To say the “y” sound, think of the Spanish y or ll. This sound is called a semivowel because the tongue has limited contact with the rest of the mouth. If you say the sound very slowly, you’ll notice it sounds like two vowel – vowel ee and vowel uh. It slides from ee to uh – “ee-uh.”
Use the recordings to try the “y” sound by itself, in words, and in short phrases.
Use the recordings to try the “j” sound by itself, in words, and in short phrases.
Next, try these pairs of contrasting words. Make sure you differentiate the “y” and “j” sounds. yawn John yellow jello yet jet yoke joke yack Jack year jeer you'll jewel |