How To Pronounce The Letter "J" In Spanish - SpanishDict

Quick Answer

The letter j in Spanish has two different pronunciations that are similar, but used in different regions:

• In Latin America and southern Spain, the letter j is pronounced like the English h in the word ham. Compare the h in ham with the Latin American pronunciation of j in its Spanish translation: jamón.

• In central and northern Spain, the pronunciation of j is similar, but stronger and more vibrant. It is pronounced like the ch in the Scottish pronunciation of the word loch or the German word nacht. Listen again to its sound in jamón, but this time select the Spain pronunciation option.

Pronunciation of J in Spanish

Let's learn how to pronounce the letter j in Spanish!

The Sounds of the Letter J

J Is a Consonant

The letter j represents the Spanish consonant sounds, or phonemes, /x/ (in Latin America and the south of Spain) and /χ/ (in central and northern Spain). When a consonant sound is uttered, the flow of air out of the mouth is partially or completely blocked at some point.

The name of this letter is pronounced jota.

The Two Sounds of J

Pronunciation 1

In Latin America and parts of Spain, j sounds like the English h in here or history. Compare the pronunciation of the h in those two English words with the sound of j in Spanish words like jabón(soap), jefe(boss), or jirafa (giraffe). For this Spanish sound, please select the Latin American pronunciation option.

Linguists represent this sound, or phoneme, with the symbol /x/.

Tongue Position in Mouth

This first sound of the Spanish j is velar, which means it is pronounced by lifting the back of the tongue against the soft palate. There is always a narrow opening for the air to come out, resulting in an aspirated sound.

Remember that aspiration is the sound of air being exhaled after certain letters.

Additionally, the vocal cords do not vibrate when uttering this sound of j, so linguists classify it as voiceless, or sordain Spanish.

Where Can I Hear J Pronounced This Way?

This pronunciation of j is used throughout Latin America and the south of Spain, including Extremadura, Andalusia, and the Canary Islands.

Pronunciation 2

The second pronunciation of the letter j might sound strange to English speakers. That's because there isn’t a common similar sound in English, although it is a lot like the Scottish pronunciation of ch in the word loch, or to the German ch in nacht. Compare the pronunciation of the ch in loch and nacht with the sound of the j in joven(young), junio(June), or ajo(garlic). For this sound, please select the Spain pronunciation option.

Linguists represent this sound or phoneme with the symbol /χ/.

Tongue Position in Mouth

The second sound of the Spanish j is quite similar to Pronunciation 1, but it sounds stronger and more vibrant. This is because the tongue is placed further back and made to trill slightly against the soft palate.

Where Can I Hear J Pronounced This Way?

This pronunciation is a regional variant of Pronunciation 1. In parts of Spain—mostly in the central and northern regions—/χ/ is used instead of /x/, which is more common in the rest of the Spanish-speaking world.

The Letters J and G

The sounds of the letter j do not vary depending on the position of the letter in the word or syllable. The letter g is pronounced the same way, but only when it comes before the letter e, as in coger(to take), or before the letter i, as in gigante(giant).

So, How Do I Know When to Use J or G Before E or I?

It’s hard to predict when, but here’s a table with a few tips that will help you know when a word is written with a j before an e or an i:

Tip	Spanish	English	Exceptions
Words beginning eje-	ejemplo, ejército	example, army	Egeo(Aegean)
Words ending -aje, -eje	coraje, hereje	courage, heretic	ambages(circumlocutions)
Words ending -jería	cerrajería, relojería	locksmith’s shop, watch store	---
Words with the stress in the second-to-last syllable ending -jero, -jera	extranjero, viajera	foreigner, traveler	ligero(light)
Verbs ending -jear	chantajear, cojear	to blackmail, to limp	---
Any verb form with a j sound whose infinitive doesn’t have a j	dijefrom decir, trajeronfrom traer	I said, they brought	---