How do you pronounce L?

The letter L in Spanish is very similar to English. The difference is that it is just a little quicker and crisper. The tip of your tongue will just briefly touch the roof of your mouth, just behind the teeth. Say “long lizards lounge in Alabama” and notice how your tongue is pressed against the back of your teeth when you say the L. Then, pretend you are a singer getting ready for a concert, singing “lalalalalalalalalaaaaaa!” You’ll see that the tip of your tongue is tapping lightly, just above and behind your teeth. This is the Spanish L sound.

Listen and repeat:

• La luna
• La luz
• El elefante
• La planta
• El palo
• La palabra

Ll and Y

Whenever you see two L’s in Spanish, they combine to make a Y sound.

Listen and repeat:

• Bella
• Gallina
• Ballena
• Pantalla
• Llanta
• Llanura
• Llorar
• Llamada

 

One complicating issue, however, is that the Y sound is formed differently in various parts of Latin America and Spain. Very rarely do LL and Y sound just like an English Y. More often, they make a “zh” sound, like the G at the end of mirage and collage. Sometimes it even sounds like and English J or CH.

Listen to the following recordings from different regions:

Yo veo la gallina llorona y la bella ballena en la pantalla.

(I see the wailing hen and the beautiful whale on the screen.)

Nicaragua

Chile

España