El alfabeto español (2): la g y la j

In the second part of the alphabet series, Pilar focuses on two letters that confuse many learners: the g and the j. You will learn when the g sounds hard, when it sounds like a j and why we write gue and gui.

Learn the Spanish alphabet with The Spanish Sessions. Free Spanish videolessons online.

Key points

The j always has the same sound, the one in jamón or jota.
The g sounds like the j before e and i: geranio, girasol.
Before a, o and u the g has a hard sound: gafas, gorila, gusano.
To get the hard sound before e and i, add a silent u: guerra, guitarra.

Frequent doubts

Why is the u silent in guitarra?

It only keeps the hard g sound before i. When the u has to be pronounced, it takes two dots: pingüino.

Do ge and je sound the same?

Yes: gente and jefe start with the same sound.

Is the Spanish j like the English h?

It is stronger and is made at the back of the throat, but an English h is a good starting point.

Part of Spanish Sessions, the YouTube channel of the teachers at Tilde Madrid — more than 3 million views.

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Key points

Frequent doubts

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