How do you pronounce "Ella" in the Dominican Republic?

[toddm030]

I heard that in in some spanish countries the LL is pronounced like a Y sound and in others like a soft J. I was wondering which way it is usually pronounced in the Dominican Republic?

If it is pronounced both ways then which way would you say is more common in that country?

 

[Frank the Tank]

I would say the y sound, but I have heard both depending on which part of the country.

 

[PeterInBrat]

Normally a slighty hard "ya" as in "yawn" but it can drift into the j sound depending on the word and context.

Here is a bachata that has "ella" in it a lot. It takes a bit of time to load:

Free Music, Listen to Music Free

He drifts a bit to J a few times but mostly it's pronunced "ya"

 

[heliace]

In the D.R. and in Chile it is pronounced y as in yawn and in Argentina it is more of a j sound. Either way it beats the hell out of those lisping Spaniards.

 

[J D Sauser]

[Eyia] sometimes with a HINT of an "H" at beginning [hEyia].
​

<-click on the bocina to listen!

Courtesy of:http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dict_en_es/spanish/ella


The "h"-prefix is a funny Dominicanism... it goes to talk "con tigueraje"... typical word where it can CLEARLY be heard: raro (strange): e' Hrraro, eto! but I hear "gente" do the same... so it's not street tigueraje.

... J-D.

 

[puryear270]

The y and the j sounds are interchangeable in Spanish. Many Spanish speakers will not even hear the difference between the two.

For example, yellow jello is the same word twice; yell and jail are indistinguisable.

In most Caribbean countries, the y or ll at the beginning of a syllable, and especially at the beginning of a word, will be pronounced like the j in Joe.

In Argentina and southern South American countries, the y or ll at the beginning of a syllable will be much softer, and will be pronounced as the same sound in Zha Zha Gabor's name (I'm telling my age there).

These, however, are generalizations, and you will find variations between persons from the same area and education level.

 

[PeterInBrat]

BTW, I don't recommend using Dominican Spanish as your pronunciation template. Dominicans have a reputation of "eating their words" or dropping sylables when speaking and also using one word for a much longer phrase.

Dominicans also will pronounce Yo like Jo especially as the first word. "Yo no se" = "Jo no say," but in "Soy yo" the y is normal

Columbian, Argentinean and Venezuelan Spanish seem to be the clearest to me and no one in the DR is going to complain if you are articulate and clear.

 

[suarezn]

Use the j sound if you want to sound less like a foreigner.

 

[jrhartley]

Use the j sound if you want to sound less like a foreigner.

yeah riiight that really works for me lol

 

[AlterEgo]

For example, yellow jello is the same word twice; yell and jail are indistinguisable.

One of my husband's friends used to drive a yellow Jeep. He called it his "jello heap". We still chuckle about it.

AE

 

[Chirimoya]

My husband says "yi" for jeep.

Ella - eh-ya, or a eh-zha with a very lightly pronounced zh sound. Not that different from the way it's pronounced in Spain, in my experience.

 

[danimar]

The same sound as the hard J in jello.

And heliace what does the lisp (original Catillian) have to do with the J sound apart from showing a particular prejudice ??

 

[PeterInBrat]

IMHO puryear270 has the best answer.

The legend that I heard about Castilian is some royal had an incurable lisp a couple centuries ago and it somehow caught on that it sounded more upper class to speak swishy. I can't listen to a Castillian accent without getting the giggles. To me it's like the "French" in Monty Python and the Holy Grail making fun of the "ki-niggets."

Wiki says the royal lisp has not been proven, but also states the lisp did not start until the 16th century, well after Columbus came the island. So perhaps Dominican Spanish is more original than Castilian?

 

[Exxtol]

Columbian, Argentinean and Venezuelan Spanish seem to be the clearest to me and no one in the DR is going to complain if you are articulate and clear.

Uh I'm sorry but you're crazy if you think Argentine Spanish is clear and articulate! They swallow and mumble just as much as Dominicans do. The difference is a quick "Como?" makes them realize how utterly unclear they sound.

Yes, there are some Argentines that speak clearly but in general no way! I'm not sure how many Argentines you've met but I'm living here now. The first time I visited I too thought they spoke "clearly" but I was only there for a couple of weeks. After a few months you start to realize how wrong that assumption really is! And I haven't even brought up the use of voseo or the "shhh" sound in double ll's.

Without a doubt colombians probably speak the clearest spanish i've heard, aside from spaniards.