I ask because in the recording for "Yo vivo en Córdoba" it's a "yo" sound. But for the "Yo vivo en el barrio de Gràcia" recording it's a soft j sound resulting in "jo".
When I practice at Duolingo I also sometimes here the y vs. j difference. Are both interchangeable in Spanish? If no, what are the rules for choosing j vs. y?
Or, is the recording audio simply not of good quality?
Hola John
I would say the [io] sound is more common in Spain but you sometimes hear a [jo] sound in some areas. Here is a video explaining the different sounds of LL and Y.
I hope you find it useful.
Saludos
Inma
Where I live in Spain, Y and LL are always pronounced with J sound.
'Pollo' (chicken) is pronounced 'pojo'.
'me llamo'- me jamo
caballo - cabajo
BTW, I live in Andalucia
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