What's the proper way to pronounce the "ll" in Spanish?

[KostasKouvalis]

I was always taught in Spanish class, by both a Mexican and Argentinan teacher that it makes a "Y" sound. However, I was recently in the Yucatan and Panama and people were saying it with more of a "j"/"dz" sound. Vijahermosa, Vijanueva, Medejin, Como te jamas? I've never heard anyone say "janos" for llanos though or "jevar" for llevar. They seem to mostly do this with place names. I assumed it was just regional dialect, but I've NEVER heard MEXICANS say it that way before, that's why I was confused. Is it just a Yucatan thing?

"Y" sound is correct

"J"/"DZ" is correct

[AviatorTom]

Depends where you are. In Latin America, "LL" is typically a "Y" sound. In Spain and some other Spanish-speaking countries, it's a "J" or "ZH" sound.

[AviatorTom]

Thanks for MHO

[strateguy632]

1st, "Y" sound is correct.

poncho villa viya

[KostasKouvalis]

Exactly. I should've known a Mexican wouldn't be speaking proper Spanish😂

[avery58]

Y is correct. The people using it the other way was just their regional accent. In Argentine Spanish it makes a harsh "sh" sound, but your Argentine professor was right to tell you that the general formal sound is "y"

[KostasKouvalis]

Are you Argentine?

[avery58]

Nope. Mexican American. But I speak fluent Spanish and sometimes watch YouTube videos in Spanish so I know what each Spanish speaking accent sounds like

[KostasKouvalis]

The guide in Mexico must've been speaking in some Yucatecan dialect then. Every other Spanish country always says Mexican Spanish is most improper Spanish. LOL I personally think Chilean Spanish is the worst, 'cuz they cut letters off. They say, "Juan Carlo" "Ecuela" "Tre"
Cuban Spanish also sounds weird to me, because the accent is so funny.

That's cool that you know all of them. This Puerto Rican girl I used to talk to on hear did too. There's this YouTuber who tries to guess where people are from based on their language, and Spanish always screws him over, though Argentinian is always obvious to him.

Have you ever heard Equatorial Guinea Spanish?

[avery58]

I'd say Caribbean Spanish (especially Dominican) is the hardest for me to understand sometimes because of how fast they talk, plus they sometimes switch the r sound in words for an l and have a lot of slang that I think comes from native Taino words.

The thing with Mexican Spanish is mostly the accents and sometimes dialect, for example I can't stand Mexico City accent and slang. My family comes from a state called Guanajuato, and the accent there is pretty neutral.

I saw a few videos from Equatorial Guinea lately on TikTok, I could understand everything he was saying very clearly, but the accent seemed a bit silly to me personally without trying to be rude

[KostasKouvalis]

Yeah there was an indigenous guy in my art history class who spoke fluent Spanish, but he said Cuban and Argentinian Spanish he couldn't understand at all. Argentinian/Uruguayan Spanish actually sound the cleanest to me. I think Mexicans talk too fast, because when I hear Spanish spoken slowly, I can understand a lot more.

Really, what's wrong with theirs? My second Spanish teacher was from Mexico City. LOL I didn't think Mexico had so many regional variations of Spanish. I knew a girl from Guanajuato.
I think I faired best in Peru, and I could also understand Chilean Spanish fairly well, despite them cutting off letters. Mexicans just talk too fast for me, but I do agree that Caribbean Spanish also sounds weird.

LOL. It's fine. I've learned when your language is spoken in multiple countries, it's customary to make fun of each others dialect.

[avery58]

Yeah Peru is pretty neutral and slow paced

Well what I don't like from Mexico City's accent is either it sounds boring or sometimes preppy coming from the upper class, or kind of sounds almost drunk coming from the poor neighborhoods

[KostasKouvalis]

Now that you mentioned it, my tour guide in Mexico City totally talked like that, albeit in English. But he definitely sounded very posh. LOL