How to pronounce the LL in Spanish

The LL in Spanish may be confusing for some people. This happens because the pronunciation of this digraph may vary from region to region.

*Note: A digraph is a combination of words that represent one sound.*

The following video will show you the different pronunciations that the LL in Spanish may have:

The author of the video is Olly Richards, who does an excellent job at explaining the Spanish language in his fluent Spanish academy.

The LL in Spanish: how we use it in Colombia.

I like to talk about Colombia because is the place where I live in.

This country is full of so many different accents and as you saw in the video above, the way people use the LL may change from region to region.

In Colombia, people use “the Y variation of the LL” near to the coast. Here are a couple of phrases using this kind of pronunciation so you can have some practice:

  • Rodilla: Me duele la rodiya.
  • Sellar: Voy a seyar.
  • Lleno: El tanque de la gasolina esta yeno.
  • Llave: ¿Dónde está la yave?
  • Camello: Vi un cameyo en el desierto.

Now, near to the center of the country, specially in places like Medellín, we use “the J variation of the LL”, here are some phrasesso you can have some practice (read them out loud):

  • Pollo: no me gusta comer Pojo.
  • Silla: trae una sija, me quiero sentar.
  • Brillante: el sol está muy brijante hoy.
  • Lluvioso: Hoy será un día juvioso.
  • Cebolla: mi hermana odia la ceboja.

Now the question is: which is your favorite pronunciation of the LL? which one will you use? tell me in the comments below.


Ifyou’re an intermediate student of Spanish, I’m sure you’ll love my ebook in full Spanish: 10 Secretos que nadie te dice para hablar español como un nativo + its audio version. Sign up in the form below and download it for free now:

Diego Cuadros is a blogger and a Spanish online teacher. He uses stories to help Spanish lovers understand fast-speaking native speakers, so they don't freeze and panic in conversations.

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