What is the pronunciation of "ll" in llama?

Dwan M.A0Kwiziq community member

What is the pronunciation of "ll" in llama?

Is "ll" pronounced "ya?"

Asked 6 months ago
InmaNative Spanish expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hola Dwan

both ll and y are generally pronounced the same in Spanish, always as a "y" sound, for example: 

Me llamo [me yah mo]

Paella [pa eh ya]

Lluvia [yuh bia]

There may be a few places where the sound is a bit stronger than the y (with a bit of a "ch" sound) but generally speaking the overall sound is "y".  This is called yeísmo.

But there are parts of Latin America, more specifically Argentina and Uruguay, where the sound of ll and y is "sh". This is called yeísmo rehilado. 

Here's an article about ll and y where you can find some different words and their audio that may help. 

Un saludo cordial

Inma

What is the pronunciation of "ll" in llama?

Is "ll" pronounced "ya?"

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