regional variation is more difficult to categorize by country.
It can be regional within the same country.
For example, in Mexico, both the J and Y sounding double L are used.
The same is true in Colombia.
It really just varies a lot.
So this is a choice you have to make.
Do you want to say it like a Y or a J?
But, we’re not quite finished yet!
There is also a third pronunciation which is common in the Río de la Plata area of
South America.
I’m talking here about Argentina and Uruguay, where they pronounce the double l as a ‘sh’
sound.
So let’s change our double L words to reflect the SH sound.
Here’s how they are pronounced this way:
• shuvia • shegar
• Se shama • Posho
• Medeshín
So it’s more like a Shhh sound in English.
Like in the words She or Shop.
But let’s be frank, unless you’re going to live in this region of Latin America, then
there’s probably no point actually using this pronunciation.
However, you do need to know it.
If you travel to Argentina or Uruguay, or interact with people from there, they’ll
use this pronunciation and you need to be able to recognize it so you don’t get confused.
Okay let’s repeat again.
This time, using these words in phrases to get the flow going.
[pronounce each phrase three times using y, j, sh pronunciation]
• Viene la lluvia [y].
Viene la lluvia [j].
Viene la lluvia [sh].
• Por no llegar a tiempo [y].
Por no llegar a tiempo [j].
Por no llegar a tiempo [sh].
• Se llama Laura [y].
Se llama Laura [j].
Se llama Laura [sh].
• Compro el pollo [y].
Compro el pollo [j].
Compro el pollo [sh].
• No vivo en Medellín [y].
No vivo en Medellín [j].
No vivo en Medellín [sh].
Remember.
Just pick one style of pronunciation.
Don’t try to mix and match or else it will just sound like you’re confused!
¿Cuál “elle” piensas elegir?
How do people pronounce “elle” where you’ve been
or live?
Leave a comment below to let me know!
¡Déjame saber!