Unit 3.1
Letter: j
Introduction
The letter j can have different sounds regarding the procedence of the word, though the most common sound is /dʒ/.
Form
The letter j can be pronounced as:
| Uppercase | Lowercase | Phonetics |
|---|---|---|
| J | j | /dʒ/ |
| J | j | /ʒ/ |
| J | j | /h/ |
Example
j = /dʒ/
- jail, jam, jump;
j = /ʒ/
- bijou, jongleur;
j = /h/
- fajitas.
Use
J is a letter that, depending on the origin of the word they are written in, it is pronounced in a way or another.
- The common English pronunciation of j is /dʒ/, when we place j as a voiced post-alveolar affricate . Letter g has this same sound in “giraffe”.
- In words coming from French, the j is pronounced as /ʒ/, a post-alveolar fricative. In this case, the front of the tongue is close to the beginning of the palate, forming a gap there, leaving the tongue in the same form of a spoon.
- In Hispanic words, the j turns into the aspirate sound /h/. In this way, the air comes out of your mouth as you say the sound, using the glottis as primary articulation.
